Tomato and Feta Dip

With the Big Game (the football playoffs) being tomorrow I have one last minute snack to share with you, a fresh dip that I have been seeing on pinterest for a while now, a Greek themed tomato and feta dip that looked so good that I had to try it. This dip is so quick and easy to make, you pretty much just need to dice some tomatoes, crumble some feta, slice some green onions and dig in and start dipping! You could dip with fresh bread but I decided to go with some toasted pita wedges where I sprayed/brushed them with a bit of oil, sprinkled on some salt and pepper and toasted them in the oven. This form of the dip is great as it is but there is plenty of room to play around with and I could easily see adding things like kalamata olives or sundried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, etc. but no matter how you serve it, this dip will disappear quickly so make a lot of it!

Enjoy the Big Game and more importantly all of the tasty game day food!

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Chipotle Tuna 7 Layer Dip

Seven layer dip is always fun at parties and I thought that I would try kicking it up a bit with the addition of a pantry staple, tuna, but not just any tuna, some chipotle tuna by Clover Leaf. A seven layer dip is a dip where Mexican style ingredients are layered on top of each other and for this dip I went with layers of seasoned beans, sour cream, guacamole, chipotle tuna, salsa, cheese and olives along with green onions for garnish. If you have all of the ingredients on hand this dip could not be easier to make where you simply need to pull the ingredients out and start layering them. You could easily use all store bought ingredients and make this dip a snap to assemble or you could make all of the ingredients yourself and keep the dip nice and light and healthy. In the recipe below I have given options to keep things simple and to keep things light and healthier with some examples being either using store bought refried beans versus using a can of beans with homemade taco seasoning mixed in or using store bought salsa versus making your own fresh pico de gallo. No matter how you make it, this is one tasty dip that is sure to please and the chipotle tuna is a great addition to a seven layer dip!

Scroll down a bit for the chance to win a Clover Leaf tuna prize!

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Baba Ghanoush

A while ago I was on a hummus kick and it reminded me of another great dip that is very similar, baba ghanoush. Baba ghanoush is a levantine dish made with grilled eggplant, tahini, lemon juice, garlic and salt which are basically the same ingredients in hummus replacing the chickpeas with roasted eggplant and that makes it a great, lighter alternative to hummus. Another great thing about baba ghanoush is how easy it is to make, you simply need to roast the eggplant and then puree it with the remaining ingredients and you are ready to dig in with pitas or crackers, etc. Baba ghanoush is commonly garnished with olive oil, parsley or cilantro and optionally chili powder. In addition to making a great dip baba ghanoush also makes a nice side dish or even a light meal and I enjoy having it for breakfasts along with whole wheat pitas.

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Chicken Enchilada Dip

It looks like I have the time to share one final recipe idea for watching the big game today, a cheesy chicken enchilada dip! This dip is super easy to make and it starts out with chicken and a tasty homemade enchilada sauce, though you could use store bought to save some time. You can fill this dip out with your favourite enchilada fillings and I like to go with some healthier ingredients including corn and beans before moving on to plenty of cheese! You simply mix all of the ingredient, bake until the cheese has melted and then it's time to dig in with tortilla chips, crackers bread or your favourite scooping items.

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Decadent Dips

I can't believe that the Big Game is tomorrow already and that means that I have been thinking about munchies for the party. Of course decadent dips are at the top of the list! I mean you really can't go wrong with a hot melted cheese dip to satisfy your guests! All of these dips are super easy to pull together and sure to leave you the talk of the town for your party!

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Hummus

With the arrival of the holidays I got distracted from sharing my adventures on the Taste of Israel tour (see part 1: Kanafeh/Künefe)! After an evening out on the town Tel Aviv there was an early morning tour of the old port in Yaffo, along with sampling some of Yaffo's tasty treats. One of the first things that we stopped for was hummus!

Now if you thought that hummus was just a dip that you bought at the grocery store or made at home with canned chickpeas every once in a while, it could not be further from the truth! In fact there is quite a large hummus 'culture' out there with secret recipes, shops dedicated to making hummus and only hummus, that have been been in business for generations, and even great debates on who makes the best hummus, over dinner, which is just hummus and pitas for dipping. Our first food stop was at Abu Hassan which is apparently one of the fore runners for making the best hummus in Israel. I have to admit that the hummus that I had at Abu Hassan's was the best hummus that I had ever had and that of course meant that I would have to work on my hummus recipe when I returned home!

