TAFE NSW cooking supremo Sara Morley is on a mission to #bringbackthedip.

A staple at barbecues and dinner parties in the 70s and 80s, the humble dip has faded slightly from the cultural and culinary landscape in recent decades.

Speaking on her weekly TAFE Buds segment on ABC Riverina this week, Sara urged listeners to reimagine the savoury snack.

"A dip is the perfect companion to a dinner party or barbecue and they've come a long way from the boring cream cheese dips of yesteryear," she said.

As an early Christmas present to listeners, Sara has unveiled three of her favourite homemade dip recipes to taste test in the festive season.

Why not "dip in" and give them a go?

If you’d like a career in food, TAFE NSW offers a range of courses to help get you into the job of your dreams – visit www.tafensw.edu.au or call 131 601.

Pea and Mint Dip

Ingredients

• 500 grams frozen peas
• 3 garlic cloves
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 3 mint sprigs, leaves picked, plus extra leaves to serve
• 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
• 50g drained labne or marinated feta
• Salt and pepper

Method

Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the peas, garlic and bicarbonate of soda and cook until peas are tender (2 minutes).

Drain well, then transfer to a food processor.

Add mint and oil, and blend until smooth. Season to taste.

Spoon pea and mint dip onto a serving platter, crumble over labne and scatter with extra mint. Drizzle with oil and serve.

Spinach Dip

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1 onion, diced finely
• 2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 100g baby spinach, washed
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 1 cup sour cream
• ½  cup whole-egg mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Salt and pepper

Method

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.

Add the carrot, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.

Return the pan to medium heat, add half of the spinach, season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine.

Cook, tossing occasionally, until the spinach is completely wilted, about 4 minutes. Add the remaining spinach and cook, tossing occasionally, until completely wilted, about 3 minutes more.

Transfer the spinach to a strainer. Using a large spoon, press on the spinach to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Finely chop the drained spinach.

Add the shallots, sour cream, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice and stir to combine. Season to taste.

Delicious served in a bread ‘bowl’

White Bean and Roasted Garlic Dip

Ingredients

• 1 whole head garlic, roasted
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• ½ cup greek yoghurt
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ½ cup olive oil
• ¼ bunch Italian parsley, chopped
• salt and pepper,
• Olive oil, for garnish

Method

Roast the whole garlic head in a moderate oven for 20 minutes, remove and cool.

Cut the garlic head in half, and squeeze garlic puree out.

Place the beans, yoghurt, garlic, lemon juice and parsley in the bowl of a food processor.

Pulse until the mixture is creamy. Drizzle in olive oil and then season to taste.  

Transfer the dip to a serving dish. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil.