Appetizers – Dips

Curried Beet Hummus

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Add a little color to your dip tray.

Ingredients:

  • cooking spray
  • 1 lb beets, de-stemmed and washed (red or golden)
  • 6 cloves garlic, peeled
  • ¼ c tahini (sesame seed paste)
  • ¼ c lemon juice
  • 2 Tab sweet curry powder
  • whole wheat pita chips
  • crudités – carrots, celery, zucchini, asparagus, cucumber, etc

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375°.
  2. Place unpeeled beets and garlic on a large sheet of foil on a baking sheet.
  3. Spray generously with cooking spray & fold foil to make an airtight packet.
  4. Place in oven and bake for 45 minutes or until beets are fork tender.
  5. Set aside to cool, then peel the beets.
  6. Place beets, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, and curry powder in a food processor and blend until smooth.
  7. Place in serving bowl.
  8. Prepare vegetables for serving.
  9. Serve hummus at room temperature or chilled with crudités and pita.

Serves: Makes 4 cups, 16 servings

Comments:  Check Trader Joe’s for pre-roasted beets.
If you don’t have tahini, mix 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds and 1 tablespoon olive oil and blend in a food processor.
Hummus can be made up to three days in advance. Can be frozen.

Source : MyFoodAdvisor –Recipes for Healthy Living

New Orleans Hot Crab Dip

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A good change from the hot artichoke/spinach dip- a bit up scale too.

Ingredients:

  • ½ lb lump crab meat
  • 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
  • ½ c mayonnaise
  • ¼ c Parmesan cheese
  • 3 Tab minced green onion (green and white parts)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 Tab lemon juice
  • 1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
  • ½ tsp hot sauce
  • salt and pepper
  • plain white crackers and/or toast points

Directions:

  1. Combine ingredients.
  2. Place in heat proof dish.
  3. Bake at 325° for 35-40 minutes.
  4. Serve hot with crackers and/or toast points

Serves: 1 ½ cups

Source: Carolyn Reichert

Comments: To make toast points cut the crust off thin sliced white bread and toast both sides in the oven. Cut into 4 triangles.

Cashew Avocado Spread

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Sounds odd but is really tasty.

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ c cashews, coursely chopped
  • 1 c avocado, mashed
  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 2 tsp fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 1/8 tsp Tobasco sauce
  • 1 drop green food coloring
  • paprika to taste
  • crackers (your choice)

Directions:

  1. In a bowl combine cream cheese and green food coloring.
  2. Add avocado, cashews, Cheddar cheese, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and hot sauce. Mix well with spoon.
  3. Place in serving bowl.
  4. Chill covered for several hours.
  5. Dust with paprika.
  6. Serve with crackers

Serves: 3 cups

Source:  Texas Ties – Recipes and Remembrances From The Junior League of North Harris County.

 

Virginia’s Vidalia Onion Dip

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Vidalia onions were discovered by accident in 1931 when a Toombs County farmer named Mose Coleman realized that local soil produced onions that were uniquely flavorful, the crop was first sold at the farmer’s market in the city of Vidalia. Because Vidalia is located midway between Macon and Savannah on busy Highway 280, the market became a favorite stop for travelers, who began to spread the word about the tasty onion being sold there. By the 1950s, Vidalia onions were available in supermarkets, and in 1990 the state legislature declared the Vidalia onion Georgia’s official vegetable. By law, only onions grown in Southeast Georgia can bear the name Vidalia. They are in season from end of summer to early winter.

Ingredients:

  • 2 Vidalia onions, chopped fine (or 4 cups of other sweet onion)
  • 1 c grated Parmesan cheese
  • ¾ c mayonnaise (real mayo)
  • Melba toast or Ritz crackers

Directions:

  1. In a large bowl mix the onions, cheese, and mayonnaise.
  2. Place in a oven proof casserole dish.
  3. Bake at 350 º until bubbly. (Approximately 40 minutes.)
  4. Serve with Melba toast or Ritz crackers.

Serves: 3 ½ cups

Source: The Blue Willow Inn Cookbook, Social Circle, Georgia

Man’s Dip

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You can take this anywhere and attract men!

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ lbs ground beef
  • 1 envelope onion soup mix (2T)
  • 16 oz sour cream (2 cups)
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1 c Monterey jack cheese, shredded (4 oz)
  • tortilla chips

Directions:

  1. Set oven at 350°.
  2. Brown meat in frying pan, drain.
  3. Combine next three ingredients in oven proof dish.
  4. Stir in browned beef and ¾ cup cheese.
  5. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
  6. Bake 30 minutes.
  7. Serve with tortilla chips.

Serves: 10-12 (maybe!)

Source: Cathy Parrish St. John, More Recipes from Our Friends – Friends of Whitman County Library, Colfax, Washington

Comments:  Can be topped with diced tomatoes if desired.

River City Sheep Dip

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You gotta love the name!  The recipe from Georgann Jouflas, was the best selling item at the former River City Cafe. The recipe is the product of her mother’s idea, the chef’s final combination of ingredients, and Georgann’s title. The name was a joke reflecting her father’s 50 years as a sheep rancher. Try it, it’s great and you can freeze some of it for later.

