Cold Marinated Artichoke Heart Dip

I made up this recipe for a baby shower recently. I wanted the flavor of marinated artichoke hearts, but didn’t have a way to conveniently fuss with a hot dip. All of the recipes I could find were for hot dip and, although it is one of my favorite things in the world, I just didn’t have a way to do it for this party.

 

Enter…the food processor. Enjoy!

Aunt LoLo’s Cold Marinated Artichoke Heart Dip

In the bowl of a food processor, fitted with a blade, combine:

2 cups mayonnaise

16 marinated artichoke heart quarters

 

Pulse or blend until the artichokes are finely chopped and the mixture looks dip-able. Season with salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste.

 

Remove the dip to a bowl with a lid (preferably a non-plastic one, so it doesn’t leave its scent behind) and refrigerate overnight for best flavor.

 

Best served ice cold. (It just tastes better. Go figure!)

 

Tastes great with veggies or crackers.

Easy Peasy Cheesy Chili Dip

This dip is great for a party, or a cold afternoon, or...anytime you really just need something to dunk your Wheat Thins in.

(*Note - while the bowl above IS lovely, please do not leave your crackers stuck into the dip for any long period of time. They melted. Thank you.)

LoLo's Easy Peasy Cheesy Chili Dip
Adapted from the memory of a similar dip her grandmother served at a family gathering 10 years ago...so she's sure it came from a women's magazine somewhere

In a microwave safe bowl, combine 1 can chili** and 8 oz. cream cheese*.

Microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, or until the cheese is almost melted and the chili is heated through. Stir to combine thoroughly.

Serve with crackers.

Can be kept in a teeny-tiny crockpot during the party to keep warm.

*You can substitute Velveeta cheese for the cream cheese for a truly tailgate-esque experience.

**I used Cattle Drive Chicken Chili.

Three Kinds of Dip for your Next Party

All of my favorite food blogs (Smitten Kitchen, Paupered Chef, Wednesday Chef, etc.) have gorgeous pictures of the amazing dishes they make. They also all live in tiny apartments on the East Coast, but I digress. I think it's safe to say that I fall in neither category!

Rocket science these are not. Fine dining, these are not. But they're yummy, quick, and made from pantry staples! They also make my pregnant heart happy.

The first two recipes are from a Japanese friend in our last ward, and the last is from my sister (who blogged a gussied up version here) She can gussy up all she wants- I'm all about quick and simple. And cheap. I like that, too.

Wasabi Dip for Vegetables
Mayonnaise
Prepared Wasabi paste

I use about an "inch and a half" of wasabi paste, and 1/4 cup mayonnaise.

Miso Dip for Vegetables
Mayonnaise
Miso paste

Again, about a 1/4 cup of mayonnaise and a scant Tablespoon of miso. I use a dark paste, because we like the rich flavor. This is entirely to taste, so adjust accordingly.

Black Bean Dip
1 can black beans, undrained
jarred salsa

Whir together in a blender- I like about a cup of salsa (half a small jar) to one can black beans. If you want to gussy up a little I think this would be yummy with fresh cilantro and some lime juice blended in. But I had a very plain salsa on hand.

Hummus with the Vitamix

Our friend suggested (a few times!) that we really needed to try making hummus with our Vitamix. I've never really been interested in making hummus, not when a huge container can be had for $7 at Costco, but when poking aroundI found a long-forgotten bottle of sesame seeds...and I realized I had 2 cans of don't-know-what-to-do-with-them garbanzo beans at home...and I LOVE hummus. Yeah, it had to be done. And you know what, she was right! My recipe might be a little better with some added salt, or perhaps a bit more lemon juice or zest, but it's pretty good as is. Even Ernie adores it! This recipe is from the Vitamix website.

Hummus
Ingredients:
2 15 oz. cans garbanzo beans, one drained and one with liquid
1/2 cup raw sesame seeds
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon cumin

Add to canister in order listed, and blend for 1 minute or until smooth, starting on low and quickly turning to high speed. You can need to use the tamper to push this into the blades.

Serve drizzled with a good olive oil, and maybe some fresh cracked black pepper. We like it on tortilla chips, but it's also nice as a vegetable dip.