Update: Not-Guac Avocado Dip

Last spring I posted about a word-of-mouth recipe I got from my dad called "Not Guac Dip".  I rambled on and on about how you needed to embrace your adventurous side and give this recipe a shot because the flavors are out of this world.  It's been a little less than a year since I shared the recipe but so far, everyone who has tried it has loved it.

As we move into the season of grilling and sipping margaritas and cold beers on the deck, I wanted to share an updated version of this recipe along with a handy tip. 

This updated version uses a white balsamic vinegar instead of your regular dark balsamic.  It's an easy fix for those who are put off by the discoloration that the dark balsamic gives the dip.  Both my Mom and Roy prefer the taste of the white balsamic over the regular dark balsamic so it's a win-win for them.

And now for the tip... if you've ever made anything with avocado in it, you know how quickly it goes from green to brown when it's exposed to air.  Pressing plastic wrap onto the surface only helps so much.  However... if you hang on to the pit and add it back into the bowl after you're finished making the dip... it keeps the avocado from turning brown.  I tested it last week and the dip still looked fresh after 6 hours. 

This is great with tortilla chips but if you have leftovers, I highly suggest it over some undressed iceberg lettuce.  Add it to your list today. You won't be disappointed!

*****

"Not Guac" Avocado Dip
serves 4-6
2 ripe avocados
2 Roma tomatoes
Half a medium red onion, finely diced
1/2 cup Feta cheese, crumbled
Garlic salt
Olive Oil
White Balsamic Vinegar

Roughly chop avocados into chunky pieces.  Roughly chop tomatoes into chunky pieces (remove seeds and watery insides).  Finely dice half a red onion.

Combine avocados, tomatoes and red onion in a medium bowl.  Sprinkle in 1/2 cup of crumbled Feta cheese.  Give it a light sprinkle of garlic salt (remember, you can always add more).  Stir gently to mix.

Drizzle lightly with olive oil and then with balsamic vinegar adding a bit more balsamic vinegar than olive oil.  Again, go easy.  You can always add more later.  Stir gently to combine.

Test with a tortilla chip and add more olive oil and balsamic vinegar as needed.  I like my dip to have more balsamic than olive oil since it gives the mixture an unexpected but fantastic flavor.

Enjoy!  Know that the longer this sits, the more the flavor builds.  And definitely try your leftovers on a salad, you won't be sorry.

Teriyaki Asian Tacos

When my Mom called and told me about this recipe I was amazed. The idea is so basic yet it's never even crossed my mind. Even before I made it, I knew this would be one of those that gets added to my regular rotation. It comes from a longtime family friend, Mrs. Thornton. 

Mrs. Thornton has been in our lives for what feels like forever.  She's the kind of family friend who has been a part of your life for so long you forget how and when they came to you in the first place.  She has literally known my brother since he was in the womb and was a fixture for us growing up as she was our "emergency contact".  My Mom repaid the favor for her kids as well.  The highlight by far was the time she was called to school to pick up Mrs. Thornton's son after he fell off the roof while chasing a wayward ball (he was fine, don't worry).

The kids are (mostly) all grown and now my Mom and Mrs. Thornton are on to grandbabies and granddogs.  The last time they caught up, Mrs. Thornton shared this recipe with my Mom.  It's original form was as a ground chicken mixture with pine nuts and teriyaki sauce that goes in lettuce wraps.  Think PF Changs only super, super easy.  Because I never seem to be full from lettuce wraps, I switched it up and served the mixture over some steamed rice.

DELICIOUS.

I know calling this "Teriyaki Asian Tacos" makes no sense at all.  But stir fry seemed inappropriate since there's no wok.  And the ground chicken with the veggies and the sauce... it's so close to the way I do tacos, just with Asian flavors.  It used it to describe the recipe to Roy and it stuck. 

So Teriyaki Asian Tacos it is!

I used a little bit of diced celery and matchstick carrots for color and texture.  The original also called for pine nuts but I used cashews because I love cashews with Asian flavors.  I added a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds and served this with steamed white rice.  I really like the sauce that Mrs. Thornton recommended - Mr. Yoshida's.  It's not as abrasive as regular Teriyaki can be and it eliminates the need to add spices or cook down the Teriyaki on it's own until it thickens.  Which means it's perfect for weeknights!

If you want to stay true to the original recipe, serve this in a romaine or Belgian endive lettuce cup.  Enjoy it as an appetizer or like we did, as a full meal and switch up the veggies to make it work for you.  And by all means, feel free to suggest some new names for the dish!

