Food goodness

This apparently comes from Gwyneth Paltrow, by way of the Wednesday Chef ... it has all my favorite ingredients in it and sounds totally delicious, so I wanted to save it. Makes 1 1/2 cups 2/3 cup sheep's milk yogurt ¼ cup cilantro 2 scallions, roughly chopped ¼ cup lime juice (2-3 limes) ½ jalapeno, roughly chopped, or a drizzle of hot sauce ½ cup extra virgin olive oil ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt 1 tablespoon honey or agave nectar Combine all the ingredients in a blender. Blend until completely smooth. The dressing can be kept in a jar in the fridge for up to a week. Can use it on a salad consisting of chopped romaine, avocado, tomatoes, canned black beans, corn (fresh if you've got it, and canned if you don't), more scallions and more cilantro.

From: Gina's Skinny Recipes I served this with the Salsa Verde Chicken and it was quite delicious.  Would also be good with fish or grilled chicken.  Maybe pork, too? 1 mango, peeled and diced 1 avocado, peeled and diced 1 plum tomato, diced 1 clove garlic, minced 1 jalepeño, seeded and diced 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 2 tbsp fresh lime juice 1/4 cup chopped red onion 1 tbsp olive oil salt and fresh pepper to taste Combine all the ingredients and let it marinate in the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving

Can't believe this recipe isn't already on here -- I'm going to a not-watching-the-Superbowl party on Sunday, and it will prominently feature DIP, and taco dip is my own heart's one and only true dip. A and A collaborated on the directions: In a bowl, combine 5 to 8 oz. sour cream and an 8 oz brick of cream cheese, slightly softened. Spread in a glass pie plate. Drain off the extra liquid from some mild salsa (don't forget this step: draining is important). Spread a 1/4-inch-thick layer on top of the sour cream/cream cheese mixture. Finely chop a white onion and a green pepper and spread on top of the salsa. (You can also add olives or jalapenos in this step.) Cover the whole thing with shredded cheddar cheese. Get tortilla chips and eat it all in your friend's basement. (Younger A adds: "In theory, you can make all this less bad for you by using low or reduced fat products and using celery instead of tortilla chips to get it to your mouth, b...

From: Alton Brown Definitely make this one the night before you plan to serve it. It needs time for the flavors to meld. The onion flavor intensifies overnight, too. Ingredients 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 1/2 cups diced onions 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1 1/2 cups sour cream 3/4 cup mayonnaise 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt Directions In a saute pan over medium heat add oil, heat and add onions and salt. Cook the onions until they are caramelized, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Mix the rest of the ingredients, and then add the cooled onions. Refrigerate and stir again before serving.

From: Gina's Skinny Recipes You can make this in advance and just throw in the oven when your guests are about to arrive. I doubled it and it made a ton, which was unnecessary. I also forgot to put the bread crumbs on top, which I think would have been good. I served this with bruscetta-flavored pita chips and a variety of veggies. 13.75 oz artichoke hearts packed in water, drained 2 tbsp chopped shallots 1/4 cup fat free Greek yogurt 1/4 cup light mayonnaise 1/3 cup Parmigiano Reggiano 1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded part skim mozzarella cheese salt and fresh pepper to taste 2 tbsp whole wheat bread crumbs olive oil spray Preheat oven to 400°. In a small food processor, coarsely chop the artichoke hearts with the shallots. Combine artichokes, yogurt, mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, mozzarella, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Place in an oven-proof dish and top with breadcrumbs. Lightly spray the crumbs with olive oil then bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes, until hot and cheese is melted. S...

Happy 2011! I brought this guac to our little new year's party last night. I know we already have multiple delicious guac-tastic recipes on this site, but I figured one more can't hurt, and it's a little different because of the dairy. It's also one of my old standbys that I always make without a recipe. 3 avocados, preferably really ripe ones, but this recipe is actually forgiving of under-ripeness juice of 2 small limes half a small onion, diced very fine a few T sour cream or Greek yogurt, just enough to make it creamy and light green salt & pepper something spicy (optional; can be crushed red pepper or chopped jalepenos or some of that Thai chili garlic sauce, which is my favorite) a dash of cumin (optional) chopped cilantro (optional) Using a fork, smash everything together in a bowl. It can be as chunky or as smooth as you like; I enjoy a bit of chunk. Keep adding lime juice until you can actually identify the lime taste, which I think is the key to the delici...

I make fake raita all the time by mixing lemon juice with yogurt and salt, but this is much better. It makes a ton, though -- I halved it and it still seems like a lot. Original can be found here . 2 hot house cucumbers - peeled, seeded and thinly sliced [I didn't peel it] 2 cups Greek yogurt 3 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint 1/2 teaspoon white sugar 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt Stir together the cucumber, yogurt, lemon juice, mint, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.

