Onion Dip

See the chip bowl and the dip with it (in the silver bowl and in the bowl in front of the chip bowl)?

You NEED this dip in your life, my friends.  I made this for my Christmas cookie party and had rave reviews.  It is insanely good.

Onions are caramelized for about an hour (if you have more time to caramelizr them, go for it!).  After the onions are caramelized, you mix them into a combination of sour cream, mayonnaise, and cream cheese (AKA the trifecta for a great dip).  The dip is seasoned with salt and pepper, and just a bit of cayenne.

Serve this with some great chips, and you’ll be the hit of the party.  The leftover dip will be perfect over a steak sandwich.  After you try this dip, you’ll never want to buy a premade onion dip again.

Onion Dip
Yields 3 cups

Ingredients:
1/4 cup or half a stick of butter
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 large sweet onions
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
More salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:
Cut the onions in half and slice them into thin 1/8 inch half rounds.  In a large sauté pan, heat the butter and oil over medium heat.  Add the onions and salt, and sauté for 10 minutes.  Reduce the heat to medium low and continue to cook for about an hour until the onions become more brown and caramelized.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

In a large bowl, add the cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise, and using an electric hand mixer, beat until smooth.  (Alternatively, you can use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.) Add the onions and the seasonings.  Serve at room temperature.

Source: Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa  

Pancetta Caramelized Onion Dip

One of the hit appetizers at my Christmas cookie exchange was my pancetta onion dip (pictured in the red tin).  Every year, I like to do make a few appetizers that are a twist on traditional appetizers.   I think no party is complete without some type of dip, and onion dip is always a hit!  My take on the standard onion dip was to make a caramelized onion dip with pancetta.

Caramelized onions takes a lot of time, but it is so worth the time it takes to coax the flavor out of the onions.  I prefer to use oil instead of butter when caramelized onions because butter had a tendency to burn.  When cutting your onions, you don't want to make them too thin because they will burn faster and stick the pan and dry faster.  Adding pancetta also makes the dip even more addicting.

I used full-fat Greek yogurt and added in a little creme fraiche with it.  You could use sour cream instead of the Greek yogurt and also skip the added addition of creme fraiche.  The dip was not tangy at at all from using yogurt, and it had a nice creamy consistency.

I had pita chips and celery to serve with the dip, and people even topped the gougeres (French style cheese puffs) with the dip.  Enjoy!

Pancetta Caramelized Onion Dip
Yields enough for a party!

Ingredients:
12 oz. full-fat Greek Yogurt (1 container)
3 tbsp. creme fraiche or sour cream (optional)
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
4 oz. diced pancetta or bacon
3 tbsp. chopped fresh chives
1 large onion, diced (1/8" cubes)
3/4 tsp. salt

Directions:
In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil.  Allow the olive oil to heat for a minute, and then add the onions and reduce the heat to medium-low.  Cook the onions slowly for about 35 minutes, stirring periodically.  After 35 minutes, add the diced pancetta.  Cook on medium heat for another 10 minutes so the onions caramelize further in the pancetta fat.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

After the onion-pancetta bacon has cooled, add it to a serving bowl and mix in the Greek yogurt, chopped chives, and salt.  Cover and refrigerate to allow the flavors to marinate.  Serve with chips and veggies of choice!

A Simple Sweet Justice Original

Butternut Squash and Ricotta Bruschettas

Ina Garten's new cookbook, Cooking for Jeffrey, recently came out.  In the introduction, she describes the act of cooking for someone as an act that says, "you're important enough to me to spend [this] time and effort."  For her, "Cooking is more gratifying and, frankly, more fun when I'm cooking for people I love."  I could not agree more!  This cookbook is a homage to her husband Jeffrey's favorites, and Ina's love and happiness for Jeffrey just exudes through every page of this cookbook.  It is really a fun and happy cookbook!

So many of her recipes are simple with an elegant twist, and today's recipe is just that: butternut squash and ricotta bruschettas.  Most of the time, we think of bruschetta as involving a tomato and basil topping.  Bruschetta itself is just grilled oil rubbed bread, and the toppings are endless.   

