Onion Dip for Chips

Sep 9, 2012

Adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe.

onion-dip

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Onion dip for chips

Rich, creamy onion dip. Not your mother's dry-soup dip.
Course Appetizer
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 lb sweet onion about 1 large, chopped small
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 2 oz cream cheese
  • 2 teaspoons vinegar white or red wine, cider
  • 1/2 teaspoon horseradish
  • 1/4 cup fresh chives chopped

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in large skillet.
  2. Add onions and garlic.
  3. Add salt and pepper.
  4. Cook, stirring often until golden brown (careful; after a certain point they'll burn quickly).
  5. Let onion mixture cool for a bit.
  6. In a bowl, combine remaining ingredients.
  7. Add onions. Adjust seasonings as desired.
  8. Chill for several hours to allow flavors to meld.
  9. Serve with chips or vegetables.

 

Sun-dried Tomato Spread

Sep 9, 2012

Lots of flavor. Adapted from a recipe found on All Recipes, one of my stops before planning a party menu because the comments and ratings are so helpful.

sun-dried-tomato-spread

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Sun-dried Tomato Spread

Cream-cheese based dip/spread full of intense flavor.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 16 oz cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 3/4 cup or more to taste sun-dried tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts toss in a little of the marinade
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup onion
  • 1/4 cup pesto
  • splash hot pepper sauce
  • 1/2 tsp horseradish or to taste

Instructions

  1. Dump all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until combined.
  2. Chill before serving with crackers, bread, or raw vegetables.

 

Grape-Avocado Salsa

Sep 3, 2012

Modified from a California Table Grape Commission recipe. This gets better with each bite. As with all salsas, use this as a starting point: there’s really no need to measure. Just chop, dump, taste, adjust. I sometimes add minced fresh garlic and different kinds of peppers. Don’t make this more than a few hours ahead: The avocados get mushy and turn everything sort of a slimy grayish-green. Makes about 2 cups, which is gone in no time. Even people who hate avocados like this.

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Grape-Avocado Salsa

Grapes, avocados, peppers, cilantro. This disappears quickly, amid exclamations of "Oh my god! Who brought this?"
Course Appetizer
Keyword grapes,avocado,salsa,appetizer,peppers
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1-1/2 cups seedless grapes coarsely chopped
  • 2 medium avocados diced 1/2"
  • 1/4 cup sweet red pepper chopped
  • 1/4 cup sweet onion diced small
  • 3 tablespoons fresh Anaheim pepper diced small
  • 1 tablespoon jalapeno pepper diced small
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • dash ground black pepper
  • 2 green onions chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped (I use lots more)

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly.
  2. Cover tightly and refrigerate at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend.
  3. Serve with chips, use on chicken or fish, eat with a spoon.

 

Pickled Dill Green Beans

Sep 3, 2012

For information about safe canning, go here.

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Pickled Dill Green Beans

Course Appetizer
Keyword green beans,beans,pickled vegetable,vegetable,appetizer
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. fresh green beans
  • 1-1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1-1/3 cup water
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • small handful fresh dill-weed sprigs
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste

Instructions

Beans

  1. Wash and trim beans.
  2. Peel and whack garlic cloves with side of knife.
  3. Steam or parboil the beans for about 3 minutes, until tender but still crisp.
  4. Run cold water over beans to stop cooking process (they'll continue to soften in the hot liquid you're about to pour over them).

Pickling liquid

  1. Bring vinegar, water, sugar, and salt to a boil and boil for 1 minute.

Assembly

  1. Place beans, garlic, and dill in container with a lid.
  2. Pour hot liquid over beans.
  3. If canning, follow directions at link above.
  4. If not canning, let cool.

  5. If you didn't can them, cover and refrigerate.

Recipe Notes

Refrigerate for at least several days to allow flavors to blend before serving.

You can also can these.

 

Pickled Carrots

Sep 3, 2012

pickled-carrots

For information about safe canning, go here.

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pickled carrots

Pickled Carrots

Pickled carrots that are slightly crunchy, sweet, and sour.
Course Appetizer, pickled vegetable, Side Dish, Snack, vegetable
Cuisine American
Keyword pickled vegetable,carrot,pickled carrot,appetizer
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 5 pounds carrots If not using baby carrots, peel and slice regular carrots 1/2-inch thick
  • 3-3/4 cup vinegar
  • 2-2/3 cup water
  • 2-1/2 cup sugar
  • 5 teaspoon whole pickling spice
  • 10 large basil leaves
  • 10 small springs oregano
  • 10 cloves garlic

Instructions

Carrots

  1. Boil carrots for about 5 minutes, until barely tender (you want them to be a little crunchy, like pickles, and they’ll cook more during the processing).
  2. When done, flush with cold water to stop cooking process.

  3. Drain carrots.

Pickling liquid

  1. Bring water, vinegar, and sugar to a boil.

  2. Simmer for 3 minutes after it reaches a boil.

Assembly

  1. Pack carrots (but not too tightly) in hot jars.
  2. To each jar, add 1/2 teaspoon pickling spice, 1 basil leaf, 1 sprig oregano, and 1 garlic clove.
  3. Cover carrots with hot vinegar/water/sugar liquid to about 1/2" from top of jar.

  4. Wipe off the top of filled jars with a clean, damp towel.

  5. Place hot lids on jars, then screw on hot rings.

  6. Process (boil) jars for 15 minutes.

  7. Take jars out of hot water and place on a counter to cool.

  8. Let finished jars sit undisturbed on a counter for a day.

  9. Inspect jars to be sure they are sealed. Store in a cool, dry place. Keep any unsealed jars in the refrgerator.

Recipe Notes

Let jars sit for a week or so for optimum flavor. Refrigerate after opening.

If you don’t want to can the carrots, reduce the recipe to a more manageable size and mix everything in a bowl. After the carrots have cooled, transfer to an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator until ready to eat. Best if made at least a few days ahead.