Hot Artichoke Dip

Time sure goes by fast! I was assigned another Treat Day at work (we gather every Friday morning to enjoy treats and catch up). This time, I made healthy dips with pita chips: hummus, guacamole and a hot artichoke dip. I've made this artichoke recipe for years and it has always been a hit - I suspect because of all the cheese in the recipe!



Hot Artichoke Dip
Adapted from Roxanne.
I like the addition of colour from the roasted red peppers.

* 1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped roughly
* ½ jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped roughly
* ¼ red onion, diced very small
* ½ cup Parmesan cheese
* 5 tbsp mayonnaise

Preheat the oven at 350F.
In a medium bowl, mix the artichoke hearts, cheese, roasted red pepper, red onion and mayonnaise.
Place the mixture in a small baking dish.
Bake for 10 minutes.
For the top to be golden, you can quickly broil it.
Serve with your choice of baked pitas, Triscuits or sliced bread.
(Alternatively, the original recipe calls to spoon the mixture on slices of French baguette and broil.)
Tada!


Chopped artichokes and mixing everything.


A perfect cheesy bite!

Zucchini Fritters with Tzatziki Sauce

I'm not sure why but I really wanted to try zucchini fritters. Ok, who am I kidding? It's because I love anything fried (and anything called fritter) and the zucchini make it sound healthy so I don't feel too bad about it! I pan fried these fritters so it's not that unhealthy. For this recipe, I turned to kalofagas, my source for all Greek food.



Zucchini Fritters
I strayed slightly from the main recipe, mainly because of ingredients I had on hand.
Adapted from Kalofagas.

* 2 whole zucchinis, washed and grated
* salt
* 1 small onion, diced small
* 1 scallion
* fresh mint, to taste
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 large egg
* ½ cup breadcrumbs (I used panko)
* ¼ cup feta cheese (or to taste)
* salt and pepper, to taste (not too much salt since the feta is salty)

* Grate the zucchini and sprinkle salt over it.
* Allow the liquid from the zucchini to leach for a couple of hours in a strainer (I'm pretty sure I wasn't this patient and probably waited 15 minutes).
* Place the grated zucchini inside a cheese cloth, twist and turn to help squeeze out as much liquid as possible. (I used the little makeshift cloth package my mom sewed me for the homemade soy milk.)
* Place the zucchini in a bowl and set aside.
* In a skillet, cook the onions in oil until softened.
* Mix all of the ingredients with the zucchini.
* In a skillet, fry a small meatball and adjust seasoning to taste.
* Form patties and pan fry in oil on each side, 3-5 minutes per side.
* Serve with tzatziki sauce.



Call me crazy but I find squeezing out the liquid very satisfying work.

Tzatiki Sauce
I like to use my lemon zester to grate garlic. It helps transform the garlic into a juicy paste. I do this for hummus too.

* 1 cup of plain yogurt
* ¼ or so cucumber section, seeded and cubed very small
* juice of ¼ lemon, or to taste
* 1 clove garlic, minced or grated (or more depending on how garlicky you like it)
* salt, to taste

Mix all ingredients and adjust seasoning to taste (that's all there is!).
Tada!


Cubed cucumbers go into tzatziki.

I had the fritters with a side of quinoa as a meal. I was going to share the quinoa recipe but really don't remember what I did with it except that it involved jalapeno. A side of salad would also be good. And these fritters would definitely be popular as an appetizer!



More fried recipes that I like (I thought I had more - I'll have to change that!):
* Crispy Zucchini Flowers stuffed with Ricotta and Mint
* Corn Spring Rolls
* Pumpkin Fritters (perfect for upcoming Thanksgiving!)

Basil White Bean Dip

When I need a little break at work, I like to read blogs, including the various ones on glamour.com. I was reading Vitamin G, the health and fitness blot, when I read this garlicky, white bean dip from the cookbook Skinny Bitch in the Kitch. I later checked out the book at the library but without any pictures, cookbooks don't really hold my attention. I did try this dip and really liked it as a healthy snack at work. Super easy to make too!



Basil White Bean Dip
From Skinny Bitch in the Kitch.
I like the fresh basil flavour so I add a lot more than what is recommended!

