Creamy Goat Feta & Caramelised Shallot Dip with Honey, Lemon, & Thyme

We had some friends over for dinner last weekend, and I wanted to have the usual nibbles before dinner, while keeping things gluten free, dairy free, and as non-processed as possible. I came up with this delicious creamy dip using Goats Milk Feta and it was a huge hit. My husband even said he liked it better than the usual "Kiwi Dip", (New Zealanders will know what I mean by that!) which is quite a statement to make! Because Goats cheese is made from animal milk it is technically dairy, but as I am cutting out cows milk products I class goats cheese as "dairy-free" for me. I also made a tasty Kale and Basil Pesto which is dairy-free also. They went really well together, perfect for serving as a layered dip.

Ingredients:

150g-200g packet of Goats Milk Feta Cheese
4 shallots, diced
1 clove of garlic, crushed
2T olive oil
1T honey - I use Active Manuka Honey for it's health benefits.
The zest of 1 lemon
The juice of half a lemon
Fresh thyme, roughly chopped.
Extra olive oil, honey, and thyme for garnish

Method:

Put 1T of the olive oil in a pan, and cook the shallots and garlic at a moderate heat until golden brown and caramelised.

Break the block of feta into large chunks and put them into a food processor (or a bowl if you don't have one). Add the cooked shallots, honey, the rest of the olive oil, zest and juice of the lemon, and the thyme.

Process until the mixture becomes blended and creamy - it won't take long. If it looks a bit dry, add another drizzle of olive oil and process until well combined. 

Pour out into a serving bowl, giving it a quick mix if it needs it. Drizzle with a little olive oil, honey, and top with a sprinkling of fresh thyme. Serve with homemade pita crisps, and vegetable sticks, or use on homemade burgers or in pita pockets instead of mayonnaise.

You could season with some freshly ground pepper, but don't add any salt as the feta is salty enough.