Whipped Goat Cheese Dip with Caramelized Onions

Michael and I threw a housewarming party in December, and in addition to some sweets I decided to make a dip for veggies and chips. And I wanted it to be easy to make (I had a lot going on) and super tasty. This recipe ABSOLUTELY fit the bill!

Everyone at the party looooved it and were like "What's in it?? How'd you make it?!" Answer: goat cheese, caramelized onions, and heavy cream. Whipped together with a hand mixer. THE END. Like....it doesn't get much easier. The caramelized onions are the source of all the deeeelicious flavor because caramelized onions are friggin miraculous. The cream is just to thin out the goat cheese so it's not TOO thick, although I'm sort of curious what would happen if you just used milk?

Anyway, the other beautiful thing about making this dip when entertaining is that it tastes even better the day after you make it. So I recommend making it the day before your event. Then the flavors all get to chill out and mingle together longer. Maximum deliciousness. I really really liked this one, def. one of my favorite dips I've ever made. I think you'll all agree!

Homemade Mexican Guacamole

Lately...I've been craving guacamole. And I haven't been able to get it (I keep meaning to go to this one Mexican restaurant we love but it hasn't happened yet) so...I finally just decided to make my own. Because that's what we food bloggers do. Or...at least...that's usually what I do. And really...there's no reason that all of us shouldn't make our own guacamole! IT IS SO EASY! And insaaanely quick to make!

Funny fact--apparently my dad and grandma (heck..probably all of my grandparents) have never tried guacamole. And one time (a time my brother and I still enjoy a good giggle over) my mom pronounced guac "GWYE-ACK" (admittedly on accident--she does know how to correctly pronounce it). So...I don't come from a particularly adventurous food background. But somehow...I love guacamole. And I am so happy that I do.

First a little tip on avocado ripeness--you're going to want the avocado skin to be very dark and have give when you squeeze it. If it's suuuper soft when you squeeze it-it may be over-ripe, but you can still cut it open and use any parts that are still green and not brown! Another tip for good guac is DO NOT BE AFRAID OF SALT! Seriously...you're gonna want to be generous. And also, this recipe is definitely one of those taste and adjust sort of situations--some of the ingredients aren't going to have amounts because you should sort of just add however much tastes good to you, you know? I know the first time you make something that is super frustrating but I promise after you make it once and figure it out...it just makes sense!

Oh and after you've made the guacamole, if you don't finish it and want some leftovers and are concerned about it turning brown here's another little tip: spray the top of the guacamole with cooking spray and cover the top with plastic wrap (so that the wrap is pressing on all of the guacamole)--it helps!

Avocadoes are potentially the only thing that I like and Michael doesn't, so I had to eat all the guacamole myself. Which...even though it didn't look like much...it actually was. So this might be best to serve if you're entertaining or have at least a couple people to eat it--because I had a difficult time finishing it by myself. 

Also--don't limit yourself to eating this deliciousness with just chips! Quesadillas, flautas, and even french fries are so good dipped in the guac and it's also tasty on sandwiches!

Guacamole is too good to only enjoy one way. 

Black Bean Pico de Gallo

I miss Mexico.

You know-we went there for our honeymoon and it was the best time ever. Well, it also had the tastiest food ever. I've never been huge on Mexican food but that somewhat changed thanks to our trip-especially when it comes to salsas and dips and such, we had those with/prior to pretty much every meal and they were SO GOOD! My particular favorite was a black bean pico de gallo we had at the Cactus Club. So one day I decided...I'm going to make my own! And it was a fantastic idea.

Anyway, my missing of Mexico has only be exacerbated by the fact that we've been to a couple Mexican restaurants (people are very excited that I'll now go to them) and my cousins had been making pico de gallo/salsas a lot lately during our Sundays in the summer. Then, one day, Michael asked me to buy him salsa con queso and tortilla chips and I said to myself, "Kayle-this is the time. Let's recreate your favorite pico de gallo!"

First a couple tips: This is totally adaptable based upon your palate. Know that. Also--use smaller (cherry or roma) tomatoes so that your pico de gallo doesn't turn out as watery as mine. Trust me on this. Also, um....make sure your jalapeños are chopped very small, your onions are pretty darn small, and that the tomatoes are diced on the smaller side too. And, finally--DO NOT SKIMP ON THE SALT. I'm normally very wary about the salt shaker for health reasons (and it's also kind of like I'm a recovering salt addict...I used to just straight up eat salt y'all and the sad part is...I'm not grossed out by it because I know that's delicious stuff. But soooo bad for you!)-but salt is really your friend with this, it's going to make the biggest difference with the flavor and just...you need it. You will thank me for this. Promise.

