Spinach Dip

Appetizers are the life of a party! Great little snacks to serve before a meal, or go versatile, and only do appetizers as your whole dinner! Admit it... you've ordered an appetizer as a main meal more than once in a restaurant! I know I have.

I would love to hear what your favorite appetizer is!

I Love spinach dip. Love it. And, this family recipe is the best one I've ever had. There is just something so... craveable about smooth dip, with the crunch of water chestnuts and the soft flavor of spinach. Then, you pair it with sourdough bread...mmm...

This recipe takes literally 10-15 minutes to put together. The only time constraint is that you should make it a night before serving, or several hours before so that the flavors can blend.

Spinach Dip
The Double Dipped Life


1 round sourdough bread loaf
1 pkg frozen spinach
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 pkg dry Leek soup mix
1 can water chestnuts
2 green onions, chopped

Cook the spinach according to package directions.
While spinach is cooking, mix all the other ingredients (except for the bread of course!) in a large bowl.
Add the spinach.
Refrigerate overnight or for several hours.

Right before serving, cut a large hole in the bread to make it hollow. Preserve the insides: they will be used to dip into the dip!

Arrange on a platter and fill the bread with spinach dip.

Also great as a vegetable dip!

Basil Pesto

Freshly grown basil is a heavenly thing. Just pull it close to your nose and smell that freshness. It's a very versatile herb. It's most common use is in Italian dishes. It's great in pasta and even in drinks. Here I've made it into a wonderful pesto.  Pesto is yummy, but what do you do with that big bowlful? One of the great things about pesto is that it freezes well. Put the basil into ice cube trays and then just add it to your hot dishes or defrost for use on sandwiches and in dips.   Here are some more ideas for fresh basil.




Mix it with pasta
Mix it in with alfredo sauce
Mix it with ranch dressing for a smooth dip or salad topping
Spread it on sandwiches or wraps
Use it as the base for bruschetta
Mix it into soups
It is fabulous on pizza
Use it to top a baked potato


Basil Pesto
The Double Dipped Life

3 cups basil leaves, gently packed
3/4 cups Parmesan cheese Fresh is always best!
1/4 teas salt
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teas red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts


Place everything but the olive oil and pine nuts in a food processor. I just used my blender. Pulse the mixture and stir until everything is processed.  While the blender is running, slowly pour in the olive oil. You can leave it thick, or add more oil until the pesto is thin.  Remove the pesto to a bowl.  Put the pine nuts in the processor, and give it a quick chop. Stir by hand into the pesto. I do the nuts separately to get some crunch in my pesto.

Eat the pesto right away or store in the fridge or freezer.

Enjoy! 

Cinco De Mayo!

Thursday, May 5th, is Cinco De Mayo! You all know how much I adore Mexican food. So, what better than a whole day to celebrate?  This year, I am making a feast for the teachers and staff of our elementary school. It is part of our Teacher Appreciation Week! I thought I'd show you some past recipes that are essentials in my house!

Cilantro Lime Chicken. 

You can marinate this for as little as 30 minutes, or put everything in the crockpot! Super flavor!

 

Cilantro Lime Dressing.  

The chicken wouldn't be the same without this dressing. Use it on your main meal, on a salad, or just drink it straight up! ;)

Perfect Guacamole

Avocados, salsa, cilantro, onions... all work together to make magic!

You can go with a fabulous Red Chicken Enchilada, or try something a little different with the Honey Lime Enchiladas that I adore! 

And, lastly, if you are serving a crowd, this Taco Soup is a great dish to serve! 

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Creamy Chipotle Ranch Dressing

 

Growing up, I was not a fan of salads. I was forced to try them again and again, but they just weren't my first choice. Then my mom told me once that I needed to find a dressing that I liked. Then, the salad would follow.  Seems backward, but it worked! I realized that I loved Ranch dressing. Ok, so not the healthiest, but it got me eating salads! 

