Garlic Red Bean Dip

Serves: 8+

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp cilantro
1 1/2 cups red beans
1/2 tsp paprika
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:
1. Toss all items in a food processor and blend until smooth.

2. Top dip with additional sprinkle of paprika and cilantro if you'd like.

3. Serve with chopped veggies or toasted pita points.

Nutritional Info: 125 calories per 1/4 cup serving

Bon Appetit!
The Food Whore

Quick and Dirty Salsa

When I'm in plan-ahead mode, this is my go-to salsa recipe. But sometimes I'm not in plan-ahead mode. Sometimes it's 5:00 on a Friday, and I want some chips and salsa to go with my beer. My laziness inspired this quick and dirty salsa recipe, which is quickly becoming my favorite.

Quick and Dirty Salsa

Ingredients
1 large or 2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh jalapeno, minced
1/4 cup white onion, diced
1/2 tsp fresh cilantro, chopped (if you have it)
3-4 drops of your favorite hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. If you're really impatient, go ahead and eat it now. If you can wait, it's best to let it all marinate for 30+ minutes to get a bit juicy.

Note: this salsa is great for tacos and other dishes where you want a chunkier, less liquid salsa.

Bon Appetit!
The Food Whore

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I have to admit, I was pretty proud of myself for how these turned out. I know I'm a good cook, but I am not one of those badass food stylist/photographers who makes food look stunning. But I was quite pleased with how these looked on the plate, as well as with how delicious they tasted. I made Mr. FoodWhore just sit and admire them with me for a minute before we dug in.

I made these for dinner one night, served with some fried rice on the side, but they given their single-serving, finger-food capabilities, I think these would be great as an appetizer or for entertaining too.

Ingredients
juice of one orange
1/2 tsp corn starch
2 tbsp soy sauce
olive oil
1 bunch pea shoots
2-3 green onions, sliced
1 carrot
1 large chicken breast, cooked and pulled
boston lettuce
sesame seeds (optional)

Directions
1. Mix the orange juice, corn starch, soy sauce and 1 tbsp olive oil to make a marinade for the chicken. We used a chicken breast from a roasted chicken the night before. If you're using single chicken breasts, you may want to use two. Cook and pull the chicken and toss it in the marinade and set aside for now.

2. In a small skillet, heat some olive oil and sautee the green onions. As they become softer, add the pea shoots. Sautee for 2-3 more minutes. Don't overcook the pea shoots...they are better when still crispy.

Note: Pea shoots were a food I had never cooked with before. Recipes online were not very clear on what part of the shoots you ate. We received the pea shoots in our Fresh Picks box, with roots and all. Finally, I made a decision and cut off the peas and roots at the bottom and we just used the actual stems/shoots and leaves. Delicious!

3. While the onions/peas are cooking, rinse 6-8 Boston lettuce leaves and arrange on a plate.

4. Using a vegetable peeler, slice off 3-4 pieces of carrot for each piece of lettuce.

5. In the final minute of cooking the pea shoots, add in the chicken and marinade and mix well.

6. Scoop chicken and pea shoots onto the lettuce leaves. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

Note: we had extra chicken that I served alongside the wraps. We ate this with the rice and piled the wraps a little higher than pictured.

Bon Appetit!
The Food Whore

Spicy Hummus

I love hummus. It's so delicious and healthy, and it's a great way to add some extra protein into a vegetarian meal.  I've already tried (and loved!) one hummus recipe, but one of things I love most about cooking is trying different versions of recipes.  The other day we had some spicy hummus from the grocery store, and I went in search of a new recipe to try.

Ingredients
2 cans chick peas, drained (reserve the liquid)
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp tahini
3 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp parsley
1 tbsp olive oil
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
dash of crushed red pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. In a large food processor, combine garlic, parsley, and the jalapeno. Pulse until well chopped

2. Add in the rest of the ingredients and pulse to mix. The hummus should be somewhat dry and may not mix well.  Add the reserved chick pea liquid until the hummus has reached the desired consistency. I added about 8 tbsp, and my hummus is pretty thick and creamy.

