December 21, 2011
Decadent Hot Artichoke Dip
Do you have company coming for the holidays? Here’s an easy starter that requires little effort, with delicious results. This recipe was given to me by a very special friend. A long time ago she invited my family to spend Christmas Eve at her home. We’ve been showing up every year since. It’s become a tradition we really look forward to. One Christmas Eve, her eldest daughter whipped up this fantastic hot artichoke dip. With minimal persuasion they shared the recipe with me. It has become one of my go to appetizers that everyone loves. What’s particularly great about this recipe is that you can put it together the day before and store it in the refrigerator right in the baking dish. When you’re ready to serve, just throw it in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes and you’re done. I always serve this with Baked Tostitos Scoops tortilla chips. You can serve this with crackers or schmear it on crostini. I should warn you, this is not diet food. It’s decadent, sinful and cheesy – just perfect for the holidays.
INGREDIENTS
- 14oz can quartered artichokes packed in water, drained and roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and chopped
- 8oz shredded swiss cheese (about 2 cups)
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
- 2-3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and transfer to an 8 inch casserole.
Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes until bubbly and hot.
Can’t get any easier than that! Enjoy!
Posted in EAT, Starters |
7 Comments »
October 8, 2011
Lemon & Garlic Marinated Olives
I tend to serve way too many appetizers when we have guests for dinner. I remember a Barefoot Contessa show where she said to only serve 2-3 starters and her examples were really simple. A little cheese and crackers, some olives, maybe some mixed nuts… to me it didn’t seem like enough. We recently had 16 guests for dinner and in usual form I had lots of things to nibble on before dinner. With that many people I think you need to offer an assortment and this time I think my quantities we pretty good. My gauge is whether they eat their dinner… too many starters equals no room for the main course. I made these marinated olives as part of my spread and everyone enjoyed them. It’s an easy recipe that you need to make the day before. That’s one less thing for you to do the day your guests arrive. They look beautiful, too!
INGREDIENTS
- 4 cups of mixed olives (nicoise, kalamata, greek olives – you pick, just make sure they aren’t already seasoned)
- 10 strips lemon peel from one lemon (removed using vegetable peeler)
- Juice of one lemon (about 1/4 cup)
- 2 long sprigs fresh rosemary cut in half
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 bay leaves
- 3 large cloves garlic – sliced
- Red pepper flakes – a healthy pinch
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Fresh cracked pepper – very coarse ground
Place all the ingredients in a bowl and toss together. Put in the refrigerator overnight to marinate. I find it’s helpful to put them in a container with a lid so you can periodically shake the container around. Serve in a pretty dish. Delicious when served alone, with cheese and crackers or even as part of a Greek meal.
* You could easily cut this recipe in half. It makes a fairly large quantity… nice for a holiday party.
Posted in EAT, Starters |
8 Comments »
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