This spicy dip is an excellent alternative to hummus. It can be served with bread, crackers or vegetable crudités. Check the packet of the beans to see whether they need to be soaked overnight before use.

Ingredients

6 oz (170 g) of dried cannellini beans
1 bunch of spring onions, chopped
1 crushed clove of garlic
a handful of mint leaves
2 tbsp of olive oil
2 tbsp of tahini
1 tsp of ground cumin
1 tsp of ground coriander
lemon juice
salt and pepper

Method

Place the dried cannellini beans into a large bowl and fill with water to cover. Leave to soak overnight.
Rinse the beans under a cold running water tap to remove impurities. Place into a large saucepan filled with water and bring to the boil.
Boil the beans for 10 minutes and then lower the heat to a simmer, cover the pan with the lid and cook gently until the beans are soft and cooked.
Drain the beans and place into a food processor.
Add the chopped spring onions, garlic, mint, tahini and the olive oil and process until the mixture is smooth.
Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in the spices and the lemon juice. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper accordingly.
Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Serve with vegetable crudités.

Falafel with a Mint Yoghurt Dip

Falafel are delicious spicy fried balls made from chickpeas, which are served in warm pitta bread with salad and a sauce. This recipe is for a mint sauce but you can also try chilli sauce too.

Ingredients

8 oz (225 g) of dried chickpeas
2 tbsp of freshly chopped coriander
1 tbsp of tahini paste
1 tbsp of freshly chopped mint leaves
1 tbsp of lemon juice
1 crushed clove of garlic
1 tsp of turmeric
1 tsp of ground cumin
1 tsp of sea salt
¼ tsp of cayenne pepper
seasoned flour
oil for frying
For the yoghurt dip
¼ pint (150 ml) of Greek yoghurt
2 tbsp of freshly chopped mint leaves
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 crushed clove of garlic
salt and pepper

Method

Place the chickpeas into a mixing bowl, fill with water to cover and then leave to soak overnight.
The following day, rinse the chickpeas thoroughly under a running tap and place into a food processor.
Add the tahini, crushed garlic, salt, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, chopped coriander and mint leaves and the lemon juice and process until you obtain a smooth paste.
Transfer to a mixing bowl, cover with cling film and leave to stand for at least half an hour so that all the flavours infuse together.
In the meantime prepare the yoghurt dip by mixing all of the dip ingredients together in a small bowl. Season with the salt and pepper, cover with cling film and refrigerate until needed.
When you are ready to prepare the falafel, take a bit of the mixture and with your hands shape into a small ball.
Coat with a little of the seasoned flour and continue to shape and coat until all the mixture has been used up.
Heat 1 cm of vegetable oil in a frying pan and then fry each falafel ball until they have browned all over.
Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot inside a warm pitta bread with the yoghurt dip and some shredded salad.

Mint Lamb Chops

This is basically a recipe for lamb chops with mint sauce. The mint sauce can also be made and served with a roast lamb Sunday dinner.

Ingredients

4 lamb chops
2 fl oz (55 ml) of white wine vinegar
1 oz (30 g) of butter
2 tbsp of caster sugar
1 tbsp of chopped fresh mint leaves
salt and pepper

Method

Place the white wine vinegar and caster sugar into a small saucepan together.
Dissolve the sugar into the vinegar over a low heat by stirring continuously. Bring to the boil and continue to boil for 2 - 3 minutes.
Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool. Stir in the chopped mint.
Melt the butter over a fairly high heat in a large frying pan.
Once the butter is really hot, add the lamb chops and fry for 4 - 5 minutes on each side until brown.
Add the mint sauce to the frying pan with the lamb chops and mix together with the meat juices.
Serve the lamb chops with steamed vegetables and potatoes and pour the mint sauce all over.