bbq desserts: Dips/Spreads

Showing posts with label Dips/Spreads. Show all posts

Showing posts with label Dips/Spreads. Show all posts

Super Bowl 2012 Snacks

Here are two items I am making for Super Bowl Sunday, in case you need a couple of ideas. First up is a Beer-Cheese Dip from Food Network Magazine.

Pulse 1/2 pound cubed extra-sharp white cheddar in a food processor until finely chopped. Add 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder, a pinch each of salt and sugar, and 1/2 cup pilsner beer. Process until smooth. It's as easy as that. Serve with pretzels, crackers, chunks of bread, and veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, celery, cooked potatoes, etc.

The second dish I am making is Bacon-Cheddar Crescent Pinwheels, utilizing Pillsburgy refrigerated Crescent rolls.

Ingredients:
1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or 1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet
2 tablespoons ranch dressing
¼ cup cooked real bacon pieces or 4 slices bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled
½ cup finely shredded Cheddar cheese (2 oz)
¼ cup chopped green onions (4 medium)

Directions:
Heat oven to 350°F.
If using crescent rolls: Unroll dough; press each into 12x8-inch rectangle, firmly pressing perforations to seal. If using dough sheet: Unroll dough; press each into 12x8-inch rectangle.
Spread dressing over each rectangle to edges. Sprinkle each with bacon, Cheddar cheese and onions.
Starting with one short side, roll up each rectangle; press edge to seal. With serrated knife, cut each roll into 8 slices; place cut side down on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 12 to 17 minutes or until edges are deep golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Serve warm.

Tomatillo Salsa

I absolutely love this salsa. I could eat it by the bucket, my husband, too. This recipe is courtesy of Sara Moulton and can be found in her Everyday Family Dinners cookbook. I would double or triple this recipe because you're going to love it.

2 large tomatillos (about 6 to 7 ounces)
2 medium scallions
1 small jalapeno chile
1/4 cup firmly packed cilantro leaves and stems
2 Tbsps vegetable oil
2 tsps fresh lime juice
2 dmall garlic cloves
1/4 tsp Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Remove the papery husk, rinse and thickly slice tomatillos (about 1 and 1/2 cups). Trim and thickly slice the white and light green parts of the scallion (about 1/4 cup) and coarsely chop the jalepeno (about 2 tsps). Transfer the tomatillos, scallions, jalapeno, and cilantro to a food processor fitted with the chopping blade. Add the vegetable oil and lime juice and press in the garlic (about 2 tsps).

Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped. Add the salt and pepper to taste. Trasfer to a bowl; cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Polenta Crostini with Tapenade

Here is another appetizer that I made for my jewelry party. This one also inspired by Sara Moulton, but I used my own tapenade recipe.

What You'll Need:
1 log of cooked plain polenta (I have seen this at Sweetbay Supermarket in both the pasta and produce sections. I don't remember seeing it at Publix, but some may carry it.)
a batch of tapenade

How to Make it:
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet. Tirm off and discard the crinkled ends of the polenta log; cut the remaining polenta crosswise into 16 slices. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil or butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add as many polenta slices as will fit in one layer and saute, turning once, for about 5 minutes per side, or until crisp and browned. Remove the polenta slices to the baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven. Repeat, adding another tablespoon olive oil or butter as needed, until all the slices have been browned.

Meanwhile make the tapenade, but it is much easier to make this in advanced.

To serve, divide the tapenade among the polenta rounds.

Sorry I don't have a picture of the finished product, but there was so much going on and my guests were arriving that I totally forgot to take a pic.

Marinated White Bean Toasts

On Saturday I hosted a Lia Shophia jewelry party. I of course had to have a few good snacks for everyone to enjoy. This one was a huge hit with my friends and is courtesy of my new Sara Moulton cookbook.

What you'll need:
1 small red onion (I suggest using less onion, unless you really like onion)
1 12-inch baguette
1/4 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove
1 (15-ounce) can small white beans
1 Tbsp, plus 1 tsp fresh oregano leaves
2 Tbsps fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and ground black pepper

How to make it:
Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Finely chop the onion (about 1/2 cup) and transfer it to a small bowl; add ice and water to cover and set it aside for 10 minutes.

Trim off and discard the ends of the baguette; cut the remaining baguette diagonally to make 24 slices. Brush both sides of the slices with 2 Tbsps of olive oil (you may need more) and arrange them on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast them for 8-10 minutes, turning once until they are golden. Remove the toasts from the oven and set aside to cool slightly. Split the garlic lengthwise. Rub the toast slices with the cut sides of the garlic.

Rinse and thoroughly drain the beans. Chop the oregano (about 2 tsps). Combine the beans, the remaining 2 Tbsps olive oil, the lemon juice, and oregano in a medium bowl. Mash with a potato masher or fork, leaving some larger pieces.

Drain the onion, pat it dry, and stir it into the bean mixture along with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the bean mixture among the toast slices and spread the mixture to the edges. (I didn't do this last part. I just put the bean mixture into a bowl with the toasts surrounding it and let my guests top the toast on their own.)

Ina's Sun-dried Tomato Dip

This is one of my favorite dip recipes, probably because it has one of my favorite ingredients in it - Sun-dried tomatoes. I just love them. Anyway, I just joined this amazing women's networking and social group, High Hopes in High Heels, and I made this dip for an event we had last night. I am now the chair of the food committee, so I'll be posting a lot about the food I make for our events. This recipe is courtesy of Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa.

Ingredients
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped (about 8 tomatoes, and I admit I usually throw in a little extra because I love them!)
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature (use regular, lowfat or nonfat is just not the same)1/2 cup sour cream (here you can use light sour cream)
1/2 cup good mayonnaise
10 dashes, hot red pepper sauce (I like Crystal for this)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
assorted veggies and crackers

Puree the tomatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, red pepper sauce, salt and pepper in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the scallions and pulse twice. Serve at room temperature. I usually serve this dip with whole-wheat crackers, carrots and celery, but you can use any veggies you like.

Book Club Eats: Herb Goat Cheese Dip

I hosted my book club today and made a couple of yummy snacks for us to munch on while we discussed this month's book - True Colors by Kristin Hannah. A very good book about the bonds between sisters. I definitely recommend checking it out. I also recommend trying this yummy, herb and goat cheese dip that I made.

Ingredients:
6 ounces goat cheese (I used one with herbs)
2 Tbsp nonfat, plain Greek yogurt
3 tsp olive oil
1/3 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 tsp fresh dill, chopped
salt and pepper

In a food processor, mix the goat cheese, yogurt and oil together. Add the parsley, dill and salt and pepper and give it another quick spin to blend everything together. Serve with multi-grain crackers, celery, carrots and other assorted veggies that you like.

New Ritz Crackers

A few days before Christmas I received a package from the fine people at Nabisco/Ritz. They have a new flavor of crackers - Brown Sugar Cinnamon - and they sent me a box to try out along with some recipes. I unfortunately didn't have time to plan a dish using them for any of my festivities, but I did try them out and shared with some friends. Overall consensus? Great!

I had my annual dinner party with friends the day I received the package so we opened them up and all tried them. Everyone really liked them. The crackers are sweet, but not too sweet, and not overly covered with cinnamon and sugar.

I also took them over to my parents on Christmas Day because I knew my sister was bringing over a wedge of brie and I thought the crackers would go great with my favorite cheese. I was right, a great combination.

Here is a link to one of the recipes Ritz sent me to try these crackers with - Raspberry Apple Danish Spread.

Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

As promised, here is the blue cheese dressing recipe I made for husband's birthday and served on a wedge of iceberg. I wanted to test it first because it was something I played with. I am happy to report it was really good. The dressing would be great with buffalo wings or a vegetable platter for your next get together.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup finely chopped shallot (about 1 shallot)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (about half a lemon)
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup crumbled domestic blue cheese
1 head iceberg lettuce, core trimmed, cut lengthwise into quarters
small grape or cherry tomatoes (optional)
crumbled bacon (optional)

Whisk together buttermilk, mayonnaise, shallot, lemon juice, and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Stir in blue cheese. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes. Place each wedge of lettuce on an individual plate. Drizzle each wedge with dressing and garnish with tomatoes and bacon, if desired.

Book Club Eats: Beer Cheese Dip

My friend Ashley brought this dip to our book club meeting on Saturday. I really liked it, especially with pretzels for dipping. This dip is fast, easy and affordable.

