Creamy Fruit Dip

My friend Sonya finds some great recipes. She's the type of person where, when eating dinner at her house, I'm usually in awe. Never walking away without at least one of the recipes from the evening.

Sonya is generous with her recipes, and friendship. She hosted my baby shower months ago, and had the most beautiful food spread... I was in awe. Again.

The shower was a brunch, and one of the dishes she served was fresh fruit, accompanied by a creamy sweet dip. Sonya was very aware of my pregnancy sweet tooth. Since you can't serve ONLY sweet, sugary foods, you almost always want to (or feel obligated to, because personally, I could have only had sweets! ha) have some fruit to round out the meal. A token strawberry on my plate does make me feel healthier. I can't lie.

Since the shower, I've served this dip at almost all of my breakfast/brunch gatherings. This dip is so ridiculously easy (the hardest part is cutting up the fruit), and so good, I expect it will become a part of your morning party repertoire too. No more store bought overly pricey pre-made fruit dip for you! Enjoy.


Creamy Fruit Dip
from Sonya

1 1/2 cups Sour Cream
2 tablespoons Brown Sugar

+ Fruit for dipping (I like strawberries, apple and cantaloupe as constants. Then I usually add another fruit that the store is carrying and looks fresh/good, such as: kiwi, blueberries, pineapple, raspberries or blackberries)

In a small bowl, whisk the sour cream and sugar until completely blended (1-2 minutes). Refrigerate up to 1 day in advance.

Cut and plate your fruit. Place fruit dip in a small serving bowl next to your fresh fruit.

Done.

Guten appetit!

Tangy Corn and Avocado Salsa

Oh, Mollie... thank you so much for this recipe. You have combined some of my favorite foods in this world: avocados, cilantro, cherry tomatoes and cumin.

To preface this, you should know that I will eat avocados plain, right out of the skin with a spoon. I LOVE THEM. There's really no need to 'dress up' guacamole or avocados for me. However, in the spirit of trying new things and cinco de mayo, I gave this dip a shot. Certainly sounded good.

Yowzers!! I could have eaten the whole bowl myself, and then licked it clean. Unfortunately (for me), I'm a nice person and shared some with Tim.

Easily a very, very impressive avocado dip. Make for friends, or simply indulge yourself one day. We taste tested the dip with chips, delicious. Then used it as an accompaniment to quesadillas, super delicious.

Go ahead, make this... soon. Treat yourself.

Note: Mollie also recommends this, but because you are adding fresh cut tomatoes which get mealy after sitting out for a while, I recommend eating this same day. Which, believe me, you wont have a problem doing.

Note #2: I personally prefer Haas avocados for guacamole and dip making.


Tangy Corn and Avocado Salsa
from Mollie Katzen

1 cup finely minced red onion
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (and possibly more)
2 ripe-but-firm avocados
2 medium cloves garlic, finely minced
2 cups fresh corn (shaved from 2 ears of corn) - I used canned, was still great
1/2 cup finely minced red bell pepper
1 cup tiny cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
Crushed red pepper flakes to taste
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro


Put up about half a kettle of water to boil. Place the minced red onion in a colander over a sink, and when the water boils, pour it over the onion. Let the onion sit in the colander, draining, while you prepare the other ingredients.

Place the lime juice in a medium-sized bowl. Cut the avocados in half, pull out the seeds, and peel. Scoop out the flesh, cut it into small dice, and transfer to the lime juice. Stir gently until all the pieces of avocado are coated with lime juice.

Add all remaining ingredients except the cilantro (include the red onion from Step 1). Mix gently but thoroughly until everything is combined. Taste to adjust salt and lime juice, then cover and chill until serving time. Stir in the cilantro just before serving.

Lovely, lovely avocado. More recipes:
- Creamy Avocado Chipotle Dip, from Cafe Lynnylu
- Chunky White Bean Avocado Dip, from Food Network
- Three Bean, Corn and Avocado Salsa, from Archana's Kitchen
- Guacamole, from My Wooden Spoon

Guten appetit!

Spinach Artichoke Dip

This recipe was first made for me by a friend, Erica. She was pregnant and had been diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes. For a girls lunch, we were all to bring a dish, and Erica brought this Artichoke and Spinach Dip, with veggies to use for dipping. She needed to stay away from carbs, and I thought it was a brilliant choice. Not to mention very tasty! Everyone at the lunch complimented her on it and wanted the recipe, including me.

Best part of this recipe, it's ridiculously easy. Will take you approximately 5 minutes to make, or less. There was so little for me to do and prepare when I made it a couple months later for my sister's housewarming party, that I can't even put together a 4-square picture collage. I suppose I could have taken a picture of someone eating the dish, but isn't it cruel and unusual punishment to publicly post pictures of others eating? I think so.


