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

chili garlic shrimp

* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (preferably Spanish)
* 10 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
* 2 pounds large shrimp, shelled and deveined
* 2 dried red chiles (plus more for garnish, if desired)
* 2 teaspoons brandy
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

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Preparation

Heat oil in a medium sauté pan over high heat. Sauté garlic until browned, about 2 minutes. Add shrimp and chiles; sauté until shrimp are cooked through, about 4 minutes. Add brandy and cook 1 minute more. Remove from heat. Transfer to a platter or divide equally among 8 small plates. Sprinkle with parsley, add salt to taste and serve.

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swiss chard salad with yogurt dressing

Ingredients

1. 1 medium red bell pepper
2. 2 pounds Swiss chard, leaves only, finely chopped
3. Kosher salt
4. 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5. 5 medium garlic cloves, minced
6. 1 cup plain whole milk yogurt
7. 1/4 cup tahini, at room temperature
8. 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
9. 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
10. 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions

1. Roast the red bell pepper directly over a gas flame or under a preheated broiler, turning as needed, until charred all over. Transfer the pepper to a bowl, cover and let steam for 10 minutes. Peel and seed the pepper, then cut it into 1/4-inch dice.
2. Put the Swiss chard in a large colander set in the sink. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of salt over the chard and rub it into the leaves with your fingers. Let stand for 1 minute, then rinse the chard and squeeze dry.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet. Add 2 of the minced garlic cloves and cook over moderate heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the Swiss chard and cook, stirring, until tender, about 7 minutes. Add the roasted red pepper and cook for 1 minute. Transfer the vegetables to a platter and spread them in an even layer. Let cool.
4. In a medium bowl, mix the yogurt with the tahini, lemon juice and the remaining 3 minced garlic cloves. Season with salt. Spoon the yogurt sauce over the cooled Swiss chard.
5. In a small skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the crushed red pepper and cook over moderately high heat until the pepper begins to sizzle, about 10 seconds. Pour the pepper oil over the yogurt sauce. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve.


Make Ahead

The recipe can be prepared through Step 4 up to 1 day ahead. Refrigerate the Swiss chard and yogurt sauce separately.


Serve With

Warm pita bread or lavash.

cheesy breadd

Cheesy Bread Recipe
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Ingredients

* 8 oz shredded Mozzarella cheese
* 1 lb shredded sharp cheddar cheese
* 1/2 to 1 cup chopped green onion (to taste)
* 1/2 cup mayonnaise
* 2 Tbsp sour cream (optional)
* 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup, 4 ounces), softened to the point of being slightly melted

* 1 to 2 loaves of French or Italian bread (I used Ciabatta), depending on the size of the loaves

Method

1 In a large bowl, mix together the cheeses and the green onion. Stir in the mayonnaise and sour cream. In a separate small bowl blend the butter and garlic until smooth. Add the butter mixture to the cheese mixture.

2 Preheat broiler. Slice loaf of bread in half horizontally, lay crust side down. Spread cheese mixture over the bread. Place under the broiler until nicely browned, about 3 to 5 minutes.

3 Remove from broiler and let sit for 5 minutes until cool enough to handle. Slice the bread with a bread knife. Serve.

Makes 30 to 40 slices.

party food

thursday i had a party. i made some 'tizers and had some wine, but when we get together, this group, we bring stuff along as we can. so i have a fridge full of stuff, and i need to make an appetizer for dinner at a friend's tonight, at which the hostess is having no carbs and another guest is watching every calorie.

i guess i could bring celery sticks.

but i'm not. i'm making the kale chips just posted and bringing this:

leftover spinach-artichoke dip from the butcher shop
leftover crab artichoke dip from fresh market
enriched with:
crumbled bacon (2 slices thick cut leftover from breakfast thurs)
whole antipasto garlic cloves and red peppers, chopped from the publix deli
quartered grape tomatoes from my garden
chopped banana pepper
1 medium sized caramelized onion (yes this was in the fridge)
lemon juice
lemon zest
olive oil drizzed on top
salt and pepper if you need it but probably no salt required)
basil chiffonade artfully scattered atop

and i'm roasting a peach, sliced, with a banana pepper and onion slivers, and melting (leftover) brie on it to top olive bread with. this will be either lunch when david gets home, or another app for those not shy of certains foods like cheese and bread.