Hot Stove Top Artichoke Spinach Dip & Other Dip Favorites

I’m clinging on to the last few days of 2012 so that I can indulge in my buffet of cheese dips and margaritas before 2013 hits. Starting next week, I’ll focus on being a good girl and sticking to my new years health “goals”. It’ll probably be a few weeks before I break those goals or at least swerve off to the dark side again.

But with only a few days left, let’s discuss the topic of cheese dips and how wonderful they make us feel. I honestly believe a warm batch of cheese dips made with my favorite parmesan cheese, cream cheese and spinach is chicken soup for the soul.

There’s just something inherently pleasing, warming and soul satisfying in a bowl of cheese dips. So to end the year with a bang, I’ve added another recipe to my collection, a simple stove top artichoke spinach dip recipe to wow your friends.

This is an adaptation of my old stove top spinach dip, which had plenty of onions and water chestnuts. But then I realized that I was making this artichoke version all along and never posted it.

So here it is, my favorite artichoke spinach dip that takes just a few minutes to make, but brings in loads of joy to the party.

I’ve also included my other favorite dip recipes that have been serious crowd pleasers over the last five years.

 

Hot Chorizo Dip: My younger brother adapted this chorizo dip from one of my recipes and adding the flavorful and salty sausage in it. His version took me by surprise because I didn’t even think of adding chorizo in a dip.

Not only is his version a great recipe, he’s also become popular amongst his own friends for this dip. As you can tell, big sister me is super proud of him. But I often wonder if he ever credits the original recipe to me when he’s with his friends? hmmm….

Hot Crab Dip: This is another one of those dips that took me by surprise because I used to never add crab to a hot dip. I had heard from so many friends how they love a hot crab dip, so that got my mind churning on how I could adapt one of my existing dips to the addition of crab.

A few years ago I started to experiment and came up with this flavorful dip for crab lovers. It has plenty of texture from the onions with a nice balance of crab flavor that comes through in all the cheese.

Stove Stop Spinach Dip: This is my original stove top dip that inspired me to create dip recipes outside the oven. On sweltering hot summer days when we’re having an outdoor party, spinach dip is always on the menu, but I get so exhausted just thinking about turning on the hot oven.

So I took my basic oven baked spinach dip and made it on the stove top. The results were equally fabulous, if not better because I was able to brown the onions and garlic for extra flavor.

Baked Brie & Sun Dried Tomato, Thyme Dip: Back in 2008 we were at a holiday party and a friend brought this incredible baked brie dip. I was already a fan of both brie and sun dried tomatoes, so the first bite was an exciting love affair for me. I was completely smitten with the flavor and texture of this incredible dip.

One of Todd’s old co-workers, Jason, shared the recipe and I immediately shared it on the blog, with the added addition of fresh thyme.  This brie dip has been in my collection of dip recipes over all these years and it’s always a top favorite too.

 Sriracha Beach Dip Recipe: On occasion, I’ve been known to make healthy dips too, ones with no cheese but still, with plenty of flavor and texture. This sriracha bean dip recipe was made on a whim when I was craving some light protein. With a can of white beans in my pantry combined with my love for spicy sriracha hot sauce, i made this super simple dip that has gotten raves from all around.

Add some fresh raw vegetables to dip and what you have is a guilt free party appetizer that even your cheese loving friends (like me!) can still appreciate.

 Mango Salsa Recipe: This is probably the healthiest “dip” in my collection, but some consider this more of a side dish than maybe a dip. Either way, it can be enjoyed with a bag of potato chips or as a side salad.

If it’s a summer gathering or for a picnic, this mango salsa is something I’ll reach for first. The super fresh flavors make this salsa really exciting on salads, seafood or tacos. It’s bright, juicy, sweet and full of flavor. Add a margarita along side and you have a perfect celebration for Cinco de Mayo.

