RECIPE: CHUNKY BLUE CHEESE and YOGURT DIP

Blue Cheese always reminds me of my mom. We never had blue cheese at home because she was the only one who liked it... but on the rare occasion that we'd get to go out to a restaurant, mom would always order a salad with bleu cheese dressing. Over the years, I've come to love it and I'm especially in love with the Smokey Blue Cheese from Rogue Creamery in Central Point, Oregon. You can usually find it at most Whole Foods locations. It runs about $9 for about 4 ounces. Yes, a little expensive for a dip but whoa... it is good. You can use whatever blue cheese you like- this is the best all-purpose, non-Ranch dip I know for chicken wings, veggies, and crackers.

My chunky blue cheese dip is the perfect dip for chicken wings, veggies, or crackers... this is even good spread on a slice of bread and toasted under the broiler!

CHUNKY BLUE CHEESE DIP

Difficulty: Easy    Category: Party Food

Prep Time: 5 minutes    Cook Time: non-cook recipe

INGREDIENTS 

½ cup chopped shallots

2 teaspoons minced garlic

3 Tablespoon lemon juice

¼ teaspoon lemon zest

2 cups Greek yogurt (you can sub sour cream if you don't like yogurt)

8 ounces (1 cup) Blue Cheese (okay to use crumbles)

2 teaspoons kosher salt

½ teaspoon cracked black pepper

1Tablespoon minced chives

 DIRECTIONS:

Add everything but chives to food processor. Pulse to combine. Pour into a bowl. Garnish with chives. Serve with veggies, chicken wings, chips, or crackers.

Yield: 2 cups

RECIPE: BAKED PITA CHIPS AND CHARRED ONION DIP

To me, there’s nothing that says party like chips and dip. Take the typical chips and dip to a new level with smoky baked pita chips and my charred three onion dip. Better make a double batch! I like making this recipe for Super Bowl Sunday or game days in front of the TV because you can make it in advance and it tastes even better. Plus, it is easy to double or tripe for a big crowd. Note: Instead of putting out a huge bowl, I recommend using smaller serving bowls. Fill 2-3 bowls and cover with plastic wrap. Keep chilled until you need to replenish.

BAKED PITA CHIPS WITH THREE ONION DIP

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 20 minutes plus 30 minutes chill time

Cook Time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons olive oil

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon kosher salt-divided

¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper

8 pita bread rounds

 DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Combine all of the ingredients except ½ tablespoon of the salt in a small bowl. Whisk together. Brush on the first pita, stack the next one and repeat until you have 4 pitas. Repeat, making a second stack. Use a knife to cut the stack into eight wedges. Repeat with the second stack. Arrange the chips in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden and toasted.

Sprinkle the chips with the remaining salt as soon as you remove them from the oven.

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CHARRED ONION DIP

INGREDIENTS

1 small red onion

6 scallions, save some of the green tops for garnish

1 cup Mascarpone cheese

2 cups sour cream

1 teaspoon chives

1 teaspoon onion powder

¼ tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½ tablespoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire

Dash Tabasco

 DIRECTIONS:

Slice the onion into 4 wedges. Heat and  very lightly oil a grill pan. Cook the onions and scallions until they are softened and the outside is nice and charred. Cool. Using a food processor, mince the scallions and onion. Add the remaining ingredients and mix together. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving. This one tastes best 4-8 hours after you mix it up so the flavors can fully develop.

Yield: 3 cups

RECIPE: SWEET AND SPICY MIXED NUTS

Perfect for any party; these nuts are addictive. Southerners always have nuts around for the holidays and some of them aren’t family… I always make a big batch and break them out for get-togethers or package them in pretty containers to give as gifts.

SWEET & SPICY MIXED NUTS

Skill Level: Easy

Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 4 cups

INGREDIENTS

4 cups mixed nuts; I like pecans halves, walnut halves and whole almonds but use any

2 teaspoons melted butter      

2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon dark brown sugar

1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

Pinch black pepper

¼ t cayenne pepper

 DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Spread the nuts out in one even layer on a sheet pan. Put them in the preheated oven for 3 minutes or until lightly toasted. Watch carefully because they burn easily. Put the butter and maple syrup in a large saucepan over low heat to melt the butter. Whisk in the remaining ingredients and add the toasted nuts. Toss to coat. Line the sheet pan with parchment paper. Turn the nuts out on the prepared pan and bake for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the oven. Toss the nuts around a bit with a spatula and allow to cool. They will keep for a few weeks in an airtight container.