Makes approximately 3.5 cups; about 21 calories per tablespoon

Adapted from a recipe by Branny Boils Over.

Bon Appetit!
The FoodWhore

Spicy Black Bean Dip

A few weeks back I picked up some Chipotle Black Bean dip at Publix. It was on sale and I thought I'd give it a whirl. Well, this stuff was delicious.  It was great in a breakfast burrito and it was great just with plain pita chips.  Unfortunately, we're on a bit of a tight budget lately, so splurging on a tiny container of dip is just not an option lately.  So I went in search of a recipe so I could replicate this myself at home.  This recipe is based on one I found on Cooking Light's website.  I tweaked it a bit, of course, because that's what I do.

This is super tasty. It's got a mild kick to it, but it's not very spicy at all, despite the peppers added. If you want to make it a bit hotter, I'd suggest adding a little more spice to the actual dip or sprinkle your favorite hot sauce on top before serving so you swirl your chips through it when scooping it. 

Ingredients
1 can black beans
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 1/2 tbsp chopped jalapeno
1/4 tsp cumin
2 cloves garlic
dash of crushed red pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Combine all ingredients except the black beans in a small food processor. Pulse to mix.

2. Add the black beans and pulse until well-blended and relatively smooth and creamy.

Makes 1 1/4 cups; 47 calories per 2 tbsp

Serving Suggestion: Spread the black bean dip in a disposable pie tin. Top with a mixture of equal parts low-fat sour cream and guacamole.  Sprinkle with salsa and cheese and pop in the oven until cheese is bubbly for an easy and healthy Mexican dip!

Bon Appetit!
The Food Whore

Fat-Free (and Delicious) Veggie Dip

Last month I went on a girls' weekend trip to Savannah for my good friend A's bachelorette party. I was in charge of bringing snacks for the hotel room. With 11 girls eating conciously (to fit into bridesmaid dresses and save room for Paula Deen's buffet), I opted for some healthier snacks. I came up with this FAT-FREE (yes, you read that right) veggie dip.

Ingredients:
16 oz fat free sour cream
3 green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled
5 basil leaves, chopped
3-4 sprigs dill, chopped and stemless
1/3 cup diced red onion
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Combine garlic, basil, dill, onion, and salt and pepper in a small food processor and pulse until well chopped and blended.

2. Mix the processed blend, green onions and sour cream in a medium sized bowl and chill for about an hour before serving.

3. Serve with fresh chopped veggies.

Bon Appetit!
The Food Whore

Baked Cheese Spread

I made this baked cheese spread for our recent holiday party. I was a little concerned about it since I was using a tin Christmas tree shaped pan (available at Wal-Mart for $3) instead of a spring-form pan, but it turned out great. It plopped right out of the pan with little prodding from me. Hallalujah!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs
1 1/2 cups pesto, try this recipe
1 pound ricotta cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
4 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Sun-dried tomatoes, julienned

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Lightly grease an 8-inch springform pan (or Christmas Tree pan), then dust the bottom and sides with the bread crumbs. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine 1/2 cup pesto, ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup sour cream, eggs, salt, lemon zest, nutmeg, and black pepper. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Pour mixture into prepared pan.

NOTE: I did not bake it in a water bath since I was using a different pan. It turned out fine for me. Proceed as you wish.

4. Place springform pan in a water bath and bake in the preheated oven for about 35 minutes, or until just set. Remove pan from the water bath and place on a cooling rack; allow to cool completely. It took longer than 35 minutes for mine to cook, more like 45 minutes. The cheese baked away from the edge though, making it very easy to transfer out of the pan.

5. Cover and refrigerate cheesecake for at least 6 hours or overnight.

6. Run a thin, sharp knife around the edges of the cheesecake to loosen it from the pan, and remove the pan's outer ring.

