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Dippity do dah

Hot spinach and artichoke dip seems appropriate for today. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 (10 ounce) package chopped frozen spinach, thawed, and moisture squeezed out
  • 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon (or more!) Tabasco or Sriracha 
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup grated melting cheese, such as mozzarella, jack, cheddar, pepper jack or a combination of any, divided

Directions:

Mix everything together including half of the cheese and spoon into baking dish. Sprinkle on remaining 1/2 cup cheese. 

Bake in a preheated 350 F oven until the sides are bubbling and the cheese has turned golden brown on top, 20 to 30 minutes. If cheese is not golden, place baking dish on top rack of oven and turn oven to broil. Watch carefully so cheese does not burn.

7-layer dip

What’s not to love? If I bring out a big plate of 7-layer dip, I won’t hardly move away from it until it’s gone. You could call it an appetizer, but I would happily make it my entrée.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups homemade refried beans, or 1 (16-ounce) can refried beans
  • 1 ripe avocado, peeled, seeded and chopped (Use 2 avocados if they’re small)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large, ripe tomatoes, finely diced
  • 1/2 cup sliced black olives
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
  • Tortilla chips (they’re best if they’re warmed in the oven first)

Directions:

Spread beans on a shallow, 12-inch serving platter. Arrange chopped avocado over the beans and sprinkle with lemon juice. 

In a small mixing bowl combine the sour cream, chili powder, cumin and salt. Spread the sour cream mixture evenly over the avocados. Layer the tomatoes and then the olives. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese over all and then top with the sliced green onions. Serve with tortilla chips.

This smoked salmon spread is addictive! We’re having a crowd for dinner tonight and I’m serving it as an hors d’oeuvre with crackers and in little cucumber cups. To see my post with picture, go here.  Credit goes to Ina Garten for the recipe. Note - the smoked salmon to look for is the firmer type, usually a darker color. You don’t want to buy the super thin-sliced, translucent kind. Smoked salmon spread Ingredients: 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature 1/2 cup sour cream 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice  1 tablespoon minced fresh dill, or 1 teaspoon dried 1 teaspoon prepared cream horseradish 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 pound (4 ounces) smoked salmon, minced Directions: Mix the cream cheese until just smooth. Add and mix in the sour cream, lemon juice, dill, horseradish, salt, and pepper. Add the smoked salmon and mix well. Chill and serve with crudités or crackers.

This smoked salmon spread is addictive! We’re having a crowd for dinner tonight and I’m serving it as an hors d’oeuvre with crackers and in little cucumber cups. To see my post with picture, go here. 

Credit goes to Ina Garten for the recipe. Note - the smoked salmon to look for is the firmer type, usually a darker color. You don’t want to buy the super thin-sliced, translucent kind.

Smoked salmon spread

Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill, or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 1 teaspoon prepared cream horseradish
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 pound (4 ounces) smoked salmon, minced

Directions:

Mix the cream cheese until just smooth. Add and mix in the sour cream, lemon juice, dill, horseradish, salt, and pepper. Add the smoked salmon and mix well. Chill and serve with crudités or crackers.

I saw these amazing, translucent homemade potato chips in one of my Barefoot Contessa cookbooks, and knew I had to try them. They were delicious, but my mandolin doesn’t cut slices as thin as the required 1/16-inch thickness, so they took considerably longer to bake. I covered two half-sheet pans with aluminum foil, which made for easy cleanup. The ones you see here are posing in some creamy onion dip. Ingredients: 2 tablespoons good olive oil 3 baking potatoes, scrubbed (peeling them is optional) Kosher salt Pepper Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spread each of 2 baking sheets with 1 tablespoon of oil and put them in the oven to preheat for 10 minutes. Slice potatoes lengthwise on a mandolin, 1/16-inch thick. Place slices on the hot sheet pans, making sure they don’t overlap. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake chips for 10 minutes, rotate the pans in the oven, and bake for another 10 minutes. Flip each chip and then bake until golden brown, 6 minutes or so. Remove chips to a paper towel to cool.