Whew. Now I feel my dip recipe collection is much more complete now that I’ve included the artichoke spinach version. And I do hope you treat yourself to something warm and cheesy before the year ends because I truly believe that we all deserve a heaping spoonful of decadent joy.

Enjoy!

diane

Cooking Method for Artichoke Spinach Dip on the Stove Top:

cook onions, garlic, artichoke hearts and spinach

Add milk, cream cheese, mayo and parmesan cheese. Combine till bubbly.

Serve hot immediately or (optional) you can bake in oven at 350 degrees after it’s made to re-warm it for guests. But make sure you use a larger baking vessel and not overload the dip. Like I did.

Yield: Serves 4-6

Total Time: 30 min

This artichoke spinach dip recipe is adapted from my older stove stop spinach dip. The other spinach dip has water chestnuts instead of artichoke hearts. You can also try baking this dip recipe in the oven at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. If you do decide to bake this dip, eliminate the vegetable oil and only use 1/4 cup of milk. And make sure to soften the cream cheese first to make mixing the ingredients together much easier.

Pre-make: The night before a party, I've also pre-made large batches of this dip and placed them in baking dishes and chilled them in the fridge. When the party day arrives, I'll take out the dip and allow it to come to room temperature, then bake it at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until all the cheese is completely melted and hot.

1 can of artichoke hearts (14 oz), drained and chopped1 package of chopped frozen spinach (thawed & drained of excess water)1 - 8 oz. package of cream cheese1 Tablespoon vegetable oil1 medium onion, minced1 large clove of garlic, minced1 cup of parmesan cheese, grated3/4 cup of milk1/4 cup of mayoplenty of fresh cracked black pepper1 teaspoon of kosher or sea saltchips or crackers for dippingIn large heated saucepan, add oil. When oil is hot, add the minced garlic and onions. Cook the onions and garlic till they are light brown, but not burnt.Add chopped artichoke hearts, spinach, salt and black pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes until ingredients are combined well.In this order: Add milk first, the stir. Then add cream cheese, mayo and parmesan cheese. When cream cheese begins to melt, turn heat to low.Slowly stir and simmer ingredients till all cheese is completely melted and dip becomes creamy and well combined. Cook for about another 2-3 minutes to blend flavors together.Serve immediately when it's warm with bread, crackers or tortilla chips.

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Cheap and Useful Kitchen Tools: 8 Favorites

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« Burmese Pork Belly, Pickled Mustard Greens and Tofu Recipe |Main| Soy-Glazed Black Pepper Chicken Recipe (The Hakka Cookbook) »

December 13, 2012Cheap and Useful Kitchen Tools: 8 Favorites

All Clad cookware makes me swoon as much as cheap cooking gadgetsfound at Asian markets and thrift shops. I love the high and low-brow as wellas the in between. You don’t have to spend a ton on cooking equipment to cookwell. In fact, the eight tools highlighted below are inexpensive and they canelevate your cooking quite a bit.

Here’s a round-up of metal kitchen tools that I reach foroften. (I chose metal as a way to group things and hope to progress to plastic,wood, and the like.)  You can find these handykitchen helpers at Asian markets, houseware shops, mainstream retailers (even Target!)and online too.

I have a stainless steel steamer as well as bamboo steamertrays. With the bamboo ones, I rig up a pan for steaming using a set of perforated pizza pans. This is one in a threesome and is good for small tomedium steamer trays. Set it atop a pot and put your bamboo steamer on thepizza pan.

You won’t have to worry about flames burning the bamboo orsteam escaping from below the steamer tray. The pizza pan is like a perforatedlid. On occasion, I use the pans for reheating pizzatoo.

Quarter sheet pans are great as prep trays, cooling and draining friedmorsels, and baking small quantities of food. I got several about a year ago atSurfas in Culver City and use them as much as I do regular half-sheet baking pans.You don’t have to use much parchment paper or foil when cooking with thesesmaller baking sheets. They’re sturdy and well sized. I can separately roastpotatoes on one and asparagus on anoother on the same rack in the oven. Thereare regular and perforated ones, which are terrific for food to a crisp.

