Sunday, November 13, 2011

Dips and Spreads

Lately, I've been on a dip craze, sweet dip, salty dip, cheese dip, chip dip, veggie dip.
So what type of dip do you like?!
Just kidding, I'm not a crazy dip freak.
Here's a side note for anyone who wants to turn a basic dip into something special of their own, be sure to add an ingredient that will add some fluidity to your mix; nothing slows a food processor (that's where I make all my dip) like an ooey gooey mixture. For fluidity, I use sour cream, regardless of what type of special dip I'm making; the flavor is subtle enough that you can use it without affecting the overall flavor.
Onto the dip making!!

Fruit and Cheese Dip
Ingredients:
Triple Berry Jam (recipe later, good for toast and crackers too!!)
Sour Cream
Milk
Sharp Cheddar/any cheese that is tasty with fruit (DO NOT use american cheese slices, those ruin the gourmet flavor)

Step 1. Slice a few slices of cheese, 3-4 slices is usually enough
Step 2. Place cheese slices into a blender and blend till you get itty little bits (about the size of pin heads, or dewdrops if you don't know what a pin head is)
Step 3. Place a dollop of sour cream into the food processor (I called it blender but I mean this) and pulse
Step 4. Add a teaspoon of milk and pulse until smooth
Step 5. In whatever container you plan to store/serve your dip, fill it with about as much jam as you have cheese mix.
Step 6. Add the cheese mix to the container and mix with a spoon until thoroughly incorporated. Now eat with whatever you want (it's especially good on crackers)

Jam Note: the jam may be made by mixing together equal portions of blackberry, raspberry, and strawberry jam/preserves

Chip Dip
Follow steps 1-4 of the previous recipe, add a tablespoon of cream cheese, and now you have chip dip!!
Goes well with tortilla chips.

Tomato Goodness Spread
This goes will with crackers, on toast, between two slices of bread it makes a great sandwich for lunch, yummy!!

Ingredients:
Can of Sardines (drain sardines)
Sundried tomatoes (6-8)
Cream Cheese 4 oz
Sour Cream 2 dollops

Step 1. Place sour cream and sundried tomatoes in blender and pulse until combined well
Step 2. Place remaining ingredients into food processor and blend until combined, and now you have a yummy spread!!

Pasta Dip
Just mix it into pasta and tada, delicious!!
...so it's not really dip, but it looks like it, and since you're using a food processor you might as well learn to make this as well.
Place the following into a blender and pulse to combine, then you have yourself something to make pasta taste yummy!!
Sundried tomatoes and cream cheese
Spinach and cream cheese

That's all for today (I'll try to make posts more frequent)

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Oddly Delicious

Here's a few unique food combinations that may raise your eyebrows, but they're definitely tasty. :)

  1. Peanut Butter Banana Sandwich- the classic sandwich in the category of unique food combos
  2. French Fries with a milkshake- simply delicious combo of sweet and salty
  3. Ham Sandwich with some pineapple yogurt- sounds really weird, I know, but it's really good--much like pineapple pizza, if that's your fancy
  4. Corn Beef Stew with Cornbread- corn beef, corn bread, they were made for eachother!!
  5. Peanut Butter and Nutella- it's like a peanut butter cup in the form of a sandwich!! Not to mention, goes great with a glass of milk
  6. Apples and Peanut Butter- this snack is super delicious, though a bit hard to manage since the peanut butter doesn't stick too well to a freshly cut apple--if you want it to stick really well you'll have to let your apple sit for a few minutes after being cut so it can dry a little; though your apple will be brown, the peanut butter will stick to it and taste great :)
  7. Cream of Chicken Soup+Cheese-use this to top rice and it will probably be one of the most delicious things you'll ever eat
  8. Smoked ham and pineapple preserves in a crepe- another ham pineapple combo, it's really good in a crepe as well!!
And there's eight oddly delicious foods, enjoy!!