Blue Cheese & Artichoke Dip
Patricia's Cafe - by Pat McClelland 8 oz Cream Cheese 3 oz Blue Cheese ½ tsp Garlic Powder ½ tsp Onion Powder ¼ tsp Tabasco ½ tsp Kosher Salt ½ oz Roasted Garlic 8 oz Artichoke Harts (cooked) 1. Let the cream cheese and blue cheese come to room temperature. 2. Whip with garlic powder, onion powder, Tabasco and kosher salt. 3. Coarsely chop roasted garlic and artichoke harts and whip into mixture. 4. Heat before serving. If you can find frozen artichoke harts they are easiest and most flavorful. Fresh artichokes are very flavorful but will need to be boiled for about an hour. Canned will do but are light in flavor. It’s not recommended to eat an artichoke when tasting wine because they can make anything eaten after a bite taste sweet. I roasted my garlic in the oven at 450ºF with olive oil for 50 minutes. The left over garlic can be used for just about anything you use fresh garlic for and the oil is great for salads. Elephant garlic will be sweeter and lighter in flavor. This dip can be served with vegetables, chips, or bread. Try using it as a spread on a sandwich with grilled eggplant, onions, lettuce and tomato. To make this lighter in calories, use low fat cream cheese. 
Baba Ganoush (Eggplant dip)
Patricia's Cafe - by Pat McClelland 2 ea Eggplants 1/3 c Fresh lemon juice ¼ c Tahini 6 ea Garlic cloves ½ tsp Kosher salt 1. Bake eggplant at 400°F for about 40 minutes until soft and let cool 2. Skin eggplant and place in a food processor with rest of ingredients and puree until creamy. Baba Ganoush is a popular mezzeh (small appetizers) in the Arab states and is served with flat bread cut. It goes well with hummus and skordalia (a Greek potato garlic dip) as a nice trio of dips with pita bread warmed and cut into wedges. I will often garnish with some olive oil and some diced tomatoes. A little feta cheese works well too as a garnish. Baba Ganoush also works well as a spread on sandwiches with some roasted red peppers, onions, sprouts and feta cheese. As always I like garlic and lemon so feel free to cut back and both or add more if you like more. I always use fresh lemons and juice them myself because it does make a difference in the flavor. I also always use fresh garlic for the same reason. As I have said in the past eggplant is always a tricky one. When picking out an eggplant, there is a trick. If you look at the end (I call it the belly button, on the opposite end of the stem), look for it to have a line as opposed to a dot. This will be sweet not bitter. The eggplant can be cut in half and grilled out on the bar-b-q for a nice grilled flavor. 
Corn & Avocado Relish
4 ea Diced Avocados ½ c Diced Red Onions 1 c Corn 2 ea Diced Tomato ½ c Diced Green Chilies ¼ c Chopped Cilantro 1 tsp Ground Cumin 1 tsp Oregano 1 tsp Garlic Powder 2 tsp Onion Powder ½ tsp Tabasco 1½ tsp Kosher salt ½ c Olive Oil 1. Place all of the ingredients, except avocados, in a bowl and mix well. 2. Add in the avocados and mix without smashing the avocado. Avocados are on the cheap side in the stores right now so you have to enjoy them as much as you can. This relish is great with corn chips but you can try it on a cheeseburger with bacon, or anything you might put salsa on. I cheated and used frozen corn but you can try roasting your corn on the grill when you roast your green chilies to add a nice roasted flavor. Make sure when you are picking out avocados that you get ones that are darker in color that slightly give when pressed with your finger. They are too ripe when they have indentations or when pressed they make an indentation. You also don’t want an avocado that is too green and hard unless you don’t plan to use them for a few days. It generally takes 3 to 5 days for one to ripen at room temp. Avocados are a fruit so they should never be refrigerated before they are cut into. If you do get an avocado before it is ripe, any refrigeration will prevent the ripening process to the point that it will never ripen. If you try to stay away from them because they are high in fat, remember that it is the good fat, the monounsaturated fat, in them that is so good for the body. It is the fat that will condition our hair and skin. It is also the fat that is good for our heart. 
Cranberry Orange Relish
Patricia's Cafe - by Pat McClelland 1 bag Fresh Cranberries 1 ea Oranges 1 ea Lime 1 c Sugar 1 c Walnuts 1. Cut the orange and half of the lime with peels into pieces and remove seeds. 2. Place all ingredients and the juice of the other half of the lime in to a food processor and coarsely chop. 3. Refrigerate overnight. Every year for the holidays, whenever we would have turkey, my mom would serve that canned cranberry sauce. It never looked like it would taste good so I wouldn’t touch it. Cranberry relish is so easy to make and it tastes as good as it looks. If you can’t find fresh cranberries frozen will do but don’t use canned. This can be served with not only turkey but also pork and chicken. Adding a little chopped mint will give it a nice refreshing flavor for the summer. It can also be canned in nice jars and be given as a gift for the holidays. 