*****

Teriyaki Asian Tacos
20 mins active, 4-6 servings

[FYI - this is an "eyeball" recipe meaning I just added things until it looked right, so the amounts below are more guidelines than exact measurements.  Feel free to tweak the amounts so they work for you.]

1 lb ground chicken
1 medium onion, diced
3/4 cup diced celery
1/2 cup matchstick carrots
1/4 cup roasted unsalted cashews
1/2 cup (or more) Mr. Yoshida's Sweet Teriyaki sauce
toasted sesame seeds (optional)
steamed brown or white rice (optional)
lettuce cups (optional)


Brown ground chicken and onion in a large skillet.  Drain and return to pan. 

Add sauce, diced celery and cashews and mix so everything is coated in sauce.  Make sure to add enough sauce to give the chicken moisture.  You don't want dry ground chicken!  Heat on medium or low until sauce is warmed through and celery and cashews have softened just a bit. 

Sprinkle with matchstick carrots and toasted sesame seeds.  Serve over steamed rice or with in lettuce cups.

Super Bowl-worthy Pepperoni Bread

Here is the recipe for one of my FAVORITE football foods - pepperoni bread with banana peppers.  It was one of the highlights of this year's Super Bowl for me. 

The original recipe comes from our old Chicago friends Dave and AY (aka: the other Lindsay) who now live in Cincinnati with their beautiful new daughter Alaina.  Like all of the other AY recipes that pepper my recipe box, this does not disappoint! 

The most complicated part of this recipe is putting the process of making this bread into words.  Fortunately, I have photos to make the process easier :) 

Start by bringing some pre-made pizza dough up to room temp for 20 minutes so it's easier to work with (you can find pre-made dough in the deli/fresh foods section of your grocery store).  Then roll it out on a floured surface to be roughly the size of a cookie sheet. 

Starting in the top left corner lay down the pepperoni in rows leaving a half inch border around the edge.  As you can see from the photo below, this isn't like pizza.  Don't use the pepperoni sparingly.  Cover the dough, let the edges overlap a little.  I use turkey pepperoni because I think it's a little less greasey and I can't tell a difference between turkey versus real pepperoni.  Cover the pepperoni liberally with mozzarella cheese. 

Drain a jar of banana peppers, tear up the larger chunks and sprinkle them across the dough.

Then slowly gather the edge on the far side and begin rolling it towards you.

Your roll should look like this. You'll be able to see the pepperonis under the dough and you'll be worried it's going to bust but it won't, just be gentle.

Pinch the edges and ends closed and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Pair with warm marinara sauce, brownies (Duncan Hines chocolate chunk), beer, friends, a good football game, and enjoy!

*****

Super Bowl-worthy Pepperoni Bread

1 pre-made pizza dough

1 package of turkey pepperonis (or about 15 medium thickness slices of regular deli pepperoni)

8 ounces of shredded mozzarella

1 jar of mild banana peppers

flour

Let refrigerated dough come to room temp for 20 mins.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Roll out dough on a floured surface until it is roughly the size and shape of a cookie sheet.  Starting in the top left corner lay down the pepperoni in rows leaving a half inch border around the edge. 

Cover the pepperoni with mozzarella cheese. 

Drain a jar of banana peppers, tear up the larger pieces and the sprinkle over the pepperoni and cheese. 

Slowly gather the edge that's farthest from you and begin rolling it in.  Gently place the roll on a cookie sheet and pinch the edges and ends closed.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden and crispy. 

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Last weekend Roy and I loaded up the car and went to celebrate the 4th of July at a friend of a friend's lake house. 

It was a -- perfect -- Midwestern summer day.  The kind that make all those brutal winter days worth it.  It was toasty, but not so hot you broke a sweat.  The sun was shining and had warmed the lake water up, but it was still refreshing when you jumped in.  There were literally tables and tables of food and the most welcoming and friendly group of people I've ever met.  And the day wrapped up with some fireworks over the lake that easily rivaled (and to be honest, beat) the city of Chicago's firework show.  It was one of the best "4th's" I've ever had.

My contribution to the feast was Buffalo Chicken Dip.  It's spicy, filling and can be made ahead of time, making it one of my favorite dishes to bring to a party or tailgate. 

