whipped feta

I’ve gone slightly whipped feta crazy and so I’m sharing 2 recipes today, one for a roasted red pepper and whipped feta dip and one for a simpler mint and whipped feta dip. The thing about whipped feta is that is has the most wonderful, light and cloud-like texture that just melts in the mouth.  Feta is such a versatile cheese, you can add all kinds of strong flavours to it and it can cope, but it also has that instant hit of salt which is so wonderful too.

The whipped feta is also a nice alternative to hummus which again is a very versatile dish that can have a multitude of wonderful things added to it.

For the mint & whipped feta dip

• 1 200g block feta
• 2 tablespoons Greek yoghurt
• 1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves – roughly chopped
• 1 garlic clove – peeled
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• The zest and juice of one lemon (or a few slices of preserved lemon)
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the toasted pine nuts

• A handful of toasted pine nuts
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

TOAST THE PINE NUTS

Start with the pine nuts.  Place your pan onto a medium heat and allow the pan to come up to temperature. Add the pine nuts and allow them to gently toast until they turn a glorious golden brown. They will need constant supervision and frequent tossing. Once they golden, take them off the heat and toss in the smoked paprika.  Set aside.

FOR THE WHIPPED FETA DIP

Place all the ingredients into a food processor and whizz for a couple of minutes until everything is whipped and creamy.  It will start off slow and lumpy but will turn wonderfully light. Add salt and pepper to taste. If it’s looking a little thick, add another squeeze of lemon juice and then whizz again.

Pour out into a shallow bowl, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle the toasted pine nuts on top. You can add some finely chopped preserved lemon too.

Tip: Make the toasted pine nuts ahead of time and keep them freshly sealed in the  Zyliss Twist and Seal Storage Container for up to two weeks.  The dip will keep in the fridge for 4 days.

For the Roasted Red Pepper and Whipped Feta Dip

• 1 pointed sweet red pepper
• olive oil
• chilli flakes
• 1 200g block feta
• 2 tablespoons Greek yoghurt
• 1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves – roughly chopped
• 1 garlic clove – peeled
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• The zest and juice of one lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste

Slice the red pepper in half lengthways and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and chilli flakes.  Roast in the oven or air fryer until slightly charred on the outside. (Roughly 7 mins in the air fryer set to 200C or 10 mins in the oven.) Set aside to cool by half and then roughly chop.

Place all the ingredients into a food processor (including all the oil from the roasted pepper) and whizz for a couple of minutes until everything is whipped and creamy.  It will start off slow and lumpy but will turn wonderfully light. Add salt and pepper to taste. If it’s looking a little thick, add another squeeze of lemon juice and then whizz again.

Pour out into a shallow bowl, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle some more chopped mint on top.

For more dip recipes check these out on Dom in the Kitchen.

Eat and of course, enjoy!