Smoked Salmon Mousse Patricia's Cafe - by Pat McClelland 1 lb Lox 8 oz Cream Cheese 2 oz Onion ½ tsp Garlic Powder ½ tsp Onion Powder 1 ea Juice of lemon ¼ tsp Tabasco 1. Place ingredients in a food processor and puree until creamy. Smoked or grilled salmon (or trout) can also be used in place of the lox but salt will need to be added too. This is great with crackers or if you are planning a special tea party it will make great finger sandwiches. Just get the cheep wonder bread type bread and spread a thin layer on it. Top it with a second piece, trim the crust and cut into little sandwiches. To make this lower in fat, you can use fat free cottage cheese and a tablespoon of red wine vinegar in place of the cream cheese. 
Artichoke & Corn Salsa I love recipe contests. The hundreds, sometimes thousands of submissions prove there are still lots of people out there who enjoy being creative in the kitchen. Today we feature the salsa recipe of Carol Knox of Pacific Grove, Calif., who took top prize in a recent contest sponsored by Ocean Mist Farms. When you hear the word “salsa” you naturally think of a spicy mixture of chopped fresh tomatoes, onion and cilantro. Carol's salsa is more colorful and crunchy with its corn and diced artichoke hearts. Use it as a dip for artichoke leaves or chips, add to a quiche, top an omelet, fill burritos or wraps, garnish fish or chicken, or sauté and toss with pasta and parmigiano. 6 freshly cooked Ocean Mist Farms artichoke hearts, diced* 1 ear corn 1/2 cup diced roasted red bell pepper 1 small onion, diced 1/2 cup diced peeled jicama 3 serrano chiles, seeded and minced 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro 3 limes, juiced Salt and pepper to taste Remove husk and silk from corn and cook in unsalted boiling water 3 minutes. Cool; slice off kernels. Combine corn with diced artichoke hearts (instructions follow), roasted pepper, onion, jicama, chiles, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper. Cover and chill several hours to blend flavors. *To Prepare Artichokes for Hearts: Rinse 6 medium-large artichokes. Cut off base of stem and top third of leaves. Trim tips of leaves with scissors or kitchen shears. Steam artichokes on rack in large pot over boiling water until petal near center pulls out easily, about 35 minutes (depending on size). OR boil artichokes in large pot in water to almost cover, along with a sliced lemon and clove or two of garlic until petal near center pulls out easily, about 35 minutes. Carefully lift artichokes out of pot and turn upside down to drain well; cool. Push thumbs into center of artichokes and push leaves back. With spoon scrape out fuzzy center. Pull off leaves to use as dippers and cut heart into bite-size pieces or dice for salsa. |
Cheese Fondue
Patricia's Cafe - by Pat McClelland Cheese Sauce 2 c Milk 1 c Dry White Wine ½ lb Gouda Cheese ½ lb Râclette Cheese ½ tsp Garlic Powder ½ tsp Onion Powder to taste Salt as needed Roux Roux 1 c Flour 1 c Clarified Butter (also called Ghee) 1. Shred cheese. 2. Place the milk and wine in a saucepan and heat while stirring. 3. When hot whisk in enough roux to thicken, about 3 heaping tbs. 4. Whisk in the remaining ingredients and continue cooking until all of the cheese is melted while whisking. Fondue is a Swiss dish and was very popular in the 60’s and 70’s and has resurfaced in the last several years. So if you run across your mom’s old fondue pot, drag it out and use it. You could also pick one up at Good Will or another second hand store for pretty cheep. Of course they will probably be a nice bright orange or avocado green. You can also find one at a kitchen store for a pretty reasonable price. If you don’t have one and you don’t want to go hunting for one you can always use a heavy bowl made of pottery raised with a candle under it or a small crock-pot. The traditional way to eat fondue is with boiled potatoes and bread. I like to add some steamed veggies. Feel free to use chunks of cooked chicken too. You can use other cheeses but the Gouda and Râclette are more traditional. Another combination could be cheddar cheese and Monterey jack cheese and add some green chilies while omitting the wine. You would need to cut back on the roux if you left out the wine. 
