Keep a batch of this delicious dip in the fridge and eat with crudités.

Ingredients:

1 bulb garlic
2 x 400g tins chickpeas in water
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp sweet Spanish smoked paprika
Lemon juice to taste
Sea salt (optional) and freshly ground black pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F

Wrap the whole unpeeled garlic bulb in foil and roast in the preheated oven until soft (approximately 20-30 minutes, depending upon the size).

Place the chickpeas, olive oil and smoked paprika in the bowl of a food processor. Unwrap the garlic bulb and use a sharp serrated knife to trim off the pointed end, leaving the root end intact. Squeeze the roasted flesh from the bulb into the food processor, discarding the skin. Blend until smooth, then season to taste with lemon juice, salt (if using) and pepper.

See also: Why garlic is so good for you.

Everyone is always looking for ideas to make salads as delicious and interesting as possible, so here are five ideas created by in:spa chef Charles Amos for your delectation.

ginger dressing

Peel and chop as small and neatly as possible 3 parts shallot, 2 parts ginger and 1 of garlic. Combine in a bowl and add sesame oil to just cover, then add tamari soy.

The sauce is for colour and flavour, so leave to infuse for an hour or so then serve as a dip with sushi, rice wrapper rolls or raw / seared fish, or drizzle over salad. Add some fresh coriander to your salad and drizzle this dressing over the top.

tomato and olive dressing

Roast a small box of cherry tomatoes with a few pitted black olives at 180c until the skins start to split. Leave to cool then blitz them in a food processor.

You could add any combination of herbs to the cooled mixture for variation. Try basil or tarragon – experiment!

citrus dressing

Peel 2 oranges and 2 lemons taking off all the white pith. Squeeze all the juice into a small pan and add the remaining pulp. Bring to the boil and reduce the juice by half then pass through a sieve and cool. Add a small amount of oil to make a dressing for salads or grilled fish. You could use olive oil but look for more healthy options too – argan or flax seed….

sundried tomato dressing

Makes a lot but will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks.

2 cups sun dried tomatoes, drained if in oil
1 cup wine vinegar
12 cloves garlic
1 ½ cups olive oil

Heat the sundried tomatoes in the vinegar for 5 minutes and then allow to cool; put into a bender and add the remaining items. Blend to combine into a smooth dressing. You can use the oil from the
jar of tomatoes in place of some of the olive oil but make sure it is good quality.

pesto

Serves 4
¼ cup pine nuts
2 cloves garlic
2 cups basil leaves
½ cup olive oil

In a processor, grind the nuts and garlic, then add the basil and process until finely chopped. Remove from the machine and stir in the olive oil and season with black pepper.

Take your pick!

sushi dip

Serves 4

Peel & dice ¼ pineapple
Peel & chop 2 cloves garlic
Peel & chop 50g ginger
Chop 1 stick lemongrass
Chop 100g coriander
Chop 50 g mint
Juice 6 limes or 4 lemons
50 ml tamari sauce
50g pickled ginger & pour some of the juice as well
100ml sesame oil
1 red chilli deseeded & chopped

Put all the ingredients in the blender & blend to a smooth dip
If wanted you could add a little fish sauce

sun dried tomato sauce

Soak the sundried tomatoes in water, lemon and a little basil. Dice up equal amounts of garlic, red onion, marjoram, basil, and saute lightly. Add the sundried tomatoes and the water, then simmer to reduced by half. Put in a blender/magimix. For a chunky style sauce blend a little, for a smooth sauce or even a soup blend till very smooth, and add a little xtra virgin olive oil.

japanese dipping sauce

Use fine chopped banana shallot, ginger and garlic in a ratio of 3:2:1. Add a little lemon juice, tamari soy sauce (this is the wheat free version of soy sauce) and sunflower oil. Mix well and use on the day you make it.

white bean dip

tin of cooked white haricot beans (7oz)
6 garlic cloves
juice of 2 lemons
mint and coriander to taste
dash of argon oil

Place all the ingredients in a blender and mix until all the ingredients are blended to a smooth consistency.

moroccan marinade

This is a delicious and easy marinade for fish or chicken, or can also be used as a dip.

3 garlic cloves
bunch of parsley
bunch of coriander (including the stalks as these add flavour)
tablespoon of cumin
black pepper
tablespoon of paprika
juice of 2 lemons
dash of olive oil

Mix all the ingredients together in a blender, and cover the fish or chicken before cooking.

A superb addition to chicken or fish bbq skewers.

Dice 2 mangoes and half a pineapple. Add one finely diced red onion, 1 bunch of coriander, sliced red chillies to taste, 4 limes juiced, oil to taste, 2 garlic cloves finely diced, 50 grams of ginger finely diced.

Mix in a bowl and let the lime juice “cook” the mix for an hour. This is great on fish and makes a cajun chicken salad taste even better! You can also use sesame oil to give a thai style flavour.

This simple sweet and sour salsa is delicious with steamed fish or chicken breast, or with rice noodles and steamed veg. Or, enjoy as a tasty salad for one with some rocket leaves.  Created by in:spa chef Celia Brooks Brown.

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

4 small or 2 large passion fruit
1 small mango, peeled and finely chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
Handful of fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
Juice of one lime
Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Slice passion fruits in half and spoon the pulp into a mixing bowl.  Combine with remaining ingredients and mix well. Leave for at least 30 minutes to let the flavours get acquainted.

This is a delicious sauce for any steamed greens and with poached, baked or roasted fish.

Serves 4

1 large bunch of basil
1 handful of mint
1 large handful of parsley
2 tbsp of tarragon leaves
1 tbsp of dill
2-3 sprigs of lemon thyme (no leaves)
1 zest of large lemon
4 crushed garlic cloves
2 tbsp tamari
1 large handful of capers in vinegar
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 large cup of extra virgin olive oil

Method:

Pulse lightly in a blender the garlic, lemon zest, capers, tamari, pepper, and red wine vinegar. Now add the herbs to the mix and pulse lightly until finely chopped; do not over blend. Add the olive oil and some pepper to season and pulse to mix all together. Pour into a jar and store in the fridge until you are ready to use it. The mix should be left for 10 minutes before using so the oil can become liquid.

coriander, pistachio and lime pesto

1 bunch of coriander, juice of 6 limes, 100 gms pistachio nuts, sesame oil to taste, 4 cloves of garlic. Just blend and enjoy.

basil, walnut and lemon pesto

2 bunches of basil, 50 – 100 gms walnuts, 3 cloves garlic, 20 gms ginger, juice of 4 lemons. Simply blend together.

Used in many Moroccan dishes and a good sauce for white fish.

how to preserve lemons

Take the lemons and slice them in half, squeezing out all the juice. Put them in a pot with water and boil. Once boiling, turn down the heat and simmer until tender. Set the lemons aside and leave to cool in the water. When cool, squeeze out any juice and remove any left over pithiness with a teaspoon. Use straight away or refrigerate in a jar.

preserved lemon sauce

Seasons 4 pieces of fish

2 halves of a preserved lemon
4-5 sprigs of thyme leaves
1 handful of rocket
3 tbsp of pinenuts
1 tsp of pepper
1 tbsp of parsley
2 cloves of garlic
half a cup of olive oil

Blend all ingredients together until a smooth textured paste is formed. Put the mixture in a jar and store in the fridge until you need to use it. To use, spread a teaspoon of the mixture over each portion of fish and grill in the oven for 7 minutes.