I never know quite what to do with the tomatillos I scavenge from friends' gardens (unless there are enough to make tomatillo salsa, which is kind of a lot). This is delightful. 6 oz tomatillos (6 or 7), husked and rinsed 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped 3 to 4 fresh serrano chiles, seeded [only if you want this to be very mild; we left some seeds in for some spiciness] and finely chopped 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 2 large California avocados (1 lb total) Preheat broiler. Broil tomatillos in a flameproof shallow baking pan about 4 inches from heat until tops are charred, 7 to 10 minutes. Turn tomatillos over with tongs and broil until charred, about 5 minutes more. Combine onion, chiles, cilantro, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add tomatillos 2 at a time, mashing with a fork or pestle to form a coarse paste. Pit and peel avocados. Add avocados to mixture and continue mashing un...

From: my former supervisor Claire Claire brought this to an office pot-luck event, and it was gobbled up. It's super quick to throw together and a crowd-pleaser. 1 can black eyed peas, drained 1 can shoepeg corn, drained 1 can black beans, drained 1 large can diced tomatoes, drained 2 bunches scallions, chopped fresh parsley, chopped 1 bottle Garlic Expressions (you won't use the whole bottle) Mix all ingredients well. Add as much Garlic Expressions as you want. You can remove the garlic cloves from the bottle, chop, and add to the mix. Serve with tortilla chips (the Scoops type works well). * Look for Garlic Expressions in the produce, bakery or dressing sections. It can be used as a bread dipping sauce, salad dressing, or marinade.

So did you see over there that I turned 32 and one my goals was to make at least one new-to-me recipe from each of my cookbooks? I have a lot of cookbooks. This is going to take a while. So, anyway, I jumped right in today, one day after my birthday, and made this recipe. It's tasty, super easy, and I'm sure I'll be making it lots more. Adapted from "Grazing" by Julie Van Rosendaal 1 large head garlic 2 cans cannelli beans, rinsed and drained 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil (eyeball it) 1 Tbsp. lemon juice pinch of salt 1 Tbsp. fresh or dried rosemary (eyeball it) Cut the top off the head of garlic, and wrap in foil. Roast in oven at 350 for about an hour. In the bowl of a food processor, add garlic, beans, lemon juice, salt and rosemary. Squeeze in roasted garlic cloves. Blend to combine ingredients, drizzle olive oil in the top while on. Serve with crostini, pita chips, breadsticks, crackers or veggies.

Mmm...Ernie and I like to eat at this brewery near our house, because they've got fried artichoke hearts. They serve it with garlic aioli, and since I was making fried artichokes tonight, I set out in search of a recipe. It's super easy, and super good. Would be good on a sandwich, too, I think. Just remember...raw egg does not keep long. an Emeril recipe 1 large egg 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon chopped garlic Juice of one lemon Salt Freshly ground white pepper 1 cup vegetable oil In the bowl of a food processor, fitted with a metal blade, combine the egg, mustard, garlic and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. With the machine running, add the oil in a steady stream until the mixture is pale in color and thick. Remove from the processor and refrigerate for 1 hour.

The shrimp wrapped in bacon this sauce was supposed to be for was not our favorite thing in the world, but the bbq sauce was really good. from Guy Fieri 1/2 cup barbecue sauce 1/4 cup canola oil 3 tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon dijon mustard 3 tablespoons chopped chipotles in adobo sauce 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper Freshly ground pepper Puree the barbecue sauce, oil, lemon juice, mustard, chipotles, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper in a blender.

I made this to eat on top of the spanikopita burgers we had for the party last night. It's also good with some pita, as a snack in front of the tv. (Not that I'd know anything about that.) And I'm anticipating it being good on my wrap tomorrow -- leftover hummus , sprouts, tomato, cucumber, red onion, chipotle cheddar cheese, on a multi-grain tortilla. It sounds like it'd be good on that, anyway. from Grazing by Julie Van Rosendaal 1 small cucumber, peeled 1-2 cloves garlic, crushed (I put it through the garlic press) 2 c. good quality plain yogurt salt and pepper to taste Grate the cucumber with a box grater onto a double thickness of paper towel. Gather up the cucumber in the towel and squeeze out as much excess water as you can. Combine cucumber, garlic, yogurt, salt and pepper in a bowl and stir until blended. If you like, add a squeeze of lemon. The garlic flavor intensifies the longer it sits.

