Double dipping: Spiced carrot and creamy parsnip dips

After making a recipe recently from Observer Food Monthly from 2008 and being quite chuffed with the results, I decided too do it again. Hopefully, these recipes are like a fine wine, and they get better with age.

The couple of pages I tore out of the OFM about five years ago were apparently for a Christmas feast, including some canapes and all that stuff - including three dips, which I made two of this week.

The first was a spiced carrot one with chilli and fenugreek; the second was creamy roasted parsnip and garlic.

As well as the self high-fiving that I do when I test another of the recipes I've stashed - recipes I've had so long I might as well start choosing who to leave them to in my will - I was chuffed to get rid of the waxy build up of root veggies that had been colonising my fridge. Take that, winter veggies!

I'd give both dips a return invite to casa Flicking the Vs: the garlic and parsnip was warm and creamy, and slightly sweet; the carrot a tad too wet (yeah, I should have let more of the stock boil off, so I can't blame the recipe.)

As mentioned before, the original recipes are no longer online, so I've reproduced them here with added veganisation.

Roasted parsnip and garlic dip
Serves 6-8

Ingredients
500g parsnips, peeled and slice
90mls vegan cream
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4tsp white pepper
1 garlic bulb, cut in half

How you do it
Preheat the oven to 180C, and lightly grease a small baking dish.
Put the cream in a small bowl and stir in the salt and pepper.
Put the parsnips into the baking dish with the garlic. Pour cream over the top, cover with foil, and cook for 45 minutes.
Remove the garlic and let cool.
When it's cool enough to handle, squeeze the soft baked garlic directly into the bowl of a food processor  or blender and discard the skin.
Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth.

Spiced carrot dip
Serves 6-8

Ingredients
250ml vegetable stock
4 medium carrots, chopped
2tbs light olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large red chilli, chopped
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp ground cumin
sea salt and white pepper

How you do it
Put the stock in a saucepan and add the carrots, oil, onion, and garlic.
Bring it to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes until almost all the liquid has evaporated and the carrots are soft.
Add the chilli, fenugreek, and cumin, and stir fry for 2-3 minutes.
Transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender and whizz until blended but still with a rough texture.
Season to taste.