Spiced floppy carrot and almond dip

This is a great way to use up any floppy looking carrots and saves them going to waste. The dip makes for a delicious and healthy snack. Pop it in a little Tupperware or jam jar and enjoy it with crackers, oat cakes or chopped veg. Add a spoonful to spruce up a salad or spread on bread or toast to pimp your sandwich. The almonds give it a wonderful nuttiness and wonderful creamy element too. If you like spice you can add a touch more cayenne pepper but if not the ½ a teaspoon won’t blow your head off so don’t worry.

Ingredients

| makes one small bowl of dip |

• 350g carrots chopped (about 2 large carrots)

• 100g almonds

• ½ tsp mixed spice

• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (or ½ tsp if you like it hot)

• 1 tsp salt

• 3 tbsp olive oil

Method

• Preheat your oven to 200° fan setting and spread your almonds on a clean, dry baking tray. Roast for 10 minutes until they begin to smell nutty. Remove and allow them to cool.

• Bring a medium sized saucepan to the boil, add your carrots and cook until soft enough to pierce with a fork. Drain and allow to cool.

• Place your roasted almonds into a food processor and process until they begin to form a smooth paste. Be patient at this stage. It may take up to 7 minutes.

• Once your almonds are well broken down and smooth add your carrots, mixed spice, cayenne pepper, salt and olive oil. Process again until everything has broken down to a hummus like consistency. You may need to scrape down the sides of the food processor a few times with a spatula.

• Enjoy as a tasty snack with crackers, oat cakes, toast, chopped veg.

• Store in the fridge for up to 5 days. This is delicious with my almond and herb oat cakes too.