Super Bowl is coming up...
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,482
Likes: 3
From: Wylie, TX
Just a couple of quick & easy dips:
Raspberry Chipotle Cream Cheese Dip
1 block of Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1 jar of Raspberry Chipotle salsa
1 box of Wheat Thins
Pour about half the jar of salsa over the cream cheese. Serve with Wheat Thins.
Sweet Jalapeno Dip
1 block of Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1 jar of sliced jalapenos (not sure what size... about 8oz?)
some sugar
1 box of Wheat Thins
Drain the jar of jalapenos. Put jalapenos into a food processor just long enough to dice (optional). Put the jalapenos back into the original jar and pour in sugar (at least fill half of the jar). Put the lid back on the jar and shake vigorously for about a minute. Pour the contents over the cream cheese and serve with Wheat Thins.
Awesome Queso
1 one-pound block Velveeta cheese
1 10oz can Rotel Original diced tomatoes
1 10oz can cream of chicken
1 lb Jimmy Dean ground sausage (choose flavor to your taste, I usually use Regular)
Tortilla chips
Dice the Velveeta cheese & put it in crock pot (or other big queso pot). Brown the sausage and add to cheese. Stir in tomatoes & cream of chicken. Cook in crock pot, stirring occasionally, until melted. Serve w/ tortilla chips. You can add a bit of milk if you'd like, though I usually don't. Sometimes this helps keep it from sticking to the sides of the crock pot.
Raspberry Chipotle Cream Cheese Dip
1 block of Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1 jar of Raspberry Chipotle salsa
1 box of Wheat Thins
Pour about half the jar of salsa over the cream cheese. Serve with Wheat Thins.
Sweet Jalapeno Dip
1 block of Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1 jar of sliced jalapenos (not sure what size... about 8oz?)
some sugar
1 box of Wheat Thins
Drain the jar of jalapenos. Put jalapenos into a food processor just long enough to dice (optional). Put the jalapenos back into the original jar and pour in sugar (at least fill half of the jar). Put the lid back on the jar and shake vigorously for about a minute. Pour the contents over the cream cheese and serve with Wheat Thins.
Awesome Queso
1 one-pound block Velveeta cheese
1 10oz can Rotel Original diced tomatoes
1 10oz can cream of chicken
1 lb Jimmy Dean ground sausage (choose flavor to your taste, I usually use Regular)
Tortilla chips
Dice the Velveeta cheese & put it in crock pot (or other big queso pot). Brown the sausage and add to cheese. Stir in tomatoes & cream of chicken. Cook in crock pot, stirring occasionally, until melted. Serve w/ tortilla chips. You can add a bit of milk if you'd like, though I usually don't. Sometimes this helps keep it from sticking to the sides of the crock pot.
Registered User
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 9,409
Likes: 0
From: Calgary
Originally Posted by Elistan,Jan 18 2010, 04:15 PM
Guacamole:
Avocado
Garlic
Onion
Tomato
Olive oil
Lime juice
Salt
Pepper
Jalapeno
Chipotle
No cilantro, I'm one of those people who HATE cilantro
Avocado
Garlic
Onion
Tomato
Olive oil
Lime juice
Salt
Pepper
Jalapeno
Chipotle
No cilantro, I'm one of those people who HATE cilantro
Also, does it matter about the color & firmness of the avacados? I've never made guac but would like to.
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 15,323
Likes: 28
From: Longmont, CO
Regarding the avocados, they need to have some give to them but not so much that they feel like your fingers could easily squish through the skin. An overly firm avocado is NOT ready yet. The flesh should be various shades of green all the way through - no brown.
I don't have specific quantities of the ingredients. We just add until it tastes "right." I'll try to think of some guidelines...
To make enough quac for four people, I'd start with two medium Haas avocados. (I find that the large avocados don't supply much more flesh, because the seed is proportionally larger.) Partially mash the flesh so that it's a good consistency for dipping, but there are still some avocado chunks in there. (For this superbowl, we're going to a party with 50+ people, and everybody is bringing their own dish to share. We'll probably do 6 or 8 avocados.)
Finely dice 1/4 of a sweet white onion. (Sweet onions are less pungent than other ones, and don't overpower the dish.)
Put one garlic clove through a press, but only add half of that. You can add more later once you put everything in - garlic level is very much "to taste" depending on what you like and how strong your garlic is.
Dice the tomato(s) - about half a cup's worth, I'd estimate.
About a tablespoon of olive oil. It brings its own flavor, and adds some more creamy texture.
Juice half a lime. (The other half you can add later, again after tasting the dish.)
Pinch of salt, a few grinds of pepper. (Again, to taste - be easy on the salt. You want enough to enhance the other flavors, but not so much to be a loud note on its own.)
