Roasted Garlic Black Bean Dip

As I mentioned last week, Jalapeno Cheddar Hummus wasn't the only thing on my mind when it came to making something for the Superbowl. I have seen countless recipes floating around for a black bean dip, which intrigued me, but for some reason I decided to go off on my own for this one.

I knew going in that I wanted to somehow incorporate roasted garlic into the dip because I love it so. Originally, I was only going to use one head of garlic, but I made up a second just.in.case. Definitely the right move. It may seem like a ton of garlic, but since it's roasted, it becomes much more subtle and doesn't come through in an "in your face" sort of way. Which is a good thing when we're talking 2 heads of garlic.

I simply topped the dip off with a few seasonings (cumin and cayenne) and away we went. Very easy to throw together, and the only time consuming thing was roasting the garlic. The rest utilized the "dump and blend" method. Perfect for those times you really don't feel like making anything but don't want to go the store-bought route.

Roasted Garlic Black Bean Dip

Original Recipe

2 heads garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons dried chives

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Tear two squares of aluminum foil and lay flat on a work surface. Cut the top 1/4 off each head of garlic. Place one head of garlic in the center of each foil square. Drizzle each with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Wrap foil around garlic and roast in the oven for 1 hour. Remove and let cool at least 15 minutes, or until able to handle.

Squeeze the cloves out of the heads of garlic into the bowl of a food processor. Add the black beans. Pulse until ingredients are pureed. With the processor still running, pour in the olive oil until the mixture becomes smooth and creamy. Add tahini and remaining 4 ingredients. Process again until the mixture is smooth, adding water if it becomes too thick.

Serve with pita chips or veggies.

Serves: 20 (2 tablespoons per serving)

Next time around, I think incorporating fresh chives (and more of them) or green onions would be a must. Most of the flavors in this dish a very mild and mellow, and I think adding one of those options would really brighten things up. Overall though, not too bad for doing my own thing. :)

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 55g
Amount per serving
Calories 199	Calories from fat 50
% Daily Value
Total Fat 5.5g	8%
Saturated Fat 0.8g	4%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 121mg	5%
Total Carbs 29.0g	10%
Fiber 6.7g	27%
Sugars 1.0g
Protein 9.8g
Vitamin A 1%	Vitamin C 4%
Calcium 7%	Iron 14%

Jalapeno Cheddar Hummus

Hummus is one of those things that is rarely allowed in our house. Not because we don't like hummus. On contraire, once we get going, or ahem, once one of us gets going, it's far too easy to eat almost the entire container before realizing it. We won't say whom that might be.

So when the opportunity presented itself to bring a food dish to share with friends (*cough*superbowl*cough), my mind immediately jumped to some sort of savory dip. I didn't have a ton of notice was too lazy to come up with something wildly crazy, so opted for something simple with ingredients I knew I could pick up at the small-ish grocery store down the street.

I originally had a different idea for a dip going into it, but I decided last minute to pick up the things for this hummus as well just.in.case. the other one didn't turn out like I'd planned.

So glad I did. Not because the other dip didn't turn out (I'll be sharing that next week), but because this was definitely tasty. I love the addition of cheddar and jalapeno to hummus, and so did the other guests!

Jalapeno Cheddar Hummus

Adapted from: The Spiffy Cookie

2 (14.5 ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 jalapeno, chopped, seeds and membranes removed
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons warm water
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the chickpeas and jalapeno. Pulse until ingredients are pureed. With the processor still running, pour in the olive oil and water until the mixture becomes smooth and creamy. Add tahini and remaining 5 ingredients. Process again until the mixture is smooth, adding more water if it becomes too thick.

Serve with pita chips or veggies.

Serves: 20 (2 tablespoons per serving)

As written, this hummus turns out a bit thicker that your normal store-bought hummus, but I kind of enjoyed it that way. You can always add more water if you like it more on the thinner side. As much as I did enjoy what the cheddar and jalapenos brought to the table, I almost wish it would have been more. I felt like the chickpeas really kind of muted the cheddar more than I was expecting, and I could have gone for keeping a few of the seeds with the jalapeno, as this was not spicy - at all. Still, even with the hummus the way it was, I could have definitely chowed down on at least half a bowl. ;)

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 54g
Amount per serving
Calories 206	Calories from fat 71
% Daily Value
Total Fat 7.9g	12%
Saturated Fat 1.9g	10%
Cholesterol 6mg	2%
Sodium 163mg	7%
Total Carbs 25.5g	9%
Fiber 7.3g	29%
Sugars 4.5g
Protein 9.7g
Vitamin A 2%	Vitamin C 3%
Calcium 9%	Iron 16%

New Year's Eve-ie Series: Ugly Dip

And last but not least in the New Year's Eve-ie Series, is the Ugly Dip. Rightfully named, I think, as it's a hodge-podge of gound beef, gooey cheese, salsa, and soup all mixed into a delightfully messy concoction.