I saw these amazing, translucent homemade potato chips in one of my Barefoot Contessa cookbooks, and knew I had to try them. They were delicious, but my mandolin doesn’t cut slices as thin as the required 1/16-inch thickness, so they took considerably longer to bake. I covered two half-sheet pans with aluminum foil, which made for easy cleanup.

The ones you see here are posing in some creamy onion dip.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons good olive oil
  • 3 baking potatoes, scrubbed (peeling them is optional)
  • Kosher salt
  • Pepper

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spread each of 2 baking sheets with 1 tablespoon of oil and put them in the oven to preheat for 10 minutes.

Slice potatoes lengthwise on a mandolin, 1/16-inch thick. Place slices on the hot sheet pans, making sure they don’t overlap. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake chips for 10 minutes, rotate the pans in the oven, and bake for another 10 minutes. Flip each chip and then bake until golden brown, 6 minutes or so. Remove chips to a paper towel to cool.

Shopping for avocados the day you need them isn’t the best strategy, as they’re usually too hard in the grocery store. It’s better to plan ahead and have several of them sitting in a bowl in your kitchen, ripening for a few days without lots of fingers giving them the pinch-test. Guacamole’s easy to make, and there are plenty of spins on how to fix it. I like to use lemon juice rather than lime, and I’m not overly keen on onions in mine. The below measurements are approximate, as avocados come in different sizes and some lemons have more juice than others. After you mix up a batch, taste it and adjust salt and lemon appropriately. Guacamole 2 medium-size ripe avocados, peeled, seeded and chopped Juice of one lemon 1 medium-sized tomato, diced Salt, to taste 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, to add creaminess (optional) Add all ingredients to mixing bowl and stir together. If you like a smoother dip, mash avocados with a fork or pastry blender. Serve promptly with tortilla chips.

Shopping for avocados the day you need them isn’t the best strategy, as they’re usually too hard in the grocery store. It’s better to plan ahead and have several of them sitting in a bowl in your kitchen, ripening for a few days without lots of fingers giving them the pinch-test.

Guacamole’s easy to make, and there are plenty of spins on how to fix it. I like to use lemon juice rather than lime, and I’m not overly keen on onions in mine. The below measurements are approximate, as avocados come in different sizes and some lemons have more juice than others. After you mix up a batch, taste it and adjust salt and lemon appropriately.

Guacamole

  • 2 medium-size ripe avocados, peeled, seeded and chopped
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 1 medium-sized tomato, diced
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, to add creaminess (optional)

Add all ingredients to mixing bowl and stir together. If you like a smoother dip, mash avocados with a fork or pastry blender. Serve promptly with tortilla chips.

I pretty much knew when I read this recipe and cooked the glorious ingredients together in my head that it would taste amazing, but it would probably look fairly humble; maybe the word is “earthy”.  I was right on both counts. This dip or spread is as good as your favorite hummus or tzatziki, and in fact is perfect when served along-side either (or both!), which is what I’m doing right now with a nice cold glass of Pinot Grigio. I’m glad I took the time earlier today to photograph a few of the ingredients that go into this amazing spread. From start to finish, this recipe takes a little time (especially if you count tracking down green lentils, which I found at the New Season’s store down the road) and it’s not cheap, if you have to buy fresh herbs. But in my opinion it was well worth the effort.  This versatile recipe came from the April 2012 edition of Bon Appétit magazine. And one last note, my daughter Jill made this pretty little dish a couple of years ago. Green lentil spread Ingredients: 1 head of garlic 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/4 cup chopped celery 2 tablespoons finely chopped peeled carrot 3 small sprigs thyme 2 small sprigs rosemary 1 bay leaf Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 cup French green lentils or brown lentils (8 ounces), rinsed 1/2 cup dry white wine 2 cups (about) low-salt chicken broth 2 tablespoons (or more) fresh lemon juice Directions: Preheat oven to 375°. Cut top 1/2” off head of garlic; place on sheet of foil and drizzle with 1/2 Tbsp. oil. Roast garlic until tender, about 35 minutes. Let cool; squeeze cloves from skins and set aside. Discard skins. Meanwhile, heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrot, thyme, rosemary and bay leaf; season with salt and pepper. Cook until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add lentils and stir for 2 minutes. Add wine and simmer until almost all liquid is evaporated, 4–5 minutes. Pour in broth to cover lentils by about 1”. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and gently simmer, adding more broth or water by 1/4-cupfuls as needed (I didn’t need any extra), until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. Let cool slightly; discard herbs. Purée lentil mixture and roasted garlic in a food processor. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup oil and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Season with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired.

