Tag Archives: appetizers

Rosemary-Garlic White Bean Dip

This white bean dip was one of those happy accidents that happen every so often. I thought I had bought a can of garbanzo beans on my last trip to the grocery store, which I use for making hummus, but discovered instead that I had mistakenly bought a can of cannellini beans! So instead of hummus, I made some white bean dip. I hadn’t ever made this kind of dip before, but I’ve purchased it many times and have always liked it. So this was the perfect time to try making my own! I came up with this recipe, using olive oil and lemon juice like I do when I make hummus.

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10 Recipes for Cinco De Mayo

CincoDeMayo

I can’t believe May is here already! I’m so ready for the warm, sunny weather this month brings. And since Cinco De Mayo is almost here, I’ve been seeing lots of fiesta-ish recipes all over the place! I thought I’d do a little round-up of my own for you, so if you’re in a fiesta mood, any of these would be great!

From top to bottom and right to left (just click on the names to get to each recipe):

Fiesta Chili MacEasy Cheesy Salsa PotatoesCreamy Salsa Yogurt Dip5-Layer Mexican DipMango-Jalapeno SalsaBurrito in a CupSalsa Roll-UpsSouthwestern Black Bean SoupSavory Strawberry Salsa, and Blueberry Salsa.

Hope you enjoy trying some of these out! What’s your favorite Cinco De Mayo dish?

I’m linking this to Fiesta FridayNifty Thrifty Sunday, and Inspire Me Monday.

Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus

ncSundriedTomHum1nm

I’ve mentioned before how much I love hummus, and this time I tried making Sundried Tomato Hummus! I just love sundried tomatoes and I had found a recipe at AllRecipes that sounded good. It’s made with oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes. I halved most of the recipe, because I didn’t need to make 4 cups of hummus, and used more sun-dried tomatoes in it for a stronger, more tomato-y taste. I also needed to use more lemon juice and olive oil in this hummus because the original recipe was really thick. It’s a little thicker and chunkier than other hummus recipes I’ve made because of the sun-dried tomatoes in it, but it is so good-and I love the fresh basil in it, too!

SUN-DRIED TOMATO HUMMUS by NancyCreative, adapted from AllRecipes

Makes about 2 cups

  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup tahini paste
  • 1/3 cup plus 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 (15.5-ounce) can garbanzo beans (also called chickpeas), drained
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained (I used the Julienne Cut, for easier blending)
  • 1/3 cup finely shredded fresh basil
  • Optional garnish: 1 Tablespoon olive oil, 1/8 teaspoon paprika

Place garlic, salt, tahini, and lemon juice in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the garbanzo beans and olive oil, blending again until smooth, scraping the sides of the processor occasionally. If mixture is too thick, add a little more olive oil, lemon juice, or water. Then add the sun-dried tomatoes and pulse until they’ve been chopped into very small pieces and incorporated evenly into the hummus. Add the basil and pulse a few times until it is mixed in.

Spread hummus into a shallow serving dish and serve.

If desired, you can make a few decorative grooves on top, refrigerate for 1 hour, then drizzle with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with paprika before serving. Serve with veggies, crackers, or pita bread.

I think I could eat hummus every day without getting tired of it! So I’m really glad it’s healthy! Are you a big hummus fan too?

Bacon Double Cheeseburger Dip

Bacon Double Cheeseburger Dip1 @ NancyC

If you’re looking for a yummy dip to make for a party or get-together, you may want to try this one out! It’s not what you would call healthy, but there are some ways you can make it a little lighter, like using lean ground beef, or even substituting “veggie” ground beef (like Morning Star Farms® Grillers Recipe Crumbles). I found the recipe at Closet Cooking and made a few small changes, adding just a little more garlic and onion.

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Sun-Dried Tomato Spread or Dip

I never seem to get tired of eating sun-dried tomatoes, and lately I’ve been craving bagels and cream cheese. So I thought I’d try making a Sun-Dried Tomato Spread. It turned out to be a very savory cream cheese spread with chives, basil, garlic, and some finely shredded Parmesan cheese sprinkled in…yum! It’s a nice, thick spread for bagels and you can also use it as a veggie dip—if you want the consistency to be thinner for a dip, just add a little more plain Greek yogurt to the recipe.

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