Ingredients
- Pesto–yogurt dip
- 1 cup (50 g) fresh basil
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 tablespoon pine nuts
- 1 cup (250 g) low–fat natural yogurt
- Fresh herb dip
- ⅔ cup (160 g) fromage frais, crème fraîche or sour cream
- 1 spring onion, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat–leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon finely snipped fresh chives
- 1 teaspoon tarragon vinegar
- Italian–style tomato dip
- ⅓ cup (50 g) sun–dried tomatoes (dry–packed)
- ⅓ cup (90 g) cottage cheese
- ⅓ cup (90 g) low–fat natural yogurt
- ⅔ cup (30 g) fresh basilsalt and pepper
- 500 g mixed vegetable crudités, such as baby carrots, zucchini sticks, baby corn (blanched in boiling water for 1 minute), green beans (blanched for 1 minute), capsicum strips, witlof leaves and broccoli florets
Preparation
- For the pesto–yogurt dip, use a mortar and pestle to crush the basil, garlic and pine nuts to a paste.
- Work in the yogurt a spoonful at a time, until thoroughly combined.
- Add seasoning to taste.
- Alternatively, purée all the ingredients together in a food processor or blender.
- Transfer to a bowl, cover and chill until required.
- For the fresh herb dip, stir all the ingredients together in a bowl until well blended.
- Cover tightly and chill until required.
- For the Italian–style tomato dip, place the sun–dried tomatoes in a heatproof bowl and pour over boiling water to cover them.
- Leave to soak for about 30 minutes or until the tomatoes are plump and tender.
- Drain the tomatoes, then pat them dry and finely chop them.
- Purée the cottage cheese with the yogurt in a food processor or blender.
- Alternatively, press the cheese through a sieve and stir in the yogurt.
- Transfer to a bowl and stir in the tomatoes.
- Cover and chill until required.
- Just before serving the Italian–style tomato dip, finely shred the basil and stir in with seasoning to taste.
- Serve the bowls of dips on a large platter with the crudités arranged around them.
Serves 8
Preparation: 25 minutes, plus 30 minutes soaking