Onion dip

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/caramelized_onion_dip/

Garlic Dip with Crudites

For a great appetizer before dinner or as a snack any time of the day, try this quick and easy-to-make dip that goes with any type of fresh cut vegetables (such as carrots, celery, cucumbers, or bell peppers). Garlic not only tastes great but provides you with extra health benefits from its sulfur-containing compounds.
Garlic Dip with Crudites Prep and Cook Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

* 2 cups cooked or canned garbanzo beans
* 1 TBS fresh lemon juice
* 3 cloves garlic, chopped
* 1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
* 3 TBS extra virgin olive oil
* Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Serve with sliced carrots, cucumbers, celery and/or sliced red bell peppers, or any raw vegetable of your choice.

Serves 8

Pinzimonio with Tonnoto sauce

Wednesday morning i looked for easy appetizers in various websites, to take something to wba. this was perfect. fast, easy to transport. of course i didn't have greens or cukes or radishes or fennel bulbs. and i used anchovy paste instead of anchovies, so i julienned a zucchini to add to carrots and celery. and i garnished the tonnoto with slivers of just-picked baby green pepper, and grape tomatoes. it was really good.


Ingredients

1. 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2. One 8-ounce jar Italian tuna in olive oil, drained
3. 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4. 4 oil-packed anchovies, drained
5. 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
6. 1/4 cup mayonnaise
7. 1/4 pound green, Roma or wax beans
8. 8 Parisian round carrots or baby carrots
9. 4 tender celery ribs with leaves attached, quartered crosswise
10. 2 lemon, Persian or Kirby cucumbers, peeled and quartered lengthwise
11. 2 small watermelon radishes, cut into 8 wedges each, or 10 small radishes, halved
12. 1 fennel bulb, cored and cut into 16 wedges
13. 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
14.

Directions

1. In a food processor, combine the 1/4 cup of olive oil with the tuna, lemon juice, anchovies, capers and mayonnaise. Process until smooth. Scrape the tonnato sauce into a serving bowl, cover and refrigerate.
2. In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the beans until crisp-tender, 2 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water; pat dry.
3. Arrange the beans, carrots, celery, cucumbers, radishes and fennel on a platter; sprinkle with the sea salt. Drizzle the tonnato with olive oil; serve with the vegetables.

Artichoke-Olive Crostini

Adapted from Mario Batali

In addition for making great crostini, we tossed some of the leftover paste with pasta for dinner that next night and it was delicious. I think it would be especially good in a cold pasta dish, like a salad.

1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed
1 cup large green pitted olives
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained
1 15-ounce can of artichoke hearts, drained
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 large slices of crusty bread

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a food processor, process the garlic, olives, capers, artichoke hearts and olive oil to a coarse paste.

2. Toast the bread on the oven rack for 6 minutes, or until crisp and browned. Spread the olive paste thickly over the toasts and serve.

Do ahead: The olive paste can be refrigerated for 2 days. Let it return to room temperature before using.