I pretty much knew when I read this recipe and cooked the glorious ingredients together in my head that it would taste amazing, but it would probably look fairly humble; maybe the word is “earthy”.  I was right on both counts. This dip or spread is as good as your favorite hummus or tzatziki, and in fact is perfect when served along-side either (or both!), which is what I’m doing right now with a nice cold glass of Pinot Grigio.

I’m glad I took the time earlier today to photograph a few of the ingredients that go into this amazing spread. From start to finish, this recipe takes a little time (especially if you count tracking down green lentils, which I found at the New Season’s store down the road) and it’s not cheap, if you have to buy fresh herbs. But in my opinion it was well worth the effort. 

This versatile recipe came from the April 2012 edition of Bon Appétit magazine. And one last note, my daughter Jill made this pretty little dish a couple of years ago.

Green lentil spread

Ingredients:

  • 1 head of garlic
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1/4 cup chopped celery
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped peeled carrot
  • 3 small sprigs thyme
  • 2 small sprigs rosemary
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup French green lentils or brown lentils (8 ounces), rinsed
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 2 cups (about) low-salt chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons (or more) fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°. Cut top 1/2” off head of garlic; place on sheet of foil and drizzle with 1/2 Tbsp. oil. Roast garlic until tender, about 35 minutes. Let cool; squeeze cloves from skins and set aside. Discard skins.

Meanwhile, heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrot, thyme, rosemary and bay leaf; season with salt and pepper. Cook until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add lentils and stir for 2 minutes. Add wine and simmer until almost all liquid is evaporated, 4–5 minutes. Pour in broth to cover lentils by about 1”. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and gently simmer, adding more broth or water by 1/4-cupfuls as needed (I didn’t need any extra), until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. Let cool slightly; discard herbs.

Purée lentil mixture and roasted garlic in a food processor. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup oil and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Season with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired.

Tzatziki is a tasty, versatile dip, spread, or sauce. (It’s also a wonderful word!) The cool flavor of cucumber combined with tangy yogurt can counterpoint rich barbecued meats like souvlaki, it can be used as a salad dressing, or a dip for crudités, and it’s wonderful served with fresh, or crisp baked pita bread.  I took pictures of this in our 38-degree garage this morning with my down coat on, and I ate it almost as fast as I clicked away on my camera. One more note - I’ve tried plenty of tzatziki before, but this is the best. Ingredients: 1 English cucumber, peeled and grated using box grater 1 pint (16 ounces) Greek-style yogurt 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 2-3 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced, or 1 teaspoon dried dill weed Salt Directions: Put grated cucumber in a colander and salt lightly. Place over a bowl or in the sink for 10 minutes. Gently rinse, and then squeeze out all liquid. Pat with paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible. Whisk the olive oil and vinegar into the yogurt. Stir in grated cucumber, garlic, dill and salt to taste. Cover and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to let flavors come together.

Tzatziki is a tasty, versatile dip, spread, or sauce. (It’s also a wonderful word!) The cool flavor of cucumber combined with tangy yogurt can counterpoint rich barbecued meats like souvlaki, it can be used as a salad dressing, or a dip for crudités, and it’s wonderful served with fresh, or crisp baked pita bread. 

I took pictures of this in our 38-degree garage this morning with my down coat on, and I ate it almost as fast as I clicked away on my camera. One more note - I’ve tried plenty of tzatziki before, but this is the best.

Ingredients:

  • 1 English cucumber, peeled and grated using box grater
  • 1 pint (16 ounces) Greek-style yogurt
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced, or 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
  • Salt

Directions:

Put grated cucumber in a colander and salt lightly. Place over a bowl or in the sink for 10 minutes. Gently rinse, and then squeeze out all liquid. Pat with paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible.

Whisk the olive oil and vinegar into the yogurt. Stir in grated cucumber, garlic, dill and salt to taste.

Cover and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to let flavors come together.