Homemade French Onion Dip

Let's be honest -- we all LOVE French onion dip made with sour cream and a packet of Lipton onion soup mix.  It's salty, creamy, tangy and plain-old delicious, especially on a potato chip.  But sometimes you want an elevated onion dip and every time I've made this, people have RAVED about it.   It takes a bit of time to put together because you need to caramelize onions, but it's so easy to make.

4 large yellow onions, diced

1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons of salt

2 teaspoons of dried thyme

1 teaspoon of fresh cracked black pepper

2 tablespoons of Worchestershire sauce  (if you will be feeding this to vegetarians, you can skip this ingredient as it includes anchovies)

1/3 cup of grated parmigiano reggiano cheese

16 ounces of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

Place the diced onions in a saute pan and add the salt, pepper, thyme and olive oil.  Mix thoroughly, cover the pan, and turn the heat onto its lowest setting.   For the next 30 minutes, stir the onions every 10 minutes and keep them covered.  By the end of this 30 minutes, they should be swimming in a lot of liquid.  Now take the cover off and turn the heat up ever so slightly, and stir them every 5 minutes.   The liquid will begin to thicken and evaporate and over the course of the next 30 or so minutes, and the onions will begin to gently turn a light brown as they caramelize.   Once they are all a nice rich golden brown, turn off the burner and let them cool.

Once cooled, add them to the sour cream or Green yogurt, and add the Worchestershire sauce and the grated cheese.  Stir thoroughly and taste for seasoning, adding more of any of the seasonings as desired.

Let it sit for at least a few hours before serving so the flavors can all meld together.

As an optional variation, you could also add 8 ounces of finely diced mushrooms (I like crimini best, but white button or any other variety are fine!) to the onions when they are just about done and cook these down for about 10 minutes until they're very tender.  This adds a nice earthy-flavor to the dip as long as all your guests like mushrooms.

Stuffed Mushrooms

I love a good stuffed mushroom, either as finger food, an appetizer, or even a main course.   They are incredibly versatile and the stuffing can be as varied as your imagination allows.  I'm going to give you a very basic recipe and then suggestions for how you can customize these, but don't be limited by my suggestions.  

16 ounces of good whole mushrooms.   I like Baby Bellas (small portobello mushrooms) because they've got a hearty taste.  But if you like something mellower, feel free to use white button mushrooms.  The important thing is that they have a nice hollow interior to stuff .

1 small onion, diced

3-4 large garlic cloves, minced

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Bread crumbs (any kind will do)

Take your mushrooms and if there's any dirt on them, wipe it off with a damp paper towel.  DO NOT rinse your mushrooms with water because they will absorb too much and it will ruin the texture of your finished product.

Remove all the stems from your mushrooms and mince them up.

Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil with a pinch of salt and some pepper until translucent and then add the minced mushroom stems and continue to saute for another 4-5 minutes.  

When the mushroom, onion and garlic mixture is cooked, add in enough bread crumbs to make it all come together.   Roughly 2/3 of a cup.  You can use plain or seasoned, fine or panko.  They're all good.  Toss with enough additional olive oil to bring it all together, and taste your mixture for salt and pepper.  Adjust to your taste.

You can now spoon this mixture into your mushrooms.  Really pack it in there and leave a nice mound on the top.   Put them in a baking dish and roast them in a 450 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes.  They're done when the top is golden brown.

Now for the customization -- you can take the basic mixture and add pretty much anything you want.

To keep things vegetarian, add some chopped spinach, shredded carrots and/or zucchini, etc.  Or you could caramelize a few more onions and add them and some thyme to the mixture.

It's always great to add some cheese -- I like parmigiano reggiano or crumbled feta, but again, whatever is your favorite is great!  A good smoked cheese would be delicious too.

Crabmeat or crumbled sausage is also a popular add-in and turns this into a much heartier dish that could serve as a main course.  Indeed, if you've ever been to a real NYC diner, crabmeat stuffed mushrooms are a very popular entree.  

These are just a few suggestions -- the sky is the limit and whatever flavor combos you like can work in this recipe.

Corn and Coconut Bisque

I can't really take credit for this recipe.  Two of my best friends and I recently dined at a lovely restaurant in Rehoboth Beach, DE and we had the most delicious soup.  And of course, I went home and tried to recreate it and found it very easy to do!  All you need is a few ingredients to make this yourself.  This will be best with fresh corn, bought in season.   But if you can find a good quality frozen corn, you could use that too. 

