These dips are great with to eat with cut up vegetables, warm pita bread or homemade tortilla chips. They also make great fillings for sandwiches and wraps and toppings for jacket potatoes. Most of them can be prepared in under 5 minutes but you can also make them in advance and store them in the fridge so they will be ready for a quick bite.

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Easy sweet potato and tahini dip
This is an amazingly good dip that you can eat with just about anything.
Ingredients:
2 sweet potatoes (around 450g)
1 tbsp tahini
1 tsp sesame seeds

Method:

1. Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork and roast for 40-45 min in a 220˚C oven until soft.
2. Let the sweet potatoes cool slightly and remove the skin. Mash the cooked sweet potatoes with a fork in a small bowl until smooth. Add the tahini and sesame seeds and mix until blended. Serve while warm.

Beetroot hummus
This speedy dip makes a great sandwich filling, too.
Ingredients:
1 medium boiled or roasted plain beetroot, around 250g
440g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 clove garlic
2 tbsp tahini
Squeeze of a lemon
Sesame seeds to sprinkle

Method:

1. Place the beetroot, chickpeas and garlic in a bowl and use a hand blender to mash together until smooth.
2. Add the tahini and lemon juice and stir in with a spoon. Add a little water if the dip is too thick.
3. Transfer to a serving dish. Serve with vegetable sticks and dippers. 

Spinach hummus  
This speedy dip makes a great sandwich filling, too.
Ingredients:
440g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 clove garlic
2 tbsp tahini
2 large handfuls of fresh spinach (around 70g)
Squeeze of a lemon

Method:

1. Place the chickpeas and garlic in a bowl and use a hand blender to mash together until smooth. Add the spinach and lemon juice and continue to blend until smooth.
2. Stir in the tahini and add a little water if the dip is too thick.
3. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

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Roast carrot dip
Ingredients:
600g (7-8) carrots
1 clove garlic, skin on
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated or finely chopped
½ tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp tahini
Juice of ½ lemon

Method:

1. Chop the carrots into halves and place on a baking tray with the garlic and cumin seeds. Roast or grill in a 200˚C oven until it is cooked through and just beginning to caramelise, around 35-40 minutes. If the garlic looks like it is starting to get a bit hard, take it out until the carrots are done.
2. Remove the carrots from the oven and squish the garlic out of its skin. Using a food processor or hand blender, mix the carrots and garlic together and add the rest of the ingredients: the ginger, cinnamon, tahini and lemon juice. Blend until it is smooth and serve at once.

Variation: Roast a sliced red pepper or chilli with the carrots to add a bit more warmth to the dip.

Spinach & ricotta baked dip 
Ingredients:
250g chopped frozen spinach
250g ricotta cheese
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Black pepper
Handful of pine nuts to sprinkle

Method:

1. Preheat an oven to 200˚C. Defrost the spinach and squeeze out as much water as possible.
2. Place the ricotta cheese in a bowl and beat until smooth using a whisk or hand blender. Stir in the garlic and drained spinach and add black pepper to taste. Spoon into a small heatproof dish and bake in the oven for 15-20min until bubbling and just starting to become golden. Sprinkle on the pine nuts, return to the oven and bake until they are just roasted (be careful not to burn them). Remove from the oven and let cool for around 10 minutes before serving with some dippers.

Moroccan Pea dip
Ingredients:
250g frozen peas (defrosted)
½ clove garlic
¼ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp ground coriander
⅛ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp fresh lemon juice
100ml non-fat plain yoghurt

Method:

1. Blend the peas, spices and lemon together with a hand blender or food processor.
2. Stir in the yoghurt and serve.

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Harissa yoghurt dip

Ingredients:
250g fat-free plain Greek yoghurt
1½ tsp harissa paste
Zest of ½ lemon
Zest and juice of 1 small mandarin, clementine or satsuma
Small handful of mint, roughly chopped

Method: Simply place all of the ingredients into a medium bowl and mix until blended and pink. Serve with vegetable dippers, Speedy seedy tortillas or Pitta chips.

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Spinach dip
This easy dip is quick to prepare and makes a great addition to any party or celebration.