Ingredients:
2 pkgs (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup beer or nonalcoholic beer
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
pretzels, bagel chips, crackers, etc. for dipping

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, beer and dressing mix until smooth. Stir in the cheese. We like beer.

Book Club Eats: Roasted Red Pepper "Hummus"

Here is another recipe I made for Book Club today. This is kind of like a hummus, but without the tahini paste. It is super easy and fast to make.

Ingredients:
1 (15-ounce) can of chick peas, drained and rinsed
half a jar of roasted red peppers, make sure the pieces have no seeds
about 1/2 cup of feta cheese
1 garlic clove
olive oil
Serve with crackers, pita bread, or vegatables such as carrtos, celery, cucumber, etc.

Place the chick peas, roasted red peppers, feta and garlic into a food processor. Blend until a smooth mixture forms. While the processor is running, stream in some olive oil, about a 1/4 cup, until it reaches the desired consistency, like hummus. Serve with vegetable crudite, pita bread or crackers.

Spicy Feta Dip

It is no secret that I love Mediterranean food, so this dip recipe is right up my alley. I am always looking for new snacks and noshes I can make for get togethers and this one was a big hit tonight at my monthly book club meeting. The book? Not so much. Everyone agreed that the book wasn't very captivating and could have delved a little deeper into the story and character developement, but nontheless it was a nice story and had a good ending. Oh! the book was The Next Thing on My List by Jill Smolinksi.

This recipe was courtesy of my Cuisine at Home magazine. A great magazine that I believe comes out bi-monthly or quarterly. It has great recipes that are easy to follow and shows step-by-step instructions.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. (or 8 ounces) feta cheese
4 Tbsps. extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. chopped pepperoncini chile peppers (I used banana peppers)
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano (I prefer to use dry, just use a lot less of it, maybe a palmful.)
couple of pinches red pepper flakes (recipe says to use 1 tsp., I just didn't want it too spicy)
1-2 tsp minced garlic (1 clove is sufficient)
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme (again, you could use dried thyme, just use less)

Using a potato masher, mash together feta and oil until mixture is smooth and creamy. Add peppers, lemon juice, oregano, pepper flakes, garlic and thyme. Mash to combine. Serve dip with warm pita bread or fresh vegetables.

Seriously, this dip is super fast to prepare, under 10 minutes, and is so easy and full of flavor. Definitely want to use a high-quality feta cheese for this.

Roasted Garlic

I had to repost this recipe. The first time I posted it was back in February when I made it for Valentine's Day. I made it tonight and served it with pita bread that I warmed in the oven. Just add the pita bread to the oven when the garlic has about 8-10 minutes to go. Cut the pitas into wedges and spread the garlic on them.

Roasted Garlic
1 whole head of garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil

Roasting the garlic this way mellows out the flavor and softens it, allowing you to spread it on bread as if it were butter. Delish! I had this years ago at an Italian restaurant, but this was the first time I tried to replicate it.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Using a knife, cut off the top third of the garlic head. Do not peel the garlic. Place it in a small, oven-proof dish, cut side up. Drizzle with olive oil; and cover the dish with foil. Bake for 30 minutes covered. Remove the foil and bake for another 30-40 minutes. You should now be able to use a butter knife to scoop out the garlic cloves and spread on bread, or anything else you can think of.

Pesto Risotto with Shrimp

Everyone is probably getting sick of reading about me making pesto all the time, and I know, but I just love it. Here is another great use for it. Make a batch of basic risotto, recipe follows, and then add a few spoonfuls of my basil pesto to the risotto. I also added shrimp to the dish. Just stir the shrimp into the risotto when there is a couple minutes left, maybe when you add your last ladle of broth.

Risotto
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small white onion or 1/2 a medium one, chopped small
1 and 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine (I like Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc works well, too.)
grated parmesan cheese (a couple of small handfuls)
salt and black pepper to taste

Place the broth in a saucepan over low-medium high heat to warm.

In a deep skillet, melt the butter and oil together over medium to medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and saute for a few minutes, until translucent. Add the rice and saute for a couple more minutes. (This toasts the rice and gives it a light golden color.) Add the wine and let it cook out for 1 minute. Now add a couple of ladles of the broth. As the rice absorbs the liquid, add a couple more ladles of broth. Stir often and continue to add broth as the rice absorbs the liquid. Takes about 15-20 minutes. Stir in the cheese and season with salt and pepper. What you'll end up with is a delicious, creamy and cheesey rice dish.