And c'mon people...this is a bowl full of vegetables and beans-it's still healthy!

Now you're probably wondering, "Was it everything you wanted it to be? Was it delicious? Did you love it?" 

....

YES YES YES!!! This came out as good as I could have ever expected! Mind you, it would have been nicer if I was staring at the beach and if Michael and I were in relax-y vacation mode but...still...for non-honeymoon fare, it was pretty darn good. Fresh and sweet and and cilantro-y (although that is another thing you can totally mess with to get it to your liking) and delicious (mine wasn't spicy at all because I don't like spicy so I used the lower amount of jalapeño--if you like spiciness feel free to up the amount and/or use the seeds!) And it was demolished pretty much in one sitting with Michael, me, and my brother all circled around it in my living room like crazy savages.

Yepp. That good. You're gonna love it!

Caramelized Onion Dip

Pretty much the only time I'll allow myself to try out a new dip recipe is when I'm going to a party. Because I know that, otherwise, I'll end up eating the whole dang thing myself. And then I'll be like "whyyyy do I do this to myself??!" so really it's just best for everyone if I share the appetizer love. And that is exactly what happened with this recipe for caramelized onion dip!

There are 2 main things that drew me into this recipe: caramelized onions (one of man's greatest creations :P) and the fact that it is slightly healthified thanks to Greek yogurt and reduced fat cream cheese. So, when I was told to bring an app/snack to the 4th of July with my family, I knew that this dip was getting made!

Now, unfortunately my uncle also brought chip dips so I had a bit of competition, but that's ok because everyone could tell that this was the superior dip. My brother said he had a difficult time eating it because, even though he knew it wasn't super bad for him, he said it tasted deliciously unhealthy so he was having an argument between his brain and his taste buds. My teen cousins also enjoyed digging in (even though my cousin Ethan was aghast at the fact that I hadn't made a dessert).

This dip is tangy, creamy, super flavorful, and full of onions that are soft and slightly sweet.

It's one of those things where once you have one bite...you're hooked!

Spinach and Artichoke Hummus

I love spinach artichoke dip, I love hummus. So...really...it just makes sense to combine the two! They're both delicious dips. They're both crowd pleasers. They both took some time for me to warm up to.

Yepp. When I first tried spinach and artichoke dip I was not sold. However, my best friend insisted we share it every time we went to Friday's together so I eventually grew to love it. And hummus I wasn't sold on, until I had my 10th bite. Then I couldn't get enough. Which is exactly what happened with this hybrid. At first I was all, "Ohhh...hmmm...I dunno."

And now I can't stop shoveling it into my face. Same thing with Michael. He was like "Eh, it's ok." 20 minutes later he yelled, "TAKE THIS AWAY FROM ME I CANNOT STOP EATING IT!"

Thank goodness we got to the point of being unable to stop eating it becaaause...I totally should have waited to make this until there was a party, because it definitely makes a large party-sized amount. I was a little overwhelmed when I realized how much hummus I had just made. So--be prepared for that. If you're not planning on bringing it someplace, halve the recipe. You'll still have plenty. Not that any that I made went to waste. Oh nooo-I ate it right up. Yes yes yes!

And the taste? Honestly...it's exactly what you'd expect. It's like hummus merged with spinach and artichoke dip. 

So, yeah. That's the story of how Kayle got some veggies into her system thanks to hummus!

Scallion Parmesan Hummus

I'm reeeeeally getting into this whole hummus thing. It's all healthy and stuff AND it's delicious?? WOOT!

It has sort of become my go-to when I need to bring an appetizer and I don't have time. Because if I have chickpeas? I can make hummus and it'll take like....5 minutes. Plus it's a total crowd-pleaser! 

As much as I adored the roasted garlic hummus I made this summer, I knew Michael was a bit overwhelmed by the garlic so I decided to go a different route. Plus...I had some scallions that needed to get used. So I sort of threw together this recipe.

I'm gonna let you in on a little secret, though: don't get thrown off by how hummus tastes right after you make it. After it sits for awhile it always ends up mellowing out and tasting SO MUCH better! I was super worried that the scallion flavor was too strong, at first, but then after time I didn't worry anymore. It was just delicious!

I made this hummus for "Crofford Christmas" (Michael's dad's side's Christmas celebration) and full disclosure: I was that weird person who couldn't stop eating the dish that I brought. I felt so guilty as I kept going back for more and more of my own hummus! Like..."Kayle...you brought this for other people...don't be that girl"...but I couldn't help it. It was just smooth and delicious and I could not resist!

As it turns out...neither could anyone else. Success!