32 ounces of chicken or vegetable broth (homemade is best, but if you use store bought, go for a low sodium broth)
1 can of coconut milk (the low-fat variety is fine)
4 large ears of corn or 3-4 cups of good quality frozen corn
Salt and pepper to taste
Crab meat, green onion, and/or bacon for garnish (all optional)

Add the broth, coconut milk and corn to a pot and bring to a low boil.   Cook for about 10 minutes.

Strain out about 2/3 cup of corn and then using either a blender or immersion blender, puree the rest of the corn and liquid. 

Taste the pureed soup and add salt and pepper to taste.  Go easy on the pepper -- this is a pretty delicate soup and you don't want to overwhelm it.

When it's ready to serve, you can garnish with crumbled crab meat, crumbled bacon, minced green onion, or whatever else may strike your fancy!

Basil and pea pesto

As a general rule, I don't really care much for peas.  But when they're in this pesto recipe, I LOVE them.  There's something about the taste and texture when mixed with traditional pesto that really works for me.

You simply start with your basic basil pesto recipe, https://judyfoodislove.blogspot.com/2013/10/pesto-sauce.html, and then add a cup of cooked (and cooled) peas and other 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil.  Voila!  

This is great as a dip, a spread on sandwiches or, of course, as a pasta sauce.

Veggie Tots

Here's a healthier alternative to tater tots AND a way to get your reluctant vegetable eaters to embrace their veggies.  (Even my husband eats broccoli when it's in a tot!)  You could use virtually any veggie you'd like, but I'm partial to broccoli and/or zucchini -- they're great together!

If you use zucchini, you should shred it on a grater and then wrap in a clean dish towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible before making the tot.

Leafy veggies like spinach or kale should be chopped, pre-cooked, and all the excess water squeezed out of them.

All other veggies should be pre-cooked and well drained before putting into the tot mixture.

2 cups finely minced or shredded veggies
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3-4 cloves of garlic either grated or finely minced
1/3 cup finely shredded cheese.  I'm partial to parmigiano reggiano cheese, but you can just whatever cheese is your favorite.
If you want to add a few pinches of fresh or dried herbs, feel free -- thyme, parsley, and/or rosemary would be delicious!
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs (plain or seasoned -- whichever you prefer) OR 1/2 cup minced or mashed potatoes. (for a gluten free option).

Stir all ingredients except for the breadcrumbs/potato together.  Then fold in the breadcrumbs or potato, keeping the mixture loose.  As you feel it, it should still be pretty moist, with just enough bread crumbs or potato to hold the mixture together.

Roll them into bite-sized tots, being careful not to compact them too tightly or they will be too dense when cooked.

Place them on a lightly oiled or non-stick sheet-pan and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, until they're lightly browned.

Hope these are a big hit with kids and adults!

Layered Greek Dip

I have to credit my sister-in-law Holli for this gem of a recipe -- she brought it to a party at my house and it was a HUGE hit with everyone.   And it's so easy to make -- even if you can't cook at all, you can make this and impress people at your next party.

I think a large shallow bowl works best for this in terms of presentation and function, but do feel free to use whatever type of bowl you prefer.

The first layer is 8 ounces of hummus.
Then sprinkle 8 ounces of chopped artichoke hearts over the hummus.
The next layer is 8 ounces of tzatziki sauce.
Then sprinkle 8 ounces of chopped roasted red peppers.
Follow that with 8 ounces of crumbled feta cheese.
Top that with 1/2 cup of minced flat leaf parsely.
Zest one lemon over the top of the parsley and sprinkle with chopped kalamata olives, to taste.

Serve with pita chips and enjoy!

French Onion Soup

This is such an elegant soup that always impresses and is VERY easy to make.  A great first course for a dinner party, or as an accompaniment to a sandwich or salad.

5 pounds of yellow onions
1 stick butter (salted or unsalted)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. thyme
32 ounces low-salt or no-salt beef broth (or vegetable broth)
1/4 cup sherry
Extra salt and pepper to taste

To prep the onions, peel them, cut in half, cutting through the bottom stem piece that will hold the onion halves together, and then slice them thinly.  They need not be paper thin, so don't worry about being too precise.

Melt the butter in a pan large enough to hold all the sliced onions, and add the onions to the melted butter.  Sprinkle them with 1 tsp. of salt, which will help them release their water.  Keep the heat on medium, toss the onions throughly in the salt and butter, cover tightly with a lid, and let them cook for 10 minutes.   Then stir them up, cover and cook for 10 more minutes.