7. Use the remaining 1 cup pesto to "frost" the sides and top of the cheesecake. Use the sun-dried tomatoes to decorate the tree.

Finished cheesecake can be refrigerated until ready to serve, or served at room temperature. Makes about 24 servings. Serve with crostinis, french bread or hearty crackers.


Bon Appetit!
The Food Whore

Holiday Party Food

Last weekend we had our annual holiday party. To go with our theme of tacky Christmas Sweaters, I wanted to do traditional foods and nothing too outlandish. I'll be posting recipes and more pictures later, but in the meantime, here is our menu:

Cocktails:
Peppermint Martinis
Egg Nog
Raspberry Champagne
Red Wine Sangria
Assorted Beer

Food:
Devilled Eggs
Cocktail Weiners in BBQ Sauce
Baked Cheese Spread with crostinis
Veggies and Dip
Cookie Buffet


our cookie buffet


the drink table


baked cheese spread


the rest of the food

Trailer Park Salsa

While in Atlanta for the SEC Championship game (Go Gators!) this weekend, Mr. Foodwhore and I sampled a deliciously white-trash concoction called Trailer Park Salsa. If you don't believe me, you can check out the menu here.

Anyway, this particular salsa is a home-made recipe passed down from the bar owner's family. And get this, it has hot dogs in it. Mr. Foodwhore and I were a bit drunk (shocker!) when we got to said bar. I ordered the salsa without reading the description. The salsa arrives at the table and we start eating.

Mr. Foodwhore: Are those hot dogs in the salsa?
Me: Why yes they are. This is....(insert sounds of happily feeding on hot dog salsa here)...delicious!

And here it is:

Happy Mother's Day (way belated)

For Mother's Day, I hosted a lunch for my mom. It was a small affair, just the three of us (me, Mr. Food Whore and Mama Food Whore.) Since Mom is also a Food Whore, I wanted to do something delicious that she'd never had...so I went to some of my favorite food blogs for inspiration. Here's what we had:

The Mother's Day Lunch Menu

Click on the links for the recipes. A special thanks to the Pioneer Woman and Good Things Catered for inspiring this delicious meal. Mom was impressed (and stuffed!)

White wine citrus sangria (sorry, no picture): This sangria is delicious and so pretty to look at. I wish I'd captured it in a photo. You can kind of see it in some of the pictures. I've made it a couple more times since and everyone raves about how delicious it is. I love how simple it is.

Dill and Paprike Goat Cheese with Crostinis: Yum! But also very tedious. I made the mistake of trying to slice the goat cheese, which makes a better presentation...but also crumbles if not done right. I might suggest leaving it in a log for guests to slice and spread on their own. Slicing it stressed me out, as it was not turning out perfectly as I wanted it.

Onion Tart Pastry with Mixed Greens: I was skeptical of this at first, but it was superb. Mama Food Whore loved it. Such a delicious blend of flavors with the carmelized sweet onions.

Pasta Prima Vera with Salmon: Our family is very big on seafood, so I knew I wanted to add some Salmon to the mix. I was very happy that the Pioneer Woman included brief cook times in her recipe. The veggies were crisp, but cooked...and not soggy as mine sometimes are from over-cooking.

(Note: the original recipe did not include the salmon. I baked some on my Pampered Chef stone and added it in at the last minute for some extra protein...Yum!)

Ice Cream Cake Flower Pots: Dad joined us for dessert. At first the parents were quite confused that I was serving flowers for dessert, but Dad bravely dug in and was quite pleasantly surprised by the cherry and chocolate ice cream layered over pound cake. The pots we used were WAY too big. I got about 3-4 servings out of each. Needless to say, there were leftovers. I would use a much smaller pot next time.

A beautiful picture of the whole spread

The Holy Grail of Hummus

I would like to give a huge shout-out to a fellow food blogger today. Katie, of Good Things Catered, was recently kind enought to share with me her recipe for hummus. I will now profess my undying love for her: "Katie rocks my world!" (At this point, Katie is probably wondering if she should get a restraining order...no worries, I'm just a harmless food whore.)

