Category: Dip

Of the Full Fat Variety

November 7, 2009

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Thank you everyone.  No really, thank you.  That post took me a long time to write – a long time to work it through both in my head and on the screen.  I so appreciate every comment, re-tweet, and email.  We are lucky people here in the Dana Treat house.

Let’s move on to food, shall we?  If you ignore all of the baked goods, cakes, bars, cookies, chocolate, desserts, tarts, candy, and ice cream on the side bar to your right, you will notice that most of the food I write about here is very healthy.  I know that sentence sounds like a joke but if you take a look through the main courses, you will see a lot of good-for-you things.  The truth is that I like healthy food and that is mostly how I cook.  It’s not spa food but I cook with lots of whole grains and beans plus tons of produce, with a little cheese and eggs thrown in now and then for good measure.  Now and then I make a galette or a tart of some kind but these are usually special occasion meals.  I don’t feel right if I eat a big plate of Fettucine Alfredo so I certainly wouldn’t make it for you.

I don’t take drastic measures to make things low calorie or low fat, I just find that I am drawn to things that are healthy.  Does that sound annoying?  I also tend to be careful with the richer stuff.  I would never use low fat cheese, but I might just use a little less of the good stuff in a dish.  Or if I am going to make something rich, I will balance it with something light.  I have always wondered why sauté in a half cup of olive oil when just a couple of tablespoons works just as well?

And then there is this artichoke dip.  Everything I said in the above paragraphs goes out the window with this one.  There are ways to make a dish like this much less bad for you.  Lofat mayo, lofat sour cream – maybe even using plain yogurt instead.  Maybe someday I will try that but for now, I’m going to enjoy this just the way it is.  Luscious, full-fat, and delicious.

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One Year Ago:  Fattoush (Pita Bread Salad)
Creamy Artichoke Dip
Adapted from Bon Appétit
Serves 8-12

The original recipe says to serve this with pita chips (it is excellent that way), but I have also served it with fresh baguette slices along with carrots and celery.

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce
3 6-ounce jars marinated artichoke hearts, drained, coarsely chopped
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
3 green onions, finely chopped
2 tsp. minced seeded jalapeño pepper

Using electric mixer, beat first 8 ingredients in large bowl to blend.  Fold in artichokes, mozzarella cheese, green onions, and jalapeño.  Transfer to a 11 x 7 x 2-inch baking dish.  (Can be made 1 day ahead.  Cover and refrigerate.)

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Bake dip until bubbling and brown on top, about 20 minutes.  Dip is best served warm.


Category: Appetizer,Dip,My Favorites,Party Food
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Muhummara Dip

July 29, 2009


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There are certain dishes that just pop up for me again and again.  Things that I love and I keep trying variations until I find the one that becomes “my” version.  I’m thinking of things like baba ghanoush and gazpacho.  I tried endless variations before I settled on the Greens cookbook’s and Cook’s Illustrated’s versions respectively.

Muhummara is one of those things.  What?  Something you may have not even heard of and here I am tracking down the perfect recipe?  Here is the thing.  I love dips.  Not like chips and dip (although I love those too), I mean like warm grilled pita bread and dip.  If a restaurant has some kind of Middle Eastern platter, I will without question order it.  I love hummus, baba ghanoush, tzatziki, and I love muhummara.  Well, now I do.

I have made four or five versions of this dip and always liked it.  It just never popped for me.  Eralda at The Split Pea recently posted a recipe that looked a little different from the ones I have tried.  I decided to make for last weekend’s lunch and everyone who tried it loved it.  I served it with crackers, but it would be great with pita and Eralda says it’s terrific with cucumber.  This is my new go-to recipe.

