Herb Cheese Dip - Blue Monday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It's drip and dip season here in Oregon. Rain and football seem to go hand in hand and those games are a great excuse to make a dip whose roots can be found in Lyons, France. There the dip is made with fromage blanc. Rest easy in the knowledge that cottage cheese will work nearly as well and that the herbs needed to make it can all be found in your neighborhood grocery store. It was originally intended to be used as a dip for raw vegetables, but I've found it to be a wonderful sandwich spread as well. As you scan the recipe ingredients you'll find it to be a healthy and figure friendly addition to your snack repertoire. The recipe, developed by Patricia Wells, is easy to make, but the cheese needs to drain for a day or two before it is served, so wait time will have to be factored into your game plan. This also gives the flavors of the herbs an opportunity to permeate the cheese. If you have a particularly macho crew for game day, you might want to omit the vegetables and serve the dip as a spread on rounds of rye bread that are topped with salami or other deli meats. It would also be wonderful as a spread on thick slices of crusty peasant bread. The dip can be made several days in advance of serving and you probably won't have leftovers to worry about. Here's the recipe.

Herb Cheese Dip...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Patricia Wells

Ingredients:
2 cups full-fat or low-fat cottage cheese
2 shallots, peeled and minced
1 plump, fresh garlic clove, peeled and minced
3 tablespoons fresh chives, snipped with a scissors
3 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves, snipped with a scissors
3 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, snipped with a scissors
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, carefully stemmed
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon dry white wine
1 teaspoon best-quality sherry wine vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Mixed fresh herbs, for garnish (optional)

Directions:
1) Place cottage cheese in bowl of a food processor and pulse once, just long enough to break up cheese curds. Add shallots, garlic, chives, tarragon, parsley, and thyme, and process very briefly, pulsing only to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pulse once again to distribute the seasonings.
2) Transfer mixture to a cheesecloth-lined large sieve set over a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 48 hours.
3) Remove cheese from refrigerator. Discard any liquid that has drained from the sieve. Transfer cheese to bowl of a food processor. Add wine, vinegar, and oil, and pulse to blend. Taste for seasoning. Transfer to a small bowl. Serve at room temperature. Yield: 2 cups.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Blue Cheese and Bacon Dip - Easy Appetizers
Smoked Salmon Cheese Spread - Drick's Rambling Cafe
Hummus - Anja's Food 4 Thought
Taramosalata - Kalofagas
Warm Black Bean Dip - One Perfect Bite
Blue Cheese Dip - One Perfect Bite

This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday

Light and Chunky Clam Dip

From the Kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Dips and spreads were all the rage in the 60's and the 70's. Cookbooks had whole sections devoted to them and during the holiday season you'd be hard pressed to find a magazine that didn't feature them. The dips were not gourmet affairs and nearly all of them had a base of sour cream and mayonnaise. They were calorie laden and as bad for you as they were delicious. As times and tastes changed, the rich and creamy dips seemed to disappear, replaced, instead, with ubiquitous bowls of salsa or more exotic fare from the Mediterranean or Middle East. If, however, you looked really carefully, you'd find at least some of the golden oldies tucked safely in the fridge away from prying eyes. They hadn't gone away, they had been lightened. I'm not at all sure that's a good thing. As I look at the chemical feast that are food is becoming, I sometimes question the approach we are taking to eat in a more healthy way. That, however, is a topic for another day. Now, before I drift too far afield, I want to share this recipe with those of you who still enjoy the classic dips. It come from from America's Test Kitchen and it is awfully nice. Here's the recipe.

Light and Chunky Clam Dip...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients:
4 strips bacon (about 4 ounces), cut into 1/4-inch pieces
3/4 cup light sour cream
3/4 cup light mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 (6-1/2-oz. each) cans minced clams, drained
2 medium scallions, sliced thin
Pinch cayenne pepper

Directions:
1) Fry bacon in small skillet over medium heat until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels.
2) Whisk sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce together in a medium bowl. Stir in minced clams, scallions, and bacon. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Cover and chill for at least an hour. Refrigerated dip can be kept for up to 2 days. Yield: 2 cups.



