GINGER VANILLA YOGURT DIP

 

~ Summer: Inspired Recipes for Lazy Days and Magical Nights, written by Marnie Hanel and Jen Stevenson

1 c. plain, full-fat Greek yogurt
1 t. finely grated ginger
2 T. brown sugar
1/4 t. vanilla
pinch ground cloves
toasted coconut flakes, for garnish

Blend all ingredients except coconut in bowl or food processor. Place into serving dish and top with toasted coconut. 

Makes about 1 cup.

Notes: This works great as a fruit dip or mixed into fruit salad as a dressing.

EGG & SWEET POTATO SCRAMBLE WITH AVOCADO DRESSING

~ Bethany Weathersby

eggs
cumin lime sweet potato sticks
avocado dressing

Crack eggs in bowl and whisk. Pour onto heated griddle or skillet and scramble. Stir in sweet potatoes or layer them on individual servings of eggs. Garnish with avocado dressing.

Notes: We have egg & veggie scrambles on a regular basis, but this combination was the result of having leftover cumin lime sweet potato sticks and avocado dressing in the fridge. It tasted good enough that now I sometimes make the sweet potatoes for the sole purpose of making this scramble.

AVOCADO DRESSING

~ Tasty

3 T. lime juice
1/4 c. olive oil
1 avocado
1 garlic clove
1/4 t. pepper
1/2 t. salt

Place all ingredients in blender or food processor and blend until light and creamy.

Makes about one cup.

Notes: We enjoy this on salads, used as a dairy-free substitute for sour cream with tacos, spread over black bean and rice burritos, stirred into a bowl of Heddy's black and red bean soup, served on cumin lime sweet potato sticks, as a dip for veggies, chips, and quesadillas, and added to just about anything else we can get our hands on. With the creamy texture of the avocado and the citrus flavor of lime juice, the possibilities are endless for how to use it. Although you can make in a blender, we find it's much easier in a food processor. It tastes great both with and without the olive oil.

CUMIN, LIME, & CHICKPEA SALAD

~ Budget Bytes: Over 100 Easy, Delicious Recipes to Slash Your Grocery Bill in Half, written by Beth Moncel

2 15 oz. cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 medium red onion, finely diced
1/2 bunch cilantro, leaves only, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
juice of 1 medium lime
2 T. olive oil
1 t. cumin
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. cayenne

In a large bowl, mix chickpeas, onion, cilantro, garlic, and lime juice. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, olive oil, cumin, salt, and cayenne. Pour dressing over bean mixture and toss until salad is evenly coated in dressing.

Notes: I use four cups of chickpeas I've previously cooked in the crockpot and frozen instead of canned beans. This is part of a tasty vegetarian meal if you serve it with Mexican layer salad and roasted radishes. If you have leftovers, toss them in a food processor with some salsa to make a Mexican hummus.

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PINEAPPLE DIPPING SAUCE

~ Just A Pinch Recipes

1/4 c. crushed pineapple with juice
3/4 c. pineapple preserves
1 t. lime juice
1 T. honey

Place all ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Makes one cup.

Notes: We've made this with apricot pineapple jam and it was delicious. It's great with Hawaiian chicken strips.

VEGAN NACHO CHEESE SAUCE

~ Produce on Parade

1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 c. +  2 T. water, plus more for soaking
1-2 T. lemon juice
1/4 t. paprika
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. onion powder
1/2 t. turmeric
3/4 t. salt
1/2 c. nutritional yeast
extra water, as needed

Place cashews in enough water to completely submerge them. Cover and refrigerate for two hours.

Drain soaked cashews and place in blender or food processor with remaining ingredients. Blend on high until completely smooth.

Pour sauce into a small saucepan and stir over low for 5-10 minutes or until the sauce thickens to desired consistency.

Notes: This doesn't work as a cheese substitute for our family, but we do like the flavor. So skip it if you're wanting to satisfy a cheese craving, but whip some up and grab veggies, tortilla chips, or pretzels if you're just looking for something flavorful to dip things in. 

AVOCADO YOGURT DIP

~ Eating Well magazine - March/April 2014

1 avocado, peeled and pitted
1/2 c. plain yogurt
2 T. chopped onion
1/3 c. packed cilantro
1 T. lime juice
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
hot sauce, to taste (optional)

Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with hot sauce, if desired.

Makes one cup.

CAULIFLOWER SPREAD

~ Better Homes and Gardens magazine - March 2014

6 c. cauliflower florets
2 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. crumbled feta
2 T. olive oil
1 T. lemon juice
1/4 t. salt
fresh oregano

Cook cauliflower in salted boiling water, covered, for 15 minutes. Drain and cool, then transfer to food processor. Add cheeses, oil, lemon juice, and salt. Process until smooth. Refrigerate until serving, up to 3 days. Sprinkle with snipped fresh oregano when serving.

