Olive tapenade, it's an oldie but a goodie; a beautifully flavoursome snack that can be whipped up in 5 - 10 minutes flat with the sudden the arrival of guests.
Many of us have olives in the fridge and well, same goes for the rest of the ingredients too. This is the sort of recipe you need to bookmark or pin as a reminder NOT to leg it to your local store for the easier, less nourishing option.
The biggest issue with store bought dips is the length of the ingredients list (which so often includes food colourings and preservatives to give your dips shelf life). So next time you grab a dip off the shelf, take a quick look at the label and question whether that list will be adding or subtracting value to or from your life.
Speaking of value, you may well be wondering what value this combination of walnuts and olives is adding to your life?
Benefits of consuming olives.
Olives are said to help eliminate excess cholesterol and act as an antioxidant protecting your cells and you from disease. A solid source of dietary fibre, they're also a great source of vitamin E and rich in magnesium, sodium and iron. Olives are also said to help control blood pressure. There's an awful lot more where that came from too..
Benefits of consuming walnuts.
Well for a start, they look like your brain and as it happens, research shows that they may well support your brain health. These wondrous nuts are purported to have cancer-fighting properties, contain powerful antioxidants and are said to increase satiety and therefore assist with weight control. Just don't eat them by the cup every day.
There we have a bundle of reasons as to why you should be making and consuming this dip. Oh and again - this recipe will take you 5-10 minutes from fridge to bowl, much less time than it'd take to drive to your store, unless of course the store is right next door.
Makes 1 cup.
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup parsley leaves
3 anchovy fillets (optional)
1 dessertspoon capers
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
Place all ingredients except for the olive oil into a small food processor and combine until your reach your desired consistency (I think a little chunk is good). Add the olive oil incrementally and process until you achieve your desired texture.
If you chose to omit the anchovies I recommend a pinch or two of salt, according to your taste of course.
I've served this on our Gluten Free Bread but it'd be just as delicious on our Raw Veggie Crackers or even these Raw Mixed Seed Crackers.
It's likely you'll get through a cup in one sitting, but in case not it will store in the fridge in a glass jar for up to one week.
Don't forget to let me know what you think of the recipe after your recreation! I love all feedback. And if you're on instagram, please don't forget to tag your THI images #theholisticingredient so I can share the love with all. Happy diappage friends.