I also got this recipe from a nurse from work a couple months back. And yes, this is actually like the 5th time I've made this, I just keep forgetting to take pictures. It's not easy to try and make something look half way appetizing that has Ugly in it's name to begin with. So don't discriminate just because it's not pretty... this is usually always one of the first things gone when I make it.

Ugly Dip
From: Christina Strueve

1 - 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
12 ounces Velveeta cheese
1/2 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 jar salsa

In a large saucepan over medium high heat, brown and crumble ground beef, drain fat.

Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining ingredients to the saucepan. Allow the cheese to melt, stirring occasionally.

Serve with tortilla chips.

Serves: 12 (about 2 tbsp per serving)

My mom was in absolute shock this year when an hour to two before dinner she asked what all we needed to do to get started on dinner, and we told her nothing really could be made ahead and it all took about 5-10 minutes to throw together. (We had already thrown the kielbasa in the crockpot and had started draining the cucumber and yogurt for the tzatziki at this point.) She really didn't know what to do with herself. So she frosted my sister's cake for me. :)

Honestly though, this was one of the easiest and quickest New Year's Eve-ie meals we've ever thrown together. Each appetizer/dip only took maybe 10 minutes max of work time, although a few had some considerable rest time involved as well. I highly recommend trying this style of eating next time you have a special occasion or get-together!

Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 172	Calories from fat 84
% Daily Value
Total Fat 9.3g	14%
Saturated Fat 5.2g	26%
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 56mg	19%
Sodium 659mg	27%
Total Carbs 5.0g	2%
Sugars 3.1g
Protein 16.6g
Vitamin A 8%	Vitamin C 1%
Calcium 14%	Iron 9%

New Year's Eve-ie Series: Tzatziki

For years now, my sister and I have been saying how we need to make a dictionary of our dad's vocabulary. For example:

"Can you rub a little of that sauce on my back?" Where sauce = sunscreen
or
"Bo-jangles" = Brangelina (during a game of Taboo)

Needless to say, I knew going into making tzatziki that we were going to have some doozies. And of course, he didn't let us down. After several attempts, I believe he settled on tetrazzini. Close enough.

The first time I had this wonderful dip was with my friend Neish at a winery when she came up to visit me back in August. Now, I'm not usually a huge fan of cucumber, but this stuff had me hooked. It's traditionally used as the sauce in gyros and in other Greek dishes. Soo good that I just had to replicate it... even if it WAS 4 months later.

Tzatziki
From: Ina Garten

1 pound (1 pint) plain yogurt (whole milk or low fat)
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled and seeded
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon)
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh dill
Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Place the yogurt in a cheesecloth or paper towel-lined sieve and set it over a bowl. (Or coffee filters in a strainer will also work.) Grate the cucumber and toss it with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt; place it in another sieve, and set it over another bowl. Place both bowls in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours so the yogurt and cucumber can drain. Greek yougurt can also be used here, no draining necessary.

Transfer the thickened yogurt to a large bowl. Squeeze as much liquid from the cucumber as you can and add the cucumber to the yogurt. Mix in the sour cream, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, dill, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper. You can serve it immediately, but I prefer to allow the tzatziki to sit in the refrigerator for a few hours for the flavors to blend. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Serves: 40 (2 tbsp per serving)

This was very close to what I had tasted in restaurants (and wineries). Next time I make this (and there will definitely be a next time) I might back off about 1/2 tablespoon on the lemon juice. It wasn't bad, just a little bit stronger of a lemon flavor than I preferred.

Of ALL people to love this dip... little 20 month old Michael. He was so cute dipping his piece of pita bread in the tzatziki, sucking off the dip, and then using the same piece of pita to go back for more. I swear that kid likes the strangest things...

Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 19	Calories from fat 10
% Daily Value
Total Fat 1.1g	2%
Saturated Fat 0.6g	3%
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 2mg	1%
Sodium 216mg	9%
Total Carbs 1.4g	0%
Sugars 1.0g
Protein 0.8g
Vitamin A 1%	Vitamin C 1%
Calcium 3%	Iron 0%

Beer Cheese Dip

So I am ridiculously far behind on my blogging. I've been trying oh-so-hard over the past month to catch up, but I'm pretty much at the same place as before -- 9 or 10 recipes and a month behind. Geez.

