Daylight saving time has hit us here in the US. Last night we moved our clocks ahead one hour to try and capture more daylight during our waking hours. One of the major benefits of daylight saving time is that it stays lighter later into the evening. One of the drawbacks, however, is that we loose a precious hour of our weekend!
I’m afraid the anticipation of this lost hour and the actual time change has really thrown off my weekend. I had plans to make several recipes with the fresh produce that came in my CSA box, but the weekend seems to be slipping away from me. I also experienced some frustrating results when I tried to make some butterscotch pudding. I’m not exactly sure what caused the pudding to curdle, but maybe it was the pressure I was feeling from the time change…
Luckily I did have some success with this roasted garlic and red lentil dip. It is super easy to make and has a wonderful garlicky flavor and a kick of heat from the chili powder. This versatile dip is definitely something worth trying, whether daylight savings is pressing you for time or not…!
Red Lentil and Roasted Garlic Dip
Adapted from Skinny Dips
- 1 cup dry red lentils
- 2 cups water
- 6 cloves roasted garlic (see below)
- juice from ½ of a medium sized lemon
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1½ teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1-2 teaspoons salt
Bring red lentils and water to a boil in a small pot. Boil for about 3 minutes and cover and remove from heat. Allow lentils to stand for 15 minutes. Drain any remain water from the lentils and save.
In a food processor or blender, blend together the lentils, roasted garlic, lemon juice, cumin, chili powder and salt. If the dip is too thick, add some of the reserved cooking water.
Roasted Garlic
- One head of garlic
- Olive oil
- Salt
Preheat the oven to 375°. Remove any excess papery skin from the garlic head. Slice off the enough of the head to just uncover the very top of the garlic cloves. Drizzle with olive oil and a little salt. Wrap the head in tin foil and roast for about 45 minutes or until the cloves start to brown.
Tasty Easy Healthy Green Recipe Ratings:
| Recipe Report Card | Notes About Recipe Ratings |
|
Tasty Rating Four Chefs (Delicious!) |
This dip is fantastic paired with fresh cut-up veggies. It would also be good with pita chips or spread on bread in a sandwich. |
|
Easy Rating
Four Easy Chairs (“ABC, Easy as 123…”) |
The red lentils cook quickly and just need to be blended with the remaining ingredients for a super easy dip. |
|
Healthy Rating
Four Apples (Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise) |
A little bit of added oil, but overall this dip is a healthy legume-based dish. |
|
Green Rating
Four Leaves (Mother Earth Approved) |
Not sure where the spices came from, but the rest of the ingredients were organic. |
Looks so delicious. I just tweeted it! I might try adding some ground toasted walnuts to this recipe.
Oh my goodness, I love the idea of using endive as a vehicle for dip. Brilliant!
Love this appetizer, not only so pretty, but so healthy…have a great week ahead Sally
These look not only good and delicious but also very healthy. Good job, so light and easy to do. Great idea.
This looks delicious! A nice change from a hummas dip. Definitely going to make this. I agree that the endive is a great idea for dipping and it just looks so beautiful!
I really like how versatile this dip is and how beautifully it presents on endives.
We are changing time the last Saturday of March and I can’t wait! This was always for me the official beginning of spring and eventually summer. This dip looks like something I could make when friends are dropping by for a visit. Looks delicious!
I have a cup of red lentils in my pantry that are just sitting there. Now I have a use for them. This sounds different and delicious. I hope you have a great day. Blessings…Mary
I’ve made dip with all kinds of different beans, but have never thought of using lentils: what a great idea. Plus, the color is gorgeous.
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