You might also enjoy these recipes:
Blue Cheese and Bacon Dip - Easy Appetizers
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus - Eat Real
Chile con Queso - Drick's Ranbling Cafe
Peperonata - Sweet Bites
Bulghur and Walnut Kibbeh - Anja's Food 4 Thought
Easy Appetizer: White Bean Dip - Spoonful
Roasted Olive and Grape Crostini - The Daily Dish
Dips and Spreads - The Spicy Skillet
Zucchini, Mint and Yogurt Spread - The Kitchen
Red Pepper Cannellini Dip - Have Fork Will Eat
Grilled Eggplant Spread with Fresh Herbs - Open Salon

Warm Black Bean Dip

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I love to make this dip for Friday movie nights or watching weekend games. It's one of those dishes that everyone seems to love and you'll never have to worry about leftovers when you serve it. It is really easy to make and involves little more than opening cans and thawing vegetables. It can be made in advance and then baked just before you want to serve it. Serve it with warm tortilla chips and your guests will follow you anywhere. To warm chips, spread them in a single layer on a cookie sheet or baking pan and bake in a 350 degree F. oven for about 5 minutes. Dump them into a bowl and serve, repeating as often as is necessary. The recipe was developed by Tony Rosenfeld for Fine Cooking magazine. I have made only minor changes to his creation. Specifically, I use less vinegar than he calls for. Here's the recipe.

Warm Black Bean Dip...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Tony Rosenfeld

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil + more for baking dish
2 medium tomatoes, cored and cut into medium dice
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided use
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 (15.5-oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained well
2 canned chipotles en adobo, minced (about 1 tablespoon), plus 3 tablespoons adobo sauce from can
1 to 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (if frozen, thaw first)
1-1/2 cups (6 oz.) grated sharp cheddar cheese
1-1/2 cups (6 oz.) grated Monterey Jack cheese
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Freshly ground black pepper
Tortilla chips for serving

Directions:
1) Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease a 1-1/2 qt. baking dish with oil and line a baking sheet with foil. Set the tomatoes in a colander over the sink and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt.
2) Heat oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Reduce heat to medium, add onion, sprinkle with reserved 1 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring, until softened and translucent, about 4 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and chili powder and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add half of black beans, chipotles and adobo sauce, and 3/4 cup water and bring to a boil. Cook until liquid reduces by about half, 2 to 3 minutes.
3) Transfer bean mixture to a food processor, add vinegar (I used only 1 tablespoon), and process until smooth. Let cool for a couple of minutes and then transfer to a large bowl. Add rest of beans, tomatoes, corn, half of each of cheeses, and 1/2 cup of cilantro. Mix well and season to taste with salt and pepper.
4) Transfer to baking dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake on a foil-lined baking sheet (to catch drips) until cheese melts and browns around edges, about 15 minutes (longer if refrigerated). Sprinkle with remaining cilantro and serve with warm tortilla chips for dipping.
Yield: 10 to 12 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Spicy White Bean Dip - Never Enough Thyme
Hot Clam Dip - One Perfect Bite
Bleu Cheese and Bacon Dip - Easy Appetizers
Mississippi Sin Dip - Deep South Dish
Edamame Dip - The Baking Barrister
Pan Fried Onion Dip - Brown Eyed Baker
Roasted Eggplant Dip - Melbo's Toast
Cucumber Yogurt Dip - Eclectic Recipes
Homemade Onion and Herb Dip - What's Cookin, Chicago

