This is a very quick and versatile recipe that can be served in many ways and packs a lot of good nutrients together. It combines store cupboard ingredients that are useful to have at hand because they can add zip to other recipes besides this. This is one of those recipes you can alter according to taste. Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 40g chopped almonds
• 8 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 red peppers, chopped, either oven roasted or available in jars
• 4 sun dried tomatoes, chopped
• 50g fresh breadcrumbs – I use any left over spelt bread crusts which I have kept in the freezer.
• 2 cloves of garlic (optional if you have IBS symptoms)
• 2 tsp chilli paste (optional, as above)
• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar or cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp lemon thyme leaves or flat leaf parsley according to preference
• Season with salt and pepper

Method:

• Add all the ingredients to a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth.
• You might choose to add the chilli paste/garlic/vinegar after the initial blend so you can add small quantities according to your personal taste.

I think I have covered the nutrition of these ingredients in other recipes, but it seems worth including this recipe because you can store it in the fridge for a few days and it also freezes well.

I have used it as a dip with crudités; smeared over toasted sourdough before adding a poached egg; smeared over white fish before roasting; as an easy sauce melting into the hot pasta; added it over a mix of chargrilled Mediterranean vegetables – also, a great addition to a lunch box with some falafels.