Pioneer Woman's Restaurant-Style Salsa

Inspiration:
I love restaurant-style salsa, so when I saw Pioneer Woman's recipe on my friend Sarah's blog, I had to make it immediately!


Ingredients:

• 1 can (28 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes With Juice
• 2 cans (10 Ounce) Rotel (diced Tomatoes And Green Chilies)
• ¼ cups Chopped Onion
• 1 clove Garlic, Minced
• 1 whole Jalapeno, Quartered And Sliced Thin
• ¼ teaspoons Sugar
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• ¼ teaspoons Ground Cumin
• ½ cups Cilantro (more To Taste!)
• ½ whole Lime Juice

Instructions:

1. Combine whole tomatoes, Rotel, onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you’d like—I do about 10 to 15 pulses. Test seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as needed.

2. Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour. Serve with tortilla chips or cheese nachos.

Notes: I used one large jalapeño, including the ribs and seeds. I would describe the salsa as medium-hot. Tim loves spicy food, so I'll probably use two next time. This makes a lot, but we ate the entire batch within a week.

I make my own salsa in summer using fresh tomatoes, but I never had made it in winter. This recipe is so good! I think it may be my favorite salsa of all time.


Liz's Rating: 10/10
Tim's Rating: 9.5/10

Healthier Sour Cream & Onion Dip

Inspiration:
Good Housekeeping


Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup(s) plain fat-free yogurt
• 2 tablespoon(s) extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium (6- to 8-ounce) yellow onions, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) sugar
  
• salt
  
• Pepper
• 1/3 cup(s) reduced-fat sour cream
• Snipped chives, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Line medium sieve set over deep bowl with basket-style coffee filter or paper towel. Spoon yogurt into filter; cover and refrigerate 25 minutes. Discard liquid in bowl.
2. Meanwhile, in 12-inch skillet, heat oil on medium until hot. Add onions, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Cook 15 to 17 minutes or until dark golden brown, stirring onions occasionally.
3. Line plate with double thickness of paper towels. With slotted spoon, transfer onions to plate to drain further and cool. (Onions will crisp slightly as they cool, and a few pieces may stick to paper towel.)
4. In medium bowl, combine sour cream, strained yogurt, and onions. Stir well. Cover, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 3 days. (Dip is best when refrigerated for a day; flavors develop more fully.) Garnish with chives and serve with fresh veggie crudités.

Notes:
My family members LOVE the dip made by mixing Lipton's Onion Soup dry mix with sour cream. They love it. My mom and I thought that we would try making an onion dip from scratch. This was much much less salty than the other dip (not surprisingly), so I would probably add a little more salt next time :)

Nutritional Information:
(per 2 tablespoon serving)

Calories	45
Total Fat	2g
Saturated Fat	1g
Cholesterol	2mg
Sodium	55mg
Total Carbohydrate	4g
Dietary Fiber	1g
Sugars	--
Protein	2g
Calcium	--

Tim's Rating: 8/10
Liz's Rating: 8.5/10

Baba Ghanoush

Inspiration:
The Amazing Race's stop in Dubai
and
JustDubai.org


Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant
• garlic powder or fresh garlic
• salt
• pepper or hot sauce
• fresh lemon juice (to taste)
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 scallion, chopped (optional)
• Pita wedges, for serving
  

Instructions:

1. First wash eggplant. Pierce in a few places with a fork or knife. Bake eggplant in 205 ºC (400 ºC) oven until skin has almost collapsed and the eggplant is very soft. Let cool.
   
2. Scoop out and mash all of the flesh. Throw away the skin. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Adjust seasonings to taste. Refrigerate and then serve.
   

Recipe Notes: It is a popular Levantine dish of eggplant mashed and combined with diverse seasonings. Usually the eggplant is baked or broiled over an open flame before peeling, so that the pulp is soft and has a smoky savor. Baba Ganoush is served as a dip with pita bread, and is sometimes added to other dishes. It is typically of an earthy light brown color.


My Notes: I have had Baba Ganoush in restaurants but never made it at home. While I thought it was ok, and I am glad I made it, I think I prefer hummus. :) I thought it is likely authentic enough as it comes from a Dubai website, but really almost all other recipes found online contained tahini and not mayonnaise!


Liz's Rating: 7.5/10
Tim's Rating: 8/10

Next on The Amazing Race: Dubai again. What are your favorite Middle-Eastern recipes?