* 1-15 oz. can of white (cannelini) beans, drained
* 1-2 cloves of garlic
* 3 Tbsp lemon juice
* 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
* ¼ tsp salt
* ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
* 2 tsp chopped fresh basil

In a food processor, combine the beans, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.
Blend and add in the chopped basil.
Blend again (if it's not blending properly, add more oil or a bit of water).
Serve with baked pita triangles.
Tada!


Pita triangles are the perfect vehicle for this dip!

For other dip/spread recipes:
* Cheat's Hummus
* Pan-Fried Onion Dip
* Pea Spread (Mock Chopped Liver)
* Sun-Dried Tomato Dip

Pea Spread (Mock Chopped Liver)

Yes, mock chopped liver. It tastes much better than it sounds! I was worried the title would turn off readers which is why I added pea spread. Mock chopped liver (interestingly, the chopped liver dish is the origin of the Jewish expression "What am I, chopped liver?") is an Ashkenazi Jewish dish, often served during the Sabbath. My sister learned the recipe from her friend J, who is a groomsgirl at her upcoming wedding. J's grandmother often made it. This recipe is a healthy version of chopped liver and tastes surprisingly un-vegetarian. I love the flavour of the caramelized onion, the green colour of the peas and the added creaminess of the egg.



Pea Spread (Mock Chopped Liver)
* oil
* 1 onion, sliced thinly
* 1 cup frozen peas
* 1 hard-boiled egg
* a few walnuts (optional)
* 2-3 tbsp olive oil
* salt and pepper, to taste
* bread, sliced thinly

Cook the onion in the oil at medium/low heat until the slices are cooked and nicely browned.
Add the frozen peas to warm through.
In a food processor, add the onion and peas, one egg, walnuts and olive oil.
Process until it becomes a smooth-ish paste (if it's too thick, add more oil or a bit of water).
Season with salt and pepper (I like a lot!) to taste.
Serve spread on bread slices.
Tada!


Try it! You'll be hooked on mock chopped liver!

Barefoot Contessa's Sun-Dried Tomato Dip

I was heading to my friend S' baby shower and offered to bring something. I made Barefoot Contessa's Sun-Dried Tomato Dip. Ina Garten writes in her book that this is the favourite dip at her store and is similar to thousand island dressing. The feedback I got was similar; everyone really liked this dip. It's quite an easy dip to make too. You pretty much just add all the ingredients in a food processor and blend. I served it with some healthy vegetables, including cherry tomatoes from my garden!

Sun-dried Tomato Dip
From Barefoot Contessa cookbook.

I didn't measure the ingredients closely and it still turned out well. I also skipped the salt because the sun-dried tomatoes I bought provided enough saltiness to the dip. I didn't have tabasco and added hot sauce instead. I didn't really find it gave a kick but it did help add the nice reddish colour to the dip.

* ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped (8 tomatoes)
* 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
* ½ cup sour cream
* ½ cup good mayonnaise
* 10 dashes, hot red pepper sauce
* 1 teaspoon kosher salt
* ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend.

Serve with vegetable or pita pockets.

Tada!

All the ingredients in a food processor.

Sun-Dried Tomato Dip with veggies.

Hummus

I am the type of person who is always looking for a snack. Carrots dipped in hummus makes for a perfect snack because 1) it satisfies my savoury needs without the addition of any salt 2) I end up eating at least one serving of my required vegetable intake and 3) chickpeas is a great protein.



This is really a cheater's version of hummus. There is no tahini but has peanut butter instead. I like to add a lot of lemon juice because I like it pretty sour. I only know one recipe so I just stick to this.

Hummus
This recipe is very flexible. You can add more or less of any ingredient. You can also add pesto or sundried tomato to make a flavoured hummus.

* 1 can 19 oz chickpeas, rinsed and drained
* 1-2 garlic cloves, sliced roughly
* juice of 1 lemon
* 3 tbsp smooth peanut butter
* 3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Add all of the ingredients and process.
If it is not processing sufficiently, add more oil to help out.
Serve as a dip with pita or vegetables.
Tada!