Snickerdoodle Dip

This week has been a stressful one. Yesterday I developed an eye twitch. I overslept my alarm. I barely wore make up. It's been a long one.

I really wish that I was one of those people whose stomach, when stressed, just shut right down and refused to accept food. Instead, I got the kind of stomach that becomes a bottomless pit that can never be filled. And it doesn't discriminate either. Any food is up for grabs...that is, any unhealthy food is up for grabs. Somehow I don't think broccoli would cut it at a time like this.

So after seeing the hubs in quite a bit of pain, cleaning up blood (and an extremity) spattered all over my kitchen, taking a trip to the emergency room, refusing to ignore that we got a major wake up call on how quickly an accident (albeit even a relatively minor one like this) can strike at a moments notice...I'm spent. And so I was in dire need of an easy, sweet treat following Mandolingate (as my boss has deemed it). You know, a sweet treat that could double as dinner.

A few days before, I saw that Snickerdoodle Dip was making the rounds on the blogosphere and I just had to give it a whirl. And once I did, I profoundly declared it a perfectly delicious emotional edible. Not to mention its promise as a party food. Yes, I also realized that in the chaos of the week, I have failed to provide you with any football party foods in advance of the upcoming Superbowl. No worries, I've got you covered with this crowd-pleaser, along with a few others in the coming days.

Snickerdoodle Dip
*Adapted from The Wannabe Chef
1 15 oz can cannelini beans, drained & rinsed
1/4 C peanut butter
1/4 C maple syrup
1 tbsp Splenda brown sugar blend (or real brown sugar)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon + more for garnish
honey, drizzled in to taste
graham crackers (my fave), apple & banana slices and any other dippers ya like!

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor.

Blend until creamy and smooth, adding more honey if desired for extra sweetness. Feel free to do lots of taste testing at this point in the process ;)

Scoop into a serving dish, garnish with ground cinnamon and enjoy with your dippers! I ate mine on some low-fat graham crackers and never felt happier :)

It may not have cured my anxiety or stress (sometimes I think medication is my only hope), it did a pretty delicious job of curing my sweet tooth over the last few nights :) So what do you think? Are you an emotional eater? Or do you lose your appetite when stress hits? And bonus question: Do you like sweet dips? Any more to share with me?

Halloween Queso Dip

This weekend, Shaun and I really got into the Halloween spirit. After meeting for happy hour after work on Friday near our apartment, we spotted the marquee at the Loews Landmark Jersey Theater advertising a showing on Saturday night of Nosferatu. Nosferatu is a silent film from the 1920's that essentially copied the story of Bram Stoker's Dracula. In fact, many original copies of the film were destroyed due to copyright infringement, though a few survived. Cool right? And this version would be shown at the Loews Jersey with a live organ accompaniment. We couldn't wait to get in the Halloween spirit in our very own neighborhood with this rare experience!

Imagine our surprise when we arrived for the 8:20 showing to a line wrapped around the theater, block after block. The restored theater holds 3,100 people, and I think it was almost full for Saturday's show! There's just something about an old theater that really makes a movie feel magical. Loews Jersey did not disappoint.

We had passed by the theater countless times since we moved into our new apartment, we had yet to see a movie there. The theater was unbelievable and the film was just the right amount of spook and old-world cinema charm. Oh and the live organ wasn't too shabby either. It was the perfect way to kick off the Halloween season. And you know I wouldn't forget to mention the food. The theater sold boxes of hot, salty popcorn for $1 a pop. Now this is a Saturday night I could get used to. 3-D and CGI, who?

Meanwhile, it got me thinking about all the delicious Halloween eats and all the fun ways to incorporate holiday colors into food for upcoming Halloween events. So this week I'll be bringing you some fun yet grown-up ideas to incorporate the season into your own parties! Yesterday, though neither the Giants or Jets were playing, I whipped up some queso dip with blue corn tortilla chips for football Sunday, you know, to mimic the colors of the season. Festive, no? It was warm, cheesy and had all the right moves to grace any Halloween party.

Queso Dip
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1 C milk
1 1/2 C cheddar cheese, grated
6 slices American cheese, cut into pieces
1/8 tsp chili powder
1 can Rotel, I used mild
1 can chili, if desired

In a small saucepan, bring the milk almost to a boil. In a separate saucepan, melt the butter and then whisk in the flour until it is combined and a light paste is formed (this is a roux). Whisk the milk into the roux over medium low heat until all is combined and the mixture starts to thicken. Whisk in the cheddar cheese until completely combined (this should happen quickly) and then the American cheese.

Once all combined, add the chili powder, Rotel and chili, if using. Mix altogether and serve. I used a baby crock pot (not shown) which keeps the dip warm, but if serving immediately, a small serving dish should work too. Keep the rest of the mixture on low on the stove so the small dish can be refilled.

 

I thought that starting with a standard Bechamel (white) sauce would be the best way to keep the mixture creamy and saucy, rather than thick and lumpy - that's the roux/scalded milk mixture for ya. And I'm happy to report that I was right! It was creamy without being thick and clumpy, which is exactly how it would have been had I not used this as the base of my sauce. And if you're feeling non-meaty, simply eliminate the chili since it was just as delicious without it. But don't skimp on the Rotel!

So there you have it. An easy, grown-up way to add some Halloween fare to your upcoming party or gathering. Oh and it works just as well as a Sunday Game Day Eats dish too! So what I want to know is...what's on your list of delish eats to make for Halloween? Are you hosting? Or bringing some delectable grub to a party?

Mexican Crema Salsa & Whole Wheat Chips

I’m in a Mexicali mood this week, starting with fish tacos and ending with beef enchiladas which I think I finally perfected last night (after many, many attempts...more on that later). And today I have some tips for using up the rest of that Mexican crema from the fish tacos. Or even if you didn’t, here’s another aha! use for this delicious sauce that will inject flavor into an old fave. I’m a huge fan of adding just a bit of sour cream to chunky salsa for a thicker dip that feels a little more special than merely pouring salsa out of a jar and into a bowl. After our delightful fish tacos, Shaun had the brilliant idea to add a bit of crema to the salsa in lieu of sour cream. Bingo. Quick, easy and super flavorful. Oh, and I promise, it tastes much better than it looks.

Mexican Crema Salsa & Chips
1 tbsp Mexican crema, recipe here
1 C chunky salsa
2 whole wheat tortillas
olive oil
kosher salt

Cut up the tortillas, first in half and then quartered from there, producing small triangle shapes. These will be the chips. In a skillet, heat a bit of oil, enough to cover th ebottom of the pan. Add the tortilla triangles and cook, turning until crisped. Be careful to watch these closely as they burn easily and quickly. Once appropriately crisped, dry on a paper towl or wire rack and sprinkle with kosher salt. In a mixing bowl, combine the crema and salsa, adding as much crema as you’d like, to taste. Personally, I like mine creamy, so the more crema the better.

Note: the chips will not be as crispy as if you fry them. They will firm up and be a perfect vehicle for the crema salsa, however, they will not quite be Tostito texture.

So there you have it - a simple way to use up already-had ingredients for a little twist on a classic favorite. Gotta love using up ingredients that you already have on hand to make a completely new and equally delectable dish. Just goes to show that a little bit goes a long way when it comes up upping the ante on some classic dishes. And what I'd like to know is, do you add anything special to any dishes to turn it up a notch? Do dish!