Blue Cheese Dip

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is one of the chameleons of my kitchen. I use it as a dip, a spread and a salad dressing. It main ingredient is cottage cheese and that makes it figure friendly, as well as being versatile and easy to do. The downside to this recipe, if there is one, is that you'll need a food processor to break up and pulverize the cheese curds. Plan to make this a day before you plan to use it and use a really good blue cheese for best flavor. The original recipe was developed by Patricia Wells and she used a French Roquefort to make the dip. French Roquefort is made from sheep's milk and is naturally aged in caves to produce the blue streaks with which we are all familiar. The cheese must ripen for a period that ranges from three months to a year in order to produce its characteristic aroma and flavor. Other blue veined cheeses, domestic or imported, are made from cow's milk and are aged in humidity controlled environments rather than caves. I use Roquefort during the holiday season, but rely on good domestic varieties for the remainder of the year. The dip can be thinned with milk to produce a wonderful salad dressing. If you enjoy blue cheese I think you'll enjoy this dip. Here's the recipe.

Blue Cheese Dip...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, inspired by Patricia Wells

Ingredients:
2 cups cottage cheese
1/4 cup fresh snipped chives
1/2 to 3/4 cup coarsely crumbled Roquefort or blue cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Place cottage cheese in bowl of a food processor; pulse to break up curds. Add chives and blue cheese and process briefly just to blend. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pulse again to distribute seasonings. Transfer to a lidded container and store in refrigerator for at least 24 hours to ripen. Bring to room temperature to serve. Yield: 2 cups.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Bleu Cheese and Bacon Dip - Easy Appetizers
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus - Eat Real
Hummus - Food for Thought
Easy Appetizer: White Bean Dip - Spoonful
Baba Ganoush - One Perfect Bite
Seven Layer Bean Dip - Simply Recipes
Easy Black Bean Dip - Pinch My Salt

Baba Ganoush - Blue Monday

Baba Ganoush



Connor - the youngest of Oma's "Blue Boys"

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Baba Ganoush is a vegetable dip that's very popular in the Arabic Middle East and other Mediterranean countries. It's a simple, inexpensive dish, and there are probably as many versions of it as there are kitchens in those countries. I don't mean to confuse the issue by posting yet another, but I wanted to record our family version of the dip in a spot where my girls can get to it when they need it. My version has a smoky flavor because it's grilled over an open flame, rather than being baked or broiled in an oven, as is the custom in some homes. This recipe also has some zip that comes from a fairly substantial addition of fresh lemon juice. There are several acceptable ways to garnish this dish. I tend to use what I have on hand, so, more often than not, I'll drizzle it with olive oil or sprinkle it with chopped flat-leaf parsley. When they are available I also love to use pomegranate seeds. I used to serve the dip with pita bread, but I have recently started to use still warm, freshly fried tortilla chips in their stead. It is not authentic, but it is delicious. Without further ado, here's the recipe for a dip or spread that is a wonderful accompaniment to a Middle Eastern or Mediterranean meal.

Baba Ganoush...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 large (1-pound) eggplant
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Salt to taste
3 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Garnish:
3 tablespoons pomegranate seeds, or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, or 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:
1) Prepare a charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill. Puncture eggplant in several places with a fork. Grill for 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until skin is charred and eggplant is soft.
Cool until it can be handled. Cut eggplant in half and scrape pulp into a sieve. Hold under cold and gently running water. Squeeze as much liquid as possible from pulp.
2) Combine pulp, garlic, lemon juice and salt in bowl of food processor. Process until smooth. Add tahini and process just to incorporate. Adjust seasoning if required. With processor running, add olive oil, cumin and pepper. Transfer to a small serving bowl, cover and chill for at least 30 minutes. Baba Ganoush can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Garnish and serve. Yield: 2 cups.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Red Pepper Hummus - One Perfect Bite
Black Bean Hummus - One Perfect Bite
Mexican Beer-Cheese Spread - One Perfect Bite
Hummus en Fuego - eCurry
Muhammara - Closet Cooking
Grilling Baba Ghanoush - Serious Eats

