Garlic & Yogurt Spinach Dip

Spinach, good...Yogurt, even better. Fuse them together = best!

Ingredients:

1 10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1/2 C mayonnaise

1/2 C sour cream

2 C plain yogurt

1 pkg dried onion soup

1 C water chestnuts, drained, chopped

1/4 t sugar

1/8 t ground pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 stalks green onions, minced

Directions:

Mix all ingredients until well blended.

Taste and correct seasoning

Chill covered at least 2 hours before serving

Brie & Roasted Garlic Dip

Delicious and fantastic for get-togethers...just don't attempt to kiss someone afterwards.

Ingredients:

2 heads roasted garlic (I use a terra cotta garlic roaster, follow instructions accordingly)

8 oz. Brie cheese

1 (3-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/2 t. seasoned salt

dash white pepper

Directions:

In a food processor, process all ingredients until a soft paste is formed.

Refrigerate for several hours to blend flavors.

Serve with crackers, bread or veggies.

Note:

1/2 t Chili powder or ground Cayenne pepper may be added.

Here's how to roast garlic the traditional way:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut top 1/2" off the top of the garlic heads.

Remove some of the loose papery skin, leaving the heads intact.

Place each on a square of foil, drizzle each with half a tablespoon of olive oil, and wrap well.

Bake at 350 degrees 50-60 minutes, until the garlic is very soft and begins to brown.

Cool until easy to handle. Squeeze each head to remove the soft roasted cloves.

Clam & Garlic Stuffed Mushrooms

This recipe was shared to me in secret about 10 years ago. I swore never to tell... until now. 10 years is a long time not to share something this good.

Ingredients:

White mushrooms

Chopped clams

Garlic

Cream cheese

Parmesan cheese

Butter

Parsley, finely chopped

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Wash mushrooms and carefully take out stems. Discard stems

Poke mushroom heads with a toothpick. About 2-3 holes per head.

In a food processor, puree together clam and garlic until smooth.

Stuff mushrooms with the garlic clam puree then cover with cream cheese.

Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.

Arrange mushrooms in a baking pan. Carefully place pieces of butter in between gaps.

Bake for 20 mins or until filling is golden brown. Sprinkle with parsley before serving

My attempt at making Baked Brie

I just loooove baked Brie! Last weekend, I finally convinced myself it was my turn to try making it. So I asked friends, watched instructional videos and scoured for recipes online. Eventually, I settled with a simple but tried and tested version. My first attempt was rather unsuccessful. I was sad & crushed it did not turn out as expected. I used light brie trying to be healthy and it turned out rubbery instead of the normal oozing cheesy goodness. I also rolled out the bottom a bit thinly that some of the preserved peach leaked out on one side. Ahhh...the lessons learned are priceless.

Ingredients

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed (use package directions)

1 wheel Brie cheese

Peach Preserves

1 egg for egg wash or melted butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Slice the wheel of Brie horizontally in half.

Spread Peach preserves on Brie.

Cover with puff pastry. Brush with egg wash

Bake at 425 degrees until Puff pastry has risen. Then lower temperature to 350 degrees and bake until Puff pastry is crisp and golden brown. Let cool 5 minutes.

Serve with bread or crackers.

note: for a more comprehensive way of preparing Baked Brie, watch this video:

• 
  

Incredibly Easy Spinach Dip

It almost feels like cheating to make this, but sometimes the basic recipe ends up tasting better than the glamoured version. In my experience, it is so in the case of the Spinach Dip. I've seen so many versions with different twists and turns that nothing beats the most simple and un-complicated version. By fluke, I also found out that the dried leek soup mix is better than the universally used vegetable soup mix.

1 10 oz. Package frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained well)
1 16 oz. tub of sour cream
1 cup Mayonnaise
1 1.8 oz package of dry leek soup mix
2 stalks green onions, chopped
1 4oz. water chestnuts, chopped

Mix together all ingredients in a bowl and chill for 6-8 hours or overnight.

Serve with chips, bread or crackers

Note: make sure to mix everything well and spinach is drained completely. Enjoy!

Michele's Artichoke Gruyere Dip

And of course...the special mention at the PJ Party v.2.0. Although Bern and Jerms did an amazing job at hosting the party, let's not forget another yummy dish from Michi. I swear this girl has never ceased to surprise me with her culinary expertise.



Ingredients:
1 - 14oz can of artichoke hearts, drained
1/4 cup non-fat Greek yogurt, or sour cream
1 Tbsp. Mayonnaise
Dash cayenne pepper
3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese, (about 1/4 lb)
Handful of Diced Jalapeno Rings (Optional)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400
Pulse artichoke hearts in a food processor, about 20 seconds.
Add yogurt, mayonnaise, cayenne pepper, jalapenos (optional), and 1/2 cup of cheese. Pulse a few seconds until just blended.
Pour into a baking dish and bake 20 minutes until warmed through and slightly bubbly. Sprinkly remaining 1/4 cup grated cheese on top and put under the broiler for 1-2 minutes.