Category Archives: Condiments and Dips

Our favorite dips and condiments to help spice up your Whole Food meals

Homemade Mayonnaise

Condiments and Dips, , , , , ,

Homemade wholefood paleo mayonnaise

I was quickly whipping up a jar of mayonnaise this morning to go over an Eggs Benedict breakfast, when I wondered why we ever bought Mayonnaise? It is so easy to make, and doing so means we avoid all the processed ingredients in the store bought stuff. For sure I am never going back.

Ingredients

  • 1 large egg (preferably organic)
  • 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (1/2 a lemon)
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 150ml olive oil (preferably not extra virgin)

Directions

  1. Place the egg, lemon juice, sea salt, and pepper in a blender
  2. Blend all of the ingredients, starting on a slow speed while you add the olive oil to avoid spattering it all around your kitchen.
  3. Add the olive oil while the blender is running in a slow stream. I suggest that you don’t remove the lid of the blender, but just lift it enough to be able to pour the olive oil in underneath it while the blender is running.
  4. Put the cap back on the blender and turn up the speed. Blend the mayonnaise until it has formed into thick emulsion. This will not take very long, do not over blend it.
  5. Can be used as a replacement for hollandaise sauce on an eggs Benedict, with sweet potatoes, or as a dressing.

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Mahoney Harris – We Didn’t Feel Alone

Avocado Vinaigrette Dressing

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Avocado Vinaigrette dressing

In Singapore it is always salad weather, which means that we tend to eat them a lot. But continuing to get variation into our diet is important to us, we don’t like to eat boring! Last night I decided to spice up a chicken and lettuce salad with a little Avocado Vinaigrette. This looks a lot like a mayonnaise when it is finished, but has the tartness of a vinaigrette.

Ingredients

  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
  • juice of half a lemon
  • sea salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions

  1. In a blender combine the avocado, vinegar, lemon juice, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper. Blend together
  2. Lift the lid of the blender just enough that you are able to pour in the olive oil in a continuous stream while the blender is still running. Note: do not take the lid off completely as you will end up with avocado all around your kitchen and that is not a pretty sight…
  3. Pour the olive oil into the blender in a slow steady stream so that it all combines together. The dressing will be a little bit runnier than mayonnaise, but with a similar consistency. Please don’t expect that it will taste like a mayonnaise though, because it has the tartness of a vinaigrette instead.
  4. Use as a dressing on a salad to make a Caesar style salad. We added lettuce leaves, sliced chicken, sliced cucumber, sliced radishes and mint leaves for a refreshing dinner salad.

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Breaks Co-op – Sounds Familiar

Rucola Mint Pesto

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Rucola and Mint pesto

This is a very versatile pesto sauce that can be used as a dip for sweet potatoes, as a topping on fish or chicken, or even to stuff chicken wrapped in prosciutto. We’d love to hear how you have used what has become one of our favorites. 

Ingredients

  • Large handful of rucola lettuce leaves
  • 10-15 mint leaves
  • 1 Tbsp tahini
  • juice of half a large lime
  • 1 Tbsp pine nuts
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • Few grinds of freshly ground black pepper
  • 50ml olive oil

Directions

  1. Put all of the ingredients into a blender, and blend until smooth.
  2. It should be a bit of a thick sauce, so be careful with the amount of olive oil that you add. If it is too thick then you can add a little more olive oil.

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Sola Rosa – Get it together

Almond Milk and Flour

Condiments and Dips, , , ,

Almond Milk and Flour

Almond Milk is a great substitute for milk in cooking and baking. This is an easy way to make it at home, and also gives you almond flour as a very welcome by-product of the cooking process.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups almonds
  • 1 litre water, plus extra for soaking
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt flakes

Directions for Almond Milk

  1. Place the almonds in a large bowl and cover with enough water to sit 2cm above the almonds. Allow to stand at room temperature for 12 hours.
  2. Drain, discarding the soaking liquid and rinse well under cold running water.
  3. Put the almonds, water and sea salt into a blender and blend at a high speed for 3-4 minutes until fully mixed. (Depending on the size of your blender you might need to blend it in two batches of 500ml and 1 cup of almonds)
  4. Pour the mixture through a fine sieve to remove the almond pulp. You may need to work in batches to strain the almonds.
  5. Press the almond pulp with the back of a spoon to extract as much milk as possible. It should end up quite dry. The more moisture you leave in, the more you will have to dry out to get the Almond Flour.
  6. Retain the Almond pulp in the strainer to use in the Almond Flour (below). 
  7. Pour the milk into glass jars or bottles and seal well. Refrigerates for up to 3-4 days. Can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Makes approximately 1 litre of almond milk.

Directions for Almond Flour

  1. Preheat the oven to 100 degrees Celcius.
  2. Spread the almond pulp thinly and evenly over a lightly greased baking tray lined with baking paper.
  3. Bake for 1 hour.
  4. Toss the almond pulp, re-spread it out over the baking paper and cook for another 1 hour.
  5. Allow to cool completely.
  6. Place the almond mixture into a food processor and process using the knife blade until finely ground.
  7. Store the almond flour in a air tight container in the refridgerator for up to 1 week, or use immediately to make Dried fig and Cranberry Almond Loaf.