At some point, you'll notice that the onions start to brown ever so slightly - at this point, turn the heat down to medium or low, and start checking them after every 5 minutes.  Leave the cover off because you will have a lot of water released from the onions and you want it to evaporate.   After about 35-40 minutes, they will have all turned a nice rich light brown, will be the texture of marmalade, and they will be perfectly carmelized.

At this point, add the pepper, thyme, broth and sherry.   Bring it up to a low boil for a few minutes to burn off the alcohol, then cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 30 minutes.

Then taste to see if it needs more salt or pepper and add to taste.

When ready to serve, ladle the soup into an oven-safe mug, bowl or ramekin.  Cover with toasted bread or croutons, and add some shredded cheese to the top -- Swiss or Gruyere are very traditional, but you can use whatever you like best -- I love mozzarella or smoked gouda.

Place under a broiler just long enough to let the cheese melt, and serve.

Enjoy the rewards of your culinary labor!

Duck Bacon Lollipops

This appetizer is a staple at our annual Game Dinner and many neighborhood pot-luck dinners -- mostly because there's a wonderful boy in our neighborhood who loves this dish more than just about anything else :)  I use duck bacon that I purchase at Balducci's in Alexandria but you can also order it on-line:  http://www.dartagnan.com/Uncured-Smoked-Duck-Bacon/PSMBD002-1,default,pd.html.

You'll need bamboo skewers that you should soak for an hour before using so they don't burn up in the oven.

Cut the bacon in half and then put a piece on each skewer and then arrange them on a baking tray.

Drizzle them lightly with real maple syrup.

Place in a 400 degree oven for about 7-10 minutes until slightly crisp.

Serve and enjoy!

German-style salad

Recently, good friends of our hosted a gourmet German dinner party and I offered to bring a salad.  I perused various German salad recipes but all were either too heavy, or just not appealing in the context of the dinner I knew we were having.   So after reading a lot of them, I took various elements that I liked from many of them, combined them into one salad and, even if I do say so myself, it was delicious!

About 2 hours before serving, I combined the following in a large bowl:

1 bag of shredded cabbage
1 large cucumber, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 package of fresh dill, minced

I tossed it with the following dressing and let it marinate:

2 tbsp. sour cream
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

And then right before serving, I also tossed in 6 ounces of dark leafy green lettuce (anything on the darker side would work - -baby kale would be amazing)

Super Bowl '14 Chicken Wings

We have a standing date with close friends of our every Superbowl Sunday and the menu always includes yummy finger food.  I do wings every year, and try to make up a new recipe each year -- something with bold taste, but healthier than fried food.   I really liked the one I did this year and hope you will too.

Marinade

1/3 cup olive oil
Juice of 2 lemons
Zest of one lemon
1 heaping tablespoon of honey mustard
2 tablespoons of smoked paprika
a pinch of red pepper flakes, crushed up a bit
1 tbsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
3 tablespoons of honey

Whisk this all together, and pour it over 3 pounds of chicken wings, making sure they're all coated.   Put them in an airtight container or ziploc bag, and marinate them for 4-6 hours.

Cook them on a grill on low heat so the skin can crisp without drying out the meat.   They should be done after 15 minutes on each side.

Take the leftover marinade and boil it so it reduces to a very thick sauce.  Use this sauce to baste the wings for the last 5 minutes they're on the grill.

Serve hot, warm or cold -- they're good at any temperature!

Ginger-Spiced Sweet Potato Soup

This is a very kid-friendly soup because it pretty much tastes like sweet potato pie in a bowl.

Peel and chop five large sweet potatoes and put into a pot.
Add 32 ounces of chicken or vegetable broth (Swanson's low sodium will not disappoint)
Take a chunk of ginger about the size of your thumb, chop it into 2-3 pieces, and add to the water.
Quarter an orange, squeeze the juice into the pot, and add the remains of the orange to the pot as well.

Bring to a boil and simmer on low until the sweet potatoes are well cooked.

Remove the ginger pieces and orange quarters.

With either an immersion blender or a regular blender, puree the mixture thoroughly.

Then add 1 tablespoon cinnamon and a few grates of fresh nutmeg -- about 1/8 of a teaspoon at most -- you just want this to be a background note in the soup, not a dominant flavor.

Simmer gently for about 10 minutes and then taste for seasoning, including salt, and then keep it simmering until it reduces to your desired consistency.

Try serving this with grilled cheese sandwiches instead of the usual tomato soup and see how the kids like it!