Columbian Guacamole

(Columbian Guacamole on right)

Inspiration:
Bon Appétit

Ingredients:

• 1 large ripe avocado (12 to 13 ounces), peeled, pitted, coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped green onion or sweet onion (such as Maui or Vidalia)
• 2 tablespoons chopped serrano chiles with seeds
• 1/4 cup (or more) water
• 2 1/2 tablespoons (or more) fresh lime juice
• Coarse kosher salt

Instructions:

1. Combine avocado, cilantro, green onion, and serrano chiles in processor. Puree until smooth. Add 1/4 cup water and 2 1/2 tablespoons lime juice and process to blend. Add more water by tablespoonfuls as needed and blend until thick but pourable sauce forms.
2. Transfer to small bowl; season to taste with coarse salt and pepper and more lime juice, if desired. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and chill.
   
   

Notes: I omitted the water and thought the sauce was the right consistency. I will be making this again soon-- as a sauce for fajitas! Don't skimp on the salt.


Tim's Rating: 9/10
Liz's Rating: 9.5/10

Siberian Spicy Garlic Cheese (Pikantny Syr)

Inspiration:
The Amazing Race's second Russian pit stop
and
this recipe from grouprecipes.com


Ingredients:

1/2 pound (8 ounces) medium-sharp white cheddar cheese, finely shredded
1/2 pound (8 ounces) Emmentaler cheese, (Gruyere)finely shredded
1/4 cup pure sour cream (containing no additives)
1/4 cup full-fat mayonnaise
8 to 10 large garlic cloves, put through a garlic press
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper or hot paprika (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Toss the shredded cheeses by hand in a large bowl.
Mix together the sour cream, mayonnaise, pressed garlic, hot pepper (optional), and salt in a small bowl, then add to the cheese, stirring to mix well.
Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours (and preferably overnight) to let the flavors meld.
Let the cheese mixture come to room temperature before serving. Use as a stuffing for small firm ripe tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, as a topping for baked potatoes, or as a spread for dark bread.

Recipe Notes:
Called pikantny syr (spicy cheese) in Russian, this is a popular appetizer in Siberia and the Russian Far East. In restaurants it is usually served as a stuffing for ripe red tomatoes, or as a spread for chewy-textured Russian bread. The combination of cheeses used in this recipe approximates the taste of the cheese used in Asian Russia. Plenty of garlic provides the kick; you can also add some cayenne pepper to make the cheese even hotter. Russians make this dish by putting all the ingredients through a meat grinder--but you can shred the cheese by hand or even use a food processor.


My Notes: I only used 4 cloves of garlic, and it is still very garlicky! I liked this spread on toast points. (We were out of crackers.) It would also be delicious melted on top of chicken breast... which I may try with the leftovers!

Tim's Rating: 8/10 ("Too garlicky for me.")
Liz's Rating: 8/10

Liptauer Cheese

Inspiration:
The Amazing Race's pit stop in Austria, and a recipe from Nigella Lawson.

I think this recipe, seen on Sherry's blog, was one of the first five recipes I "starred" when I started reading food blogs. (Sadly, Sherry passed away in July, 2008.)

I was thinking I'd make it for book club, but I never got around to it. When researching Austrian recipes, I saw Liptauer cheese referenced and knew it was finally time.


Ingredients:

• 18 ounces cream cheese
  
• 2-1/4 cups cottage cheese
  
• 4-5 tablespoons capers
  
• 8 cornichons, chopped
  
• 3 teaspoons paprika
  
• Pinch of salt
  
• Good grating of black pepper
  
• 2 teaspoons caraway seeds
  
• 2 teaspoons French mustard

• 1-quart mold or bowl

For drizzling over:

• 1-2 tablespoons flavorless vegetable oil
  
• Fat pinch of paprika
  
  

Instructions:

1. Beat the two cheeses together until they are smooth, and then add all the other ingredients. Mix everything together well, and then turn into a small bowl with a capacity of approximately 1 quart, lined with plastic wrap for easier unmolding later. Smooth the top with a spatula and cover with the overhanging plastic wrap. Place it in the refrigerator to set.
   

2. When it has become cold enough to turn out—a few hours should do it—unwrap the folded-over plastic wrap on top, place a plate over the now uncovered bowl, turn it the other way out and unmold. Pull the plastic wrap off and drizzle over a rust-red ooze, made by mixing the oil with a pinch of paprika.

3. Serve this with bread or poppy-seed-sprinkled bagels, gherkins, and, if you like, some chopped red onions.

Notes: I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this recipe, and Tim enjoyed the leftovers! I used Penzey's Hungarian Half-Sharp Paprika, and it gave the spread a little kick.


Tim's Rating: 9.5/10
Liz's Rating: 9/10

Katie's Bagel Dip

Inspiration:
My friend Katie makes great dips, and she knows Tim LOVES them. When we recently met up for a weekend, she brought along some of her bagel dip. She serves it at breakfast, but it would be a fine appetizer or afternoon snack with a group.


