Rosemary White Bean Dip

You can make this dip for much less than than buying the ready made and it's so much better.

Ingredients

2 can white beans, rinsed and drained
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp. grated lemon rind
2 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 minced anchovy fillets
4 tsp. minced rosemary
1/3 cup (or more) olive oil

Instructions

Place all ingredients except olive oil in food processor. Pulse until chunky. Add olive oil and blend until smooth, Add additional olive oil if needed to achieve desired consistency. Add salt to taste.
Garnish with additional herbs and a drizzle of olive oil.

Spinach Artichoke Dip with Bacon

The addition of bacon and cream cheese to a traditional spinach artichoke dip take it to the next level. This is the perfect "please bring an appetizer" dish,  guaranteed to disappear quickly. Serve with celery sticks, tortilla chips or pita chips.

This recipe comes from "Simply Recipes"

Ingredients

6 slices of bacon, chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 (10 or 12 ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp, salt
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
8 ounces shredded Italian cheese blend
1/2 cup sour cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place the chopped bacon in a skillet and cook over medium heat until crispy.
Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain, leaving the bacon grease in the pan.

Add the garlic to the pan and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the artichoke hearts, spinach, red pepper flakes and salt. Cook until all are warmed through, about 5 minutes.

In medium bowl, mix cream cheese, Italian cheese, sour cream, bacon and spinach-artihoke mixture until thoroughly combined.

Transfer mixture to a 1-2 quart baking dish and bake until bubbly around  the edges, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve.

Best to eat this dip right away. If it cools and starts to firm up, microwave a minute to softent he cheeses.

Roasted Tomato Salsa

This is a quick way to make homemade salsa. Simply place all the vegetables under the broiler until they are nicely browned and then puree with an emulsion blender. There you have it - homemade salsa.

Ingredients

2  pounds tomatoes
6 cloves unpeeled garlic
1 large white onion, peeled, halved and cut into 1/2" slices
4 jalapeno peppers, stem removed, cut in half
1 green pepper, stems and seeds removed, quartered
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice

Instructions

Turn broiler to high. Place oven shelf about 6 -8 inches below broiler.
Line a large baking sheet (with sides) with aluminum foil. Place all the prepared vegetables on the foil, skin side up.
Broil for 6 - 8 minutes or until the tomatoes are nicely blackened on top. Remove
from oven. Allow to cool slightly.  Discard the skins from the garlic cloves.
Transfer all to a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth. Add salt, cumin and lime juice.
Serve immediately or refrigerate in sealed container for up to three days.

Spiced Pumpkin Dip

A great snack or easy fall dessert.
Also, great for kids when you need to avoid peanuts and gluten.

Ingredients

1 cup canned pumpkin
1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
3 Tablespoon maple syrup or  more to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Apples and/or pears for dipping

Instructions

In medium bowl, combine pumpkin and cream cheese. Add syrup and cinnamon and mix until well blended.
Serve with apple or pear slices.

Not a gluten-free option, but this dip is also great spread on graham crackers.

Fresh Pesto

This time of year, the basil plants in my garden are perfect for making batch after batch of fresh pesto. I freeze containers of it to enjoy all year long.

Ingredients

2 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup pine nuts (you can substitute 1/4 cup slivered almonds and 1/4 cup pine nuts)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Salt to taste

Instructions

Place nuts in food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
Add remaining ingredients and continue to process until well combined.
Add salt to taste.

Serve with crackers or toss with pasta.

Roast Pepper and Tomato Salsa

Ingredients

1 poblano pepper, seeded and quartered
3 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
10 cloves garlic
1 cup fresh corn kernels
1/2 large onion, cut into chunks
2 - 3 jalapeno peppers, halved
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 medium tomatoes
3 green onions, green part only, sliced thin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Juice of one lime
Zest on one lime

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cover two rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil.
On one baking sheet, place quartered poblano peppers, garlic cloves, onion, and jalapenos.
On the other baking sheet, place corn and tomatoes.
Drizzle both with olive oil and toss to coat.
Roast for about 35 minutes or until tomatoes have shriveled and softened and peppers are browned.

Place poblano pepper, garlic, onion and jalapeno in bowl. Pulse with emersion blender. Add roasted tomatoes and corn.
Chop three medium tomatoes and add to mixture. Add sliced green onion tops. Stir to combine,
Add spices, lime juice and lime zest.
Serve with tortilla chips. Best served at room temperature.