Roasted Garlic Brown Butter Hummus

Remember my family reunion that I mentioned a couple weeks ago? Well, I made a little something for the occasion. My family clan (so: my grandma and aunts and uncles and cousins) was tasked with bringing appetizers and snacks and such, so I decided I wanted to make hummus for the first time!

Speaking of hummus...up until this point I had been pretty unsure about how I felt about hummus. Like...do I like it? I didn't know! But I figured...if it has roasted garlic and browned butter...what's not to like?

(Side note: when telling this to Michael's stepmom she told me, "You'd eat carpet if it had browned butter."

haaaaa. #sortatrue)

The good news is: I LOVE THIS HUMMUS! It's kind of funny because at first I wasn't sure how I felt about it and thought maybe the tahini was too strong (and Michael initially thought the garlic was too stron)...but it's one of those things where the more you eat of it, the better you like it. By the end I was all "'OM NOM HUMMUSSSS"!! And it went over really well at the reunion too-everyone said they liked it. Hooray! 

This recipe is very easily doubled-I doubled it for the reunion! (Although turns out that wasn't necessary, but it's ok, I ate the leftovers :P) AND...ya know....kinda healthyish. Chickpeas are good for ya, yeah? And....garlic? Yes? Ok maybe the butter and oil whatever, but it's not much. Yeah. I declare this healthy!

Healthier if you dip veggies in it, but I'm totally ok with it if you use pita chips.

Mmmm pita chips and hummus....

Spinach, Onion, and Swiss Dip for #SwissWeek

We're back with recipe 2 of my Lorraine Cheese #SwissWeek! (Click here to check out the delish crostini I shared on Monday.) All good parties require some kind of dip, right? And you want it to be a delicious, cheesy, makes you feel like you just gained 10 lbs. kind of dip, yeah? What if I made a dip that is all of that but, in fact, WON'T make you gain 10 lbs*?

*(probably)

I've already talked about the outstanding quality and taste of Lorraine Swiss cheese BUT did you know that, at only 75 mg per serving, it's also naturally low in sodium?! Woot wooot!

The idea for this recipe is from my healthified version of spinach artichoke dip. But no artichokes. And only Swiss cheese. And some onions for flavor. All in all pretty decent for ya (especially if you decide to use veggies to dip.)

And everrrr so YUMMY! Michael and I both attacked this baby. I mean, really, just look at that top layer of cheesy goodness. And it's chock full of spinach and just the right amount of flavor via the onions (which count as vegetables, right?). If you make a big batch of this and serve it, not one person will believe it's anything less than deliciously bad for them. And if you don't wanna tell 'em, that's fine with me. Our little secret ;).

And for more Swiss goodness, check out Lorraine Cheese's facebook page and pinterest!

Uniquely Greek Review

I'm doing some exciting stuff today....

but it's a secret ;)

So let's talk about something else then, hm?

Ummm....I may have a problem. Like...a serious addiction.

The first step is admitting it, right?

Ok...here goes....

I, Kayle, am addicted to Uniquely Greek Feta Cheese Spreads.

Uniquely Greek is another amazing find from my time at the Summer Fancy Food Show, and I CANNOT GET ENOUGH. Essentially, it is a unique blend of domestic feta cheese, garlic, cream cheese infused with fresh produce. There are (currently) 4 flavors: Red Pepper, Creamy Buffalo, Kalamata Olive, and Baby Spinach. Kalamata Olive and Baby Spinach are MY FAVORITES!

Now, technically these can be used as sauces, sandwich spreads, and all sorts of things. But umm...they didn't last long enough for me to do anything with them except shovel crackers full of the spread into my gaping maw. Seriously, I have a problem. I want MORE!

If you wanna give em a try you can check out the "Find Us" section on their site, but essentially they're carried in 80% of the Whole Foods, Mid Atlantic (Specialty Dept) and just got into Whole Foods South. They're talking with NY distributors right now and will be available up north very soon. They're also in Earth Fare stores down south already (The Carolinas down to Florida) and in Chicago too at some specialty markets - over at least 150 stores and more coming every month. Exciting stuff!

Also...Uniquely Greek people...if you're reading this....I would give my right arm for more dip.

I'm a woman obsessed.

Check Uniquely Greek on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!

Disclaimer: I was provided with Uniquely Greek Feta Cheese Spreads to try, but I was under no obligation to review if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review in return for the free product. My opinions, as always, are all my own.

Sour Cream, Spinach, and Onion Dip (Lightened Up)

So...um...I guess it's football season?

I dunno, my brother and facebook feed seem pretty stoked.

