Romesco Sauce

Romesco Sauce

 

I was very excited to see this recipe in Southern Living this month.  It's similar to the Red Pepper Dip that I made a couple of months ago, but I think I like this one a little better.

 

When I traveled to Nashville, TN for work, I stayed for a week at a hotel near a Whole Foods.  I usually stopped by Whole Foods to get dinner each night - and my favorite was a made-to-order vegetarian sandwich that they made in the deli area on a fresh baguette with Romesco Sauce.  I loved the sauce, but had never made it.

 

I love any recipe with one line of directions - process all ingredients in a food processor. 

 

This recipe calls for a drained jar of roasted red bell peppers, toasted pecans (8 minutes in the oven on a baking sheet), 2 garlic cloves, olive oil, red wine vinegar (I used Balsamic), and a dash of sugar, sea salt, and pepper.

After the dip set up in the refrigerator, I drained it before taking it and a bag of pita chips to Wine Club on Saturday night.

 

 

The recipe says that it is great served on all things grilled (chicken, fish, steak, etc.), as a sandwich spread, or served as a dip with vegetables or pita chips.

 

It was a big hit, so this goes out to all my wine club friends!

 

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Enjoy!

Red Pepper Dip

Red Pepper Dip

 

I found this dip in a magazine, and I wish I could tell you which one!  I ripped it out and didn't keep the bottom of the page where it tells you which magazine.  My guess is Good Housekeeping, Fitness, or Real Simple since I never rip out the pages of my Southern Living's or Mississippi magazines!

 

Regardless, this is a great dip that works well with pita chips and vegetables.

I was concerned that I made too much last night and that we'd never finish it up, but we ended up eating most of it at supper.

 

I prefer it with cut vegetables (carrots, celery, broccoli, and cauliflower were what we had), but David and the boys liked it just like they like their hummus - with pita chips.  I have to admit - it was good with pita chips too.

 

And who am I kidding, Brennan doesn't eat peppers. 

But David, Thomas, and I really liked this recipe.

 

And it couldn't be easier.  Or healthier.  Score.

 

Simply drain a jar of roasted red peppers, and puree in a food processor or blender with cumin, Balsamic vinegar, and walnuts.

 

I think it would be great on a baked potato too.

 

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Enjoy!

 

Artichoke Dip

Artichoke Dip

 

I had to do a quick search on the blog to make sure I hadn't already put this recipe out there.

It's an oldie but a goodie, and one that I share regularly with friends who want an easy appetizer.

I've made it for years.

Drain two cans of artichokes and mash them up with a fork on a cutting board. 
The more you mash, the creamier the dip will be.

Mix artichokes together with shredded Parmesan cheese, mayo, lemon juice, and salt & pepper to taste. 

Bake at 350* for 30 minutes until hot and bubbly.
Tastes great with Triscuits! 

 

 

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Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

 

Buffalo Chicken Dip

 

I saw this recipe in Mississippi Magazine (the Fall 2012 edition) and knew there would soon be a great opportunity to make this appetizer.  Tailgating, Super Bowl party, who knew?  But I knew it would be a hit, and it was!

 

I made this dish for a recent Wine Club/baby shower that we hosted and it was the first dish to run out.  That's always a good sign.

 

You start by melting cream cheese over medium high heat until smooth.

Then you stir in finely chopped celery, hot wing sauce, and shredded chicken.

 

Transfer it to a baking dish.

 

And top with crumbled bleu cheese.

This point I covered the dip and put it in the oven until a few minutes before the party.

 

Bake it for 20 minutes at 425* and serve with Frito Scoops.

 

I don't eat much chicken, but this was really really good!

 

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Enjoy!

Reuben Dip

Reuben Dip

 

We attended an Oktoberfest party last night and I wanted to take a couple of good German dishes.

My friend Kathja shared this recipe for me. 

 

It ended up being great!  I returned with an empty dish.

 

Best part - this is an entirely microwaveable recipe.

Only 5 minutes or so of overall cooking time.

 

 

Kathja is from Austria and said (in her dry German way) that this is a very typical Oktoberfest style dish.  That can be served any month at all!  She loves our obsession with all things Oktoberfest this time of year.

 

She said that she normally uses dried beef for this dish, but if you had leftover corned beef, this is a great way to use up those leftovers.

 

She let me know that men especially love this appetizer for its salty, heartiness.

I found that the ladies liked it too :)

 

I used Armour dried beef.  It's really salty, but the crackers help cut the salty taste.

Really, it was delicious!

 

 

You start by melting a little butter in a microwaveable dish for 30 seconds.

 

Then you add in shredded Muenster cheese (I used Havarti because Kroger didn't carry Muenster), cubed cream cheese, ketchup, Dijon mustard and black pepper.

 

Microwave it again for 1 minute.  Stir it and if it needs another minute, go for it.

