Roasted Pepper And Walnut Dip

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This roasted pepper and walnut dip is inspired by the Syrian dish Muhammara. I have created my own version of it and I am not sure of how much it resembles the original dish. But I understand that the original version comes in many different varieties and that every cook has its own recipe for it. With that being said I won’t call this recipe Muhammara but instead Roasted pepper and walnut dip.

I love to eat this dip with bread, rice or as a part of a meze (a selection of small dishes). Meze is commonly eaten in some of the countries around the Mediterranean and in the Middle East. Therefore I find the flavors of the Roasted Pepper and walnut dip to combine well with the food from these regions. But only your imagination will limit you. The flavor is simple yet deep and complex and will surely taste good with almost anything!

Roasted Pepper And Walnut Dip

  • Servings: 1 small-medium bowl
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Ingredients:

  • 4-5 red peppers
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 2.5 dl / 1 cup walnuts
  • 1.5 tsp paprika powder
  • 1 millilitre ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1.5-2 tsp of salt

Method:

  1. Heat the oven to 200C / 390F. Place the peppers on a baking tray covered in parchment paper and roast for about 30 minutes, turning occasionally until the skin has blackened. Place the peppers inside a bowl and cover with plastic wrap or place them inside a plastic bag and close properly. Once the peppers has cooled a bit you remove the skin and the seeds. Divide each pepper in smaller pieces.
  2. Heat the oil in a pan and add the garlic (cut in thin slices) and then the peppers. Let is cook for a few minutes and remove from heat.
  3. Add all the ingredients to a food processor and mix until you receive a chunky dip. Place it in a small bowl and drizzle a little olive oil on top. Garnish with chopped walnuts.

Note: Go easy on the salt to begin with and then add more gradually until you are happy with the flavor.

Red Pesto With Walnuts And Homemade Sun Dried Tomatoes

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Making your own sun dried tomatoes is easy. Time consuming but easy. I recently red that store bought sun dried tomatoes are in fact rarely dried in the sun but instead more often dried in normal ovens. Reading this made me want to try making some of my own and so I did. They turned out great and with much more flavor than the store bought ones.

With a batch full of lovely, homemade, dried tomatoes and walnuts harvested in our own backyard I decided to make my favorite red pesto. Red pesto comes in many different varieties but most of them are based mainly on sun dried tomatoes. I however find the combination of dried tomatoes and walnuts exquisite and prefer the same amount of both ingredients for the tastiest result! This pesto is something extraordinary and whenever made it doesn’t last more than five minutes.

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Red Pesto With Walnuts And Homemade Sun Dried Tomatoes

Ingredients:

  • 50 g walnuts
  • 50 g sun dried tomatoes
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2-4 tsp chili flakes
  • 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1-1.5 dl / 0.4-0.6 cup olive oil

Sun Dried Tomatoes

  • 1 kg tomatoes
  • salt

Method:

  1. If you want to use homemade sun dried tomatoes for your pesto, then prepare them one day in advance. Preheat the oven to 60°C / 140°F. Wash and quarter the tomatoes. Remove the seeds (optional) and place on a baking tray covered in parchment paper. Sprinkle with salt and dry inside the oven until the tomatoes take a leathery texture. This might take up to a full day depending on the size of the pieces and which type of oven you are using. If you want to decrease the time inside the oven then divide the tomatoes in smaller pieces. It took me six hours to prepare the tomatoes you see in the picture above. Store your sun dried tomatoes inside the refrigerator.
  2. Place all the ingredients for the pesto, except the olive oil, in a food processor and mix until you receive a pesto-like texture. Remove the mix to a bowl and stir in the olive oil a little at a time. Enjoy!