This past year I also fell for small roasting/broiler racks (above, right). Costing less than $6 on Amazon, they were purchased to fit inside thequarter-sheet pans but work well for large roasting pans and baking sheets too.The clever design lets you choose the amount of elevation; just flip. The racks are also easy to clean  -- no grids,corners or folding parts to deal with. They’ve been so useful in my kitchenthat I bought some for my mom and stylist Karen Shinto – two people with whom Ishare kitchen tool tips.

I never thought I’d buy one of these vertical roasters but Idid for roasting Peking duck, a story and recipe I wrote for the Los Angeles Times. It works extremely well to mimic theroasting conditions of professional Chinese duck roasters. The skin crisps andbrowns and the fat melts downward. I’ve roasted chickens on the roaster too but it’s my go-totool for roast duck.

Japanese markets and dollarish stores like Daiso are where Ifind these lightweight stovetop grills.

I started using the foldable grills for tofu and it workedlike a charm. Yes, you can do some of thatkind of light grilling in a toaster oven but there’ssomething wonderful about direct exposure to the flame. This one fits rightover the griddle burner on my new stove, which I suppose means I found a usefor that burner.

For DIY dumpling making, take an Asian-Latin approach. Agood tortilla press will instantaneously made you a good Asian dumpling maker.I stressed over rolling out basic dumpling wrappers by hand until I realizedthat I could leap frog a tiny bit – and cut down on the work by half – bypressing the dough first in a tortilla press. The aluminum ones are not tooheavy so they won’t smash your dough too much. A tortilla press buying guide was posted on Asian Dumpling Tips.

There’s barely a week that I don’t reach for this scum skimmer.It’s sold at Asian markets and housewhare shops, as well as online. The fine mesh efficiently capturesa raft of scum from a bubbling pot of broth. It’s does a decent job with fatthat’s coagulated too. Shallow fine mesh skimmers like this work very well.

Asian vertical handled strainers are used by professionaland home cooks alike for reheating or cooking noodles for individual bowls ofpho, ramen, etc. You can dunk, shake and dump the noodles into bowls and getthem set up for the toppings and broth. 

Aside from making Asian noodle soup, the strainer is also fabulous for blanching small amounts of vegetables in a pot of water. For example, if I need to parboil green beans, carrots and pasta, I use the vertical strainer for each vegetable. The pot is still full of boiling hot water for the pasta, which I then boil as usual and drain the pasta in a colander. Strainers come with mesh, perforated metal, or wire. Match the size to your needs. I have medium and large.

I love these small tongs, which I call “tiny tongs” becausethey measure only about 7 inches long. This fall, I was invited to cook with corporateR&D chefs at a major food manufacturing company. When I was looking for tongs,all they had were these:

The tongs, which cost little though you typically have toorder a dozen or so to get a deal, are great for grabbing small pieces of food, turningdelicate foods over, and plating. Rosle makes gorgeous surgical-like tongs forchefs but Vollrath’s tiny tongs (mine are model 47007 but these look the same) are the poor man’s clever answer.

If you haveinformation to add or favorite tools to share, don’t hold back. These cheapand cheery tools make great gifts to your friends and yourself. I often get theholidays going with a little shopping for myself.

More posts on metal kitchen gadgets:

Vietnamese coffee maker buying guideWater spinach splitter (very clever design)8 Mighty Mini Kitchen Tools (small yet strong!)Posted in Cooking Tips & Tools | Permalink

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Comments Cheap and Useful Kitchen Tools: 8 Favorites

All Clad cookware makes me swoon as much as cheap cooking gadgetsfound at Asian markets and thrift shops. I love the high and low-brow as wellas the in between. You don’t have to spend a ton on cooking equipment to cookwell. In fact, the eight tools highlighted below are inexpensive and they canelevate your cooking quite a bit.