For the jalapeno, finely dice a small one into 1/8-inch bits. It's up to you whether you should add the seeds and inner membrane, depending on how much heat you want.
A dash of chipotle powder adds some more heat, and a wonderful smokey flavor. It'll darken the dish some, but that's okay IMO.
Throw everything into a bowl and mix it just enough to get a uniform consistency. Don't overdo it. Until you get a sense of how much of what you like, I'd suggest adding the non-avocado ingredients bit by bit, tasting as you go, until you find your optimal proportions. (Even though this does require more mixing. Just be gentle.) A simplified version of the dish would have just the following ingredients - avocado, tomato, onion and lime.
The most important aspect is to use fresh everything. It's amazing how much of a difference using fresh ingredients makes.
I don't have specific quantities of the ingredients. We just add until it tastes "right." I'll try to think of some guidelines...
To make enough quac for four people, I'd start with two medium Haas avocados. (I find that the large avocados don't supply much more flesh, because the seed is proportionally larger.) Partially mash the flesh so that it's a good consistency for dipping, but there are still some avocado chunks in there. (For this superbowl, we're going to a party with 50+ people, and everybody is bringing their own dish to share. We'll probably do 6 or 8 avocados.)
Finely dice 1/4 of a sweet white onion. (Sweet onions are less pungent than other ones, and don't overpower the dish.)
Put one garlic clove through a press, but only add half of that. You can add more later once you put everything in - garlic level is very much "to taste" depending on what you like and how strong your garlic is.
Dice the tomato(s) - about half a cup's worth, I'd estimate.
About a tablespoon of olive oil. It brings its own flavor, and adds some more creamy texture.
Juice half a lime. (The other half you can add later, again after tasting the dish.)
Pinch of salt, a few grinds of pepper. (Again, to taste - be easy on the salt. You want enough to enhance the other flavors, but not so much to be a loud note on its own.)
For the jalapeno, finely dice a small one into 1/8-inch bits. It's up to you whether you should add the seeds and inner membrane, depending on how much heat you want.
A dash of chipotle powder adds some more heat, and a wonderful smokey flavor. It'll darken the dish some, but that's okay IMO.
Throw everything into a bowl and mix it just enough to get a uniform consistency. Don't overdo it. Until you get a sense of how much of what you like, I'd suggest adding the non-avocado ingredients bit by bit, tasting as you go, until you find your optimal proportions. (Even though this does require more mixing. Just be gentle.) A simplified version of the dish would have just the following ingredients - avocado, tomato, onion and lime.
The most important aspect is to use fresh everything. It's amazing how much of a difference using fresh ingredients makes.
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 15,323
Likes: 28
From: Longmont, CO
Our second favorite dip, hummus.
In a food processor, add:
Two cans garbanzo beans, drained (aka, chick peas)
A few spoonfuls of tahini (basically, sesame seed paste)
A drizzle of olive oil
A squeeze of lemon juice
Some garlic from a press
Ping of salt
Process until a smooth paste. Adjust olive oil to optimize the emulsion. Adjust lemon and salt to taste. Be careful to not overdo the garlic - we did on our first batch. Ugh.
Top with a bit more olive oil just before serving.
Some sort of flat bread, like pita, is the traditional accompaniment. Crackers or puffed rice cakes work very well, too - I like the contrast between the crunch and the smooth hummus.
In a food processor, add:
Two cans garbanzo beans, drained (aka, chick peas)
A few spoonfuls of tahini (basically, sesame seed paste)
A drizzle of olive oil
A squeeze of lemon juice
Some garlic from a press
Ping of salt
Process until a smooth paste. Adjust olive oil to optimize the emulsion. Adjust lemon and salt to taste. Be careful to not overdo the garlic - we did on our first batch. Ugh.
Top with a bit more olive oil just before serving.
Some sort of flat bread, like pita, is the traditional accompaniment. Crackers or puffed rice cakes work very well, too - I like the contrast between the crunch and the smooth hummus.
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 15,323
Likes: 28
From: Longmont, CO
If you're the grilling type, sliders.
Take two lbs of ground beef and mix in:
Teaspoon salt
Teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 Teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 Teaspoon onion powder
Form into thick 1/4-pound patties
Refrigerate overnight
Grill 3min per side on direct medium-high heat. For me, the ideal burger's interior should still be rather red. And absolutely dripping with juice. It should end up about 3/4-inch thick and 1.5-inch diameter. A toasted dinner roll (I LOVE pan au lait for this) makes the perfect bun.
My toppings?
A little mayo, a little ketchup, fresh spinach, a dollop of spicy pickle relish (Wickles brand.)