This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday

Cream Cheese and Pepper Jelly Spread - Pink Saturday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a new take on an old party favorite. Most folks have been at casual affairs where a brick of cream cheese, covered with pepper jelly, is served to guests. Many of us have prepared it for parties of our own and would agree that it is great football food. It's the essence of simplicity and, as such, is a boon for a busy host or hostess. While it's delicious, I do have a problem with its appearance. Once touched, the offering quickly begins to look like the remains of a massacre. Now I probably have a newfangled version of the "princess and the pea" syndrome, but I hate the way it looks, so, I took it upon myself to make something that would hold up better on the table. The ingredients have been only slightly altered and this new version retains the flavor of the old but is prettier for a longer period of time. It is important to note that the proportion of pepper jelly added to the cheese should not be increased. If that measurement is wrong you'll end up with a dip rather than a spread. The cheese will also need some additional heat added to it as it's whipped. While the recipe calls for cream cheese, you can replace one-third of that with chevre if you'd prefer another layer of flavor in the spread. I have also added additional heat to the mix. While I use Sriracha because I like its finished taste, any hot chili sauce sauce can be used. Just remember the pepper jelly adds heat as well, so go at it carefully. Red pepper jelly and chili sauce will give the spread a salmon hue. If you prefer a colorless spread, a plain pepper jelly can be used. Here's how the spread is assembled.

Cream Cheese and Pepper Jelly Spread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 (10.5-oz.) jar red pepper jelly
12 ounces cream cheese
1 to 2 teaspoons hot chili sauce (i.e. sriracha)

Directions:
1) Place jelly in bowl of a small food processor or blender. Pulse until mixture becomes spreadable. Set aside.
2) Beat cream cheese in a small bowl until light and fluffy. Stir in 1/3 cup pepper jelly and 1 to 2 teaspoons hot chili sauce. Mix well.
3) Turn half of cheese mixture into a small serving bowl. Gently spread 1/3 cup pepper jelly over surface of cheese. Top with remainder of cheese. Spread top with remaining pepper jelly. Serve with rice crackers or another cracker of your choosing.
Yield: 1-1/2 cups.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Liptauer Cheese Spread - One Perfect Bite
Roasted Red Pepper and Sun-Dried Tomato Spread - One Perfect Bite
Pumpkin Butter - One Perfect Bite

This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

Black Bean Hummus with Crispy Corn Chips

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Saturday marks the 136th run of the Kentucky Derby and I thought it would be nice to provide some snacks for nibbling as we watched the race and procession of hats at Churchill Downs. I'm a "people watcher", and, to Bob's dismay, I have more fun with before and after events than I do with the race itself. Fortunately food is our great equalizer. I want to serve something outside the pale of standard derby fare, so I decided to try a recipe developed by the chefs at Kai Restaurant in Phoenix, Arizona. The restaurant specializes in Native American food and this dip is their interpretation of hummus. It's extremely easy to make and is quite unlike its Middle Eastern cousin in all but texture. While bagged chips could certainly be used, I've decided to serve it with homemade tortilla chips. The corn flavored chips will nicely balance the citrus in the dip and give it a more Southwestern flavor. I cut my corn tortillas into quarters and deep-fried them. If you are watching calories they could be crisped in the oven. Either way, they are a perfect accompaniment to the dip. Here's the recipe for the black bean hummus.

Black Bean Hummus...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, inspired by a recipe from Michael Dowd and Jack Strong appearing in the book The New Native American Cuisine

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 (14.5-oz.) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5-oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
5 teaspoons chopped garlic
1/2 to 1-1/2 teaspoons chipotle adobe pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
3 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
Combine all ingredients except olive oil in a blender. Process until smooth. Slowly add oil to puree. Serve with crisp corn tortilla chips. Yield: 2 cups.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Red Pepper Hummus - One Perfect Bite
Chunky Clam and Bacon Dip - One Perfect Bite
Liptauer Cheese Spread - One Perfect Bite