Here’s a round-up of metal kitchen tools that I reach foroften. (I chose metal as a way to group things and hope to progress to plastic,wood, and the like.)  You can find these handykitchen helpers at Asian markets, houseware shops, mainstream retailers (even Target!)and online too.

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Easy Chinese Recipes: Family Favorites From Dim Sum to Kung Pao

Growing up in a Chinese household in Malaysia where cuisine and culture were inseparable, Bee Yinn Low developed a deep love and appreciation for food. Her early memories of helping her mother prepare steamy and fragrant Chinese meals solidified into a way of life for Bee as a working woman in Southern California. A love of Chinese food didn't translate well to a modern Western lifestyle due to time and ingredient constraints. Rather than give up her favorite foods, Bee experimented with recreating the unforgettable flavors of her youth with her limited time and using ingredients found in local supermarkets. She managed to develop versions of her favorite Chinese dishes that had all the taste—but were a lot less work!

In Easy Chinese Recipes, Bee shares her passion and expertise in Chinese cooking. It features a collection of Bee's all-time favorite dishes—the foods she loves to cook and eat at home. She includes updated traditional family recipes along with her own versions of the best Chinese restaurant dishes from around Asia, such as Crispy Shrimp Dumplings, Kung Pao Chicken, Sweet-and-Sour Pork, Homestyle Chow Mein Noodles and Mongolian Beef.

Building off her passion, expertise and the avid following she has on her website, rasamalaysia.com, the Internet's most popular Asian food and cooking site, Easy Chinese Recipes is sure to become the go-to book for cooks interested in creating Chinese meals at home.

Price: $24.95

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Weight Watchers Take-Out Tonight! : 150+ Restaurant Favorites to Make at Home--All 8 POINTS or Less

Now you can have take-out tonight and every night and still lose weight!

Craving Chinese, Mexican, Thai, or even Japanese for dinner? No problem and no need to worry about the fat and calories thanks to Take-Out Tonight! Based on the Weight Watchers Winning Points® weight loss plan, Take-Out Tonight! serves up more than 150 mouthwatering recipes that reinvent all of America's most-loved take-out dishes -- all 8 POINTS or less! Few people consider, before they stop in for take-out or pick up the phone to call for delivery, how these made-to-order meals fit into their lives if they're trying to lose weight. Truth is, they don't. So let Take-Out Tonight! help you prepare healthy, delicious meals for you and your family using the smart cooking hints people have come to expect from Weight Watchers cookbooks. Take-Out Tonight! includes:

CHINESE CLASSICS, like Shrimp-and-Pork Wontons, Chinese Barbecued Pork, and Szechuan Chicken with Peanuts • MEXICAN MUST-HAVES, like Family-Style Chicken Enchiladas, Chimichurri Steak with Jicama Salsa, and Nachos Supreme • DELI SPECIALS, like Crunchy Chicken Salad Wraps, Reuben Sandwiches, and Crumb-Topped Jumbo Bran Muffins • TOTALLY THAI, like Shrimp Pad Thai and Coconut Rice Pudding • ITALIAN DELIGHTS, like Pizza with the Works, Spaghetti and Meatballs, and Cannoli

Each recipe offers easy how-tos, tips, and complete nutritional information, as well as POINTS per serving. With Take-Out Tonight! there's really no reason to order out -- so get cooking!

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Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites: Flavorful Recipes for Healthful Meals

The first Moosewood Cookbook--loved for its cozy, comforting food--mused oil, eggs, and dairy products so lavishly that it was extensively revised in 1992 to fit our changing diet. Now, the Moosewood Collective takes an even more extreme step: recipes in Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites are so intentionally healthful that they put the word right on the cover of this chubby book filled with lean recipes (many dishes get the fat down to a modest 16-17% of their total calories). Still, the 280-plus recipes offer the bold, pan-ethnic flavors that have won the Moosewood Collective cookbooks so many fans.