But just so you know... I'm trying. And there's plenty more deliciousness to come.

Such as this Beer Cheese Dip from Simply Tasty. After hearing rave reviews of this dip I decided to try it out for a couple friends we had over for the Penguins season opener.

Beer Cheese Dip

From: Simply Tasty

2 8oz packages of cream cheese
1 pack of dry ranch dressing mix
1/2 cup of beer
Shredded Cheese to taste

Serve with: pretzels, tortilla chips, carrots, celery....

Combine soft cream cheese, ranch dressing mix, and beer. The consistency will be weird, but just keep stirring. When the consistency becomes thick and smooth add cheese. Continue to stir. Top with cheese to taste.

Serves: 12 (2 tbsp servings)

A few notes on the recipe (from Simply Tasty)...
+Don't use 2 packages of fat free cream cheese, the consistency of the dip just won't turn out right. If you want to cut calories try a package of light and a package of full fat.
+I use whatever beer I have on hand to make this. Usually that is Bud Light. I know people who've made it with Honeyweiss and Miller Light.
+Keep stirring the mixture until the consistency gets smooth. It will look a little funky at first, but it will smooth out.
+I think the best this to eat with this dip is pretzels.

Stir.

Keep stirring.

After lots and lots of stirring...

Ta-Da!

This dip went over really really well. Every really seemed to like it. I thought it was okay, but then again I'm not a fan of beer. However, if you or your guests are beer lovers, I would recommend this in a heartbeat!

Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 156	Calories from fat 133
% Daily Value
Total Fat 14.8g	23%
Saturated Fat 9.3g	46%
Cholesterol 47mg	16%
Sodium 155mg	6%
Total Carbs 1.6g	1%
Protein 4.1g
Vitamin A 12%	Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 6%	Iron 3%

Gruyere Fondue with Caramelized Shallots

Right about a year before I made this dish, Adam whisked me away to an overlook of Pittsburgh and proposed to me. After I finished crying, and saying yes (of course), he then proceeded to treat me to my first trip to the Melting Pot. Mmm mmm. So delicious.

Since we were celebrating, we went for the whole kit and caboodle. We did the appetizer cheese dip, then the entree with the cooking broth, following it up with the wonderful chocolate fondue. And, we discovered an excellent sparkling beverage -- "Rosa Regale", which we loved so much, Adam and I toasted with it for our wedding. :)

However, such extravagant meals come with the corresponding price tag -- not one of which is in our day-to-day budget. Oddly enough, I decided to somewhat replicate a fondue dinner almost a year to the date after his proposal. As much as I wanted to enjoy gooey cheese slathered on top of an assortment of different foods, I really couldn't get into this dish.

Not only did my cheese fondue fall flat, but we also discovered that our fondue pot (which we were so graciously given as a wedding present) did not work. And of course, we had already threw away the box and all packaging items... so no returning said pot. Sucky way to learn that lesson...

Gruyere Fondue with Caramelized Shallots

From: Bon Appetit, March 2000

1 tablespoon butter

1 1/4 cups thinly sliced shallots (about 6 ounces)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 1/2 cups (or more) dry white wine
14 ounces grated Gruyere cheese (about 3 1/2 cups packed)

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

Generous pinch of ground nutmeg

1 sourdough baguette, cut into 1-inch cubes

Melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add thinly sliced shallots and sauté 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low; sprinkle shallots with sugar, salt and pepper. Sauté until shallots are caramelized, about 15 minutes. Transfer shallots to small bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups wine to skillet; boil 1 minute.

Pour wine into heavy medium saucepan; set over medium-low heat. Toss cheese with flour in medium bowl to coat. Add half of caramelized shallots to wine; add cheese mixture by handfuls, stirring until cheese melts and is smooth before adding more. Thin with more wine if mixture is too thick. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Transfer cheese mixture to fondue pot. Set pot over candle or canned heat burner. Top fondue with remaining caramelized shallots. Serve with bread cubes.

Well, I will admit that I did not have all the shallots that the recipe called for, or the nutmeg. This dish definitely needed a little kick in it -- I was tired of the taste after about half way through. It wasn't begging me to keep going until I was way past full. Thus, I rate it:

Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 686	Calories from fat 323
% Daily Value
Total Fat 35.9g	55%
Saturated Fat 20.8g	104%
Cholesterol 117mg	39%
Sodium 641mg	27%
Total Carbs 39.2g	13%
Dietary Fiber 1.1g	5%
Sugars 3.2g
Protein 36.3g
Vitamin A 32%	Vitamin C 7%
Calcium 105%	Iron 16%