Lentil Soup

1 pound of lentils (any color is fine)
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup carrots, diced
1/2 cup ham, chopped (optional)
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1 tbsp. kosher salt
1 tbsp. smoked paprika
water
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup chopped spinach or escarole (optional)

In a soup pot, heat up the olive oil and add the ham, onion and garlic and salt -- saute until the onions are translucent.

Add the lentils and stir until they're coated with the oil from the onion and garlic saute.

Cover with enough water that it is about 2-3 inches over the top of the lentils and add the rest of the ingredients.   Bring this up to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer and cover for a hour.

After the hour, taste the soup and adjust the seasonings as needed.  Turn the heat up a bit and let it boil for at least 20-30 minutes so it thickens up a bit.

This keeps really well in the fridge for at least a week.

Thanksgiving Leftover Knishes

I was inspired by this article, http://www.myjewishlearning.com/blog/food/2013/11/24/thanksgivukkah-knishes-with-cranberry-mustard/,which my friend Karen Dolan shared with me, and today for lunch, we had Thanksgiving Leftover Knishes!   They can be whatever you want them to be.

I took frozen puff pastry dough, thawed it out a bit, and rolled it out.  Cut it into squares and then filled each square with a mixture of mashed turnips, stuffing, turkey, gravy, cranberries, etc.   Sealed the edges up, brushed it with egg wash (just a beaten egg, brushed on the dough so it browns and shines nicely) and baked them at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.

A new holiday tradition is born!

Kale Salad

I can't take too much credit for this recipe -- it's a salad I've had at a number of restaurants, including Lincoln in DC (http://lincolnrestaurant-dc.com/) and I've just recreated it in my own kitchen.   But it's delicious, stays good in the fridge for a number of days, and is so healthy you feel exceedingly virtuous eating it!

4 cups of kale, chopped finely in a food processor
1/4 cup olive oil
Zest and juice of one lemon
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
1/3 cup dried currents, craisins, golden raisins, or whatever your favorite dried fruit is
1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiana reggiano cheese

Mix this all together in a large bowl and let it sit, in the fridge, for at least an hour before eating so that the flavors can all meld together.   Taste before serving to make sure there's enough salt and pepper.

Can also be mixed with equal parts quinoa for a heartier dish.  If you do this, add a little extra olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

I'm sure you've all had some version of this dip -- most frequently made with gobs of mayonnaise. It may be tasty to some, but for those of us who loathe mayo, it's a tough sell. Plus, there are healthier and better tasting (and textured) ways to make it. Determined to improve upon the standard, I came up with my own version, which is below. While I present this as a dip, there's no reason why it can't be used to stuff vegetables such as eggplant or zucchini before roasting, be used as a layer in lasagna, or in many other delicious forms.

The version below is designed to minimize calories but if you want to be really decadent, go for the full-fat versions of everything below -- it will definitely taste better, but believe me, the healthier version tastes pretty fabulous too.

Ingredients:

8 ounces skim ricotta cheese
1 block of low-fat (but not NO fat) cream cheese
1/2 cup of grated parmigiana cheese
8 ounces of low-fat mozzarella cheese
4-5 large garlic cloves, minced or grated
1 teaspoon of dried basil
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon of fresh cracked black pepper
1 frozen package of chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed until all excess water is removed
1 can of artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
5-6 shots of hot pepper sauce (optional -- but it really brings out the flavor and doesn't add any noticeable heat except for the most sensitive of palates)

Let the cream cheese sit out at room temperature for about 30 minutes, and then combine all the ingredients in a large bowl -- a stand-mixer works best, but you can also feel free to dig into this with your hands. Spread this into an oven-safe dish and put into a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes, until it bubbles up all around and is melted through the center. You can also cook this in a microwave. It will take 3-5 minutes, and you should cook it one minute at a time, stirring in between minutes. You can also reheat it in the microwave as it starts to cool.

This is best served on pieces of bruscheta, but it's also great on your favorite crackers, toasted pita bread, and even as a dip for sturdy veggies.

Try this version -- I'll be amazed if you don't like it better than the ones you're used to!

Guacamole

Take 5 ripe avocados (the skin should be black, and they should be soft to a slight squeeze, but not mushy and there should be no gap between the skin and the fruit), cut them in half, remove the pits, and scoop the fruit out into a bowl.