Skordalia (Garlic Potato Dip) Patricia's Cafe - by Pat McClelland 3 ea Potatoes 1 ea Fresh lemon juice ⅓ c Olive Oil 4 ea Garlic cloves to taste Kosher salt 1. Peel, boil and mash potatoes. 2. Place in a food processor with rest of ingredients and puree until creamy. 3. Serve cold with warm pita bread. This dip is a traditional Greek dish that is often served along side baba ganoush and hummus with pita bread. It is one of my favorites. Of course it has two of my favorite ingredients, garlic and potatoes. What’s not to like? Some of the recipes I have seen for skordalia have bread in them but I prefer it without. I have also seen it with just bread. I found some pita chips and used them in place of the pita bread. 
Salsa Patricia's Cafe - by Pat McClelland 6 ea Tomatoes 1 ea Red Onion 3 ea Green Chilies 1 Tbs Garlic Powder 1 Tbs Onion Powder ¼ tsp Tabasco to taste Kosher Salt 2 Tbs Fresh Chopped Cilantro 1. Roast and dice the green chilies. 2. Place 4 of the tomatoes and ½ of the onion in the blinder or food processor and puree. 3. Dice the remaining tomatoes and onion. 4. Pour into a saucepan with the diced tomato and onion, the garlic and onion powder and the diced green chilies. 5. Bring to a boil then turn the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes stirring often. 6. Remove from heat and add the Tabasco, salt and cilantro. 7. Chill and serve. There are very few salsas out on the market that don’t have starches to thicken or vinegar to increase the acidity for a really long shelf life so I like to make my own. I can also control the heat and freshness. If you like a hotter salsa add jalapeños or habaneros in place of the green chilies, habanero chilies being one of the hottest. You can also increase the amount of Tabasco. I like to roast my own chilies because there is more flavor and the texture is better but you can always use canned. Canned will tend to have an acidic flavor. Canned tomatoes will work also but you don’t have to cook it as long. Cooked tomatoes are a great source of lycopene, which is an antioxidant. Cooking the tomatoes helps in the absorption of the lycopene into the body. You can also get more from a tomato that has been vine-ripened as apposed to a tomato that was picked and then ripened. Lycopene is what makes a tomato red and is part of the carotenoid family. There have been studies that have shown that lycopene will help with lowering the bad cholesterol and help reduce heart disease, reducing the chances of certain types of cancer and could possibly help in the management of HIV and macular degenerative disease. I like to use salsa on a lot of different things because it adds a lot of flavor and without adding a lot of calories. Eggs especially. 
Hummus
Patricia's Cafe - by Pat McClelland 2 cans Garbanzo beans (15½ oz) ½ c Liquid from Garbanzo beans ½ c Fresh lemon juice 1/3 c Tahini 10 ea Garlic cloves ½ tsp Kosher salt 1. Drain garbanzo beans but save the liquid. 2. Place beans in a food processor with rest of ingredients until creamy. I like my Hummus very garlicky and lemony. You can always tone it down by cutting back on the garlic. If you want to add a little spice to it you can add some Cayenne pepper or Tabasco. You can garnish it with fresh chopped parsley, which will give it a fresh taste. I always use kosher salt because it will dissolve faster but regular salt can be used in the same amount. I like to snack on hummus with a drizzle of olive oil and thin sliced tomatoes on warm pita bread cut into wedges. Try it on a veggie sandwich with sliced cucumber, carrots, spicy sprouts and sliced tomato. I’ve tried this recipe with Navy beans in place of the garbanzo beans, which gave it an Italian twist. Black beans with limejuice and fresh chopped cilantro sounds interesting. This is a staple at my house because it is easy and healthy. There is no added fat but the garbanzo beans and tahini do have some fat. It is a healthy fat that the body needs so don’t get stressed over it. 
Southwestern Veggie Dip Patricia's Cafe - by Pat McClelland 1 lb Fat Free Cottage Cheese 2 Tbs Roasted Green Chilies 2 Tbs Red Wine Vinegar ½ tsp Ground Cumin ½ tsp Oregano ½ tsp Garlic Powder 1 tsp Onion Powder ¼ tsp Tabasco 1 tsp Kosher salt pinch White Pepper 1. Place ingredients in a food processor and puree until creamy. I am not a cottage cheese person much less fat free but the vinegar gives this dip a cream cheesy flavor. You can change the flavor profile by using different spices in place of the cumin, oregano, and green chilies. The vinegar can also be changed. Try balsamic vinegar in place of the red wine vinegar with fresh basil and oregano. …Or better yet add a little blue cheese with that. If you want a good fruit dip try fresh mint, white vinegar, some type of berry and a little sugar, leaving out the chilies cumin, oregano, and garlic. This dip can be served with veggies, chips or as a dressing by increasing the amount of vinegar. Cottage cheese is high in protein and has no fat as long as you use the fat free so there is no guilt. |