I don't make a secret about the fact that I am not the kind of girl who likes or cares about sports (some people may say I cram the fact down their throats...I say that people who like sports try to cram it down mine so only fair). Here's the deal: where I come from...sports, especially football, is like...a huge deal. First of all the Midwest in general is super into the sport. Then, also, everyone knows how Ohio-ans are about Ohio State. Oh and Catholics love Notre Dame (my grandma, for instance). Oh and Canton (the city right next door to my hometown, where I went to high school) has the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Oh yeah and Massillon (where I'm from) has the longest running high school football rivalry (Massillon vs. McKinley)-is generally all about football (Paul Brown, of the Browns-as well as many other football players-went to Massillon's high school). They're so football crazy that every little boy born in Massillon hospital is given a football at birth. And here I am, this un-coordinated, uber-girly, just...not sporty girl. And people tried SO HARD to make me like sports, especially football, that all it did was make me like it less.

So there you have it, a reason for my insanity.

Now, all my personal dislikes aside, I completely support people's desire to be into sports.

And even more so...I completely support the consumption of copious amounts of delicious foods at the parties, games, tailgates, etc etc. that go along with the sporty tradition. So, in honor of all of you-sports lovers and haters alike-let's eat some dip!

I don't know if any of you care but...ya know...if you wanna avoid a football season gut...or I dunno maybe delay it or minimize it (?)-this dip has a little bit of a secret weapon: it's been lightened up.
There's still sour cream, for taste. But it's also made with Greek yogurt (I used 2%) AND-in addition to, obviously, onions-spinach. You can't really taste the spinach, and I am by no means saying it makes this dip a health food but it's still spinach and it still gives you a bit of nutritional value. So, yay. :P

Funny story about this dip: I didn't love it at first. I thought it's onion flavor wasn't...well...onion-y enough.

Michael wasn't a big fan either, he thought there was too much onion (he didn't like biting into onion pieces). 

So I speculated on ways to potentially solve this problem: obviously chopping the onions as small as possible buuut...I'd already tried my best with that (secret shame: I'm awful at chopping). I thought maybe I could puree the cooked onions? (I'm still curious about the idea). 

Regardless, there we were, with a TON of dip, staring at it and trying to figure out how we'd finish it.

But then...something magical happened. I don't know if the extra time in the refrigerator made the flavor get more integrated over time or if it just grew on me but, um, I got addicted. Like...couldn't stop eating it. All the fears were for naught, I finished that bad boy in a few days. 

No shame.

If you like sour cream and onion stuff you'll like this (even if it means you don't eat it until after it's sat in the fridge for a day or two :P) Trust me. Would I steer you wrong? That's right.

Guacamole

Hi there! *waves*

Hows your 2013 going so far?

You feeling good about your resolutions and what not?

You want a nice, easy, healthy recipe?

You do?

Great!

Guacamole.

Avocado is full of all kinds of healthy good fats and what not (don't shy away from the word fat, you need it!). In general, I don't particularly care for avocado in things, but I DO like guacamole. And this is the most fresh tasting guacamole you'll probably ever have! And it's fairly easy to customize according to your own tastes. Think it needs a little more garlic? Throw some in there! Do you prefer the pure, clean taste of avocado? Leave some of these ingredients out! No big! It's your life, eat your guacamole how you like!

And then be all proud of yourself, like, "Yes...I make my own guacamole. And I HAVE lost weight, thank you for asking!"

(Yes, this is the guacamole I made for Michael's birthday-so you finally have all those recipes! Yay!)

Cheesy Chicken Dip (A Continuation of The Worst Housewarming Party Ever)

If you've read this previous post, you know I had a very anticipated and quite disappointing housewarming party. But c'est la vie, what's done is done! Anywhozzle, I made this chicken dip to serve as well. It's one of Michael's favorites, and honestly...just about anyone else who has had it. My mother was given this recipe by an old co-worker, and it's been a family favorite ever since. She now routinely brings it to big get-togethers. Speaking of which, I just returned home from a blissful (yet busy) 5 day visit home in Ohio. Michael's cousin, Jimmy, got married (CONGRATS JIMMY AND DIANA!), and we were visiting for the wedding. And I figured, I might as well make it a little longer of a stay so I can see some people! I haven't been home since Christmas, so it was so nice to see everyone :). As always there were people I didn't get to see, and that's always sad. But on my last day in Ohio, my mom's whole family came together at my Grandma Jo's house for the last Sunday at her pool, and to see me. It was just wonderful. I got to see my cousins, play with their adorable babies (so weird...other than Farrah I'm the next one in line to have a baby! Chill out all, not for a few years.), and just visit with loved ones I don't get to see often enough! Oh yeah, and there was food. I made some amazing cookies. And, my mother made her Cheesy Chicken Dip! As always, it was beloved. And now I shall share it with you:

Cheesy Chicken Dip