This recipe was adapted from Relish.com.

Artichoke Jalapeno Dip

Ingredients

2 green onions
2 teaspoons chopped pickled jalapenos
1 clove garlic
Dash of salt
4 ounces cream cheese, cut into pieces, at room temperature
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
Dash of cayenne pepper
1 can (about 14 ounces) artichoke hearts, drained


Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In food processor, combine green onions, jalapenos, garlic and salt.
Pulse until green onion s are finely chopped. Add cream cheese and all but one Tablespoon of Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice and cayenne pepper. Puree until smooth.
Add artichokes and pulse until coarsely chopped.
Scrape mixture into 2 cup gratin pan or shallow ovenproof dish. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese over top.
At this point, the dip can be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking. Shortly before serving, bake about 20 minutes until dip is lightly browned on top and bubbly hot.
Let cool slightly before serving.
Serve with vegetables, pita chips or baguette slices.

Roast Eggplant Dip

I make batches and batches of this recipe in the summer when the garden is full of eggplant. It freezes well to be enjoyed all winter.

Ingredients

2 medium eggplants, peeled
1 red bell pepper, seeded
1 red onion
2 cloves garlic
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons tahini
3 Tablespoons chopped parsley, optional


Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut eggplant, red pepper, and onion into one-inch cubes.
Place in large bowl and toss with olive oil, garlic, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.
Spread foil on a baking sheet.
Place vegetables on foil. Roast for 30-45 minutes or until vegetables are lightly browned and soft, turning once during cooking.
Cool slightly.
Place vegetables in food processor. Add lemon juice and tahini and pulse to blend.
Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer to bowl and garnish with chopped parsley.

Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Dip

Super Bowl weekend is just around the corner and who doesn't love this dip?

Ingredients

1 8-ounce package cream cheese
1/2 cup bleu cheese salad dressing
1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce
2 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
Assorted relishes such as carrots and celery and/or chips and crackers
Optional garnish: parsley and chopped red pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place cream cheese in deep glass pie plate.
Microwave one minute to soften.
Whisk in salad dressing and wing sauce until well combined with cream cheese.
Stir in chicken.
Bake in shallow casserole for 20 minutes.
Garnish with parsley or chopped red pepper if desired.
Serve with fresh vegetables or chips and crackers.

Kiwi Salsa

Ingredients

4 ripe kiwi fruit, peeled and chopped
1/2 avocado, peeled and chopped
1 heaping Tablespoon thinly sliced green onion
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh or pickled jalapenos
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon olive oil

Instructions

Add all ingredients to medium-sized bowl. Mix gently.
Add additional jalapenos to achieve desired level of heat.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with tortilla or corn chips.

Copy Cat Bean Dip

This dip tastes exactly like Frito's Spicy Bean Dip. Serve with tortilla chips.

Ingredients

1 15-ounce can pinto beans (drain and reserve the liquid)
4 or more (to taste) pickled jalapeno slices
1 Tablespoon liquid from pickled jalapenos
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon (or more to taste) cayenne pepper

Instructions

Combine drained beans with remaining ingredients in food processor.

Puree on high speed until smooth. Add  some reserved liquid from beans if the dip is too thick.

Cover and chill for at least one hour before serving to marry the flavors.

Homemade Hummus

Once you see how easy it is to make homemade hummus, you will wonder why you ever buy it at the grocery store. Like everything homemade, you can control what ingredients go into it, and you can change the flavor with the extra ingredients that you add.

Did I mention this is a healthy dip? Serve with pita chips, pita bread or fresh veggies.

Ingredients

2 15-ounce cans garbanzo beans (drain the beans and reserve the liquid)
3 garlic cloves
1 1/2 Tablespoons tahini
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 - 3/4 cup reserved liquid from beans
Salt to taste

Optional add-ins:
Chopped black olives
Roast red peppers
Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

Instructions

Drain liquid from beans and save it for use in the recipe.

Combine all ingredients except reserved liquid in food processor.
Puree to a smooth paste.
Add  reserved liquid slowly to achieve the consistency that you desire.
Add salt to taste. Add additional ingredient(s) if desired.