From: Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook So, Bennegins has this Tuscan bean salad on their menu that I love, and this recipe comes close to the beans part of it. At Bennegins, they serve this bean mixture with goat cheese and thin bruscetta crisps. It's so tasty. I was glad I found a recipe that mimics it. You can also add 2 cups of broth with the beans to make a soup. Or, puree the bean mixture at the end to make a tasty dip, according to the cookbook. :) Makes 4 (1/2 cup) servings 4 tsp olive oil 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 2 tsp finely chopped fresh sage (or 1/2 tsp dried) 1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary (or 1/2 tsp dried) 1 cup canned diced tomatoes 1 (16 oz.) can cannellini beans 1/4 tsp salt freshly ground pepper to taste 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley 1 tsp red wine vinegar In medium nonstick caucepan over medium-low heat, heat the oil. Saute the garlic, sage and rosemary until the garlic turns pale gold, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes; raise the heat...

If you're having a party, I recommend making Aunt Kinky's Salsa and Margaritas! Both are pretty simple, and you won't have any leftovers, I promise. =) By the way, Aunt Kinky's is Geoff's aunt, and her given name is Lynn. What happens when a small child can't say Lynn? His funny dad jokes, "Just call her Aunt Kinky!" and the name sticks.... AUNT KINKY'S SALSA 1 fresh jalapeno 1 can stewed tomatos 1 can Mexican stewed tomatos 6-10 cloves of fresh garlic, pressed* 1/2 medium or large onion, chopped small bunch of fresh cilantro, washed and chopped 1/2 fresh lime Boil pepper about 10 minutes, or until soft. In the meantime, pour tomatos in a blender, then add cilantro, onion, garlic. Finally, squirt in the juice from the lime. When the pepper is soft, cut in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds from half, then put both halves in the blender.** Add a little salt, to taste. Blend. * Obviously, it would be a good idea if everybody knows each other pretty ...

2 jars (6.5 ounces each) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped (note: I found some frozen, non-marinated artichoke hearts in Trader Joes and these work just as well) 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained 1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1 garlic clove, pressed 3 ounces fresh Parmesan cheese, grated (about 3/4 cup) Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Drain and coarsely chop artichoke hearts with Food Chopper. Combine artichoke hearts, spinach, garlic, sour cream, mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese. 2. Spoon dip into casserole dish. Bake 20-25 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 10-15 appetizer servings More notes: I'm thinking this wouldn't be terrible for you if you used non-fat sour cream and low-fat mayo. And you really can't taste the mayo, I think it must help with the creaminess or something.

At Gwen's request, here is one of the easiest, most instantly gratifying recipe on the planet (outside of a good PB& ham, right Liss?). I don't think she believes me that the recipe is right on the box. 1 pkg. Knorr vegetable dry soup mix (it's in the yellow and green box) 16 oz. sour cream 1 pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained 1 can water chestnuts, chopped coarsely Mix soup with sour cream. Add spinach and water chestnuts. Chill for at least 1 1/2 hours. Serve with vegetables, crackers, in a pumpernickel bread bowl with 1" bread squares or on a spoon in the middle of the night while you're wearing pajamas. And now for a few variations: - 2 packages of spinach instead of one (make sure it's chopped, not cut or you'll be mad) - use cottage cheese instead of sour cream and use as a sandwich spread

Recipe was found here . Made it yesterday for our bbq using both red and orange tomatoes, and it was tasty. 2 pounds vine-ripened red and/or orange tomatoes (about 5 medium) 2 fresh serrano or jalapeño chiles (I only used one) 1/4 medium onion (preferably white) 1/2 cup fresh cilantro sprigs 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon sugar 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice Quarter and seed tomatoes (I didn't bother to seed). Cut tomatoes into 1/4-inch dice and transfer to a bowl. Wearing rubber gloves, seed and finely chop chiles. Finely chop enough onion to measure 1/4 cup and chop cilantro. Stir chiles, onion, cilantro, and garlic into tomatoes with sugar and lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Salsa may be made 1 hour ahead and kept at cool room temperature.

these are from epicurious.com BLACK BEAN, GREEN PEPPER, AND RED ONION DIP 1 1/2 cups dried black beans, picked over and rinsed 2 quarts plus 1/4 cup water 1 large green bell pepper, chopped fine, reserving about 1 teaspoon for garnish 1 small red onion, chopped fine, reserving about 1 teaspoon for garnish 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, or to taste 2 tablespoons cider vinegar, or to taste tortilla chips as an accompaniment cherry peppers for garnish if desired In a large saucepan let the beans soak in cold water to cover for 1 hour, drain them, and in the pan combine them with 2 quarts of the water. Bring the water to a boil and cook the beans at a slow boil for 1 hour, or until they are tender. While the beans are cooking, in a large heavy skillet cook the bell pepper and the onion in the oil over moderate heat, stirring, until the vegetables are softened. Drain the beans, reserving 1/2 cup of them, add the remaining beans to the bell pepper mixture with the...