Serves 4. Yummy!

Mount Diablo Dip and Cuban Sandwiches

This is a great game day spread. This dip is my version of layer dip or taco dip. My family has been making it for years. I'm not sure where it originated from. I think a neighbor used to make it and we loved it so much he shared the recipe. Anyway, this dip makes an appearance at various family gatherings. I also made some Cuban sandwiches.

Ingredients:
2-3 avocadoes
juice of 1 lemon
Sprinkle of both onion and garlic powder
1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese, room temperature
1 pint sour cream
1 package of taco seasoning mix
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tomatoes, diced
1 small can of sliced black olives
3 green onions, sliced
1 bag of tortilla chips

On the bottom of a pie plate, mash up the avocado with the lemon juice and season with a little of the garlic and onion powder. Spread out on the bottom of the plate.

In a bowl, mix the cream cheese, sour cream and taco seasoning until smooth. (There are always a little bit of lumps. I even tried mixing it with my Kitchen Aid and it was still a little lumpy.) Spread the mixture over the avocado.

Next, sprinkle an even layer of the shredded cheese. Top with tomatoes, olives and green onions. Serve with your favorite tortilla.

For the cuban sandwiches, take real Cuban bread and slice in half. Spread mayo on one side and yellow mustard on the other. On the bottom piece of bread, place sliced swiss cheese, then dill sandwich pickles, sliced ham, turkey and pork. Top with the other piece of bread.

A New Tapenade

I didn't really do my week's grocery shopping this weekend, so yesterday I just had to make do with what I had around, which I thought was more than it actually was. But I didn't do too badly. I threw together a quick parsley and sundried tomato tapenade that I slapped on a refrigerated pizza crust with a feta cheese topping. It was actually pretty good, but as my guy's guy of a husband indicated to me today it wasn't much of a dinner. I so wish I had some kalamata olives, pepperoni, mushrooms, anything else at all to top it with. But, I just didn't.

Needless to say, today after work I had to run to the grocery store to stock up on provisions for the rest of the week. The only thing worse than going to the grocery store after a workday is going when Mother Nature feels like having a little fun by pouring rain on you with no end in sight. Oh, it did stop - as soon as I got upstairs with all the groceries.

Tonight I made an equally fast dinner by sauteeing tilapia and topping it with leftover tapenade and served it with steamed broccoli and a little side of pasta. My husband was left a little more satisfied.

Parsley and Sundried Tomato Tapenade
1 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted in a skillet until golden
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cloves of garlic
pinch of crushed red pepper
about 1/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Place all of the ingredients, except for the olive oil into a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Let 'er rip until ingredients are chopped and mixed together. Turn the processor on again and slowly stream in the olive oil until the pesto comes together and reaches desired consistency. May take more or less oil, just eyeball it. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Crispy Tilapia with Artichoke Puree

Ingredients:
3 large egg whites
2 tilapia fillets, about 1 pound total
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 Tbsp salt-free lemon and herb seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 (12 ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained
reserve 1 Tbsp of the oil from the artichoke hearts jar
1/2 cup canned white beans, drained
1/3 cup sour cream
zest of half a lemon
2 Tbsp fresh Italian parsley, chopped
juice of 1 lemon

Place egg whites in a shallow dish.

On a paper plate, combine cornmeal, herb seasoning and salt. Add tilapia to egg whites and coat on both sides. Add to cornmeal mixture and coat on both sides. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the tilapia and cook about 4 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked through, but not dried out. Once you flip the tilapia, take half the lemon and squeeze the juice over the browned side. Check if the tilapia is done by testing the thickest part of the fillet and if it starts to flake and is white it is done.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine artichoke hearts, reserved oil from the jar, white beans, sour cream and lemon zest. Process until smooth. Fold in parsley.

Serve the tilapia with the artichoke puree. Squeeze the juice from the other half of the lemon over the tilapia.

Basil Pesto

Here is my recipe for basil pesto. So versatile you could top so many things with it: fish, chicken, sandwiches, pizzas, veggies, etc.