I used to work at a deli with the most amazing hummus ever. Since then I have been in search of a recipe that could come close to the perfection they served. I tried many different combinations, but they all fell short. Then Katie shared her recipe, found here. It's creamy, delicious, and just what I was looking for.

My favorite way to eat it is spread in a pita with baby spinach, shredded cheese and red peppers. Toss it in the toaster oven til the cheese melts, et voila: a delicious, healthy, vegetarian sandwich.

Thanks again, Katie. And to everyone else, be sure to check out Good Things Catered, which is now my official food blog mentor.

*I've noticed recently that the link to Katie's blog hasn't been working with regularity lately, so here is the hummus recipe:

Ingredients

1 12 oz can chick peas
2 large cloves garlic
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping tbsp tahini (sesame paste--found with ethnic foods)
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp salt

Directions
1. Drain water from the can of chick peas into a small bowl and reserve.

2. In a food processor (or blender), mix together the chick peas with the remaining rest of the ingredients, being careful to add second half of lemon juice and tahini slowly, stopping to taste.

3.  Slowly add reserved water for correct consistency,(about 1-2 minutes) until a smooth, slightly fluid paste is formed.
Note: to dress the hummus up for the table, the traditional way of serving is on a plate, with an extra drizzle of olive oil on top and a sprinkle of paprika and chopped parsley.


Bon Appetit!
The Food Whore

Post-Game Analysis

The Chili Bar

Super Bowl Sunday was a success. The game was great, the food was delicious, and the company was enjoyable. The only part I didn't like was the weak commercials. There were a few good ones, but overall I was disappointed. (My faves: FedEx's "Carrier Pigeons" and Tide's "Talking Stain").

The chili turned out great. Even though my large crock pot was over-flowing, it went down faster than Tom Brady at the hands of the Giant's D-Line. My friend, Coy, consumed 5 bowls, which I guess is the ultimate compliment to the chef. In fact, when I went to have my first (and only) serving at half-time, I had to scrape the bottom of the bowl to get a ladle-full. Everyone raved about it and was so impressed with all the toppings available. I actually meant to tell everyone it was actually ground turkey instead of beef, but it slipped my mind. I don't think anyone could tell, though.

My Chili

For the first time, I served cornbread with my chili. Typically, I do a sour dough loaf, but a co-worker suggested cornbread. The combination of the sweet bread with the spicy chili was delicious. I will certainly go the cornbread route again.

I also made a few revisions to my original chili "guidelines" that I posted last week. I added some fresh peppers and some ground dried peppers. I used 1/2 poblana, 1/2 jalapeno, 1 tsp habanero, and 1/2 scotch bonnet. I also ground up an ancho chile and a pasillo chile into powder. (Warning: wear gloves when handling these peppers!)

The football dip and bean dip were also quite successful. I've learned over the years to make only a half pan of the bean dip when there's a smaller crowd. Otherwise everyone stuffs themselves on it until they are sick. Then we all sit around moaning and clutching our stomachs and wondering why we don't have better self-control. (Sometimes I think I do put crack in it).

the football cream cheese dip

Extreme Close-Up of Football Details

As for my piece de resistance, the cake was amazing. Mr. Food Whore was a wonderful consultant. He helped out by properly lining up the teams in an accurate formation. He also informed me where all 7 of the referees should be situated. (The only thing missing was Bellichek's hidden camera.) I was thrilled with how this cake turned out. So much so that I took about 20 pictures of it. Below are a few of my favorite takes. All of the guests were massively impressed. And I had to convince them that it was ok to eat; I had taken enough pictures by which to remember it. (An extra special Thank You to Mrs. White who shared her recipe for this cake with me.)

The Super Bowl Cake

Close up of centerfield

Just like the '72 Dolphins, I would say my Super Bowl gathering was perfect.

