When I was 20 years old I contracted glandular fever and was bedridden for 3 months. For the first few weeks I basically couldn’t eat any solid food, and when I finally recovered enough to start on solids again, anything remotely unhealthy would make me feel 100 times worse. I found that fresh vegetables were pretty much the only thing I could stomach, so that’s pretty much all I ate. Celery, carrot and tatziki and hummus dips. You would think that it would have tainted dips for me, but it was really just the start of a beautiful friendship.Store bought dips are great (I for one, know all the ‘best’ brands), but nothing beats a homemade dip. Now that summer is here and my winter cravings for hot food 24 hours day have finally subsided, I find myself wanting some fresh (and moderately healthy) snack foods for lazy afternoons.The best thing about making dip yourself is how easy it is. Most dips only really require the ingredients to be whizzed a blender or food processor and your done! in I whipped up all three batches in under an hour and will keep in the fridge for around a week (if they last that long!)

1 whole garlic head
1 cup water
100g of sun-dried tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon  salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
450g can Cannellini

1/2 cup of cream cheese

1/4 cup of buttermilk
2 tablespoons of fresh chives (finely diced)
1 tablespoon of fresh parsley (finely diced)
1 teaspoon of grated lemon rind
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 small garlic clove (finely diced)

1 can chickpeas

2 garlic cloves

1 large capsicum
1/3 cup of tahini
1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon of ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon of ground red pepper
2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh corianderWhat You Do:

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees and place the whole capsicum on a baking tray. Roast for roughly 15 - 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until the skin is chars and blisters. Remove from the oven and place in a plastic bag. Allow to sit Transfer the capsicum to a sealable plastic bag and set aside for 10 minutes. Carefully peel the skin away (trapping the steam helps to lift the skin).

2. Once the capsicum has cooled, cut into pieces and place all the ingredients except for the oil and coriander into a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, then start to add the oil in a steady stream and process until desired consistency is reached.

4. Add the coriander to the mixture and pulse a few times until evenly distributed.

5. Place in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving to allow the flavour to develop.