Continue to process to consistency of a smooth thick paste.

Freezer Salsa

In the late summer season, we make many batches of this with fresh tomatoes from the garden. Then, we freeze it and enjoy it all winter long.

Ingredients

Enough tomatoes to yield 10 cups of peeled and diced fresh tomatoes
2 large onions, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil
8 minced cloves of garlic
2 (5.5 ounce) cans tomato paste
8 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
2 green peppers, finely chopped
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon sweet paprika
2 teaspoons sugar
 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions

Boil water in saucepan.
Put tomatoes in boiling water for two minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.
This will make the skins very easy to peel.
Peel and coarsely chop tomatoes to measure 10 cups.
If desired, you can also remove the seeds. Some people don't like the seeds in salsa; others say much of the flavor of the tomatoes comes from the gel-like substance around the seeds and removing the seeds will reduce the fresh tomato taste.  I say it is a matter of  personal preference and you can remove the seeds or not.

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until onions have softened - about 10 minutes.

Add tomatoes and all remaining ingredients.
Bring to boil and simmer about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened.

Cool to room temperature. Spoon into freezer containers and store in freezer.

Mexican Seven-Layer Dip

Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 Tablespoon taco seasoning mix
1 cup salsa
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onions
3 Tablespoons sliced black olives


Instructions

Mix cream cheese with electric mixer until smooth. Add taco seasoning and continue to mix until well blended.
Spread on bottom of 8-inch plate.
Layer remaining ingredients in order listed,  over cream cheese.
Refrigerate until serving time.
Serve with tortilla chips.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1 can (14 ounces) artichoke hearts - drained and coarsely chopped
1 package frozen chopped spinach - thawed and drained
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup grated Monterrey Jack or Mozzarella cheese
Toasted baguettes and crackers

Instructions

Spray inside of a small crock pot with cooking oil spray.
Mix mayonnaise and parmesan cheese in medium bowl. Stir in artichokes, spinach, and bell pepper. Spoon into crockpot.
Sprinkle cheese on top.
Cover and cook on low for one hour or until cheese is melted.
Serve warm with baguette or crackers.

Hot Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

1 cup mayonaise
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1 can artichoke hearts, drained
1 can diced green chilies


Instructions

Drain and chop artichoke hearts.
Mix all ingredients together.
Put in shallow baking dish.
Bake at 350F for 1/2 hour.

Tried and True Knorr Spinach Dip

This recipe from the package of Knorr soup mix is a old standby that everyone loves.

Ingredients

1 package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 package Knorr dry vegetable soup mix
1 can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
3 green onions


Instructions

Squeeze liquid from spinach.
In medium bowl, stir together all ingredients.
Cover and refrigerate for two hours before serving.

Copy Cat Bean Dip

This tastes just like Frito-Lay's Spicy Bean Dip

Ingredients

1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans
4 or more pickled jalapeno slices
1 Tablespoon liquid from pickled jalapenos
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder

Instructions

Combine drained pinto beans with remaining ingredients in food processor. Puree ingredients on high speed until smooth. Cover and chill for at least one hour before serving.
Serve with tortilla chips.

Roast Red Pepper Dip

Every now and then, red peppers go on sale for 3 for $1.00. When they do, I pick up a bunch and make this dip. it freezes well to enjoy later.

Ingredients

2 large red peppers, roasted
2 teaspoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove
1/8 teaspoon cayenne


Instructions

Rub red peppers with olive oil. Place on hot grill and roast, turning frequently until blackened on all sides. Remove and place in a brown paper lunch sack. Close the sack and all to cool.
When cool, peel away the blackened skin. Cut the pepper open and remove the stem and seeds. Chop into large pieces
Place all ingredients into food processor and blend until smooth.

Serve with vegetables or pita chips.

Tropical Fruit Dessert Dip

An easy dessert that my grandkids like to make. It is easy to stir the ingredients altogether and it is done!

Ingredients

20 ounce can crushed pineapple
11 ounce can mandarin oranges
3.4 ounce package instant vanilla pudding
12 ounce container of Cool Whip
Vanilla Wafers or graham crackers

Instructions

Drain the fruit and place in bowl.
Stir in pudding and then Cool Whip.

Serve with Vanilla Wafers  or graham crackers for dipping.