Ingredients:
450g low or no fat cottage cheese
125g fat free plain Greek yogurt
90g low fat sour cream
280g frozen chopped spinach cooked, cooled and squeezed dry
225g chopped water chestnuts drained
3 salad onions chopped
½ tsp soy sauce
½ tsp mixed dried herbs
½ tsp garlic powder or ½ clove garlic, crushed
salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Method:

1. Place the cottage cheese, yoghurt and sour cream in a food processor or blender and mix until smooth. Alternatively use a stick blender or whisk.
2. Place in a bowl and add the remaining ingredients and fold together until fully mixed. Taste and add seasoning as needed. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.
3. You can serve this dip in a bowl with crudites and dippers. Alternatively, try carefully hollowing out a round roll or a larger round loaf of bread and serving the dip inside. You can then toast the pieces of bread that have been removed and use them as dippers.

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Pitta chips

Ingredients:
6 wholewheat or seedy pitta breads
Extra virgin olive oil
Smoked paprika or sesame seeds (optional)

Method: Heat an oven or grill to 200˚C. Brush the pittas lightly with a little extra virgin olive oil on both sides. Cut the pittas into triangles and place on a baking tray. Sprinkle them with the paprika and sesame seeds or leave them plain. Grill for 5-7 minutes until golden brown. Cool slightly and serve.

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Homemade healthy tortilla chips 
Simply cut or tear wholewheat tortilla wraps into triangles and place on a baking tray. Grill for 5 minutes at 200˚C until golden brown.

Speedy seedy tortillas 
Ingredients:
Wholemeal tortilla wraps
Extra virgin olive oil
Sesame seeds
Smoked paprika

Method:

Brush the wraps with a little extra virgin olive oil on one side. Cut the wraps into tortillas and place on a baking tray. Sprinkle some sesame seeds and/or a little paprika on top of the tortillas and grill for 5-7 minutes at 200˚C until golden brown. Cool slightly and serve.

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Sugar snap crisps
These are incredibly easy and quick to make and a surprisingly healthy snack on their own. They are a great alternative to edamame beans but you can use them as dippers for softer dips. Omit the cayenne if you prefer less spice.

Ingredients:
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp dried rosemary
Pinch of cumin
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
150g sugar snap peas

Method:

1. Heat an oven to 190˚C and line a baking tray with foil. In a small bowl, combine the spices and oil. Add the sugar snap peas and mix until they are fully coated.
2. Spread the peas on the baking tray in a single layer and roast for 10-12 min until they are just beginning to get a little bit golden. Leave on the tray to cool before serving.

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Crispy Brussel sprout bites with orange and garlic
This is one of my favourite ways to eat Brussel sprouts but they are slightly addictive so make more than you think you need.

Ingredients:
600g Brussel sprouts, trimmed and halved
3 garlic cloves (no need to peel)
1½ tbsp olive oil
1 orange or 2 clementines
Coarse black pepper to serve

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 200°C and line a baking sheet with foil or silicone. Prepare the Brussel sprouts and place into a bowl. Add the garlic cloves and oil and stir until mixed.
2. Slice the unpeeled orange in eighths (or quarters if you are using clementines). Add to the bowl and mix together before tipping everything onto the baking sheet. Make sure that everything is well-space apart and in a single layer and use a second baking tray if needed.
3. Roast for 25-35min (depending on the size of the size of the sprouts) until they are crisp and golden with some blacker bits. Remove from the oven and squeeze the garlic from their skins. Mash the garlic slightly and toss through the sprouts. Mash the orange pieces slightly and stir again. Season with black pepper and serve at once.

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Roasted Brussel sprouts with green goddess dressing
These sprouts work great as a side or a starter to a meal. You can also top the finished dish with some sharp crumbly cheese.

Ingredients:
2x500g Brussel sprouts
1tsp olive oil
1tsp anchovy paste or 1 tinned anchovy, finely chopped
75ml mayonnaise
90ml half fat sour cream
10g fresh tarragon, finely chopped
10g fresh basil, finely chopped
1tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
1tbsp lemon juice
Cracked black pepper to taste

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 200°C and line a baking sheet with foil or silicone. Trim the Brussel sprouts and place onto the baking sheet. Drizzle on the oil and mix to coat. Make sure that the sprouts are well-space apart and in a single layer and use a second baking tray if needed. Roast for 25-35min (depending on the size of the size of the sprouts) until they are crisp and golden with some blacker bits.
2. In the meantime, make the dressing by placing all of the remaining ingredients into a small bowl and using a hand blender or whisk to blend everything together. Once done, pour onto the bottom of a wide serving tray.
3. Once the sprouts are roasted, remove from the oven and place on top of the dressing. Sprinkle on a little black pepper and served at once.

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