 

Don't worry - this isn't the serving dish so don't worry about the messy look.

 

Then stir in the chopped dried beef.

At this point I covered the dish and put it in the refrigerator until we were about ready to leave.

It's not necessary though.

 

When you're ready to serve your dish, place a cup of rinsed and drained sauerkraut in the bottom of your serving dish, top with the beef mixture and stir up just slightly.

 

Microwave for 3 minutes and serve with crackers or small slices of rye bread.

Delicious and decadent!

 

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Guten Appetit!



Grilled Bread with Rosemary-Honey Drizzle

Grilled Bread with Rosemary-Honey Drizzle

I saw this recipe in the September 2012 Vegetarian Times and made it that very night with crusty bread I had just picked up to go with soup.

I wasn't grilling out, so didn't grill this bread - I heated it in the oven instead.  But I think it would taste great grilled!

I made the rosemary-honey drizzle by warming honey, rosemary, lemon zest, and sherry vinegar over low heat for 5 minutes. 

I toasted the sliced bread on 400* for about 4 minutes that I had spritzed with olive oil and sprinkled with a touch of Kosher salt.

I split the rosemary-honey drizzle into four little cups to serve each of us with dinner.

It was absolutely delicious!

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Enjoy!

Red Lentil Sauce

Red Lentil Sauce

Here is a recipe that is just crying out to be modified and used in a different way.

This dish comes from the book Eat to Live and the sauce is intended to be drizzled onto vegetables.

We made the dish according to the book, and liked the flavor, but really think it should be made in a different way.

Maybe thicker - more like hummus that you can eat with pita bread.

Maybe much, much thicker - more like a dip for veggies and crackers.

Maybe on top of fish or chicken instead of on vegetables.

Again - the flavor is great, but you might want to consider different ways to use the sauce.

This dish is simple to make.

You boil red lentils, chopped onion, garlic, and carrot juice, then cover and simmer the lentils for 20 minutes until they are tender.

Then you blend the lentils with a vegetable broth bouillon cube, cumin, and a little bit of Balsamic vinegar.

Transfer to a dish and serve!

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Enjoy!

Butter Bean Green Dip

Butter Bean Green Dip

The June 2012 Vegetarian Times had an article about using healthy dips to get kids to eat more raw vegetables.

Our boys tend to eat vegetables pretty well, but I couldn't resist ripping out this page because the dips sounded really great!

We went to an Olympics Opening Ceremony party last night, and I took this dip.

It disappeared quickly.  I thought it was delicious and apparently others did too!

Next time I make this dish I will double it.

Rinse and drain a can of butter beans in the food processor.

Add fresh lemon juice, olive oil, salt & pepper and puree again.

Add chopped fresh parsley and puree again.



Add the white parts from 3 scallions and puree one final time.

I served the dip with raw carrots, mushrooms, and red peppers, along with Wheat Thins.

It was really good!

This recipe is a keeper for my family!

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Enjoy!

Almond Miso Dip

Almond Miso Dip

The June 2012 Vegetarian Times had an article on helping kids eat more raw vegetables, especially as snacks.  They included three healthy dips that might make crudite time more palatable for kids. 

I made the first of these dips this weekend.

Thomas and Brennan do well with raw vegetables, so I don't think they necessarily need a dip to be enticed to eat them with dinner, but a yummy dip never hurts!

I was really surprised how well they liked this dip.

Brennan declared it "the best dip he's ever had". 

So there you go.  Ringing endorsement.

Right off I have to say this version was technically "Peanut Miso Dip" because we were out of Almond Butter.  It worked really well with the peanut butter.  I think it would be great with almond or cashew butter as well.

I mixed the dip up in a small saucepan.

I heated natural apple juice, then added in miso, dissolving it well.  Then I stirred in the peanut butter, and put some in a small bowl for each of us. 

That night we had yellow peppers, carrot sticks, and daikon radish with dinner - they all worked great with this dip. 

David thought the carrots were best. 

Brennan doesn't like bell peppers, but I asked him to try the pepper with this dip, seeing if it made a difference.  It didn't.  Peppers are still on his short list of foods he won't eat, and that's OK.

And still plenty leftover for snacks and lunch the next day.



I will say that this is not a dip I'd want to eat everyday, but it apparently is a hit with kids, or at least the ones in our house!

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Enjoy!



Roasted Garlic-Sweet Pea Spread

Roasted Garlic-Sweet Pea Spread

I found this recipe in the March 2012 Southern Living and immediately ripped it out, along with the other 4 green pea recipes the page included.  This one sounded great for a party appetizer, so I made it yesterday.  I've modified it somewhat from the original.

You start by snipping off the pointed end of a garlic bulb and placing it on a piece of tin foil.

Then you drizzle 1 Tbsp olive oil over the bulb and fold the foil up, sealing it well.

