Spinach-Artichoke Dip

Aigoo... my three-month hiatus from school has finally ended which meant that I am back to having tons of paper works, research, deadlines, and typing. The last three months has been a nice break from all the responsibilities. I totally enjoyed not having to use my brain so much which was great since I was in so much pain after the surgery that I probably wouldn't be able to concentrate anyway. Now that I am back in school, memories and stress that goes along with it came flooding back that I am at times feeling overwhelmed. So while I was staring blankly at the computer and waiting for some inspiration/enlightenment to come in order to finish my paper, I felt I needed a distraction and something to relax my mind so I can better concentrate.... plus I was a little hungry but too lazy to cook a full meal. I turned my attention to cooking something that I am very familiar with so it requires less use of brain power. Spinach artichoke dip!

Ahhh...spinach artichoke dip. It is something that I have been making for over 10 years and I still like it as much asI have the first time that I tasted it. This is such a crowd-leaser and always a hit at any gathering. The preparation is quite simple as it only involves mixing the ingredients then popping it in the oven to warm it up and brown the top/melt the cheese. I have been lazy lately as using the oven usually constitutes having to empty the entire contents then having to return them back once I have finished baking. My solution is to use my toaster over which works well for baking small portions but can hold up to about a quart size baking dish. Taking the dish is a little tricky though as there is not much space to maneuver so being burnt by the hot surface is more likely then when you use the oven so be extra careful. I usually use silicone oven mitts which are great at withstanding high temperature plus great at protecting the hands...hehehe

Ingredients:
1 package chopped frozen spinach, thawed
1 can artichoke hearts, finely chopped
2 (6 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup grated parmigiano reggiano
1/3 cup grated romano cheese
1/4 cup gratedmozzarella cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Squeeze and discard liquid from thawed frozen spinach.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese, sour cream,and mayonnaise.  Mix well.
4. Add half of the grated parmigiano reggiano, half of mozzarella, thawed spinach, and artichoke hearts.  Mix well.
5. Season with salt and pepper according to taste.
6. Transfer to oven-proof baking dish and top with remaining mozzarella and parmigiano reggiao.
7. Bake until cheese melts and turns slightly brown (about 10-15 minutes).
8, Remove from heat and serve warm.

Guacamole with Spring Roll Wrapper Chips

Avocado was on sale yeasterday so I bought a few and decided to make guacamole but then I forgot to buy some chips to go with it. Not to worry...hehehe... I had some spring roll wrapper leftover from when I made lumpia shanghai so I fried those up and made spring roll wrapper chips. These chips are a little more fragile compared to regular chips so I had to use spoon to spoon the guacamole over the chips. The taste as well as the crunchiness is really good. I didn't really add any seasoning to the spring roll chips as they already taste good without any but you can season it with salt and pepper, if desired, once they have been fried.


Making guacamole is quite simple and requires a few ingredients ut it really does pack a punch especially becaused I kicked up the spiciness factor a bit by adding a little bit more chili but feel free to cut down the amount to make it less spicy. Another key to making it less spicy is to discard the seeds as they contain the highest concentration of capsaicin.


Ingredients:

2 ripe avocado, cut in half and stone removed
1-2 shallots, chopped finely
1 roma tomato, cored and deseeded then chopped finely
4 Thai chillies, cored and deseeded then chopped finely
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
small cilantro bunch, chopped

1. Using a spoon, remove the flesh of the avaocado from its peel then mashed coarsely using a fork.
2. Add shallots, tomato, cilantro, lime juice, and peppers. Mix well.
3. Season with salt and pepper according to taste.
4. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve with chips



Spring roll chips

Ingredients:
5 spring roll wrappers
oil for frying

1. Using a scissor, cut spring roll into 4 equal squares.
2. Then cut the squares into 2 equal triangles.
3. Again cut each of the triangles into two equal smaller triangles. Each spring roll wrapper should make about 16 small triangles.
5. Leave the spring roll wrappers out for about 15 minutes to help dry it out a little bit.
6. To fry: Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.
7. When oil is hot enough, fry a few pieces of the spring roll triangles until golden in color. This will only take about 2-3 seconds so you need to keep an eye on it to prevent it from burning.
8. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to absorb excess oil.

Hummus

Hummus is a middle eastern dip composed of tahini, chick peas, lemon juice, and salt which are mashed together or pureed using a food processor. It is a thick dip which is usually accompanied by pita bread. The main ingredient for this dish, aside from the chick peas, is tahini. Tahini is a ground sesame paste which is common ingredients for dishes in the Middle East, East Asia, and North Africa.

This hummus recipe is very tasty and flavorful. If you have never tried making your own hummus dip, you should try this one. Store-bought ones does not even compare to this. I have been buying hummus dip for a long time and never really thought about making my own until I decided to make it one day. Well, I have never gone back to buying them from the store ever again. This dish is super simple and easy. Instead of boiling the chick peas yourself, I buy canned oned which makes my work easier and I can have the dip in no time at all.



Ingredients:

1 can (16 oz.) Chickpeas
1/3 cup chickpeas water
4 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp Tahini
2 cloves garlic, chopped
sea salt, to taste

Garnish:
few pieces of the chick peas
paprika
extra virgin olive oil
pine nuts



1. Place all the ingredients for hummus (chichpeas, chickpeas water, lemon juice, tahini, garlic and sea salt) in a food processor and pureed until well incorporated.
2. Taste and adjust salt according to taste.
3. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with olive oil, chickpeas, paprika, and pine nuts.
4. Serve with pitabread or pita chips.