Today, my tastes have expanded to some vinaigrette's, but my first love is creamy dressings. This recipe is perfect creaminess meets spicy. It's great on a salad with some Mexican food, or drizzled over a chicken salad. I had the leftovers on a Baja Beef Wrap-recipe coming soon!

Chipotle Chilies in Adobo sauce can be found on the Mexican food aisle in your grocery store. They are wonderful, spicy little critters. Since you only use one (or less) you can portion out the rest into ice trays and freeze for later use! 

Creamy Chipotle Ranch Dressing

Adapted from Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast

1/2 -1 cup light ranch dressing (start with 1/2 cup- add more if it ends up too spicy!)

1 chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce

1 green onion, cut into 2-inch pieces

Place ingredients into a blender; process until smooth.  Taste, and add more Ranch dressing if it's too spicy! 

This should keep at least 1 week in a covered container in the fridge.

Enjoy! 

Pesto Pita with Bruschetta

For my Italian dinner party last weekend, I decided that it was time to try making Bruschetta. I found a good recipe online at Allrecipes.com to use as a starting point.  I then added and changed! I decided that instead of using plain sourdough bread as the base, to use Pesto Pita's instead.  The Pesto added another incredible layer of flavor to the bruschetta.

The Pesto Pita's are very quick, and the kids loved them plain. In fact, they are already begging for more! You can add some mozzarella cheese to them for an extra treat!

The Bruschetta is easy to make, but should sit and marinate for 4-8 hours. This is mostly because of the addition of Balsamic Vinegar. It also allows the flavors more time to meld.

Pesto Pita
Recipe by The Double Dipped Life

Pre-made round Pita bread
Pesto- either homemade or store bought
Shredded Mozzarella cheese (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350.

Lay a Pita round on a cutting board, and spread with Pesto. I used a thin layer since I was also using Bruschetta. You can put more on if you are eating these plain.

If you would like to add Mozzarella cheese, do so now! 

Using a pizza cutter, slice the pita into slices- just like a pizza!

Transfer the pita slices onto a baking sheet, and cook for 10 minutes.

Serve right away.

Tomato and Basil Bruschetta
adapted from Allrecipes.com
Adaptations by The Double Dipped Life

2 tomatoes, cubed
2 teas. dried basil or 1 TB fresh basil
4 TB grated Parmesan cheese
2 TB Olive Oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 TB Balsamic Vinegar 
salt and pepper to taste
Mozzarella cheese (optional- to melt over the top of pre-made bruschetta bread)

Combine all the ingredients, tasting to adjust seasonings.  Let sit in the refrigerator for 8 hours to marinate.

Serving ideas:
Serve on top of Pesto Pita, sourdough bread, or even pasta or chicken!
To use the Mozzarella- cut the sourdough bread into small slices. Top with Bruschetta and the cheese. Broil for 2-3 minutes until the cheese melts.


Enjoy!  ** The ABC Challenge letter will be up tomorrow! Any suggestions for the letter?

Tangy Parmesan Dressing

I love making my own dressings and dips. So, when I saw this recipe at Mindikamoments I knew I had to try it.

 I followed her recipe, but when I tasted it, I wasn't totally lovin' it, so I made some changes. This dressing is great on a simple salad of romaine lettuce, maybe some tomatoes and croutons.  I served this dressing last weekend when friends came over, alongside lasagna. It was a great, tangy dressing!

Tangy Parmesan Dressing 

1/2 cup sour cream (I upped this amount to cut down on the super tanginess!)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tb mayonnaise
2 Tb white wine vinegar
2 Tb minced fresh parsley (1 Tb dried)
1/2 teas Dijon mustard
1/8 teas (or just a few drops) Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teas (or just a few drops) hot sauce
Juice from 1 lime (my addition)
1/2 teas crushed red pepper flakes (my addition- they are optional if you use the hot sauce)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, croutons

Whisk together all of the ingredients. Taste dressing, and adjust seasonings as needed.  Let your dressing sit for 4-8 hours in the fridge.

