Hot Artichoke Dip

I think I found my go-to hot dip recipe.

Last week, one of my co-workers held a vinatge/craft open-house at her place. She does truly amazing things with found materials and vintage "junk." There were cake stands and platters made with vintage plates glued to old candlesticks, wine bottle stoppers made from antique doorknobs and faucet hardware, and rings made from vintage earrings and brooches. Everything was gorgeous! I ended up buying this ring, I absolutely love the colors.

But what does this have to do with dip? Nothing, really, except that she served a dip very similar to this one! I loved it, may have eaten too much of it, and immediately put it on the list of appetizers to bring to Thanksgiving at the in-laws'.

It was a huge hit at Thanksgiving- totally comforting and delicious. I almost felt bad accepting the compliments, it was too easy as well!

Hot Artichoke Dip

1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup of mayonnaise
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
dash of black pepper

2 cans of artichoke hearts, roughly chopped

Directions: Preheat oven to 325. In a food processor, mix the Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, green onions, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until well combined. In a large bowl, mix the mayonnaise mixture together with the chopped artichokes. Stir to combine well.

Spread dip into a 9 x 13 glass pan, and bake for 30 minutes, or until top is slightly golden brown. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, and serve hot with crackers or crostini. Enjoy!

(I kept it warm throughout the afternoon in a mini crockpot, but it is just as good at room temperature!)

Adapted from allrecipes.com, original recipe here.

Mussels with a White Wine Tomato Sauce

I love the mussels at my favorite Belgian tavern in the city, Eulogy. They are to die for; they are so tender and the sauce is amazing to soak up with the hunks of bread they give you. And their beer list is nothing to shake a stick at either! I've always wondered if I could recreate something like them at home, and finally decided to give it a try.

This recipe wasn't inspired by anything in particular that my tavern has, but they were very tasty. I served it over angel hair pasta and spinach to turn it into a meal, but it would be great as an appetizer as well. Either way though, you definitely need a big hunk of bread to mop up all that delicious sauce!

Mussels with a White Wine Tomato Sauce
(Serves 2)

1 Tablespoon of olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 of a medium white onion, diced

1/3 cup of dry white wine
1 cup of clam juice
1 (14.5 oz.) can of diced tomatoes with juice
1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
black pepper

1 pound of fresh mussels

Directions: Heat olive oil in large stock pot over medium heat. Add minced garlic and onions and cook until fragrant and onions are soft. Add white wine, and allow to reduce slightly. Add clam juice, tomatoes with juice, red pepper, and a dash of black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 20 minutes to let the flavors blend together.

Rinse mussels, and discard any that have opened. Bring the sauce back to a boil, and add mussels. Cover and allow to boil for 6-7 minutes, occasionally giving the pot a fast rotate/shake to allow the mussels to cook evenly. Remove mussels with a slotted spoon, and ladle the sauce on top. Enjoy!

Adapted from allrecipes.com, original recipe here.

Cheddar Beer Dip

As any warm blooded American knows, last weekend was the Super Bowl. I am not a huge football fan as it is, and if I have no connection to either team playing my fan-dom dwindles even more. I still watch the game though, I'm a fan of the commercials and I enjoy any excuse to enjoy company and have snacks and beer. H's parents' were hosting a get-together, so we went to their house for the game.

I wanted to bring something that kept well, and stood up to being on the coffee table all evening. Nothing warm, and nothing too heavy as we were having a right old feast of lasagna, meatballs, salad, chicken tenders, and crab-cakes. Of course, some sort of dip was the logical choice, and when I found this recipe, I knew it would be perfect!

I didn't have a chance to get a picture of the dip as we were running out the door, but got one later in the day. I wasn't going to include it, but then I realized this picture perfectly describes how delicious the dip was!

Cheddar Beer Dip

3 cups of extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about an 8 oz. block)
1 package (8 oz.) of cream cheese
2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons of heavy cream
1 teaspoon of hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of flavorful beer (I used Sam Adams Pale Ale)
2 teaspoons of chopped, fresh parsley

Place cheddar, cream cheese, Dijon, cream, hot sauce, and salt in the base of a food processor. Pulse until well combined. Slowly pour in the beer and continue to pulse in few-second intervals until smooth. Empty food processor into a bowl, and stir in the parsley. Serve with bite-size pretzel logs. Enjoy!

Adapted from Lemons & Love, original recipe here.