red pepper dip with herby pittas

How to make red pepper dip with herby pittas recipe

Serves 4

Total cooking time 20 minutes

Ingredients:
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
100 g (3½ oz) walnut halves
200 g (7 oz) ready-roasted red peppers from a jar
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
4 pitta breads
handful of chopped parsley
handful of chopped mint
coarse sea salt

Method:
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a frying pan, add the shallot and cook for 3 minutes until softened. Leave to cool.

Toast the walnut halves in a dry frying pan for 3 minutes until lightly browned and leave to cool. Put the walnuts in a blender with the shallot, peppers, garlic, cumin, pomegranatemolasses and 2 tablespoons of the oil and whizz together until smooth. Season to taste.

Meanwhile, split the pittas open horizontally and cut each half into wedges. Mix together the remaining oil with the herbs and brush over the wedges.

Place on a baking sheet, sprinkle with coarse sea salt and bake in a preheated oven, 190°C (375°F), Gas Mark 5, for 5–7 minutes or until golden and crisp. Serve alongside the red pepper dip.

For herb & roasted pepper salad, lightly toast 25 g (1 oz) walnut halves in a dry frying pan. Whisk 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar with 3 tablespoons olive oil.

Toss with 150 g (5 oz) mixed herb salad and 2 ready-roasted red peppers, cut into strips. Season to taste. Arrange on a plate, then scatter over the walnuts and 50 g (2 oz) crumbled soft goats’ cheese. Total cooking time 10 minutes.

red pepper dip with herby pittas