I love regular tomato bruschetta, but butternut squash takes it to a whole new level.  It's a great appetizer for Thanksgiving!  

I'm not a fan of pumpkin, but I do like butternut squash.  Butternut squash has a sweeter, nuttier flavor compared to that of pumpkin.  In this recipe, butternut squash is roasted and then combined with caramelized onions.  You put a layer of ricotta cheese on toasted bread and then top it with this roasted butternut squash goodness.  YUM!

Butternut squash can be a pain in the arse to cut up.  Don't let that deter you from making this and so many other butternut squash dishes!  In the produce section of most grocery stores, you can find nicely diced butternut squash.  I've seen it at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and even Costco.  

Happy cooking!

Butternut Squash and Ricotta Bruschettas 

Yields 6+ servings (depending on bread)

Ingredients:

1 lb. butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1/2-3/4 inch. cubes

2 sweet yellow onions sliced

2 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp. maple syrup, apple cider, or apple juice (I used maple syrup)

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

Extra virgin olive oil (or "good olive oil" as Ina calls it)

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 loaf bread (I used a french baguette, Ina calls for 6 1/2 inch thick rustic country bread)

1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese

Directions:

On a large baking sheet, place the squash, 2 1/2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, and the red pepper flakes, and toss to combine and spread in one layer.  Roast for 15 minutes, and then remove from oven to toss once with a spatula.  Return to oven for another 15 minutes to continue roasting until the squash becomes very tender and begins to brown on the edges.   (Total roasting time is 30 minutes.)

While the squash roasts, heat the butter and 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil in a large sauté pan.  Add the onions and cook over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring periodically, until golden.  Then, add the apple cider vinegar and maple syrup, and simmer for about five minutes until the liquid is reduced.  After the squash finishes cooking, add it to the same sauté pan with the onions and mash it lightly with a dinner fork or a wooden spoon.

To assemble the bruschetta, spread a thick layer of ricotta on each bread slice and spoon the squash mixture on top.  Sprinkle with salt and enjoy!

** Note: I would recommend toasting the bread before assembling the mixture on it.  To toast the  bread, brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toast in a 350ºF oven for 12 minutes.

*** You can also prepare the butternut squash mixture ahead of time and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat on the stove by adding a few tablespoons of apple cider, if desired.

Source: Ina Garten's Cooking for Jeffrey

Coconut Bread with Honey Brown Butter Spread

Maybe I am just "jonesing" over a beach escape for spring break, but as soon as I saw Deb post a coconut bread this week, I knew I had to make it for my "Smitten Kitchen" week.

This coconut bread recipe comes from bills, a restaurant in Darlinghurst, near Sydney's central business district.  There are three bills in Australia, and the UK and Japan also have bill's restaurants.  Bill Granger, the creator of bills, doesn't like how a capital "B" looks, so that is why the restaurant is known as "bills."  Bill is known as the egg master of Sydney, and the coconut bread is one of the most popular items at the restaurant.

It is easier than pie to make---just whisk the ingredients and bake it in a loaf tin.   I was a little short on coconut, so I substituted coconut oil for the butter so that I would not lose any coconut flavor.  The bread has a great texture, thanks to the shredded coconut and the subtle cinnamon flavor.  It's moist, but not too sweet.

You could top it with a little bit of confectioners' sugar or butter.  Deb suggested honey brown butter.  Yes, please!  The honey added natural sweetness.  Because the butter was browned, it had a nuttier flavor, which complemented the bread well.

This bread can be sliced, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and frozen.  How good is that for a lazy week end brekky?  This would also make a great bread for a French toast or even a tropical style bread pudding.

Happy week end!

NYC Friday will be back next week! 

Coconut Bread
Yields 1 loaf

Ingredients:
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups milk (does not matter whether you use skim or whole)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (315 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup granulated sugar
5 oz. sweetened flaked coconut
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted or melted and browned if desired*

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Prepare a 9x5 loaf pan by either coating it with butter or a nonstick spray. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift the flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon so that the ingredients are evenly combined.  Next, add the sugar and coconut, and stir to mix.  Make a well in the center, and pour the egg mixture into the well.  Stir until the ingredients are just combined.  Then, add the butter and stir until smooth.  Do not overmix.

