Rosemary-Lemon White Bean Dip

One of the perks of working at a cooking school is getting free food once in a while. Usually it's already been cooked by the chef students, but yesterday there were white beans leftover from a class (that couldn't be put back because they were already soaked). So when someone offered to give them to me, I made this dip. It's simple, but the lemon zest and rosemary make it anything but boring.

ROSEMARY-LEMON WHITE BEAN DIP

Yield: 2 cups

2 cups cooked* white beans (such as cannellini), drained but moist

1 to 3 cloves garlic, peeled

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary

grated zest of 2 lemons

1.      Put the beans in the container of a food processor with 1 clove garlic and a healthy pinch of salt. Turn the machine on, and add the 1/4 cup olive oil in a steady stream through the feed tube; process until the mixture is smooth. Taste, and add more garlic if you like; then, puree the mixture again.

2.      Place the mixture in a bowl, and use a wooden spoon to beat in the rosemary, lemon zest and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Taste, and add more salt and pepper as needed.

3.      Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 3 days.

from Mark Bittman, The New York Times

*HOW TO COOK BEANS:
1.      Soak beans overnight in enough water to cover by 3-4 inches.
2.      Drain and rinse soaked beans.
3.      In a heavy pot, cover beans with a few inches of fresh water and bring to a boil.
      Simmer, covered, until the beans are tender (about 1 to 1 ½ hours). 

cooked beans in food processor with garlic and salt

If you don't have time to soak/cook the
beans, you can always used canned.

pouring in the olive oil

pureed white beans

fresh rosemary

lemon zest

everything in a bowl

rosemary lemon white bean dip

In addition to dipping crackers or vegetables
in it, you can also use it as a sandwich spread.

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Roasted Garlic Bacon Dip

Sometimes you make a recipe and it surprises you. Then there are other times when you end up with exactly what you expected. This was one of those times. I expected lots of luscious mellow roasted garlic flavor melded with salty, smoky bacon and a hint of pungence from the chives and scallions - all enveloped in a blend of creamy mayo and sour cream. And that's exactly what I got. Loved it!

ROASTED GARLIC BACON DIP

Yield: 2 ½ cups

3 heads garlic, left whole and unpeeled

6 slices bacon

1 1/2 cups sour cream

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup chopped chives

1/4 cup chopped scallions

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1.      Heat oven to 400º F.

2.      Cut just enough off the tops of the garlic heads to expose the cloves. Rub each head with olive oil and wrap in foil (or place in a ramekin and cover with foil). Roast until tender and golden, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

3.      While the garlic roasts, lay the bacon strips on a sheet pan and bake at the same temp. for 15 to 20 minutes, or until bacon is very crispy. Blot on paper towels. Once cooled, finely chop.

4.      Once the garlic is cool enough to hold, squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins.

5.      Combine roasted garlic and bacon with the remaining ingredients and season to taste.

barely adapted from gourmetsunday.blogspot.com

roasted garlic

crispy bacon

all ingredients

roasted garlic bacon dip

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Sun-Dried Tomato Dip

I like most dips. It's hard not to with all that sour cream and mayonnaise. I'd almost go so far as to say that it's difficult to make a bad dip (no need to email me about the horrendous dip you were served last week - I said almost). This is an example of good dip. In fact, it reminds me of a dip I used to make when I was in college using Knorr Tomato Basil Soup Mix (which has since been discontinued - damn I'm old). It used to taste great served with cooked cold tortellini. In fact, I wish I'd remembered that yesterday when I served this. Oh well...it wasn't too shabby with vegetables and chips.

 

SUN-DRIED TOMATO DIP

Yield: 2 cups

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped (8 tomatoes)

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup good mayonnaise

10 dashes, hot red pepper sauce (like tabasco)

1 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/2 teaspoon salt)

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)

Puree tomatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, hot sauce, salt and pepper in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add scallions and pulse twice. Serve at room temperature.

from Ina Garten

sun-dried tomatoes, cream cheese, sour cream,
mayonnaise, hot sauce, salt and pepper

I forgot to chop my tomatoes first, but
isn't that what the food processor is for?

pureed; adding scallions

sun-dried tomato dip

sun-dried tomato dip on a cracker

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Blue Cheese Dip

I loved everything about this bold dip, except for the fact that I brought it to a party where the hostess was allergic to blue cheese. Talk about a faux pas. Of course being so gracious, she didn't mind (or didn't seem to mind, because you fake it when you're gracious). I served it with vegetables, potato chips and hot buffalo bugles and the non-allergic party goers really enjoyed the sharp, tangy flavor - a few of them even asked for the recipe (here you go). 

BLUE CHEESE DIP

Yield: about 2 ½ cups

4 oz. blue cheese (preferably Maytag), crumbled

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream

4 scallions, finely chopped (reserve some for garnish)

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 small clove garlic, pressed or crushed and minced

dash of worchestershire sauce

dash of tabasco

pinch of salt

1.      Combine everything in a medium bowl; mix until well blended. Cover and chill in the refrigerator. Best made 1 to 2 days ahead (it improves as it sits).

2.      Garnish with chopped scallions. Serve with chips, vegetables or buffalo wings (if you want it thinner, just stir in a little buttermilk or milk).

adapted from allrecipes.com (submitted by Lisa Fisk)

crumbling the blue cheese

everything else added to the bowl

mixed

blue cheese dip

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Baingan Bharta (Roasted Eggplant Salad)

I'm not surprised they call this baingan bharta because it's totally bangin'. It might not look pretty (at least not this particular photo), but it's scrumptious - creamy, spicy and smoky. I can't help but compare it to baba ganoush and sorry baba g., but baingan bharta wins, hands down. If you make it for a party, be sure to have enough because you'll want to pull yourself up to the bowl and keep it all to yourself. It's so good, you'll find yourself craving eggplant (when was the last time you said that).

BAINGAN BHARTA
(ROASTED EGGPLANT SALAD)

Yield: 4 servings

2 large eggplants

1 tablespoon sesame oil (or peanut oil), plus more for eggplant

1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or peanut oil)

1 medium white onion, finely diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 small serrano pepper, seeded (if you want less heat) and minced

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves and soft stems, minced (plus more leaves for garnish)

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, plus more for sprinkling

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cups Greek yogurt, beaten until smooth

1.      Heat oven to 500º F.

2.      Line a baking sheet with foil. Make 3 slashes in each eggplant, from top to tail, equally distanced around the eggplant. Rub the eggplants with a little sesame oil. Sit them on the baking sheet and roast until soft all the way to the center and the skin is brown, about 45 to 60 minutes, rotating the pan and flipping the eggplants halfway through. Remove from the oven and cool.

3.      Once cool, skin the eggplant. Chop the flesh until it's relatively smooth but not mushy.

4.      In a large skillet, warm the sesame oil and vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the onion and saute until it turns golden brown. Add the eggplant flesh, garlic, chile and cilantro leaves. Cook 2 minutes. Add a splash of water if it begins to stick.

5.      Add the turmeric, cumin, and 2 teaspoons of salt. Stir and cook another 5 minutes.

6.      Turn off the heat. Add the yogurt and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning, and garnish with cilantro leaves and a sprinkle of ground cumin. Serve either warm or slightly chilled.

barely adapted from Aarti Sequeira

raw eggplants

roasted eggplants

roasted eggplants (skins removed)

chopped roasted eggplant

raw onion

golden brown onion

adding eggplant, garlic, chile and cilantro

mixed

adding the yogurt (spices already mixed in)

baingan bharta

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