Pimento Cheese – A Southern Classic and a Family Favorite!

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appetizer, dip, Pimento Cheese, recipe, southern, spread

Yesterday, we had a little Kentucky Derby party at our house. Being that it’s a very southern thing, I thought the menu should follow suit. I’m a California native, but I was born into a family with southern roots. I grew up eating the jarred pimento cheese. You know the kind where you have a lovely drinking glass after you eat all the cheese? Well I thought I would get a little more authentic and make the pimento cheese from scratch. It was totally worth the effort! We have a new family favorite!!!

This definitely can’t be defined as a healthy food, but once in a while its OK to splurge, right?!? Anyway, it’s delicious and would be a great dip/spread to add to any party.

Pimento Cheese

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese

1 – 4 oz jar of diced pimentos

1/2 cup mayonnaise (I used light)

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 plus tsp cayenne pepper (Add more if you want it spicier)

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Salt to taste

Put all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth. I made mine a day ahead and it definitely tasted better the second day. Feel free to play with the spice amounts to get a flavor you enjoy.

Remember: Taste as you cook!

Enjoy y’all!!!

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Aubergine and Harissa Dip – Deliciousness!!!

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aubergine, dip, eggplant, gluten-free, harissa, healthy, vegan, vegetarian

   
Here in the U.S. we know aubergine as eggplant. The dip of eggplant and spicy harissa sounds wonderful!!! A must try!
I call this a dip really for want of a better word – I like to mix this together with rice as a main meal or add chickpeas and eat with flatbread as well as eat cold with bread or tortilla chips. Being able to make something I can easily use up in different ways […] https://eatstarchblog.wordpress.com/2016/02/23/aubergine-and-harissa-dip/

Christmas Tree Crudités – A Simple Holiday Twist to Dazzle Your Guests

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appetizer, Christmas, Cooking, crudites, dip, Food, holiday, recipe, vegetable platter, vegetables and. dip

 

Who doesn’t put out a platter of fresh veggies and dip during the holidays? As the fancy people call it, a crudités platter! It’s a great light start to big family dinners! For our family Christmas dinner we decided to get artistic with it! I don’t know that the artistic impression made it taste better, but nonetheless, it was devoured and it sure looked festive!

I do have to admit that I cannot take credit for the idea. I saw a picture floating around on Facebook several weeks ago and took a screen shot. I’m not sure where to give credit or I would!

Anyway, it was fun and festive and took maybe 10 minutes to put together. I prepped the veggies yesterday and tossed them into individual bags in the fridge and then it took about 5 minutes before the family gathering to arrange. My grocery didn’t have any white cauliflower, so I grabbed the purple. I thought it would add a different color.

Basically, as I like to say, play with your food! Play with the look! Play with the flavors! If things don’t work out, laugh it off and chock it up to a lesson learned! This was one I would do again though!

I served my veggies with red pepper hummus and I made a simple yummy dip by mixing a packet of ranch dressing mix with a container of fat free sour cream. Everyone seemed to enjoy and we got some fresh, organic veggies into everyone!

Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving Tip #11 – Keeping it Light With the Appetizers

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Cooking, dip, Food, gluten-free, hummus, recipe, recipes, Thanksgiving, vegan, vegetarian

  
For our family, Thanksgiving seems to be a meal where we go light on the appetizers. The main meal is so filling, we don’t want to fill up on snacks before all the other delicious dishes. One of our favorite light dips is hummus. Sure, you can buy it at the store, but it is so easy to make from scratch and then you know exactly what is in it! You’re in control of the fat and chemicals that you’re having or not having in your food.

Below is a very simple recipe that is delicious as is, but is basic enough that it can be elaborated upon. Most of the ingredients are ones that most cooks have on hand at all times. The tahini keeps for quite some time so if you keep some canned garbanzo beans on hand, you will easily be able to whip up a batch of this wonderful dip on short notice.

Basic Hummus

1 – 15 oz can of garbanzo beans

3 tbsp olive oil

3 garlic cloves, pressed or chopped

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/8 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp cumin

3 tbsp water

3 tbsp tahini (be sure to stir the tahini and mix in the oil, as it separates in its container)

Add all ingredients to food processor,blender or container to be blended with immersion blender. Blend for one minute or until smooth. Spoon into serving bowl and enjoy with veggies, crackers or chips.

Tips: Chopped red bell peppers or sesame seeds sprinkled on top are a good add. If you want to spice it up, add a few jalapenos to food processor and then garnish with a few jalapeno rings, so folks know they’re in for a spicy treat!