Take two lbs of ground beef and mix in:
Teaspoon salt
Teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 Teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 Teaspoon onion powder
Form into thick 1/4-pound patties
Refrigerate overnight
Grill 3min per side on direct medium-high heat. For me, the ideal burger's interior should still be rather red. And absolutely dripping with juice. It should end up about 3/4-inch thick and 1.5-inch diameter. A toasted dinner roll (I LOVE pan au lait for this) makes the perfect bun.
My toppings?
A little mayo, a little ketchup, fresh spinach, a dollop of spicy pickle relish (Wickles brand.)
Registered User
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 9,409
Likes: 0
From: Calgary
Originally Posted by Elistan,Jan 19 2010, 01:02 PM
Regarding the avocados, they need to have some give to them but not so much that they feel like your fingers could easily squish through the skin. An overly firm avocado is NOT ready yet. The flesh should be various shades of green all the way through - no brown.
I don't have specific quantities of the ingredients. We just add until it tastes "right." I'll try to think of some guidelines...
To make enough quac for four people, I'd start with two medium Haas avocados. (I find that the large avocados don't supply much more flesh, because the seed is proportionally larger.) Partially mash the flesh so that it's a good consistency for dipping, but there are still some avocado chunks in there. (For this superbowl, we're going to a party with 50+ people, and everybody is bringing their own dish to share. We'll probably do 6 or 8 avocados.)
Finely dice 1/4 of a sweet white onion. (Sweet onions are less pungent than other ones, and don't overpower the dish.)
Put one garlic clove through a press, but only add half of that. You can add more later once you put everything in - garlic level is very much "to taste" depending on what you like and how strong your garlic is.
Dice the tomato(s) - about half a cup's worth, I'd estimate.
About a tablespoon of olive oil. It brings its own flavor, and adds some more creamy texture.
Juice half a lime. (The other half you can add later, again after tasting the dish.)
Pinch of salt, a few grinds of pepper. (Again, to taste - be easy on the salt. You want enough to enhance the other flavors, but not so much to be a loud note on its own.)
For the jalapeno, finely dice a small one into 1/8-inch bits. It's up to you whether you should add the seeds and inner membrane, depending on how much heat you want.
A dash of chipotle powder adds some more heat, and a wonderful smokey flavor. It'll darken the dish some, but that's okay IMO.
Throw everything into a bowl and mix it just enough to get a uniform consistency. Don't overdo it. Until you get a sense of how much of what you like, I'd suggest adding the non-avocado ingredients bit by bit, tasting as you go, until you find your optimal proportions. (Even though this does require more mixing. Just be gentle.) A simplified version of the dish would have just the following ingredients - avocado, tomato, onion and lime.
The most important aspect is to use fresh everything. It's amazing how much of a difference using fresh ingredients makes.
I don't have specific quantities of the ingredients. We just add until it tastes "right." I'll try to think of some guidelines...
To make enough quac for four people, I'd start with two medium Haas avocados. (I find that the large avocados don't supply much more flesh, because the seed is proportionally larger.) Partially mash the flesh so that it's a good consistency for dipping, but there are still some avocado chunks in there. (For this superbowl, we're going to a party with 50+ people, and everybody is bringing their own dish to share. We'll probably do 6 or 8 avocados.)
Finely dice 1/4 of a sweet white onion. (Sweet onions are less pungent than other ones, and don't overpower the dish.)
Put one garlic clove through a press, but only add half of that. You can add more later once you put everything in - garlic level is very much "to taste" depending on what you like and how strong your garlic is.
Dice the tomato(s) - about half a cup's worth, I'd estimate.
About a tablespoon of olive oil. It brings its own flavor, and adds some more creamy texture.
Juice half a lime. (The other half you can add later, again after tasting the dish.)
Pinch of salt, a few grinds of pepper. (Again, to taste - be easy on the salt. You want enough to enhance the other flavors, but not so much to be a loud note on its own.)
For the jalapeno, finely dice a small one into 1/8-inch bits. It's up to you whether you should add the seeds and inner membrane, depending on how much heat you want.
A dash of chipotle powder adds some more heat, and a wonderful smokey flavor. It'll darken the dish some, but that's okay IMO.
Throw everything into a bowl and mix it just enough to get a uniform consistency. Don't overdo it. Until you get a sense of how much of what you like, I'd suggest adding the non-avocado ingredients bit by bit, tasting as you go, until you find your optimal proportions. (Even though this does require more mixing. Just be gentle.) A simplified version of the dish would have just the following ingredients - avocado, tomato, onion and lime.
The most important aspect is to use fresh everything. It's amazing how much of a difference using fresh ingredients makes.
I will be giving it a shot, along with various other items including the sliders. I like the idea of smaller, few bite burgers instead of big filling ones.