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Eternal Summers – The Drop Beneath

 

 

 

Parsnip and Purple Carrot Hummus

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parsnip and red carrot hummus

Hummus is a favourite spread for my son, and we have been trying some variations of the recipe (which is originally made with chickpeas) to create some new spreads. It is a great way of sneaking a few extra vegetables onto his plate that he wouldn’t normally eat.

Ingredients:

  • 1 large parsnip, boiled until soft
  • 5 purple carrots, boiled until soft
  • 2 spring onions, chopped
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 Tbsp tahini
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • olive oil

Directions:

  1. Put all of the ingredients into a blender including 2 Tbsp of olive oil.
  2. Blend until you have a smooth consistency.
  3. You may need to add some more olive oil to get to a thick, but spreadable consistency (about the same consistency as smooth peanut butter).
  4. Remove from the blender and place in a bowl to serve. Sprinkle with a little olive oil to serve if you like.

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Anika Moa – Thinking Room

 

 

 

 

Avocado Tahini Dip with Pomegranate Seeds

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Avocado Tahini Dip with Pomegranate SeedsThere is nothing that says “Middle Eastern food” like pomegranate and tahini. This avocado tahini dip is given a very fresh flavour with the addition of pomegranate seeds which are both stirred through it and used as a garnish. While the pomegranate gives it a delicious flavour, you can also leave them out for a more simple avocado tahini dressing if you prefer.

Ingredients

  • 1 avocado
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1/2 Tbsp tahini
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 red chili, de-seeded
  • 1 small red onion, finely chopped
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • handful of fresh mint
  • handful of fresh coriander
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • handful of pomegranate seeds to garnish
  • sumac to garnish (optional)

Directions

  1. Put the avocado, garlic, tahini, lime juice, cumin powder, chili, red onion, mint, coriander, sea salt, pepper and olive oil in a blender. Blend until smooth.
  2. The  dip should be on the thick side, so be careful not to add too much olive oil. 
  3. Stir through a handful of pomegranate seeds so that they are found throughout the dip. 
  4. Garnish with a little sumac (optional)
  5. Serve together with sweet potato fries, with Lebanese lamb burgers, or on pan fried fish. 

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Tiny Ruins – Brightly Painted One

Passionfruit and Orange Sauce

Condiments and Dips, , , , , ,

Orange and passionfruit sauce

This is a delicious sauce with a lot of flavour. It suits being paired with big flavored meats such as duck or pork, but my son also likes to eat it with his sweet potato fries and dip his broccoli into it.

Ingredients

  • Juice of 1 large orange
  • pulp of 2 large passionfruit (or 3 smaller ones)
  • 1/2 a red onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • salt and pepper
  • few thyme sprigs
  • ghee or coconut oil

Directions

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Elbow – The Take Off and Landing of Everything

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mango Passionfruit Salsa

Condiments and Dips, , , , , ,

mango and passionfruit salsa

This salsa is sweet with a spicy bite. Delicious with sweet potato cakes, or as a topping for chicken, pork or white fish such as barramundi or cod.

Ingredients

  • 1 ripe mango, cut into small pieces
  • pulp of 2 large passionfruit (or 3 small passionfruit)
  • juice of 1 lime
  • pinch of salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
  • handful of fresh coriander, chopped

Directions

  1. Put all of the ingredients except the coriander in a bowl and stir well to mix. Don’t blend it, you want it chunky.
  2. Put in the refridgerator for 30-60 minutes. This allows the flavours to intensify.
  3. Top with the fresh coriander to serve
  4. While this recipe will start to intensify after an hour, leaving it overnight is even better. We often make enough for a second dish and leave it covered in the fridge for up to a week (the vinegar will preserve the fruit).

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Intergalactic lovers – Little Heavy Burdens

 

 

 

Garlic Aioli Mayonnaise

Condiments and Dips, , , ,

Garlic Aioli

Mayonnaise is something I though that we had left behind when we changed our diet, but it does not need to be the case. Mayonnaise (of which Aioli is a variation) is a simple mix of eggs and oil. This Garlic Aioli recipe is delicious with sweet potato fries or used as a spread.

Ingredients

  • 3 garlic cloves (less if you like it less garlicky)
  • 1 large egg (preferably organic)
  • 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 150ml olive oil

Directions

  1. Place the garlic, egg, lemon juice, sea salt, and pepper in a blender
  2. Blend all of the ingredients, starting on a slow speed while you add the olive oil to avoid spattering it all around your .kitchen
  3. Add the olive oil while the blender is running in a slow stream. You will need to leave off  the cap of the blender in order to be able to do this while the blender is running.
  4. Put the cap back on the blender and turn up the speed. Blend the aioli until it has formed into thick emulsion.
  5. Serve the sweet potato fries, with the Garlic Aioli.

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Jose Gonzalez – Vestiges and Claws

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ras el Hanout spice mix

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Ras El Hanout

Ras el Hanout is a North African (Moroccan) spice mix that translates as “top of the shop”. There is no definitive mix of spices and each store in the souk (market) takes pride in creating their own blend. This version leaves out some of the more exotic spices, and favours a blend that is easy to find in most supermarket aisles.

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons ground cardamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground mace
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground anise seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions

  1. Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl well and store in an air tight container.

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Moroccan Spirit – Moroccan Spirit