Hummus

I currently live in the land of hummus. It's a pretty regular part of the diet in these parts so I haven't really felt a need to make my own, especially since I've tried to make it in the past unsuccessfully.  However, I was at book club a while back at my friend Kelly's house and she served this delicious homemade hummus.  I couldn't get enough.  I raved about it so much that she brought me the leftovers.  The texture is fantastic and it has a nice balance of lemon and garlic.  You can play with the ingredients to get the texture and flavor you like.

HUMMUS

• 2 cans (15 ounces) chickpeas
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup tahini, stirred well
• 1/3 cup olive oil

Place chickpeas, garlic, and Kosher salt in the bowl of a food processor and process for a minute or so.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  

Add the lemon juice, water, and tahini while the food processor is running.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl again.  

Add the olive oil with the food processor running and process until the hummus is a desired consistency.

Source: Alton Brown and Brad Van

White Bean Dip with Pita Chips

Welp, summer has come and gone and I'm back to the heat and the sand.  It's actually quite nice to be back to my bed and a routine. And, it's amazing to not be new to everything.  So amazing that I might just stay one more year . . .

I cooked very little this summer because I was busy meeting friends for lunch (Qdoba mostly), playing outside, and spending time with these two.

One of the few things I did make this summer was this yummy bean dip.  If you need something quick and tasty to take to a get together, this is it.  The dip was garlicky and the pita chips slightly chewy (which is how they should be, in my opinion).

Tuck this recipe away for when you're in a pinch for time (and money) because homemade doesn't get easier than this!

WHITE BEAN DIP

• 1 can (15 ounces) cannellini (white kidney) beans, drained and rinsed
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh Italian parsley leaves
• salt
• pepper

Place beans, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and parsley in the food processor. 

Pulse until the mixture is coarsely chopped.  

Season with salt and pepper, to taste. 

PITA CHIPS

• 6 pitas
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• oregano

Cut each pita into wedges. 

Arrange pita on a large baking sheet.  

Pour olive oil over pitas and toss to coat evenly.  

Spread out wedges evenly and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and oregano. 

Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until toasted and golden in color. 

Source:  Giada De Laurentiis 

Mediterranean Dip

This is the perfect appetizer to make for the 4th of July!  It is bursting with flavor, super easy to throw together, and the end product is colorful and beautiful.  Added bonus: it's full of healthy ingredients.  This is all the best things about Mediterranean food in one delicious little dip. 

It all starts with a layer of cilantro pesto (YUM!) that is topped with hummus, and then sprinkled with all sorts of delicious toppings.  I didn't include amounts for the toppings because it's really up to you. 

MEDITERRANEAN DIP

• 2 cups fresh cilantro leaves and stems
• 2 cloves garlic
• ⅓ cups olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons pecans
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 2 cups hummus (I like to use the Mediterranean hummus from Trader Joe's.)

Top with: 

• cucumber, chopped
• red onion, thinly sliced
• kalamata olives, finely chopped
• grape tomatoes, chopped
• feta cheese
• pine nuts
• chopped cilantro

Process cilantro, garlic, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a food processor until a rough paste forms.


Add pecans, pine nuts and cheese, and process until blended, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl.


With the processor running, pour the remaining oil in a slow, steady stream; process until smooth.  


Spread pesto on a platter.


Spread hummus on top of pesto. 


Top with cucumber, red onion, olives, tomatoes, and feta. 


Add a few pine nuts and cilantro leaves for garnish. 


Serve with pita chips, flatbread, carrots, or whatever you feel like dipping! 


Source:  Tasty Kitchen

Caramelized Onion Dip

This dip is absolutely delicious.  It blows any other store-bought or made-from-a-packet kind of onion dips out of the water. Definitely make sure you cook the onions slowly and for the full time.  You want them browned and caramelized; that's what gives this dip such great flavor!  I like to serve it with good sturdy potato chips, like Tim's, that hold up well to the dip. 

CARAMELIZED ONION DIP

• 2 large yellow onions
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon Ksher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

Cut the onions in half and then slice them into 1/8-inch thick half-rounds.


Heat the butter and oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.


Add the onions, cayenne, salt, and pepper and saute for 10 minutes.


Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 more minutes until the onions are browned and caramelized.


Allow the onions to cool.


Place the cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment and beat until smooth.


NOTE:  I have used an electric mixer before, but this last time I used a food processor instead.  After adding the onions, I pulsed the mixture just a few times so the onions were chopped a little smaller.  Otherwise the dip can be a little stringy and tricky to manage. 


Add the onions and mix well.


Serve at room temperature with good potato chips and/or vegetables.


Source:  Ina Garten

Queso Blanco

This queso might be the best thing that's happened to me in the last month.  Okay, maybe my month hasn't been THAT rough, but I'm just saying, it's up there. 

It is sooooooooo cheesy and soooooooo de-lish.  And pretty simple to throw together.  The only trick is to keep it warm while serving.  I'm pretty sure I had a mini crockpot at some point in my adult life that I got rid of because I didn't know what I would use it for.  It would have come in handy the other night.  Instead I made a mess of my pan trying to keep it warm on the stove.

Note on white American cheese:  I bought it at the deli counter unsliced and then grated it.  If you can only find it sliced, cut it into thin strips.

This is what my perfect nachos con queso looked like.  Mmmmmmmmmm.   

QUESO BLANCO
(yields about 2 cups)

• 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 12 oounces white American cheese, shredded or sliced thinly
• 4 ounces Monterey jack cheese, shredded
• 1/4-2/3 cup milk
• 1 tomato, seeded and finely diced
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.


Add the onion and jalapeño to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes.


Reduce the heat to medium-low.  Add both of the shredded cheeses and 1/4 cup of the milk.


Stir until completely melted.


Mix in the tomato and cilantro, and add additional milk gradually as necessary to achieve desired consistency.


Serve immediately.


Source:  Mel's Kitchen Cafe