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Shrimp Scampi Dip

Shrimp scampi has to be one of my favourite pasta dishes; not only is it super quick and easy to make but shrimp and pasta in a garlicky white wine, lemon and butter sauce is just so irresistible! When I came across the idea of a shrimp scampi dip on Foodie Crush I knew that I would have to make it and it was perfect for a New Years Eve party appetizer! I am totally addicted to hot melt-y cheese dips so I could not pass up on the idea of taking all of the flavours of shrimp scampi and placing them in a melted cheese dip! This dip starts off by cooking some shrimp in butter along with plenty of garlic followed by the white wine and lemon juice before mixing it all up with plenty of cheese and baking it until it is all melted, bubbling and golden brown. Not only is this dip super easy to make but it will also be the talk of the town at your party, though it will disappear quickly so you might want to make a double batch and hoard some for yourself!

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Lasagna Dip

Last week when I made the lasagna stuffed spaghetti squash I tried to keep things nice and light and healthy but I could not help but think about doing something similar only a bit naughtier, a hot melted cheesy lasagna dip! I am a huge fan of dips, especially when they have plenty of hot melted cheese and since lasagna is one of my favourite meals I knew that a lasagna dip was sure to be amazing! The basic idea behind this dip was to use the layers of a lasagna in a dip including a base of cheese and a quick, easy and tasty tomato meat sauce all topped off with plenty of melted mozzarella! My mom always made lasagna with cottage cheese for the cheese layer so I am rather partial to that but ricotta or even cream cheese would also work well. For the tomato based meat sauce I kept things lighter and healthy going with turkey for the meat and I packed the sauce with plenty of flavour! I have to say that this dip is truly spectacular and it really does remind me of lasagna, though it is a lot easier to make and perfect for enjoying while watching the game!

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Pumpkin Hummus

It's time for another pumpkin recipe and up this time is a super quick and easy pumpkin hummus that is perfect for fall entertaining and and it is nice healthy to boot! Hummus is typically made with mashed chickpeas, tahini and lemon juice but it is easy to add flavour to it like in this case by adding some pumpkin puree. Given the use of pumpkin in this humus it only seemed natural to add a hint of cinnamon to make things a little more exotic. I like to serve the pumpkin hummus topped with pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds) along with some toasted whole wheat pitas for dipping making for one light and healthy snack!

Tahini is made from ground sesame seeds so one option that I enjoy for this pumpkin hummus is the addition of some ground pepitas which adds another layer of pumpkin flavour!

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Hot Cheesy Roasted Brussels Sprout Dip

I cannot believe that it is already mid October and I still have not done anything with my favourite winter green vegetable, brussels sprouts! As soon as I had this thought I had to resolve the problem and I knew exactly what I was going to make first, a brussels sprout dip which I have been wanting to try ever since I came across the idea on Minimalist Baker. You could cook the brussels sprouts any way that you want for this dip but roasted brussels sprouts are the bees knees so I went with them and since I was roasting them I threw in a few cloves of garlic to as well. (Roasted garlic is the best!) Once the brussels sprouts have been roasted this dip is as easy to make as mixing it all up and baking until the cheese is all melted, ooey and gooey! Given how much I enjoy both brussels sprouts and hot cheesy dips, I knew that this roasted brussels sprout dip was sure to be a winner and it did not disappoint!

With this dip there is no reason to not eat your brussels sprouts! Even brussels sprouts haters will be asking for the recipe!

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4 Cheese Hot Roasted Red Pepper Dip

The markets have been filled with red peppers these past few weeks and I picked up a rather large basket of them for roasting! I like to make my own roasted red peppers because it is so easy, cheap and good! They keep well in the freezer so I freeze a lot of them for use throughout the winter but I could not resist using a few and this roasted red pepper dip has been on my mind for a while now. This dip is really simple hot melted cheese dip that consists of the roasted red peppers along with no less that four kinds of cheese! I went with a small Spanish theme using manchego as one of the cheeses and I included a touch of smoked paprika. You really cannot go wrong with a hot melted cheese dip and the roasted red peppers really make this one shine!