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One Year Ago:  Creamy Eggplant with Green Peas


Smokey Muhammara
Adapted from The Split Pea

I made a few changes here, mostly in method.  I also cut down on the amount of garlic because I don’t like a lot of raw garlic in my dips.  You can find pomegranate molasses at Whole Foods and at Middle Eastern markets – if you are lucky enough to have one of those where you live.  It’s flavor adds so much to this dip, so it is worth seeking out.  Along those same lines, the smoked paprika is essential here.  The flavor will just not be the same with regular paprika.

3  red bell peppers
1 cup of walnuts
¾ cup of pecans
1 ½ tsp. cumin
2 tsp. sweet smoked paprika
1 1/2 tsp. ground Chipotle Chile powder (or regular chile powder)
2 cloves garlic
1 ½ tsp.  salt
2 tsp. olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. of honey
2 -3 tbsp. pomegranate molasses (substitute balsamic vinegar)

Preheat the oven to 500°F.  Place the peppers on a baking sheet and roast, turning occasionally, until beginning to blacken in spots, about 15 minutes total.  Remove sheet from the oven and carefully wrap it in foil.  Allow to sit for 10 minutes, then remove the foil.  When the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel away the skin and remove the membranes, stems, and seeds from each pepper.  Slice and place in food processor.

Lower the oven temperature to 350°F. Place the walnuts and pecans in a rimmed cookie sheet and toast for about 3-5 minutes until fragrant (oven temperatures vary, so make sure to keep an eye on them).  Set a timer so you don’t forget about them.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool.  Once cool, add to the food processor along with all the other ingredients.  Process until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.  Taste for balance of flavor, adding more salt, honey, or lemon juice as necessary.  If the dip seems too thick, add more olive oil.

Keeps refrigerated for up to 3 days.


Category: Appetizer,Dip,International,Quick and Easy,Yoga Retreat Food
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Grilled Vegetable Salsa

June 24, 2009

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In addition to the cake that I brought for my friend Lauren’s 40th birthday, I also brought a couple of appetizers.  I figured since her husband Travis was going to be hauling the entire dinner up the mountain, the least I could do was bring some things to munch on while he got the rest of the food ready.

When I was searching for recipes for another friend’s 40th birthday party, I found this one for Grilled Vegetable Salsa.  I was planning to make it for John, but then decided to take the party in a more Mediterranean and less Mexican direction.  The idea of the salsa stayed with me and when I learned fajitas were on last weekend’s menu, I knew exactly what to make as an appetizer.

This recipe comes from Martha Stewart’s Hors d’Oeuvres Handbook.  I love this book on principle.  It has lots of gorgeous photographs in the front and all the recipes in the back.  It is well laid out and all the recipes I have tried are winners.  What I don’t like is that almost every recipe suggests you serve the dish right away.  What kind of cocktail party is there where you can make everything à la minute?   So, I take a lot of what is said in the book with a grain of salt.  Against Martha’s advice, I also streamlined the cooking process and I made parts of the salsa ahead of time.  It was great and everyone loved it. The salsa was awesome with chips, but you could incorporate it into a main course by spooning a generous amount of the salsa over black beans and rice, and topping it all off with slices of avocado or guacomole.

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One Year Ago:  Mushroom Pearl Pasta with Sweet Peas and Goat Cheese (if peas are in season where you live, make this!)

Grilled Vegetable Salsa
Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Hors d’Oeuvres Handbook
Makes 1 1/2 quarts

Stewart calls for three different cooking methods for the vegetables.  I streamlined it into two.  You could further streamline it by just grilling the peppers rather than roasting them.  If you do roast the peppers, they can be made up to four days ahead of time and stored, covered, in the refrigerator.

1 tsp. olive oil
2 ears of fresh corn, husk and silk removed
1 large red onion, root intact, sliced into 1/2-inch rings
4 plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 roasted large red bell peppers, seeds removed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 roasted large yellow bell pepper, seeds removed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 roasted large orange bell pepper, seeds removed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 oz. kalamata or oil-cured black olives, pitted and chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 roughly chopped fresh basil

1.  Prepare a grill over high heat.  Place the corn and onions on the grate and grill, turning, until grill marks appear on all sides and the corn and onions are cooked through.  The onions will take 5-8 minutes and the corn will need 15-20 minutes.  Transfer to a plate to cool.  When cool, cut the corn off the cob.  Cut the onion rings into 1/2 inch pieces.  Set aside.  (Can be made one day ahead.  Cover and chill.  Return to room temperature before continuing.)