Price: $25.99

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United States of Chinese Food: Your Favorites in SF, LA, Miami, and DC

Writing a cookbook that involves historical research is no easy task. Here at the Appetite for China headquarters in Brooklyn, I’ve been recipe-testing like crazy for the past few months while devoting countless hours to library research. My grocery receipts are too scary to add up. The to-be-read stack of books by my bed about 2 feet high. But in the spring I’ll finally get to take a “break” and head out of town to dig deeper into Chinese food across the US.

So far I’m planning on these following cities, for both day trips and lengthier stays. Please let me know if you have recommendations for not-to-be-missed Chinese restaurants, bakeries, and other food-related desintations. Bonus points for restaurants with a lot of history, regional Chinese food specialties, and anything else unique! I have a short list of places in mind already, but could always use more recommendations from locals.

San Francisco - San Francisco was my home for the better part of a year, but I still feel like there is a lot more to explore, especially in Oakland, Millbrae, and Cupertino. And judging by your responses to my post on being disappointed with the Chinese food in San Francisco, there are also plenty of places within city limits that I should try.

Los Angeles – I’ve visited LA countless times, but usually end up binging on the excellent Mexican and Thai food that is harder to find on the East Coast. This trip will be 100% Chinese food, so send me all your favorite spots! I plan to start off in LA’s Chinatown for historical purposes, then venture out to San Gabriel Valley.

Miami – Miami has been on my to-go list for a long time, mainly because of the Cuban-Chinese and Peruvian-Chinese food. Recommendations for non-hybrid restaurants also welcomed!

Washington DC – I’ll be down in DC for a day trip for research at one of the Smithsonian museums. Any special spots to visit in the nation’s capital?

What are some of your suggestions for other great Chinese restaurants around the US with historical or regional significance?

___________________________

Related posts:

A Globetrotter’s Guide to Unusual Chinese Restaurants

When Chinese Food was Glamorous in America

Vintage Chinese Restaurant Ad, Texas

Chow Mein, an American Classic

Tagged as: American Chinese, Global Chinese

View the original article here

United States of Chinese Food: Your Favorites in SF, LA, Miami, and DC

 

Writing a cookbook that involves historical research is no easy task. Here at the Appetite for China headquarters in Brooklyn, I've been recipe-testing like crazy for the past few months while devoting countless hours to library research. My grocery receipts are too scary to add up. The to-be-read stack of books by my bed about 2 feet high. But in the spring I'll finally get to take a "break" and head out of town to dig deeper into Chinese food across the US.

So far I'm planning on these following cities, for both day trips and lengthier stays. Please let me know if you have recommendations for not-to-be-missed Chinese restaurants, bakeries, and other food-related desintations. Bonus points for restaurants with a lot of history, regional Chinese food specialties, and anything else unique! I have a short list of places in mind already, but could always use more recommendations from locals.

San Francisco - San Francisco was my home for the better part of a year, but I still feel like there is a lot more to explore, especially in Oakland, Millbrae, and Cupertino. And judging by your responses to my post on being disappointed with the Chinese food in San Francisco, there are also plenty of places within city limits that I should try.

Los Angeles - I've visited LA countless times, but usually end up binging on the excellent Mexican and Thai food that is harder to find on the East Coast. This trip will be 100% Chinese food, so send me all your favorite spots! I plan to start off in LA's Chinatown for historical purposes, then venture out to San Gabriel Valley.

Miami - Miami has been on my to-go list for a long time, mainly because of the Cuban-Chinese and Peruvian-Chinese food. Recommendations for non-hybrid restaurants also welcomed!

Washington DC - I'll be down in DC for a day trip for research at one of the Smithsonian museums. Any special spots to visit in the nation's capital? 

What are some of your suggestions for other great Chinese restaurants around the US with historical or regional significance? 

___________________________

Related posts:

A Globetrotter's Guide to Unusual Chinese Restaurants

When Chinese Food was Glamorous in America 

Vintage Chinese Restaurant Ad, Texas

Chow Mein, an American Classic

View the original article here