Once you hear the source of this recipe, you might not believe me that it has a creamy, delicious flavor and the perfect mix of flavors. It's from Atkins. Yes, I know! I hear anything 'diet' related, and cringe. But I promise you, it's delicious. It was fully consumed at my sister's housewarming, just as it had been at our girls lunch. A definite crowd pleaser, and I promise, no-one will know it's from a diet source.

Spinach Artichoke Dip
from Atkins

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1(13 3/4-ounce) can artichoke bottoms, drained
2 garlic cloves
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Mix, mix, mix
Ready to bake
Heat oven to 350F. Grease a 1-quart ovenproof pan. In a food processor, process spinach, artichokes, garlic, cream cheese, Parmesan and pepper until well combined, scraping down sides of processor, as needed.Spread mixture in prepared pan. Bake until warmed through, about 30 minutes. Serve hot with sliced vegetables.

Dips to love:
- Hummus
- Fresh Salsa
- Tom Douglas's Crab Dip, from Al Dente
- Hot Sweet Onion Dip, from Closet Cooking

Guten appetit!

Baked Parmesan Dip

For a recent dinner party, I was making Happy Hour Mushrooms, and needed a second appetizer. A spinach-artichoke dip seemed like a possibility, but I just didn't feel like it. I wanted to try something new.

Tim and I LOVE cheese. I can't tell you how many times during our initial days of dating we had a cheese, cracker and wine dinner. Heaven. Now, we still slice some parmesan cheese to enjoy with a glass of wine before dinner. Especially on lazy weekend days.

When I saw this recipe in a holiday e-mail a couple months ago, I tucked it away, knowing I would want to make it sometime soon. And soon enough, my dinner party came up! Baked Parmesan Dip - yep, my perfect second appetizer.

I originally made the recipe exactly as stated, but have adjusted it below based on feedback and my preferences. First, it was tasty, and super easy! It received rave reviews, people ate it up. Yay! Second, while I really like mayonnaise, I also like to pretend I'm a healthy person and not overdo it... hence, I reduced the mayo from 1 cup to 3/4 cup in the recipe for future. Wont be a drastic change to the taste/consistency, but hopefully slightly healthier. If only by a small amount. A very, very small amount. I also used regular mayo, and while using reduced-fat would also help my conscience, I prefer the taste of regular.

Definitely a contender for super bowl party dips! Enjoy.



Baked Parmesan Dip
adapted slightly from Safeway

1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed
3/4 cup reduced-fat (or regular) mayonnaise
1 package (3 oz) cream cheese
3/4 medium onion, peeled and minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 Baguette, thinly sliced diagonally


Squeeze spinach to remove liquid.

With a mixer, beat spinach, mayonnaise, cream cheese, onion, garlic, 1 cup of the parmesan cheese, and pepper until thoroughly combined.

Mound mixture in a 3- to 4-cup baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with 2 tbsp. parmesan cheese and paprika.

Bake in a 350° oven until hot in center and lightly browned on top, 25 to 30 minutes.

Serve hot to spread on baguette slices.

More interesting parmesan recipes:
- Parmesan Poppy Seed Crackers, from White on Rice Couple
- Butternut Squash and Parmesan Dip, from Apartment Therapy
- Crispy Baked Parmesan Crusted Tilapia, from Green Lite Bites

Guten appetit!

Easy Fresh Salsa, by Guest Chef Skye

Well after staying with Laura in Munich for a week, she asked me (Skye, Laura's cousin) to start contributing on her food blog. I'm more of a self taught food network addict. I'm not vegetarian but I will try to post some of my tasty vegetable recipes.

After having Laura's yummy mexican casserole, I thought I would make a simple fresh salsa.

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic

1 medium red onion

1 large jalapeno seeded and de-veined

2 large tomatoes

1 lime juiced

1 handful of fresh cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

Note: I had small tomatoes and jalapenos so I used double

Roughly chop the garlic, onion, jalapeno, tomatoes and cilantro. Throw it into your food processor and add the lime juice. Pulse until desired consistency and your done.

If you like chunkier salsa, pulse the jalapeno, lime juice, garlic and cilantro. Add this to finely diced tomatoes and onion and mix.

After either method, add salt and pepper to taste. It can be eaten right away but I find it best to refrigerate for at least an hour to let the flavors blend.

Serve with your favorite mexican food.

Enjoy =)

Roasted Chipotle Salsa

I'm a fan of mexican food. Ok, ok, I LOVE mexican food. If I could have, I probably would have married it. Yep, a solid veggie burrito or enchilada could serve as the only food I eat for the rest of my life. (For Tim, it would be Italian, and specifically pizza. Good thing pizza is my 2nd favorite food!)