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz water packed artichoke hearts
  • 6 oz asiago or parmesan cheese
  • 3 oz fresh spinach, washed and patted dry (no stems)
  • 1 pt half and half
  • 20 oz sour cream
  • 24 oz cream cheese (the block kind-not whipped)
  • 8 oz whipping cream
  • pita chips

Directions:

  1. Blend together all ingredients, except pita chips, in food processor or blender until smooth (you will still have chunks of artichoke).
  2. Place in heatproof dish.
  3. Heat 350° until hot – about 20 minutes.
  4. Serve warm in chaffing dish with pita chips.

Serves: 3 quarts of dip

Source: West of the Rockies, Recipes From Campfire to Candlelight – Junior Service League of Grand Junction, Colorado

Notes:  The dip was a little soupie. Could be because we used the whipped cream cheese spread stuff.  If you are going to use that, suggest 1 c half and half, 10 oz sour cream, 12 oz cream cheese,1/2 c whipping cream.

Bleu Chicken Dip/Salad

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“So, what’s for lunch?”  “I don’t know.  I’ll forage for food.”  So I find a can of chicken breast meat – age unknown (but the can is not bulging so it must be ok.)  Inside the label is a recipe for Chicken Salad boooring.  Oh, but the Bleu Chicken Dip looks interesting.  I left out the butter and used mayonnaise (yes, real) for half the sour cream and made a rather interesting chicken salad.  Should make a wonderful dip.

Ingredients:

  • 3 c Tyson Premium Chunk Chicken Breast, drained (So, any cooked chicken would work, right?)
  • (1/4 c butter) did not use
  • 3 oz bleu cheese (I probably used more – blue cheese is good!)
  • 1 Tab instant minced onions (Again, probably more – we don’t measure for lunch.)
  • 1 c sour cream – used 1/2c sour cream and 1/2 c mayonnaise
  • 1 Tab Worcestershire sauce
  • I added a squeeze of lemon juice (Lucia said “It takes the curse of of canned stuff.”)

Directions:

  1. (Melt butter in skillet and add chicken, crumbled.) Did not bother to do this for the salad.
  2. (Heat on medium heat, stirring constantly until hot.) Probably would just mix everything and heat in oven 350° for 20-30 minutes f for the dip.  If it is too thick for a dip, thin with Ranch Dressing or Blue Cheese dressing.  For salad, just mix and serve cold.
  3. Combine bleu cheese, onion, sour cream, mayonnaise and Worcestershire.
  4. Pour over chicken mixing well.
  5. Heat until bubbling around edge of pan.
    Serve warm on tortilla chips or crackers.

Serves: 4

Source:  Inside the label of a can of Tyson premium Chunck Chicken Breast

Rocky Mountain Smoked Trout Pâté

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A nice change from smoked salmon dip.

Ingredients:

  • 12 oz smoked trout
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 2 Tab lemon juice
  • 2 tsp onion, grated 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ tsp salt (or less)
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ¼ tsp dill weed
  • 1 dash red pepper sauce
  • fresh dill
  • sprigs crackers (plain, like water crackers)

Directions:

  1. Place ingredients in food processor and blend until creamy.
  2. Put in a bowl lined with plastic wrap (or spray mold with non stick spray).
  3. Refrigerate until well chilled.
  4. Unmold and garnish with dill sprigs
  5. Serve with crackers.

Serves: 2 cups

Source: West of the Rockies, Recipes From Campfire to Candlelight – Junior Service League of Grand Junction, Colorado

Henderson Edamame and Almond Hummus

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Tasty and healthy!

 Ingredients:

  • 1 c toasted slivered almonds
  • 1/3 c water
  • ½ c shelled fresh or thawed frozen edamame
  • 2 Tab sesame oil
  • 2 Tab olive oil
  • 1 ½ lemons – zest and juice
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 Tbs cilantro, chopped
  • 2 Tab reduced sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
  • vegetable slices (celery, cherry tomatoes, and broccoli) for dipping
  • rice crackers for dipping

Directions:

  1. Whirl almonds in a food processor until finely ground, scraping inside of bowl as needed, about 2 minutes.
  2. Add 1/3 cup water and the remaining 7 ingredients through soy sauce.
  3. Whirl until well blended, about 3 minutes.
  4. Spoon into a bowl and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
  5. Serve with vegetables and crackers.

Serves: Makes 2 ½ cups

Source: Shelia Piccini, Sunset, October 2012

Comments: Add a drop or two of green food coloring to brighten.

Go Broncos Chili Dip

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This is an old (really old) standard but still a favorite.

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1 can chili without beans (15 oz)
  • 2 Tab diced green chiles
  • ¼ c onion, diced
  • ½ c cheddar cheese shredded
  • corn chips for dips

Directions:

  1. Mix all ingredients in a heat proof bowl (except the cheddar cheese).
  2. Heat in microwave or oven (350°).
  3. Top with cheese.
  4. Serve with corn chips.

Serves: 12

Source: cdkitchen.com

VPWL GourmetDecember, 2012