Toss with the lettuce right before serving, or let diners serve themselves!

Enjoy!

Roasted Garlic and Asiago Cream Sauce

We went out to dinner a few weeks ago, and this sauce caught my eye on the menu. I didn't try it there, but knew that I had to make it at home. Nothing is better than roasted garlic! (Chocolate doesn't count...)

I wish I had pictures for you, but our camera has broken. This picture is from my basic Alfredo Sauce.

I used my basic Alfredo Sauce recipe, and adjusted it to make a super creamy, tasty sauce.

I served it over baked herb chicken, with a side of wild rice and roasted asparagus. It would also be wonderful on noodles or vegetables.

Roasted Garlic and Asiago Cream Sauce

1 clove Roasted Garlic (see instructions below)
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Sauce:
1 block Cream Cheese (low fat is fine)
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup of milk
1 cup grated Asiago Cheese
Roasted garlic cloves (I used 5 or 6; use what you are comfortable with)
1 TB Basil
Pepper to taste

To roast garlic:

Set oven to 325.
Peel the outer layers of the garlic clove away- leaving enough layer to hold the cloves together.
Cut 1/4 to 1/2 inch off of the top of the garlic head to reveal individual cloves.
Set the cloves on a square of foil, and drizzle with 1 teaspoon Olive Oil.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Fold foil up around garlic, enclosing completely.
Put foil packets in a shallow baking dish, and bake for 40-50 minutes. The garlic is done when a fork pierces them easily.

Allow to cool, then squeeze the cloves out of the skin. Mash them slightly before adding to sauce.

Sauce:
Put all of the ingredients in a saucepan, and heat on medium until melted and combined. Stir frequently to make a smooth sauce.

Serve immediately!

Cinnamon Fruit Dip

I made this dip for a Christmas Party. It is an excellent and EASY dip to make and eat with fruit. The problem I had was that the original recipe was way to sweet. It tasted like cinnamon cake frosting! I have cut down the sugar, so the fruit goodness can shine through!

Cinnamon Fruit Dip

8 oz cream cheese (only use regular for a smooth dip)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
3 tsp milk

Melt the cream cheese in microwave for 1 minute. Mix in the other ingredients, and stir to combine.

Serve with apple slices, bananas, or your favorite fruit!

Garlic Seasoning

Garlic Bread Seasoning

Recipe found on OurBestBites

So, you have your French bread, butter, and... what to sprinkle on top?

Look no further! The wonderful ladies at Our Best Bites have come up with this amazing combination of seasonings that will leave you wanting more!

I seriously use this on everything Italian! I sprinkle it on pizza, I use it to make spaghetti and pizza sauce... whatever I can!

1/2 c. powdered Parmesan cheese

2 tsp. Kosher salt

2 Tbsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. oregano

2 tsp. basil

2 tsp. marjoram

2 tsp. parsley

Combine ingredients in a jar (preferably one with a sprinkle top) and shake. Sprinkle on top of breadsticks or combine 1 1/2 Tbsp. seasoning with 1/2 c. of softened real butter and spread on a loaf of French bread (cut in 1/2 lengthwise). Wrap in foil and bake at 375 until butter's melted. If you want, you could also pop it open-faced under the broiler for a few minutes so it gets brownish and crispy.

I had an empty seasoning container, mixed it all up, and keep this mix on hand in the cupboard. It is a wonderful time saver!

Use on Bread and also in Sauces!

Fresh Salsa from Mom

There is nothing quite like Homemade Salsa.

This is my mom's recipe, and she could whip it up in no time flat. It is always amazing! I really prefer this recipe over any other salsa that I've found anywhere else.

In fact... I made this batch at 10:30pm one night...

So, it really helps to have a chopper, but if you don't, just get your chopping hand ready!