Bon Appetit!

The Food Whore

My Salsa Makes All the Pretty Girls Dance

I have to admit, I bought salsa for many years, but after discovering this recipe for home-made salsa I will never buy again. I found the recipe for Salsa Borracha (drunk salsa) on allrecipes.com. I've tweaked it a bit to make it my own. It's super-easy and super-delicious, and it's a synch to adapt it to your own personal taste.

Salsa Borracha (Drunk Salsa)

Ingredients

4 fresh tomatoes
1 can diced jalapenos
1 (12 fluid ounce) bottle Mexican beer (or light beer)
1/2 cup water, or as needed
1 clove garlic
1 slice onion
salt to taste
favorite hot sauce (optional)

1. Place the tomatoes and jalapenos in a medium saucepan with the beer. Add enough water to cover the tomatoes and bring to a boil.

2. Let boil for a few minutes, then turn the heat down to simmer for 10-15 minutes.

3. Remove from heat. Let the tomato mixture cool for a few minutes.

4. In a food processor or blender, combine tomato mixture, onions, and garlic. Blend until pureed.

5. Add salt and hot sauce until seasoned to taste. Mix well.

6. Pour the salsa through a strainer to remove excess liquid. The salsa will still be warm at this point. I suggest chilling it in the fridge for at least 90 minutes before serving. Serve with tortilla chips.

Bon Appetit!
The Food Whore

Football + Food + Party = I'm in Heaven

Super Bowl Sunday is a little more than a week away and I feel like I've died and gone to heaven. Three of my favorite things (football, food, and parties) all in one night is almost too much for my feable mind. I haven't hosted an official Super Bowl party since the Bucs won . . . yea, it's been a few years. But this year, I'm back in the saddle. Here's what I'm planning on serving:

Cream Cheese Football Dip

7 Layer Bean Dip
Chili Bar with all the Fixins

Super Bowl Cake

The cream cheese football dip is something I try to make every year for the Super Bowl. My mom and I used to make it together when I was younger and the tradition has stuck. It's super yummy and pretty easy to make. Here's a link to the recipe. I love to serve it with Triscuits because they are sturdy enough to scoop the cream cheese.

The 7 layer bean dip is another famous recipe that was handed down from a family friend. My friends call it the "Crack Dip" because they are addicted to it. It's so easy to make, even Mike has prepared it before. I guarantee if you make this dip, your friends will ask for the recipe. Here's what you'll need:

13 x 9 pan

2 cans refried beans
8 oz sour cream

16 0z guacamole

green onions-chopped

can of black olives-sliced

2 tomatoes-diced and "drained"

taco seasoning

small can diced jalapenos

2-3 cups shredded Mexican cheese

1. Spread beans on the bottom of the pan and sprinkle with a 1/4 of the taco seasoning

2. mix sour cream and guac and spread on the beans; sprinkle 1/4 more seasoning

3. layer tomatoes, onions, olives, and jalapenos; sprinkle with 1/4 seasoning

4. top with cheese and sprinkle with the last of the seasoning

5. cook at 350 until cheese is all melted and bubbly; let it cool for a bit before serving so the cheese isn't scalding hot. Serve with tortilla chips.

For the main course I'm planning a chili bar. I'm going to fix a huge pot of my chili and then have a buffet of fixins which will include: cheese, jalapenos, onions, fritos, bread, hot sauce, sour cream, and crackers. I'll post the recipe for my chili closer to the big day.

And finally, the cake. A friend showed me this picture of a cake she'd made and I am now inspired. In fact, this cake is the entire reason I am having a Super Bowl party. To hell with funny commercials or the Patriot's history-making season, I'm in it for the cake. All the decorations are edible. I can't wait to get wait to get to work on this sugary creation so I can post my own pictures of it.Stay tuned for my chili recipe and pictures of the Big Game Buffet!

Bon Appetit!

The Food Whore