WCC6: Greek Lima Bean Dip

This month’s Weekend Cookbook Challenge is picnic food. This is a great topic as it is very open — there are so many foods that make for excellent picnic-fare. For this assignment, I reached for a very underused cookbook in my collection, Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites. After a few minutes, I picked my recipe — Greek Lima Bean Dip.

You might be asking, “Huh?” But, yes! Greek Lima Bean Dip, I say! I love humus-like dips. I am always looking for new ones to try and I think they are perfect picnic foods. Sure, dips are not the main attraction like sandwiches or fried chicken or what have you, but the side dishes play a very important role. The role of snack. So here, without further introduction or justification, is this great little picnic dip. It was very fresh tasting and the lemon/oregano/garlic combo did indeed give it a nice Greek flavor.

Oh, okay, wait. A couple of other things — 1. it saves well for a few hours at a picnic, as there’s no mayo in it (the tablespoon of yogurt I added is optional). 2. I changed the dill the recipe calls for to oregano, used more olive oil and added more garlic and lemon.

Greek Lima Bean Dip
3 cups cooked lima beans (2 15-oz cans or use frozen and just cook them according to the instructions.)
4 garlic cloves
Juice of 2 lemons (and a few strands of zest)
2 tbsp fresh oregano
1 tbsp fresh mint
1/4 cup olive oil
1-2 tbsp plain, low-fat yogurt (optional)
1/3 cup red or sweet onion, chopped roughly
salt & pepper to taste

This is the best kind of recipe — throw everything in the food processor, (except the olive oil, yogurt, salt and pepper) and process until combined well and it looks like a rough paste. Stream in the olive oil until it comes together.

Taste — add salt and pepper. If you want it a little creamier, add the yogurt. Garnish with fresh mint leaves and some lemon zest. Serve with toasted pita, crackers or use in a wrap.

It’s excellent, whether eaten outdoors on a blanket or in front of the tv, where you accidentally started watching Supergroup and now you are ashamed to be sucked in — will Ted Nugent beat up Sebastian Bach over his excessive drinking???!! Aghh — I need to keep watching to find out!