Notes: We use dried oregano because we never have fresh on hand. I've served it on toasted slices of no-knead bread and as a veggie dip (minus the oregano), but it would also be good as a cracker dip or mixed with pasta. One of my kids thinks this is similar to manicotti filling, so I may try it that way sometime.

CORN & COTIJA CHEESE DIP

~ Minimalist Baker

2 T. olive oil, divided
1 shallot, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
3 c. fresh corn, cut off the cob
1/4 t. sea salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/2 c. sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
4 oz. cream cheese
1 c. grated cotija cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat a cast iron or oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, shallot, and garlic, stirring constantly. Add corn, salt, and pepper. Cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally, until shallots have softened and corn has darkened slightly. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, combine sour cream, cream cheese, and cotija. Add corn mixture to the cheese mixture, stirring until well combined.

Use remaining tablespoon of oil to lightly grease the skillet and spoon the dip back in. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Notes: We've served this with tortilla chips (regular and blue) and various colors of bell pepper slices, but I'm sure it would also be good with other dippers.

PEAR BUTTER

~ Cooking With Christen

10 pears
1 T. vanilla
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. cloves

Coat inside of crockpot with nonstick spray. Peel, quarter, and core the pears, then place in crockpot. Add vanilla. Cook on low for 8 hours. Mash with fork, then add both sugars, cinnamon, and cloves. Cook on low for 6 hours. Leave chunky or use an immersion blender to puree.

Makes about 6 cups.

Notes: Since this takes so long, I start the crockpot for the first time when I go to bed, then mash the pears and add the second round of ingredients when I wake up. I usually need to cook it longer than six hours on the second round to get it thick enough to be considered pear butter instead of pear sauce, but it's not a problem when I'm home all day anyway. Although I've never tried it, I suppose I could make it more quickly on the stovetop. 

HUMMUS

~ Barefoot Contessa

4 garlic cloves
2 c. canned chickpeas, drained and liquid reserved
1 1/2 t. kosher salt
1/3 c. tahini
6 T. lemon juice
2 T. water or reserved chickpea liquid
8 dashes Tabasco

Turn on the food processor fitted with the steel blade. Drop the garlic through the feed tube and process until minced. Add remaining ingredients and process until desired consistency is reached.

Notes: I use dried chickpeas that I cook in a crockpot, add one tablespoon of water at a time until I reach the desired consistency, and skip the Tabasco entirely. Inspired by green hummus, I sometimes toss spinach into this recipe, using however much floats my boat at the time.

ONION SOUP MIX

~ Heavenly Homemakers

2/3 c. dried minced onion
1 T. dried parsley flakes
2 t. onion powder
2 t. turmeric (optional)
1 t. celery salt
1 t. sea salt
1 t. sucanat or sugar
1/2 t. pepper

Place all ingredients in a jar, put the lid on, and shake well. Shake or stir before each use. Use 1/4 cup to replace one packet of store-bought mix.

Notes: I sometimes skip turmeric because it's not something I always have handy, usually use table salt instead of sea salt and cut the amount in half, and use sugar instead of sucanat. I often run it through the food processor for uniform texture before storing it. We've used it in cabbage soup, tossed it in a crockpot with roast, mixed it with cream cheese for a bagel spread, added it to a cream cheese and sour cream combo for a veggie dip, and added it to e-z drop biscuits for a variation on regular drop biscuits.  

RICOTTA & APRICOT TOAST

~ The Broken Bread

one baguette, sliced
olive oil
ricotta cheese
honey
apricot relish
chopped mint (optional)

Lightly brush bread slices with olive oil and place on a panini grill or hot pan and cook until each slice is toasted. Top each slice with ricotta, honey, relish, and mint before serving.

Notes: We've made this with store-bought baguettes and French bread, as well as homemade no-knead bread; store-bought ricotta and a dairy-free substitute made from cashew cream; the homemade apricot relish called for and store-bought apricot jam; spread all the oiled slices on a cookie sheet and broiled it for a little while instead of using a grill or skillet. We never consider mint to be optional. Crunchy bread crust and smooth ricotta, sweet honey and relish contrasted with the spice of mint. Oh, it's delicious!

APRICOT RELISH

~ The Broken Bread

1/4 c. dried apricots
boiling water
pinch of salt
1/2 t. lemon juice
honey, to taste

Place the apricots in a small bowl and fill with boiling water until fruit is fully submerged. Soak for at least one hour.

When done soaking, remove the apricots from the water, reserving the water, and place in food processor. Pulse for about 30 seconds. Add salt and lemon juice, then pulse a few more times. If it looks too dry, then add one teaspoon at a time of the reserved water until it looks more like a paste. Add honey until desired sweetness is reached.