Cook it at 425* for 30 minutes.  Then let it sit for 10 minutes.

I blanched peas in boiling, salted water for 2 minutes, then drained them and put them in the food processor, along with Parmesan, basil, mint, and lemon juice. 

Then I squeezed out the roasted garlic into the food processor, making sure to avoid any garlic papers.  I processed the mixture up while drizzling in olive oil.

Then I seasoned with Kosher salt and black pepper to taste, transferred it to a serving bowl, covered, and chilled it until the party.

Last night I served the pea dip with crackers, but I think it would be great with pita bread, baquette, or vegetables as well.

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Enjoy!

Really great taste, lots of requests for the recipe!

Homemade Hummus

Homemade Hummus

Recipe from Sandy Thomas

I've shared a few of Sandy's recipes that I've slightly modified for my family's tastes.

Her recipes are so good, and easy to make, and are dishes that we all really like.

Sandy is a Holistic Health Coach and friend.  If you are local, you should consider her cooking classes that start up again in the Fall.  I had such a great time attending them this spring!

Find out more about Sandy's services at www.zenchoice.com

Our family really likes hummus.  David prefers it on bread, pitas, or these new lentil chips that I found at our local health food store.

While I like hummus on chips any time, I usually use it is as a dip with vegetables instead of ranch dressing.

I understand that hummus is originally from Egypt, but is very popular throughout the Middle East, and luckily now in the U.S.!

I usually have one of these packages on hand, but last year started making hummus when I realized how easy it was, and how I could make it without the additional preservatives.

I've followed a few different recipes for hummus that are essentially very similar.

But I liked Sandy's a lot when we made it in class, so this is the one that I'll probably stick with going forward.

This recipe makes about 3 cups of basic hummus.

You can divide the hummus like we did and make different varieties once you have your basic recipe made. 

The seasoning and flavoring possibilities are endless!

Fresh hummus can be kept in the refrigerator for about a week.

My helper made this dish for us.

He methodically got out all the necessary ingredients, placed them in the food processor, then pulsed it to the consistency we like - pretty smooth.  He scraped down the sides of the food processor once, but overall it took about 5 minutes from pantry to finished product.

We used 2 cans of chickpeas, rinsed and drained, 3 cloves of garlic, juice from one lemon, olive oil, black pepper, Kosher salt, cumin, tahini, and water.

I buy tahini at Kroger.  It's much like peanut butter, but a little thinner and is made from sesame seeds.

The only modification I made from Sandy's original recipe was to add a little more olive oil and water to make it a little bit wetter, like the Sabra brand.

Once you have this basic hummus made, you can dig in, or you can make any number of different varieties.  Here are some of the varieties Sandy shared and that I've made in the past.

Cucumber Dill

David asked for the cucumber/dill variety the night we made this batch of hummus.

So I took 1 cup of the hummus and added about 1/3 c of chopped cucumber (skin on), and 1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill.  It was fantastic with vegetables!

Roasted Red Pepper

I've also made red pepper hummus in the past by adding in 1/4 c jarred roasted red peppers (well drained) into the food processor before serving.  This is fantastic on pita.

Pine Nut & Garlic

I made a pine nut and garlic version one night for a party by adding 3 additional cloves of garlic into the food processor, then topping with 3 Tbsp pine nuts before serving.  This was a big hit.

Cilantro Chimichurri

For a Mexican-themed get together I made a cilantro chimichurri recipe by using ingredients in classic chimichurri sauce (which I absolutely love).  I added cilantro, parsley, red pepper flakes, lime juice and zest, and just a splash of soy sauce and Balsamic vinegar to my basic hummus.

Sun Dried Tomato

One of my favorite varieties is the sun dried tomato version.  I just added 1/3 c of jarred sun dried tomatoes in oil to the food processor.  Great on crostini.

Olive Tapenade

I love, love, love olives and tapenade in general.  I made a tapenade hummus one time but it wasn't my favorite.  I added extra garlic and olive oil, lemon juice and zest, capers, and a splash of Balsamic.  Once I took the hummus out of the food processor, I mixed in coarsely chopped Kalamata olives.  I might need to play with this recipe again because it sounds delicious as I'm typing it!

Hummus is healthy, flexible, and delicious.

What's your favorite variety?

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بالهنا و الشفاء!
(Egyptian for Bon Appetit!)

Red Pepper Vegetable Dip

Red Pepper Vegetable Dip

This is a great dip for dipping with vegetables.

It's super easy and is really pretty when finished.

I served it at my birthday get-together - I was shooting for pink and red foods :)

I use jarred roasted bell peppers.  They're found with the pickles and olives in the grocery store.

You just blend the 4 ingredients together and voila.

The trick is to make sure the peppers are drained really well first.

If your dip is too liquid-y you can always put it through a sifter to make it thicker.

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Enjoy!