2 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted
1 big garlic clove
1 cup basil, just eyeball it (I used a couple of those small packages you find in the produce section at Publix.)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
pinch of red pepper flakes for a little heat
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

In a skillet over medium heat toast the pine nuts until lightly golden. In a food processor, add the pine nuts and the remaining ingredients, except for the olive oil. Chop all the ingredients together. Now, while the food processor is running, stream in the olive oil until you reach the desired consistency. About 1/4 cup.

Hummus - Shower Recipe 4

I love hummus. There are a lot of good store bought kinds out there, but nothing beats freshly made hummus. It also couldn't be easier; you just dump everything into a food processor.

Ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) can of chickpeas, drained, reserving the liquid
2 cloves garlic
Freshly squeezed lemon juice from 2 lemons
1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste, you can find in most grocery stores)
Several dashes of hot sauce, I like cholula, but whatever is your favorite (Use as many dashes per your spice level. I use about 10)
2 Tbsp of the reserved liquid or you can use water
salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil, just enough to swirl around the food processor at the end
Pita bread to serve with

Place all the ingredients, except for the olive oil, into a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process until the mixture is coarsely pureed. Taste for seasoning. You may need a little more liquid. I like to add a swirl of olive oil at the end and then process for one more second.

I like to take my pita bread and cut into wedges. Place on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Kosher salt. Warm in a preheated 350 degree oven for a couple minutes. Serve the hummus chilled or at room temperature.

Now that you have this recipe, you can add all sorts of ingredients: roasted red peppers, olives, feta cheese, sundried tomatoes, oregano, dill, etc., etc.

Also, you can make this with white beans. I actually added a little leftover white beans in mine this time. I need to use them up and this was perfect.

Baked Brie - Shower Recipe 1

My absolute favorite cheese is Brie. I could eat it all the time, but that would be bad. Even though my friend Brook doesn't like cheese (I know blasphemy, right?!) I really feel that no shower is complete without brie. And it was a big hit.

Ingredients:
1 round wheel of brie
2 spoonfuls of apricot preserves (You can use any kind of jam you like. I just think apricot is a great match with the brie.)
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 sheet of puff pastry (Can find in the freezer section of the grocery store. Usually comes two per package. Take one out and let thaw for 30 minutes on a baking sheet.)
1 egg, beaten
Granny Smith apple slices
wheat crackers (I like Ritz Simply Socials)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the wheel of brie in half, remove the top. Spread an even layer of apricot preserves on top of the brie. Then sprinkle the almond slices on top of the preserves. Place the top of the brie back on. Unfold the puff pastry onto a baking sheet. Place the brie in the middle and fold up the edges of the pastry. Brush with the egg to secure the edges. Flip the brie over so the seam side is down. Brush the top with the egg. Bake in the oven for roughly 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Allow it to set for a few minutes. Cut into the brie and serve on crackers or apples.

Holy Guacamole!

Who doesn't love guacamole? Avocado has got to be the most perfect fruit/vegetable that exists in nature. It has the most wonderful, buttery texture and it is a lovely color. Another plus, in my husband's case, is that avocado is full of good fat the breaks down cholesterol. Considering his is through the roof, he can use all the help he can get. I like to use Haas avocados, the little ones from California. You can tell when their ripe when they give just a little bit to the touch. Also, the more brown the outside is, the more ripe.

Ingredients:
3 ripe Haas avocados
juice from 1 lemon (the acid helps keep it from turning brown)
hot sauce of your choice (I like Cholula and I use about 8 dashes, but it depends on your heat preference.)
2 garlic cloves, minced
red onion, finely chopped, however much you like (I don't like too much so I only use about 1/2 a small onion.)
salt and pepper
1 tomato, seeds removed and diced

Cut the avocados in half by running a knife along the edge and twisting the avocado open. Remove the pit. Scoop out the flesh of the avocados into a large bowl. (I use a spoon.) Discard the shells. Immediately squeeze the lemon juice over them. Add the hot sauce, onion, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste; toss. With a knife, slice into the avocados numerous times until finely chopped. Add the tomatoes and mix again. Check for seasonings. If you like fresh cilantro, by all means add a handful. I don't really care for it.

P.S. When storing guacamole, take a piece of plastic wrap and place directly on the guacamole. Air is what makes the flesh turn brown, so this keep that from happening. In addition, cover the bowl with plastic wrap as well.