Anyone who has been following this blog for longer than a couple of posts will probably be aware that I am a sucker for all things Italian. This apparently now extends to the persuasive powers of Italian men.
What can she mean? I hear you cry.
Well it took a good friend of mine to point this out but the evidence appears to speak for itself. A few months ago Federico, the Italian Ski Instructor, persuaded me down half a dozen red runs which, until that point, I refused point-blank to attempt. Then last month Luciano, the Italian Dentist, cut through all the prevarication of the last 15 years and convinced me to have a front tooth bleached. This piece of dental work was scheduled for last week and I have been coping with a temporary filling ever since whilst he finesses his bleaching skills and attempts to brighten the offending tooth to skimmed milk colour like the tooth next door. (I think we are currently at whole milk colour).
The upshot of all this: mush to eat. Well not entirely but certainly not too much of a chewy quality to my food. So pea puree last week and a delicious dip today. It’s a good one though and refreshing in more ways than one if you are a little houmous-ed out.
You will need (serves 6-8): 1 Garlic clove, 1 420g can Butter Beans, drained, 3 tbsp smooth Peanut Butter (25% less fat varieties work here), juice and rind of a small Lemon, 5 tbsp Olive Oil plus a teaspoon more for drizzling, salt and pepper, a pinch of Paprika.
- Place the peeled garlic clove in a saucepan and cover with 1-2 cms of recently boiled water and return to and boil for 3-4 minutes. Drain.
- Place the garlic, butter beans, peanut butter, lemon juice and rind and seasoning in a blender or food processor and blend until almost smooth.
- Gradually add the 5 tbsp of olive oil with the motor running, and continue blending until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and chill.
- Serve drizzled with Olive Oil, a few strands of lemon rind and a pinch of Paprika.
Good with breadsticks, vegetable crudities, pitta bread, all the usual suspects.
Grazie ragazzi!
N.B. Names changed to protect the innocent.