Ingredients:

• 16 oz. sour cream
• 16 oz mayonnaise
• 1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix
  (Katie's note: do not use the dip mix)
• 6-7 oz of chopped corned beef or regular beef
  
• bagels
  

Instructions:

1. Mix all together and serve with bagels or pita chips.

Tim's Rating: 10/10
Liz's Rating: 9/10

Taco Hummus

Inspiration:
Mark Bittman's hummus recipe
and
This taco seasoning recipe


Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups drained well-cooked or canned chickpeas, liquid reserved
• 1/4-1/2 cup tahini, optional, with some of its oil
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus oil for drizzling
• Juice of 1 lemon, plus more as needed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Mix together first nine ingredients (through black pepper).
   
2. Put all ingredients in a food processor and begin to process; add the chickpea liquid or water as needed to allow the machine to produce a smooth puree.
3. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt, pepper, and/or lemon juice.
   

Notes: We like to take hummus and vegetables as part of our work lunches; as Tim likes everything taco-flavored, I thought I'd mix it up a bit. It's tasty.

Tim's Rating: 8.5/10
Liz's Rating: 8.5/10

Spicy Black Bean Hummus

Inspiration:
Maureen Redmond, featured in Cooking Light

Ingredients:

• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon tahini (roasted sesame seed paste)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 small jalapeño pepper, chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
• Dash of crushed red pepper
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Dash of ground red pepper
• Chips or veggies, for dipping
  

Instructions:

1. Using a mini food processor, finely chop garlic. Add next six ingredients and pulse until hummus texture. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with red pepper flakes.
   

Liz's Rating: 8/10
Tim's Rating: 8/10

One-Minute Salsa

Inspiration:
A Cook's Illustrated recipe featured in my CSA newsletter
as well as tomatoes, serrano pepper, onion, garlic, and cilantro from my CSA. (Everything except lime, salt, and ground pepper- I love it when that happens.)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 small serano or jalapeño chile or 1/2 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced
• 1/4 small red onion , peeled and root end removed
• 1 small clove garlic , minced or pressed
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
  
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• pinch ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons lime juice from 1 lime
• 2 small tomatoes (about 3/4 pound), ripe, each cored and cut into eighths, or one (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
  

Instructions:

1. Pulse all ingredients except tomatoes in food processor until minced, about five 1-second pulses, scraping sides of bowl as necessary. Add tomatoes and pulse until roughly chopped, about two 1-second pulses.
   
   To Make Ahead:
   The salsa can be refrigerated, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to 2 days. Season with additional lime juice and salt before serving.

Notes:
This took me five minutes, not one minute to make. However, it's worth it because it's SO GOOD. Next time I will add an entire serrano pepper, because we love spicy food.

Liz's Rating: 9/10
Tim's Rating: 9/10

Black and White Bean Dip

Inspiration:
Are you ready for some football?!?!? We wanted to have some dip while watching Brett Favre make his regular-season debut with the Jets. Sigh, we miss having you as a Packer, Favre.
I adapted this recipe from Annie's Eats, originally from My Kitchen Café. Check out Annie's blog-- it's one of my favorites.


Ingredients:

• 1 can black beans

• 1 can white beans

• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
  

• 7 oz. hot salsa (I recommend Habañero Lime)
  

• 2 cups shredded co-jack cheese

• 1 cup chopped tomatoes

• garlic salt to taste

• cilantro to garnish
  

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Rinse and drain both cans of beans. Squeeze the liquid out of tomatoes before chopping so the dip doesn’t turn runny. Put all ingredients except cilantro in a bowl and mix together. Grease a shallow baking dish before spooning in the bean mixture. Sprinkle a little cheese on top.
2. Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and the dip is heated through. Remove from the oven and top with cilantro.
3. Serve with tortilla chips.

Notes:
We decided to try this dip and compare it to the bean dip that Tim rated an 11/10. Tim's brother had tried both and said we should give it a shot. My brother-in-law and his girlfriend recommended their additions and substitutions: adding in a can of diced green chilies and substituting pepperjack cheese. I think that would taste delicious! We had co-jack cheese on hand and very spicy salsa, so we tried that instead.

Tim's Rating: 8.5/10 ("I think I prefer hot bean dip to be made with refried beans, but this was still good.")
Liz's Rating: 8.5/10

Ranch Dressing

Inspiration:
An increasing dislike for bottled salad dressings and this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon dried chives
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, chives, parsley, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
   
2. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

Notes:
Perfect flavor!
It's a little thick for salad dressing, so you may want to thin it out with some buttermilk.