Unfortunately for me, as soon as we stepped off the plane in Germany, it was painfully obvious how lacking they were in Mexican food (anything Latin American actually, they really are pork and potato folks over here). You know those gleaming food isles in the US with tons and tons of ethnic food?? We have none of that (sigh). I did, after a few sad months, find a Mexican store in Munich! Hip, hop, hooray! Just 1, but hey, that's all I need. And they thankfully stock some of the basics I'm used to (dried chilis, black beans, chipotle chilis in adobo sauce, corn tortillas, etc). I think the first time I went there, I practically kissed the woman, I was so happy.

After that, we stopped pretending we liked the Fuego salsa they sell in our regular grocery store (they offer one store bought salsa option, which is Pace Picante-esk and a cross between ketchup and spaghetti sauce, with chunks of onion and green peppers). But forget all that, I now had the means to whip up our own easy, tangy, smoky salsa... I just needed a recipe.

The Roasted Chipotle Salsa recipe below had me at 'hello'. Why? Because anything with Chipotle chilis immediately has my attention.

This salsa is soooo tasty, and super easy to make! Requires a bit of chopping, some time to broil, then zap it all in a food processor, and your done.

Makes a great dip, especially if you want to offer a few options (like guacamole, this chipotle salsa, and then maybe a fresh tomato salsa). We like it best as a sauce for our Chickpea and Corn Fritters. Really, any salsa needs you have, this recipe fits the bill. It also froze well, and was just as tasty 2 weeks later.

Roasted Chipotle Salsa
from Cooking Light

1 1/2 cups chopped onion
3 medium tomatoes
6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, undrained*

* Chipotle chilis in adobo sauce are very, very hot. They are responsible for the great flavor of this salsa, but if you are not a fan of spicy heat, just use 1 chili from the can to start with.

(sorry, this is the best photo I can muster right now!)

Preheat broiler.
Place the first 3 ingredients on a baking sheet; broil for 20 minutes or until blackened, stirring often. Remove garlic cloves; squeeze to extract garlic pulp. Discard skins.
Place onion, tomatoes, and garlic in a food processor; add the remaining ingredients, and process until smooth. Serve warm or at room temperature with baked tortilla chips.

Guten Appetit!

The Underdogs, Super Bowl XLII & Hummus

Hooray for the NY Giants! While I have no real interest in either team, I do like to see the underdog win on occasion. ...although neither of us actually saw the win.

We tried hard to stay up for the game, truly, but to give us a fair excuse, the Super Bowl festivities started at midnight over here. I took a quick nap during the pre-show hum-drum, and woke up in time to see the kick-off. Of course, Tim had to clue me in that it was the start of the 2nd quarter, not the game. Yeah, yeah. I continued to sleep on the couch for most it, while Tim kept his vigil. When we finally forced ourselves to bed, it was about 3am and the start of the 4th quarter.

Although I may have pooped out during the game, I managed to make snacks earlier in the day for our rowdy midnight party.

I made the underdog of dips: Hummus. Everyone loves it, but for some reason, it's not pizazzy enough to get the nod for top honors.


We were habitual hummus eaters in Seattle, but always had the store bought stuff. I guess because it was quick, easy and cheap. However, I have yet to find hummus being sold here, so I make my own now. And guess what, it's quick, it's easy and it's cheap! PLUS, it tastes waayyyyy better.

This is a recipe you can literally whip up in 5 min (just pre-roast the garlic, or use less garlic and dont bother roasting it).

Creamy Hummus (from cookinglight.com)
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup tahini (sesame-seed paste)
4-5 garlic cloves, roasted
4-6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1+ tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
salt & pepper to taste
2 (19 oz) cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

1. Pre-heat oven to 400.
2. Cut 1/4 inch off the top of each garlic clove, leaving most of the paper skin on the cloves. Place garlic on a sheet of tinfoil and drizzle with a couple teaspoons olive oil. Wrap tightly to enclose the garlic and place in the oven for 30-40 minutes, until the cloves feel soft.
3. Remove garlic from oven and allow to cool, if needed. Squeeze the garlic pulp out of the skin and into a food processor.
4. Place water and tahini in the same food processor and blend until smooth.
5. Add juice and remaining ingredients; process until smooth, scraping the sides with a spatula occasionally.

Serve in a bowl with pita wedges, crackers, chunks of your favorite bread or vegetables (cucumbers are great). Can be kept in the fridge for 4-5 days.

Optional: I've also seen recipes that include 2-3 fresh mint leaves, 1/2 cup yogurt or sour cream (usually in place of the water), or paprika. Hummus is easy to experiment with, and it is very forgiving.

On the health track: Garbanzo beans (or chickpeas, or kirchererbsen in german) are a good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber, and protein (when paired with whole grain pasta, bread or rice) for us veggies. And for the ladies, they provide a nice boost of iron. Add garbanzo beans to salads, soups, lentil or rice dishes, etc. for a very healthy supplement to your diet.

Go underdogs!