Superbowl Snacks

With the Superbowl coming up, I thought I'd share a dip with you that I made the other day just by looking through my herbs and spices and thinking about what would be different from our usual dip. This is what I came up with and it's perfect for dipping veggies or chips and it only takes 3 minutes to put it all together!

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons sour cream (I use fat free)

2 tablespoons mayonnaise (I use light)

1 tablespoon fresh dill (I only had dried dill so I used about 2 tablespoons)

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (you can use lemon juice or even a cider vinegar)

STEPS

• Stir all ingredients together in a bowl and serve!

Spicy Hummus

I really enjoy eating dips, but I didn't want to make another one with sour cream and mayonnaise so I decided to make a hummus. Here's my version with a little kick to it since I like everything spicy!

**Sorry, for some reason, blogspot decided to do weird things to my photos, so the lemon got cut out of this photo. 

INGREDIENTS

1 can chick peas

1 roasted red pepper

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons sesame oil (add 1 first, if it's not enough, add another)

1 chipotle pepper (I used 3 because I like it spicy)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 to 1/2 cup water (only if needed to get food processor or blender to whip everything together smoothly)

STEPS

• Toss everything into a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth. Serve with bread, pitas, veggies or chips.

Aioli

It occurred to me that I didn't post the recipes for the aiolis that I made to serve with the empanadas. It also occurred to me that I didn't take photos of them as we were madly dashing out of the house to the party since we were already an hour late. Oops! So hopefully you'll forgive me and will be able to make do with just the recipes. I promise, they're simple.

Roasted Red Pepper Aioli

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup roasted red pepper

STEPS

• In a food processor, puree the roasted red pepper and garlic. Then add the mayonnaise and lemon juice and blend together.
• Pour into a dip bowl and serve with empanadas.

Chipotle Aioli

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup chipotle peppers (if this is too spicy, you can use 1/4 cup chipotle peppers)

STEPS

• In a food processor, puree the chipotle peppers and garlic. Then add the mayonnaise and lemon juice and blend together.
• Pour into a dip bowl and serve with empanadas.
  

Veggies and Dip

With the holiday season approaching quickly, weekends are quickly filling up with parties to go to and friends and family to visit. Veggie sticks and dip are quick and easy to make if you want to take a dish with you. Here's a recipe that I have adapted from my mother-in-law. It's delicious and, since I like everything spicy, I've put my own twist on it by adding cayenne pepper and bit of minced jalapeno pepper.

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons sour cream (I use fat free and it turns out just fine)

2 tablespoons mayonnaise (I use reduced fat)

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 jalapeno pepper, minced

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

STEPS

• In a small bowl, mix all ingredients together very well. Transfer to dip bowl and serve with carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, rutabaga, cauliflower, parsnips, radishes or any other vegetable that you might like.

Layered Dip

I had to make something for a potluck lunch, so I thought about what I could make relatively easily without making the entire house smell like food. I came up with 7-layer dip, but this one is actually eight layers. I would've made my own refried beans, but that would have made the house smell like cooked beans and that's just not what you want people to smell when they walk into a house wondering if it's the right house for them to buy or not. So, unfortunately, I had to use canned refried beans.

Here's what you'll need for this recipe:

INGREDIENTS

1 can refried beans

3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon salsa (I use 1/2 cup habanero salsa and 1/4 cup medium salsa)

2/3 cup sour cream

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1 medium tomato, diced

1/4 cup chopped hot pepper rings

2 ripe avocados

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

1 cup shredded cheese

STEPS

• Empty the beans into a nice, clear glass dish. (Yes, I know, mine isn't pretty but it's all that I had at the time.) Stir in 1 tablespoon of the salsa to add a bit more flavor to the beans. Level it out in the bowl and wipe the sides clean. Then spoon the remaining 3/4 cup of salsa evenly on top of the beans.
• Cover the salsa layer with the sour cream. Then sprinkle the sour cream with the green onions, then the hot peppers, and finally the tomatoes.
  

• Peel the avocados and place the flesh into another bowl. Pour the lime juice over it and mash it all together with a fork. The lime juice will help keep the avocados from turning brown. Once the avocados are mashed and the lime juice is mixed in, cover the tomatoes with the avocado. Then sprinkle the top with grated cheese.
  

• Serve with corn chips. Our favorite is Tostitos Scoops!