Presents

"Crudites with Sesame Dip"

Recipe Source: May 1999 Issue Canadian Living Magazine Appetizers & Snacks Recipe File Serving Size: Makes 12 servings

Amount Ingredient 1 cup snow peas, trimmed 12 Chinese long beans 12 garlic chives or green onion strips 1 sweet red pepper, cored and membranes removed Half English cucumber 2 carrots, peeled Sesame Seed Dip:   1/2 cup sesame seeds 250 g package light cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup light sour cream 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon minced green onion 1 teaspoon minced gingerroot 1 teaspoon rice vinegar Garnish:   4 hot red chili peppers

Preparation Instructions:

1. Sesame Seed Dip: In small dry skillet, toast sesame seeds over medium high heat, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes or until golden. Let cool. Transfer to food processor. Add cream cheese, sour cream, soy sauce, onion, ginger and vinegar; puree until smooth. Can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 1 day.

2. Garnish: Wearing rubber gloves to prevent irritation of hands, trim tip from hot peppers. Starting about 1 inch from stem end, cut lengthwise into 6 strips; scrape out seeds. Soak in ice water in refrigerator for about 2 hours or until strips curl to resemble petals.

3. In saucepan of boiling water immerse snow peas to blanch for about 30 seconds or until colour brightens. With slotted spoon, transfer to bowl of ice water to stop cooking process. Repeat with beans, blanching for 2 minutes and using tongs. Repeat with chives, blanching for 30 seconds.

4. Place bowl for dip on serving platter. Cut out V shape from 1 end of each snow pea; arrange around bowl. Holding each long bean at ends, tie overhand knot in centre, leaving space in knot. Turn upside down so knot is at bottom; tie second knot at top. Arrange on platter.

5. Cut red pepper, cucumber and carrot into 3 inch long sticks about 1/4 inch thick. Using each chive as string and wrapping once or twice, tie vegetables into bundles of about 3 sticks each. Arrange on platter. Garnish with chili pepper flowers. Scrape dip into bowl.

6. Variations: Instead of bundles, cut red pepper into triangles. With channel knife, peel off strips from cucumber; cut into slices. With crinkle cutter, slice carrots diagonally. Other vegetables to try are cherry tomatoes, Belgian endive leaves, blanched asparagus spears and broccoli florets.

Per 1 tablespoon dip (without vegetables): about 50 calories; 2 g protein; 4 g fat; 2 g carbohydrates; trace fibre; 10 mg cholesterol; 139 mg sodium.

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