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Hot Cheesy Corn Dip

Corn is in season and I certainly have been enjoying it! In addition to trying out new recipes with corn I have also been making some old favourites and one that I cannot stop making over and over again is this hot cheesy corn dip adapted from Emeril Lagass's recipe! Since I was making the dip anyways I figured that I would take the opportunity to update the 5 year old photo on this recipe with some new ones. This dip is super easy to make, you simply char some corn to bring out its natural sweetness, combine it with a few other vegetables along with plenty of cheese and bake it until it is all melted, bubbling and golden brown. In addition to being easy to make, this dip is addictively good; there is just something magical about how the sweet corn works with the savoury cheese and mayonnaise in this hot dip! The only real problem that I have with this dip is that it disappears far too quickly!

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Ceviche

The other day I was at a Mexican restaurant where I enjoyed an amazing ceviche which made me realize that I had never actually made ceviche at home and that is a shame considering how easy it is to make and how absolutely good it is. Ceviche is a dish that is common in Central and South America where fish is 'cooked' in a marinade of citrus juices like lemon, lime, sour orange, etc., onion, chili peppers, cilantro etc. Really ceviche is one of the easiest dishes to make where you simply have to cut the fish into small pieces and then let it sit in the simple marinade for a few minutes to 'cook'. Pretty much any seafood would work in ceviche and I went with a white fish, halibut, and I used a lime and orange based marinade that included some onion, pickled jalapenos and cilantro. This halibut ceviche is amazingly light, bright and citrus-y good! I served the cechiche as an appetizer along with blue corn chips for dipping but you could easily make a bigger batch and serve it as a main along with a few sides. Right now I am thinking that some ceviche tacos would be fabulous!

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Pesto Guacamole

When I came across the idea of a pesto guacamole on two peas & their pod last week I knew that I would have to make it and make it soon! You really cannot go wrong combining two already amazing things like pesto and avocados and with all of the fresh basil around now it was the perfect time to make it! This guacamole could not be easier to make, you simply mash the avocado and mix in your basil pesto along with some lemon juice to brighten things up and to help prevent the avocado from browning. Of course I went with my own homemade basil pesto which is also super easy to make and inside of 10 minutes I was enjoying some super tasty pesto guacamole! I polished the first batch of pesto guacamole off in a few minutes just snacking on it with tortilla chips but I already have several ideas about what I could use it in!

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Pina Colada Guacamole

When I think about tacos I often think about guacamole and even when I do not include the guacamole in the tocos I like to serve it on the side along with tortilla chips. It was no different when I made the jerk shrimp tacos and since I already had a Caribbean theme going I thought that it would be fun to continue and do a pina colada guacamole! The basic idea was to take a simple guacamole and add all of the flavours of a pina colada including pineapple, coconut and rum. Adding the pineapple was as easy as chopping some up and adding it to the guacamole and since I had the grill going anyways, I grilled it first. The coconut came in the form of coconut cream and the guacamole was finished off with a splash of rum. All in all I would have to say that this tropical inspired pina colada guacamole is amazing! The sweet and juicy pineapple works really well in guacamole and the coconut cream make the guacamole even creamier, if that is even possible, along with adding a hint of coconut and of course you really can't go wrong with a touch of rum!

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Corn and Cotija Guacamole (aka Esquites Guacamole)

One of my favourite dishes with corn has to be esquites which is a corn salad inspired by elote a Mexican style corn on the cob with butter, mayonnaise, cotija cheese and a shot of lime juice. The combination of sweet grilled corn, salty butter and cheese along with the bright and tart lime juice is addictively good and I never tire of it. One addition to esquites that I really enjoy is diced cool and creamy avocado and I couldn't help but think that a guacamole with corn and cotija would also be amazing! This guacamole is pretty simple with avocado, jalapeno, onion, cilantro and lime juice in addition to the corn and cotija. Just like with esquites, I like to cut the corn from the cob and cook it in a cast iron skillet until it starts to blacken, char and even pop a bit as this caramelizes the corn bringing out even more of its natural sweetness, though grilling the corn on the cob is another good option. This corn and cotija guacamole is fabulous dipp-able take on esquites and a great alternative to plain and boring old guacamole! (Clearly I jest, guacamole could never be considered to be plain, old or boring!)

