Caesar Salad Dip Deconstructed

I love Caeser salad with its' delicious dressing and crunchy accountrements, so why not deconstruct it and make an appetizer out of it.  I placed these in some simple glasses and this dip was a big hit.  I sliced the rustic bread on the bias, drizzled it with garlic oil and baked them off in the oven.  I hope this inspires you to look at food in different ways and create your own recipes - just remember to share them with me!

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream

1 cup grated, fresh Parmesan

1 tbsp. anchovy paste

1 tsp. lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp. pepper

Mix ingredients together and let chill for at least three hours for flavors to meld.  Serve in a glass with other accoutrements - Romaine hearts, cherry tomatoes and rustic-garlic bread.

Buffalo Wing Dip

I am somewhat obsessed with the taste of buffalo wings. I serve this with home-made Doritos Buffalo Wing/Ranch chips and celery.  I use the canned chicken as it adds a nice, salty element and the chicken is tender which is what this dip needs.  You can mix this together a day or two before and then bake in a 9" round cake pan or oven-proof dish of your choosing.

16 oz. container of cream cheese

1 - 4 or 5 oz. container of crumbled blue cheese

1 - 12 oz. can of white chicken, drained

1/2 cup blue cheese dressing or ranch dressing

1/4 cup buffalo wing sauce (I use regular, you can use hot if you like)

Put all ingredients together in the bowl of an electric mixer and combine using the flat beater attachment. Place into an oven safe dish and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Spicy Artichoke Dip

I love to take a classic and put a twist on it, here I took my traditional artichoke dip recipe and added a can of water chestnuts and mild green chiles to it - giving it cruch and a kick!  Super simple, but I do use my mini Cuisinart to chop up the artichokes and water chestnuts so the dip has good consistency.

1 1/2 c. Real Mayonnaise

1 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
1 (14 oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chilies, drained
1 (6 oz.) can water chestnuts, drained ad chopped
2 tbsp. chopped green onions
2 garlic cloves, minced

Mix all ingredients together in an oven-safe dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

Roasted Garlic Hummus

There is nothing like a big plate of hummus set on the table surrounded by good friends.  The colors of this dish are rich and the flavors are bright.  This recipe is made simple with a food processor, this should not take more than a couple minutes to put together.  Tahini, an ingredient in hummus can usually be found in the ethnic aisle and is ground sesame seeds. I also topped it with black olives, preferably oil, packed Kalamata - but the key is that they are in oil and not brine.  The lemon is more for garnish and to inform the guest that lemon is in the dish, finally one bunch of flat-leaf parsley is chopped and sprinkled over the top.

2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (2-3 lemons)
1/2 cup tahini
1/3 c. olive oil
6 garlic cloves,roasted
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 lemon, wedged
1/2 cup brined-cured black olives in oil

Sausage Dip

My friend Barb made this for an event and it has been a staple for a lot of events at my home. I like it because it is hearty and easy. My sister like it because it requires no thinking. I have tried this is many types of sausage - chorizo, breakfast, hot, you name it. Here is the recipe - yes, it only has three ingredients.

1 bar of cream cheese
1 can of Ro-Tel
1/2 lb sausage, cooked and crumbled

Place all three ingredients into a saucepan on medium until it all comes together. Serve!

Roasted Eggplant Dip

Looking for an alternative use for the mighty, purple eggplant? Try this dip! It is so easy AND delicious. A great way to add this vegetable to your repetoire. I serve this usually with thinly sliced french bread that I have brushed with olive oil, salt & pepper then toasted to make them crunchy. Alternatively, you can use pita or salted corn chips - just try and use a mild, flavored chip as the base for this creamy dip.

1 eggplant - 1.5 -2 lbs.

3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

8 ounces creme fraiche (you can use sour cream, I prefer the flavor of creme fraiche)

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt & Pepper to taste

Heat broiler on high. With a fork, poke holes all over eggplant and place on a rimmed baking sheet or pan - turning every five minutes when the skin is blackened all over and the flesh is soft - roughly 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 20 minutes.

Peel off blackened skin from eggplant and discard. Place eggplant flesh in workbowl of a food processor, along with garlic, lemon juice and creme fraiche. Puree until smooth then season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or room temperature with toasted bread or neutral chip.

Dirty Martini Dip

Who would have ever thought you could take a savory cocktail like this and turn it into a dip?  Simply amazing dip infused with vodka and your choice of filled, green olives (I prefer the blue cheese stuffed, yet the garlic stuffed are good also).  Please use good, quality olives such as the ones you find at an olive bar - I only use Dellalo products.

2 - 8 oz. package cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1/3 cup vodka
2/3 c. stuffed green olives, chopped
2 tsp. olive juice
4-6 scallions, sliced (white and green parts)

Place cream cheese, mayonnaise, vodka and olive juice into the workbowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade attachment and process until combined.  Add chopped olives and scallions, pulsing until you reach desired consistency.  Place into refrigerator for 2-4 hours minimum for flavors to marry.  Serve with crostini or water crackers.

Green Goddess Dip

INGREDIENTS

1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves

1 cup packed watercress, washed

2 tablespoons tarragon leaves

1 tablespoon basil

3 tablespoons chives, minced

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 medium shallot, peeled

1 tsp. anchovy paste

1/4 cup grapeseed oil

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon champagne vinegar

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream

2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Puree the parsley, watercress, tarragon, minced chives, garlic, anchovy paste, lemon zest and juice and 1/4 cup grapeseed oil in a blender or food processor until is resembles a sort of loose pesto.

Meanwhile in a large bowl combine the mayonnaise and sour cream.

Combine the herb puree, vinegar, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper into the mayonnaise and sour cream mixture. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Makes about 2 cups of dip and serves a lot. Serve with crudite, pita chips or lightly salted tortilla chips.

Lazy Salsa

So I admit, sometimes I make things from cans - nothing wrong with that.  In fact, one day when I was hungry for salsa but too lazy to go to the grocery store and pick up the ingredients I came up with this concoction.  I was so happy with the result, this is the way I make it most often now, so I call it Lazy Salsa because it requires minimal effort with great results.  This is good on grilled chicken or steak too!

Salsa means 'sauce' - Picante Salsa means 'hot sauce', picante is just an abbreviated form. Salsa is thicker than picante as well.

1 28-oz can petite diced tomatoes, drained
1 15-oz. can mexicorn, drained
1 15-oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
1/2 red onion, minced
1 jalapeno, minced (seeded if desired)
3 garlic cloves, minced
juice of 1/2 lime
1 tsp. salt
Cilantro - if desired (I personally don't desire...)

Combine ingredients in a bowl, refrigerate for at least two hours - serve

Reuben Dip

1 cup corned beef, chopped
1/2 cup sauerkraut, drained
1/2 cup Swiss cheese, shredded
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup thousand islands dressing
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place ingredients into a bowl and mix together and pour into a baking dish or small, oven-proof pan.  Bake until the top is golden brown, roughly 25-30 minutes.