Add the batter to the prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  After the bread is finished, allow it to cool in the pan for about ten minutes, and then invert the pan onto a cooling rack.

Serve in thick slices with powdered sugar or honey brown butter spread.

*Because I only used 4 oz. of coconut instead of 5 oz., I substituted coconut oil for the butter to make up for any coconut flavor that would be lost by not using 5 oz. of coconut.

Honey Brown Butter Spread

Ingredients:
1 stick (4 oz.) butter, divided
2 tbsp. honey
Sea salt, to taste

Directions:
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt half of the butter.  After the butter melts, reduce the heat to medium low.  The butter will then foam, and then turn a clear golden.  After a few minutes, the butter will begin to turn brown and smell nutty.  Keep stirring frequently, and be sure to scrap up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan.

Remove the melted brown butter from the heat and let it cool to room temperature.  While it cools, leave the other half of the butter out so that it can soften slightly.  Whip the softened butter with a hand mixer until fluffy.  Drizzle in the room temperature browned butter, honey, and any desired salt.  Continue whipping until combined.

Chill the butter in the fridge until it reaches a spreadable consistency.

Source: Coconut Bread adapted from Smitten Kitchen and the Wednesday Chef, originally from the New York Times; Honey Brown Butter Spread adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Homemade Peanut Butter

With the recent peanut butter recalls due to salmonella, I have been holding off on buying peanut butter.  After returning recalled peanut butter to Costco, I picked up some peanut butter from Whole Foods, which was recalled.  Then, after returning that, peanut butter from Target was recalled.  Since I usually put a swirl of peanut butter into my breakfast oatmeal, I've missed my morning protein.  More importantly, my "three year old puppy" has missed getting his daily glucosamine in peanut butter.

"Quid pro quo.  Peanut butter for the pillow."  

While at Costco over the week end, I purchased a gigantic container of peanuts to make my own peanut butter with my food processor.  Wow, homemade peanut butter is good stuff - really good stuff.  It is so easy to make!

To make peanut butter, you need a food processor or an industrial blender, like a VitaMix.  (If you try this in a regular blender, it will likely start smoking.)  When I first turned the food processor on, the peanuts were crushed into a fine powder.  As the food processor continued, the peanuts were converted into a paste, and the paste then became a "dough ball."  When the peanuts reached the "dough ball" stage, I stopped the food processor to scrape the sides of the bowl.  After the food processor ran for a few more minutes, the peanut mixture became runny and then turned into very smooth, creamy peanut butter. 

If you desire a chunkier peanut butter, I would suggest processing the peanut butter until it is creamy, and then adding a handful of peanuts at the very end to achieve that chunky texture.

I added a small amount of coconut oil because it holds the peanut butter together so that the butter does not get top oily or bottom dry.  With the oil, the peanut butter also spreads more smoothly after refrigeration and does not get runny.

In the future, I will try more flavored varieties of peanut butter.  For instance, a dash of cinnamon or a splash of vanilla extract would add deeper, sweeter flavor.  Or, you could go the decadent route and add some cocoa powder with chocolate chips.  Substituting honey roasted peanuts would be a great option to try, too.

Homemade peanut butter is simple, tastier, cheaper, and healthier.  Give it a try!

Homemade Peanut Butter
Yields 1 1/2 cups 

Ingredients:
16 oz. shelled and skinned roasted peanuts
1 1/2 tablespoons of coconut oil
1 1/2 tablespoons of honey (add more if you desire a sweeter peanut butter)
Salt, if desired

Directions:
Place the peanuts, coconut oil, and honey into the bowl of a food processor.  Process until creamy and smooth.  (Note: it took 5 minutes for the peanut butter to reach a very creamy consistency.)  While processing, periodically stop the food processor and scrape the sides of the bowl.

Once the peanut butter has reached desired consistency, place into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to a month.

Source: A Simply Sweet Justice Original