Have you ever tried garlic scapes? These curly, green shoots are the top of the garlic plant – and they taste just like garlic! The first time they showed up in our CSA share I had no idea what to do with them – now they’re something I look forward to every year.
One of my favorite uses for garlic scapes is this easy dip. It’s delicious, and only takes a few minutes to put together.
Continue readingGingerbread is my favorite holiday flavor. It may be because my German grandfather always sent us enormous batches of gingerbread cookies, but for me the flavors of gingerbread are just synonymous with the season.
This dip is the easiest gingerbread dessert you’ll find – no bake, and ready for company in 5 minutes.
Haven’t finalized your Thanksgiving menu yet? Need to add another side dish? I’m sharing a roundup of my favorite Thanksgiving dishes to help you get your menu set!
I’ll be honest: I gave up on football months ago. The Giants were awful – and then they pulled the stupid stunt of benching Eli and we stopped even pretending we were going to watch.
But, if you aren’t as pessimistic and are looking for a fun munchie for the Super Bowl, I submit to you this awesome take on spinach dip – made in the Instant Pot! You could totally do this on the stove top, too, but the Instant Pot speeds it up nicely and makes it a little less hands-on – which is awesome if you’re hosting a party.
This dip is creamy and flavorful without being spicy. And you can tell yourself there’s a whole pound of spinach in there to make yourself feel better as you shovel it down. (Remember, we talked about compromise the other day?)
We served this with cubed up pumpernickel bread, but it would be great with other types of bread and veggies too!
Also, I’m linking up with my #FestiveFoodies friends today who are also sharing #FootballFoods – you can check them out here:
Instant Pot Cheesy Southwest Spinach Dip
(adapted from The Cents able Shoppin’)
Makes about 4 cups
1 Tbsp. olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. fresh spinach
3 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup half and half
4 oz cream cheese, cubed
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 4-oz. can sliced black olive, not drained
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. chipotle pepper sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Hit the sauté button and add the olive oil. When hot, add the garlic, spinach and tomatoes. Let cook until the spinach is cooked down and then turn off the sauté.
Add the remaining ingredients to the pot, cover, close valve, and set the manual cook time for 4 minutes. When finished, do a quick pressure release. Stir everything until well combined then scoop into a bowl to serve.
My snacking recently has been out of control in the worst way. You don’t even want to know how much chocolate I downed on Valentine’s Day. Seriously. And since I have to fit in a bridesmaid dress in about two months, I’m making more of an effort to curb the junk food and reach for healthier snacks.
This was a healthier snack/dessert that went over really well. It’s just the right amount of sweet without being loaded up with sugar. I really loved this with sliced up bananas!
Peanut Butter Yogurt Fruit Dip
(from Food, Fun & Life)
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
1 heaping cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup natural, unsweetened peanut butter
2-4 Tbsp. honey, to taste
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Fruit, for serving
Mix together yogurt and peanut butter. Stir in honey, starting with 2 Tbsp. and adding more until it suits your taste. Stir in cinnamon. Refrigerate until serving.
Every once in a while, I have a meal I’m really excited about that ends up un-bloggable. This queso was part of one I made recently. It was one element of the burritos I was making. I made this ahead and really liked it – so much so that I was worrying all my chip-dipping wasn’t going to leave enough for the meal. I figured I’d photograph it quickly just in case.
And wouldn’t you know, the burritos kind of sucked. But they were drenched in this queso, so decent, but not worth blogging. Or making again. The queso, though? Totally something I’ll make again.
Queso Blanco
(from Center Cut Cook)
Makes about 3 cups
1 lb. white american cheese, shredded or finely chopped
1/2 cup half and half
1/2-1 tablespoon oil
1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
1/4 of a small red onion, diced
1 roma tomato, diced
Black pepper to taste
In a medium saucepan, heat the oil until shimmering and then add the jalapeno and onion and cook until the onion is translucent. Add the cheese and stir until almost completely melted. Stir in half and half until desired consistency is reached (you may use more or less than 1/2 cup, depending on your preference). Season to taste with pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with diced tomato.
My friend Sarah brings up pickle dip whenever we start talking about appetizers. Or football food. Or any other snack-food occasion. And every time she mentions it, I think, I really should make that. I finally got around to it and I’m totally kicking myself for waiting so long.
I’m a huge pickle fan, so this was totally up my ally. Mark and I polished off an embarrassing amount of it while watching a basketball game. It’d be a great snack for March Madness (or, because it’s green, St. Patrick’s Day!).
Dill Pickle Dip
(from The Cutting Edge of Ordinary)
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup chopped dill pickles
1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion
2- 4 Tbsp. pickle juice (depending on how thick you want the dip to be)
1 tsp. dried dill weed
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Combine all ingredients well and refrigerate until ready to serve.