Makes 1/3 cup.

Notes: You can use this however you wish, but it came with a recipe for ricotta & apricot toast. 

CREAMY SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP

~ Paleo Spirit

20 oz. frozen, chopped spinach
28 oz. canned or jarred artichoke hearts
1 T. olive oil
1 c. diced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 t. sea salt (adjust amount according to the salt in the artichokes and to taste)
1 t. onion powder
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. black pepper
1/4 - 1/2 t. cayenne
1 T. lemon juice
1 1/2 - 2 cups cashew cream

Defrost spinach and squeeze out excess water, then set aside. Drain and chop the artichoke hearts, then set aside.

Saute onion in olive oil until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in artichoke hearts, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, and cayenne until heated through. Add spinach and lemon juice, stirring until heated through. Stir in cashew cream and serve warm.

Notes: I used marinated artichoke hearts, regular table salt (which means cutting the amount in half), and two cups of cashew cream. I've served it with cucumber and bell pepper slices, and by "served" I mean that I gave everyone some and then I stood at the stove, where I'd left the pan on low, and proceeded to scarf a ridiculous amount of dip on cucumber slices. 

MAPLE ALMOND BUTTER

~ Shari Todd

2 c. raw almonds
3-4 T. maple syrup
pinch of sea salt
1 t. cinnamon
dash vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix almonds and syrup, then place on a foil-lined baking sheet or pan. Bake 20-25 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. 

Cool for a few minutes, then place in food processor and process until smooth. Add salt, cinnamon, and vanilla, then process until smooth.

Makes about 1 cup.

Notes: I like to spread this on toasted English muffins, dip strawberries or apples in it, use it as an oatmeal topping, or just eat it by the spoonful. 

ROASTED RED PEPPER & FETA DIP

~ Family Fun magazine - December 2009/January 2010

1 whole roasted red pepper, from a jar
1 c. crumbled feta
1 small clove garlic
2 T. olive oil

Combine all ingredients in food processor and pulse for ten seconds. Scrape down sides and repeat process until completely mixed. Serve with fresh veggies or crackers.

Makes 3/4 cup. 

Notes: This freezes well.

CUMIN CHIPS & GUACAMOLE

~ All You - 5/20/11

6 pitas
1/3 c.vegetable oil
2 T. cumin
1 T. salt
2 ripe avocados
1/4 c. minced red onion
1 T. minced seeded jalapeno
2 T. chopped cilantro
2 T. lime juice
1/4 c. finely chopped tomato
salt and pepper, to taste


CHIPS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush both sides of each pita with oil, then sprinkle with cumin and salt. Cut each pita into 12 wedges and spread in a single layer on 2 ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes, turning pitas over and rotating the top and bottom pans halfway through, until pitas are crisp and golden.

GUACAMOLE
In a glass bowl, mash avocado with a fork until chunky. Mix in onion, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice and tomato; season with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto guacamole and chill for 20 minutes. Serve with cumin chips.

Notes: We love the guacamole and think the chips are a bit too salty, so we just use less salt for the chips and call it good.

GREEN HUMMUS

~ Maryanne Gobble 

2 c. chickpeas
1 c. fresh spinach
1-2 cloves garlic
1/4 c. olive oil
1 T. lemon juice
1-2 T. fresh herbs of your choice
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c. water, bean reserve, or broth

Put everything except the water in a food processor and pulse until slightly blended. Slowly pour water into the running processor until you reach the desired consistency.  If serving as a cold dip, then you can top with a drizzle of olive oil.  To serve as a hot dip, add a bit of cheese and bake at 350 degrees until heated through.

Notes: I use dried beans I've previously cooked and frozen, rosemary and/or lemon thyme for the herbs and more of it than called for, only enough olive oil or water to get it to the consistency I want, and extra spinach and garlic. In other words, I use this recipe as a starting point and tweak it to suit our tastes. I've used it as both a cracker and veggie dip and with Maryanne's green hummus grilled cheese sandwiches, but have never served it as a warm dip.

BLACK BEAN DIP

~ All You - October 22, 2010

2 15.5 oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 c. fresh lime juice
2 T. olive oil
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. onion powder
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
salt

Combine beans, lime juice, oil, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder and cayenne pepper in a food processor and process until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Transfer to a bowl and season with salt.

Notes: This dip is delicious and perfect for carrots, celery, bell peppers, tortilla chips, quesadillas, or pitas. It freezes well. I use a previously frozen quart-sized bag or four fresh cups of crockpot beans, skip the salt because the beans already have plenty, and sometimes skip the oil. You can substitute dried minced onions for the onion powder, if that's what you have handy.

Linked up at: Eat at Home Ingredient Spotlight - beans