Yesterday my in-laws, brother- and sister-in-law and my adorable 5-month-old baby niece all came over for dinner at the end of a very long wedding weekend. I took this as a great opportunity to try out several new recipes without Ben and I having to eat it all. This will be a big series of blog updates so I can write about each recipe individually and do them all justice.
I started the evening out with a small appetizer. I knew no one would be overly hungry, so I opted for something simple and on the lighter side with Giada’s white bean dip. The recipe includes pita chips to go along with the dip, but unfortunately both grocery stores that I went to were out of pita flat bread (yet had plenty of pita pockets). We decided to just serve it with blue tortilla chips, and it was a great combination. This was a really good and ultra easy appetizer. It would be a great option if you were pressed for time. The original recipe is below, including the pita chips. I’m definitely going to try those next time provided that I find the ingredients I need.
White Bean Dip with Pita Chips
Ingredients:
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil, plus 4 tablespoons
1/4 cup (loosely packed) fresh Italian parsley leaves
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 pitas
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400°.
Place the beans, garlic, lemon juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, and parsley in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is coarsely chopped. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the bean puree to a small bowl.
Cut each pita in half and then into 8 wedges. Arrange the pita wedges on a large baking sheet. Pour the remaining oil over the pitas. Toss and spread out the wedges evenly. Sprinkle with the oregano, salt and pepper. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until toasted and golden in color.