Add the juice of 2 limes (lemons are an acceptable substitute, but I prefer limes), 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 red onion diced into small pieces, and 1/3 cup of your favorite salsa, with the excess liquid drained so you're left with just the solids of the salsa. With your hands (I'm not kidding about this part -- it's the best way to do this!) or a fork, start mushing the avocados and mixing in the other ingredients. I prefer my guacamole with some good avocado chunks still in it, but you can mix as much or as little as you like.

If you want it to have a bit of a kick, either use a hot salsa, or add a few shots of Tabasco sauce.  If you make it ahead of time, put 2-3 of the avocado pits into it to keep it from turning brown, and cover plastic wrap that's right on top of the dip, so no air can get at the surface.

I think it's best served at room temp, but some folks prefer it cold.

White Pizza

One of my favorite comfort foods . . . and I take a shortcut . . I use pre-made dough. Trader Joe's is fabulous, but if you're in an area with lots of good pizza parlors (ie, NYC), they will often sell you their dough as well.

For the toppings:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3-5 cloves of garlic, minced finely (or dried garlic, such as Garlic, Garlic from Tastefully Simple.  But do NOT substitute garlic powder)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

Mix all this together, and slather over the pizza dough.

Then take 4 ounces of ricotta cheese, that you drain in a sieve for about 30 minutes to get rid of extra moisture, and dot it all over the dough.

Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and then cover with at least 8 ounces of grated mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 450 degrees for 18-20 minutes, cut and serve!

Feel free to add whatever toppings you like to this -- ones I really love are pine nuts, artichoke hearts and broccoli.  You could also add lightly dressed arugula to this when it's fully cooked.

Antipasti Dishes

For holidays, my Grandma Conti always put out a spread of antipasti so big and delicious, that it was amazing we had room for anything else, let alone the three additional courses that were coming! But we started early, paced ourselves, and usually left the table so full we didn't need to eat for days.

There was a great array of cheese and meats, but also lots of other dishes to snack on. Caponata was always at the table, http://judyfoodislove.blogspot.com/2013/10/caponata.html, and there are some very good pre-prepared brands of caponata, especially Trader Joe's and Progresso. Some other ideas follow. All of these dishes are best served at room temperature for maximum flavor. Make them a day ahead of time for the flavors to really soak in, and then remove from the fridge about an hour before serving.

Marinated artichoke hearts:

2 cans of quartered artichoke hearts, packed in water, drained
Juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon of minced, fresh Italian parsely
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
A pinch of salt

Roasted red peppers:
1 large jar of roasted red pepper, drained and cut into bite-sized slices
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove of garlic, very finely minced
1 teaspoon of red wine or balsamic vinegar

Marinated cannellini beans:

1 can of canellini beans (white kidney beans), drained and rinsed
1/4 red onion, diced finely
1/2 teaspoon of fresh cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar

Other ideas for your spread include pepperoncini (the small, hot Italian peppers) and olives.

Caponata

Caponata is a delicious Sicilian eggplant relish, usually served as part of an antipasti spread. It's sweet and savory, and one of my favorite dishes. It can serve many functions other than antipasto -- I've used it as a pasta sauce, it can be part of a hearty salad, or a delicious side-dish. And it'll keep in the fridge for at least two weeks -- so make a big batch and enjoy it again and again!

1 medium sized eggplant, diced into small cubes (keep the skin on)
2 ribs of celery hearts, chopped
1/2 red onion, diced
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 cup of green olives, chopped (I prefer the basic cocktail olives with pimentos in them -- you don't need anything fancier or more expensive.  Don't use anything too strong like Kalamata olives -- it will overwhelm the dish)
2 teaspoons of capers
3 tablespoons of either red wine or balsamic vinegar or a combo of both
1 tablespoon of sugar
16 ounces of crushed tomatoes (San Marzano tomatoes are best)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon of dried oregano

In a large saute pan, saute the celery, onion and garlic in olive oil -- don't allow them to brown, just "sweat" them until they become translucent. Once they are, add the eggplant and toss together to coat the eggplant with the oil and aromatic veggies. Then add the vinegar and toss quickly so that it distributes throughout the eggplant. Add all the rest of the ingredients, in any order you'd like. Saute on low heat, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes. It should be pretty thick, and not at all runny, when it's done.

As an antipasto or salad, this is best served at room temperature, so if you've chilled it, take it out about an hour before serving.

A few options:

Instead of using sugar, some prefer honey or a few handfuls of raisins to add sweetness.

If you REALLY hate eggplant, you can substitute 2 zucchini for the eggplant.

A friend of mine uses caponata as a sauce for her lasagna -- haven't tried it yet, but I'm sure it's fabulous!