2.  In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, peppers, corn, and onion.  Stir in olives, garlic, cumin, and lime juice.  Season with salt and pepper.  Allow the vegetables to marinate for at least one hour and up to six hours.  Just before serving, stir in the basil and season to taste.


Category: Appetizer,Cookbooks,Dip,Party Food,Vegan
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This is Not Whipped Cream

June 17, 2009

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So, this dip is what I mistook for whipped cream the other night.  Yes, I brought this to sandwich between layers of strawberry shortcake and strawberries.  In my defense, it didn’t have the garnishes in it yet – it was just white.  But trust me, it’s much better served with crackers than with chocolate sauce.

This is a great recipe to have in your repetoire because it has few ingredients and takes next to no time.  It also tastes really good and can be made one day ahead.  It’s a lovely place to put all those gorgeous radishes you are seeing at the farmer’s markets.

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One Year Ago: Feta and Ricotta Cheese Skillet Pie

Feta-Radish Spread
Adapted from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook, The New Classics
Serves 4-6

Martha tells you to make your own pita chips here but I simply ran out of time.  I brought my clients store-bought pita chips instead.  Another change I made was to use more yogurt (a full 7 oz. container instead of the 1/4 cup she called for) to eliminate the need for olive oil in the spread.

1 package sheep’s milk feta cheese (7 or 8 ounces), coarsely chopped
1- 7 oz. container Greek yogurt (DT: I used low fat)
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 radishes, quartered and thinly sliced

Pulse the feta, yogurt, and lemon juice in a food processor just utnil the mixture is thick and spreadable, about 10 pulses.  Transer to a medium bowl, and stir in the parsley and radishes.  Serve with pita chips or crackers.  (The dip can be made, without the radishes and parsley, 1 day ahead.  Cover and refrigerate.  Add parsley and radises just before serving.)


Category: Appetizer,Cheese,Dip,Quick and Easy
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Veggies and Dip

May 8, 2009

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I love vegetables and dip.  I really do.  Now lest that sound ultra-virtuous, please realize that most dips are so bad for you that it cancels out the good that the veggies do.  Pre-made supermarket dips are usually loaded with artificial flavors and chemical stabilizers.  Many that you would make at home have no artificial ingredients, but do have enough calories and fat per serving to make it really unhealthy.

So here are two for you.  They have a similar base but different flavorings.  I use low fat sour cream and low fat buttermilk but the flavor is of the luscious full fat variety.  You can choose the peppery version (coarse ground pepper and chives) or the lemon-y herb one.  Or, if you are cooking lunch for 20 hungry Yoginis as I am on Saturday, you can make both.

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Buttermilk Peppercorn Dip
Adapted from Martha Stewart Hors D’Oeuvres Handbook
Makes 1 1/2  cups

1 cup low fat sour cream
2 tbsp. low fat buttermilk
1 tsp. coarsely ground mixed peppercorns (black, pink, and green)
2 tsp. minced chives
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1 large shallot, miced
1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Place the ingredients in a medium bowl and stir well to combine.  Serve immediately or store, covered, in the refrigerator, for up to 48 hours.

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Lemony Herb Dip
Adapted from Bon Appetit
Makes about 1 cup

1 8-ounce container low fat sour cream
2 tbsp. chopped fresh chives
2 tbsp. chopped fresh dill
Juice of 1 small lemon
Salt and pepper

Mix first 4 ingredients in medium bowl.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Can be made up to 2 days in advance, cover and refrigerate.


Category: Appetizer,Dip,Party Food,Quick and Easy
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