I also decorated a batch of pretzels with red, white and blue sprinkles after seeing some inspiration online.  The ones with M&M's are just Hershey Hugs melted on top of pretzels with an M&M in the middle.  The other set were just dipped in some white chocolate and rolled in sprinkles and candy sugar. 

Anyway, back to the good stuff... for the 4th I made Hungry Girl's version of the buffalo chicken dip which features a handful of substitutions to eliminate some of the fat and calories.  My fellow "foodie" friend Rachel introduced me to this recipe and having had both the full fat version and this skinnied down version... I can promise you - you will not know the difference. 

I serve the dip with tortilla chips, celery and carrots.  Hungry Girl also suggested red bell peppers.  Whatever you do, don't be afraid to hang on to any leftovers and turn them into lunch! 

Happy Eating!

*****

Hungry Girl's "Buff Chick Hot Wing Dip"

Two 10-oz. cans 98% fat-free chunk white chicken breast in water, drained
One 8-oz. tub fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup fat-free ranch dressing
1/4 cup fat-free Greek yogurt (Fage 0% is the best)

Place softened cream cheese in a medium bowl and stir until smooth. Mix in Frank's RedHot sauce, mozzarella cheese, ranch dressing, and yogurt. Stir in chicken until thoroughly combined.

Spoon mixture evenly into a deep 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish.  Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees, or until mixture is heated through. Stir well and enjoy!

PER SERVING (1/15th of recipe, about 1/4 cup): 68 calories, 1.5g fat, 616mg sodium, 2g carbs, 0g fiber, 1g sugars, 10g protein -- PointsPlus® value 2

"Not Guac" avocado dip

"Do one thing every day that scares you."

It's important it is to get of your comfort zone every once in a while.  I can preach on about all the benefits but you know them.  So instead, I'm going to ask you to get out of your comfort zone with this recipe.  Take a little leap of faith.  I'll be the first to admit that it looks less than appetizing.  But think about the flavors:

avocado
tomato
red onion
balsamic vinegar
olive oil
feta cheese

It makes your mouth water a bit, right?  It seems like it has potential for deliciousness.  And it does!  It totally delivers.

This is one of those recipes that is impossible to explain.  It's much better tried together over a glass of wine or beer.  That was how my Dad first introduced it to me.  And that's how his friend introduced it to him.

I would love to make it for you so you could see just how delicious and unexpected it is.   But if I could do that, you'd be standing in my kitchen chowing down on dip and not reading about it on this blog.

I call this "not guac" because when I tried to explain it to one of my BFFs Carey and her husband Will during a recent visit, I started by asking questions infomercial style.  "Do you like avocados?"  "Do you like tomatoes?"  "Do you like red onions?"  "You're going to LOVE this dip--"

At this point Will interrupted me.  "Are you making GUACAMOLE?!?"  His jaw was on the table and he was horrified, thinking I'd lived all these years on the planet Earth without eating guacamole.

I quickly cleared up the confusion and we agreed to call it "not guac" (you'd never know one of us works in marketing and the other in advertising).  The next day we enjoyed the dip along with some of Will's homemade beer and they were converts. 

So I'm asking you to get out of your comfort zone and give this one a shot.  I think you'll love the unusual flavor that the balsamic adds.  Try it with tortilla chips and if you have leftovers put them on a basic iceberg salad (don't add salad dressing).  Carey added it to a salad and topped it with shrimp and gave it an A+.  I can't wait to give that version a shot.

Happy Eating!

*****

"Not Guac" Avocado Dip

serves 4-6
2 ripe avocados
2 Roma tomatoes
Half a medium red onion, finely diced
1/2 cup Feta cheese, crumbled
Garlic salt
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar

Roughly chop avocados into chunky pieces.  Roughly chop tomatoes into chunky pieces (remove seeds and watery insides).  Finely dice half a red onion.

Combine avocados, tomatoes and red onion in a medium bowl.  Sprinkle in 1/2 cup of crumbled Feta cheese.  Give it a light sprinkle of garlic salt (remember, you can always add more).  Stir gently to mix.

Drizzle lightly with olive oil and then with balsamic vinegar adding a bit more balsamic vinegar than olive oil.  Again, go easy.  You can always add more later.  Stir gently to combine.

Test with a tortilla chip and add more olive oil and balsamic vinegar as needed.  I like my dip to have more balsamic than olive oil since it gives the mixture an unexpected but fantastic flavor.

Enjoy!  Know that the longer this sits, the more the flavor builds.  And definitely try your leftovers on a salad, you won't be sorry.