Cooking Tips
Veggie dippers with chilli dip and aioli
These veggie dippers from Eat Well for Less are a tasty way to get extra veg into the family. You can use broccoli florets or green beans if you prefer.
Ingredients
For the cheat’s quick aioli (optional)
- 1 garlic bulb
- 200g/7oz half-fat mayonnaise
- 1 unwaxed lemon, finely grated zest only
- ½ small bunch flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- freshly ground black pepper
F0r the dippers
- 150g/5½oz stale wholemeal bread, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp onion granules
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 20g/¾oz Parmesan, roughly chopped (or alternative vegetarian hard cheese)
- 60g/2¼oz plain flour
- 3 free-range eggs
- 2 red, yellow or orange peppers, de-seeded and sliced thickly
- 1 medium courgette, cut into 1cm/½in-thick batons
- 160g/5⅔oz baby corn, halved lengthways
For the chilli sauce (optional)
- 200g jar pickled red jalapeno chillies, drained
- 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp soft light brown sugar
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 200g/7oz 0%-fat Greek yoghurt
Method for Veggie dippers
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Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Line two large baking trays with baking paper.
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If making the aioli, wrap the garlic in kitchen foil then roast for 30 minutes.
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To make the dippers. Put the bread, onion granules, paprika and Parmesan in a food processor and blitz until the mixture forms fine breadcrumbs. If you don’t have a blender, you can grate the bread and mix with the spices and cheese. Place into a wide, shallow bowl.
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Tip the flour into a second wide, shallow bowl and crack the eggs into a third. Season the flour with plenty of black pepper, then beat the eggs.
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Tip the sliced vegetables, a few at a time, into the flour and toss to coat fully, then dredge in the egg and coat in the breadcrumbs. Make sure that each piece of vegetable is fully coated. Repeat with the remaining veg until they are all coated in each layer. Place onto the trays in an even layer, leaving a little space between each one. (If necessary, spread onto a third tray rather than overcrowd them.) Bake for 10 minutes if you like your veg with a little bite, 12 minutes if you prefer softer veg.
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If making the chilli sauce, blend the jalapenos, garlic, sugar and salt together with 50ml/2fl oz water. Tip the yoghurt into a bowl and stir in 40g/1½oz of the chilli sauce (about 2 heaped tablespoons).
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To finish the aioli, remove the foil from the roasted garlic and allow to cool slightly. Cut the top from the bulb of garlic and squeeze the cloves out into a small bowl. Mash down well, then add the mayonnaise and beat until as smooth as possible. Stir in the lemon zest, parsley and black pepper. Tip into a small bowl.
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Pile the crispy vegetables into a serving bowl and serve the chilli yoghurt and aioli alongside.
Veggie dippers