Liz's Rating: 10/10
Tim's Rating: 9/10

Tim Cooks: Tangy Lemon-Caper Dip

Inspiration:
A desire for a dip for our CSA veggies, and a recipe found in Better Homes and Gardens.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces light sour cream
• 1/2 cup yogurt, low-fat plain
• 1 tablespoon capers, drained and finely-chopped
• 2 teaspoons snipped fresh dill (or 1/2 teaspoon dried dill)
• 1/2 teaspoon finely-shredded lemon peel
• lemon peel and dill for garnish
  
• Assorted vegetable dippers (such as peeled baby carrots, zucchini slices, pea pods, yellow summer squash sticks, and/or red sweet pepper strips)

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, stir together sour cream, yogurt, capers, the 2 teaspoons snipped dill, and the 1/2 teaspoon lemon peel.
2. To serve, garnish with additional lemon peel and additional fresh dill or thyme. Serve with dippers.

Recipe Notes:
Nutritional Info (Per serving): Calories: 32, Saturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 36mg, Dietary Fiber: 0g, Total Fat: 2g, Carbs: 2g, Cholesterol: 8mg, Protein: 1g. Exchanges: Fat: 0.5

Tim's Rating: 8/10
Liz's Rating: 8/10

Spicy Garlic Wings with Blue Cheese Dip

Inspiration:
My love for Buffalo Wild Wings' Spicy Garlic Wings
This sauce recipe
These wing and blue cheese recipes


Spicy Garlic Wing Sauce:
Makes 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Frank's cayenne pepper
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons water
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients except egg yolk, water, and cornstarch for sauce of your choice in a small saucepan. Heat sauce over medium heat until boiling, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and allow it to cool, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
2. While sauce cools, vigorously whisk egg yolk with 2 teaspoons water in a medium bowl for about 2 minutes or color is pale yellow. Whisk in cornstarch until dissolved.
   
3. Drizzle sauce mixture into egg yolk mixture in a steady stream while rapidly whisking. This will create a thick, creamy emulsion that will prevent oil from separating.
   
4. Cover sauce and chill until needed.

_______________
Baked Buffalo Wings:

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs chicken wings (about 12 wings)

Instructions:

1. Cut off wing tips (discard or reserve for other use such as making stock). Cut wings at the joint. Put chicken wing pieces in a plastic bag. Set aside.
2. Pour all but 2 tablespoons of the sauce over the chicken pieces in the plastic bag. (Reserve sauce for coating after the pieces come out of the oven.) Seal bag and let marinate at room temperature for half an hour. When marinating is finished, drain marinade and discard bag.
3. Place wing pieces on the rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat for about 10 minutes on each side, until chicken is tender and no longer pink. Remove from oven and baste with reserved marinade.
   

___________

Blue Cheese Dip:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sour cream
  
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
  
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  
• 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar or white vinegar
  
• 1 clove garlic, minced

Instructions:

1. Combine dip ingredients - sour cream, mayonnaise, blue cheese, vinegar, and garlic - in a blender or food processor. Blend or pulse until smooth. Cover and chill up to a week.
2. Serve with wings and celery sticks.
   

Notes: I was not impressed with the baked buffalo wings. The skin was not crispy. Since I don't want to buy a deep fryer, I probably won't make wings again at home. The wing sauce was delicious, and I will definitely try it with another recipe in the future. The blue cheese dip was so good-- would be a delicious salad dressing too.

Tim's Ratings: Wing Sauce: 9/10; Wings: 7/10; Blue Cheese Dip: 9/10
Liz's Ratings: Wing Sauce: 9.5/10; Wings: 6/10; Blue Cheese Dip: 10/10
Mom's Rating: Blue Cheese Dip: 10/10

Tim's Queso

Inspiration: March Madness

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Velveeta, cut into chunks
• 1 can cheddar cheese soup
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1/3 cup salsa
• 1/4 pound browned ground beef (optional)
• Tortilla chips
  

Instructions:

1. Place all ingredients in 2-quart saucepan.
2. Stir until melted.
3. Serve with chips.
   

Tim's Rating: 10/10
Liz's Rating: 6/10

Hot Bean Dip

(not my photo)

Inspiration:
allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 (16 ounce) cans refried beans
• 1/2 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
• 5 drops hot pepper sauce
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 (8 ounce) package shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• Tortilla chips
  

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, blend the cream cheese and sour cream.
   
3. Mix in the refried beans, taco seasoning, hot pepper sauce, parsley, green onions, 1/2 the Cheddar cheese and 1/2 the Monterey Jack cheese.
   
4. Transfer the mixture to an 8x12 inch baking dish, and top with remaining Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses.
5. Bake in the preheated oven 20 to 30 minutes, until cheese is slightly browned.

Tim's Rating: 11/10

Beer Dip

Inspiration:
allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 (1 ounce) package ranch dressing mix
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup beer (preferably pale ale or stout)
• Pretzel rods
  

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese and dressing mix.
   
2. Stir in Cheddar cheese, and then beer. The mixture will appear mushy.
   
3. Cover bowl, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, overnight if possible.
4. Serve with pretzel rods.
   

Tim's Rating: ?/10
Liz's Rating: 8/10