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Chipotle Lime Shrimp and Guacamole Dip with Tomatoes and Charred Corn

I am always looking for tasty new dips and I am a big fan of shrimp so when I came across the idea of a taco shrimp dip on Jeanettes Healthy Living I was enthralled and the ideas started to spin in my head! There are a lot of ways that you could go with a shrimp taco dip but the one that fascinated me the most was combining spicy and smokey chipotle lime shrimp with a cool an creamy guacamole. Although I could have stopped there and the chipotle lime shrimp guacamole would be super tasty I could not stop thinking of a seven layer dip and how juicy tomatoes and sweet corn would add new layers of complexity and depth of flavour to the dip. Instead of just adding the corn raw I charred it in a cast iron skillet to bring out even more of its natural sweetness. You could serve this dip all mixed up but I decided to go with layers so that you could see all of the ingredients and I placed it in small bowls that were perfectly sized for individual servings! The cool and creamy guacamole, spicy succulent shrimp, juicy tomatoes and sweet corm are an amazing combination of flavours that combine to make a totally irresistible dip that is pretty healthy to boot!

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Sun Dried Tomato Hummus

Every once in a while I get the craving for a creamy dip and although I am completely enthralled by hot melted cheese dips I often want something on the healthier side and at times like this hummus is my 'goto' dip of choice. At it's base hummus is made with pureed chickpeas, tahini, garlic and lemon juice but you can easily add flavours to it to keep things interesting. One of my faourite flavoured hummus has to be sun dried tomato hummus as sun dried tomatoes are just packed with flavour and they go really well in a creamy hummus base. Sun dried tomatoes typically come either dehydrated or packed in oil and both work in hummus either by re-hydrating the dehydrated ones or by draining the ones packed in oil and then adding them to the food processor along with everything else to puree. This sun dried tomato hummus works very well as a dip with toasted pita chips or vegetables for dipping or as a tasty spread in sandwiches or wraps where it adds a ton of flavour and a nice creamy texture.

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Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

The other day I was looking for a snack and I wanted something light and healthy. Hummus, a mixture of pureed chickpeas, tahini (sesame paste), garlic and lemon juice, is one of my go-to appetizers in these sort of situations since despite being so simple, it is so addictively good! Although a basic hummus is amazing all by itself I like to change things up every once in a while by some extra flavour like in this case, roasted red peppers. The roasted red peppers add a nice sweetness and a hint of smokiness that goes really well in hummus making for a special treat indeed! One of the best things about hummus, other than eating it, is that you can throw it together in about 10 minutes so you can make it whenever you want and if you are entertaining you can whip up a batch at the last minute if not a day or two ahead of time. I like to serve hummus with toasted whole wheat pita wedges seasoned with salt and pepper for a healthy dipping option and they can be toasted in about as much time as it takes to make the hummus. Snacking on hummus is definitely a great idea when you have a case of the munchies and never fear leftovers as it goes well in sandwiches and wraps or even for breakfast!

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French Onion Soup Dip

With the big game coming up I have been going over my parties menu and reviewing my favourite recipes including the hot caramelized onion dip which I wanted to add but I thought I would do something a little different this time. Although I am totally addicted to hot melted cheese dips, I wanted some variety so I decided to do a room temperature version inspired by the flavours of French onion soup. At the base of French onion soup is of course the caramelized onions and that means spending some time caramelizing the onions. To slowly caramelize the onions at a low temperature can take more than 3 hours but you can also do it at a higher temperature but it requires more hands on time as you have to stir the onions every couple of minutes. When you caramelize the onions at a higher temperature brown bits build up on the bottom of you pan and since you do not want them to burn it is a good idea to deglaze the pan frequently. Though I normally just use water to deglaze the pan this time I used wine and beef stock since they form the broth of French onion soup. Up next is a bit of garlic and thyme to finish off the onions. The base of the dip is made with sour cream and mayonnaise with a hit of lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and gruyere for flavour. French onion soup is typically topped with toast, covered in cheese and then baked until the cheese is all melted and good and I incorporated that aspect into the French onion soup dip by serving it with crostini covered in melted gruyere.

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