Eating the recommended intake of vegetables gets a whole lot easier when you’re including them in your snacks. Not a snacker? Then use these dips as part of a delicious lunch spread instead. They are loaded with goodness from vegetables, healthy fats and nuts and are great spread on crackers, rice cakes or sticks of vegetables. Not only that, both are full of flavour.

Chunky Pumpkin and Pecan Dip

Ingredients

3 cups pumpkin (cut into 2-3cm cubes)

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp paprika

pinch nutmeg

3 Tbs parsley leaves

1 Tbs olive oil

1/2 a red chilli

1/3 cup pecans

Salt and pepper.

Directions

Heat oven to 180 degrees celsius and line a baking tray with baking paper. Toss the pumpkin with the cinnamon, paprika and nutmeg and bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden. Process pumpkin with all other ingredients (excluding the pecans) until smooth, season, then add the pecans and pulse until broken into chunks.

Broad Bean Dip

Ingredients

500g broad beans (weighed skin on but out of pod)

1 tsp lemon zest

Juice of half a lemon

1.5 Tbs olive oil

1/2 tsp chili flakes

1 clove garlic

1/4 cup flat leaf parsley

1 Tbs spring onion, chopped

salt and pepper

Directions

Place broad beans in a pot of cold water and bring to the boil. Take off the heat drain and cool in iced water. Peal the broad beans, discarding the greyish skins and keeping the bright green bean.

Place beans in a food processor with all other ingredients and process until smooth, season and serve.

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