Fresh Salsa

The Double Dipped Life

1 1-lb can tomatoes

6 TB chopped green peppers

2-3 chopped green onion

6 TB chopped fresh tomatoes

6 TB chopped onion

1 TB Parsley or Cilantro (I love cilantro, so I use lots more)

1 small can green chilies

1 TB Red Wine vinegar

pinch of Mexican oregano

1/4 teas minced garlic (Fresh is best)

1/4 teas chili pepper

1 teas lime juice

1 teas salt

1/4 teas cumin

1/8 teas pepper

1/2 avocado, optional

If hotter taste is preferred (yes!) add 1/2 can of jalapenos, and more chili pepper

Mix all ingredients together.

Optional: Depending on the texture you like, you can place some or all of the salsa in a food processor and process until done. I usually only blend 1/4-1/2 of the mixture, as I like chunky salsa.

Let sit for 1-2 hours in refrigerator for flavors to blend.

Enjoy!

Cilantro Parsley Pesto

I love fresh Cilantro. Remember my Garlic fetish? It's worse with Cilantro. I would wear Cilantro as a scent. I think I ooh and awe over the smell of cilantro more than the smell of chocolate!

I also love Pesto. It's such a wonderful, variable food. So, why not do a Cilantro Pesto?

I took it one step further, when I saw this recipe from OurBestBites. They did a Pork Tenderloin with Chimichurri. The pesto in this recipe is so amazing that I literally crave it.

The recipe for the Pork tenderloin can be found on their site.

Here, I want to share the recipe for the Cilantro Parsley Pesto.

Big bunch of Parsley
Big bunch of Cilantro
Oregano*
2 T Fresh lime juice
1 T red wine vinegar
3 T chopped Garlic
1 T salt
1/4 t black pepper
1/4 t red pepper flakes
1/4- 1/2 C Olive Oil
Pine Nuts or Almonds sprinkled in

*Fresh Oregano is best. Use 1/2c. Otherwise, you may use 1TB dried Oregano

Now, ready for the hard part? :)

Chop Cilantro and Parsley. It is OKAY to include the stems!
Place the herbs in a food processor, with the rest of the ingredients, EXCEPT for the oil and red pepper.
Pulse several times, and place mixture in a bowl. Stir in red pepper flakes and Oil by hand. You can use less or more Oil, depending on what consistency you would like!

Chill for at least 1 hour to allow tastes to meld.



Now, what to do with this delightful concoction?

You can follow the link above and use it as a marinade on Pork.
You can spread it over chicken.
You can eat is as a dip with French bread.
You can mix it with Ranch Dressing and use on a salad.
Mix in soups, pasta sauces, or on pizza for added zest!
This freezes well! Make tons and freeze for later!

Stock up on fresh cilantro and parsley! You will want to make this over and over again!

Cilantro Lime Dressing

I found this amazing recipe on Rara Bakes.
It's a great food blog! Check it out today!

This dressing is similar to the salad dressing at some Mexican places like Cafe Rio and Bajio. Pour it over your salad, or any Mexican dish.
Easy to make, fabulous to eat!

Creamy Lime Cilantro Dressing

1 packet Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Mix
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk OR 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar plus enough milk to make 1/2 cup
1 lime
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro
1/4 cup green salsa

Put dressing mix, mayonnaise, and buttermilk in the blender. Juice the lime into the blender. Peel the garlic cloves and then grate them using the small end of a cheese grater. Add to the blender. Add cilantro and green salsa.

Blend until everything is well-combined and then refrigerate for several hours before serving.

Easy, right? And best of all, it's sooo yummy!

Look for my next recipe post- some fabulous chicken that pairs perfectly with this dressing!

Crockpot Applesauce

I had some extra apples lying around, so I thought I would make applesauce. It was so easy to make! I think I'm going to make it from now on!

Here is the recipe I used. It turned out tasting just like the inside of an Apple Pie! If you don't want it to be as sugary, or taste like apple pie, you can use less spices!

6-8 Apples, peeled, sliced
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 to 1teas. Pumpkin Pie spice (or add cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves)

Place all ingredients in a crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 6 hrs, or on high for about 3 hrs. Mash all the apples, and Enjoy!