Our traditional Christmas (if you can call doing the same thing for the past 4 years traditional) is to drink until we pass out. Okay, not really, although each year I do tend to have a wee nap in the middle of the afternoon. For the past few years, we've had an "orphan's Christmas". We don't have any family in Melbourne, so we spend the day with some friends who are also Christmas orphans.
Each year there's lots of food, lots of wine, a bit of cricket and my nap in the middle of the afternoon. There's always tons of food left over, and this year, I decided to make nibbles rather than food for a full meal.
One of the items I made was a roasted garlic and white bean dip. This dip is all about the garlic, and baby, is it good! I adapted the recipe from the current issue of Donna Hay Magazine - essentially I halved the recipe except for the garlic and onion. If you don't like garlic as much as us, just halve the garlic and onion.
The dip is very garlicky, but as it's roasted it's not overpoweringly so. It gets a lovely mellow, buttery and sweet taste.
PS: The basil came from my garden which is why it looks a little sad. My plants are still alive (!) except for the coriander which expired as soon as we got some hot weather. Stupid coriander.
Roasted garlic and white bean dip
Adapted from Donna Hay Magazine, Issue 36, Dec/Jan 2008
2 heads garlic
2 onions, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
400g can white (cannellini) beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped basil leaves
salt and black pepper
Preheat the oven to 180 degree C.
Slice the tops off the garlic, and place with the onion and oil on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper and toass to coat. Roast for 25 minutes or until the garlic is soft.
Let it cool slightly, then squeeze the roasted garlic out of the skins into a food processor. Add the onion, beans, lemon juice, basil, salt and pepper and process until smooth.
Serve with crudites or bread sticks and crackers.
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