Warm Beef and Cheese Dip with Pecans

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I love to see old things made new again. Over the holidays we were served a long retired beef and cheese dip that I'm very fond of. While I love its taste, I even more enamored of the ease with which it can be prepared. I especially like this recipe because the ingredients can be reduced by half to produce a quantity that's perfect for smaller gatherings. I shouldn't admit this, but I 'm a fan of dips. I 'm fond of those made with ingredients that make those more sophisticated than me shudder. I dip freely into mixtures made with dehydrated mixes, so it should come as no surprise that I occasionally serve one made with dried beef. There are many versions of this on the net. This version is my refinement of the recipe to suit the tastes of my family. I always serve this warm from the oven with thinly sliced French bread or an assortment of good crackers. It's perfect football fodder.

Warm Beef and Cheese Dip with Pecans...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 (8-oz.) packages of cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated onion and juice
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 (2-1/2-oz.) jars dried beef, finely minced
1 cup chopped toasted pecans

Directions:
1) Combine cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, onion and juice and garlic in a small bowl. Mix until smooth and light. Fold in minced beef. Transfer to a bake and serve dish. Top with toasted pecans.
2) Preheat oven to 300 degree F. Bake, uncovered for 30 minutes. Serve with good bread and crackers. Yield: 2-1/2 cups.

Chunky Chopped Clam and Bacon Dip

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The countdown to the new year has begun, and, as the nesting months of its first quarter approach, I'm starting to give some consideration to fireplace and football food. This week I wanted to explore some of my favorite snacks and appetizers, especially the ones that make hosting a breeze. They're simple to make and easy on the pocketbook. Their greatest virtue is that they'll also allow you to enjoy a game or conversation with friends and fellow fans. I also wanted to come up with newer versions of old recipes that everyone likes. Who doesn't like clam dip or can resist one that's laced with bacon? I know I can't, so I thought I'd give this a try and, hopefully, come up with something that could be shared with you. I'm glad I did. While I prefer the flavor of fresh chopped clams, canned clams work well here if they are drained. I reserve the clam juice and use it at the very end of the recipe to achieve the consistency I want for my dip. Make sure your bacon is really crisp, well-drained and not too finely crumbled before adding it to the mix. The red bell pepper adds wonderful color to the dip. If you don't care for horseradish use hot sauce instead. I like to prepare this a full day before serving it. This dip ages really well if refrigerated. Here's the recipe.


Chunky Chopped Clam and Bacon Dip...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
10 slices thick-cut smoked bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 cans (6 oz. size) drained chopped clams, liquid reserved
1/2 cup + 1 teaspoon sour cream
8 ounces softened cream cheese
2 scallions, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish or horseradish sauce
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

Directions:
Blend all ingredients in medium mixing bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. If dip is too thick, thin with spoonfuls of reserved clam juice until desired consistency is reached. Remove from refrigerator 1/2 hour before serving. Serve with chips, crackers or bread. Discard leftovers that have been sitting at room temperature. Yield: 12 servings.

Guacamole

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Everyone knows that guacamole is dip made of mashed avocado mixed with chopped onions and other seasonings. Not everyone know that Tyler Florence makes a guacamole that will make your socks go up and down. I can say that with authority because several people told me so today. I love most of his recipes, but I don't talk about them a lot because he has fans who regularly report on them. They are a great bunch of foodies and you can read about their kitchen exploits each Friday at Tyler Florence Fridays. I needed a quick dip this afternoon. I had glanced at this recipe several times before without trying it, but I remedied that today and I'm so glad I did. This is guacamole with attitude and I love attitude. I also love this dip. Here's the recipe.

Guacamole...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
6 ripe avocados
3 limes, juiced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, smashed then minced
2 serrano chiles, cut into rounds
1 big handful fresh cilantro with stems, about 1/2 cup, finely chopped
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1) Halve and pit avocados. With a tablespoon, scoop out flesh into a mixing bowl. Mash avocados using either a fork or potato masher, leaving them still a bit chunky. Add remaining ingredients, and fold everything together. Drizzle with a little olive oil, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and give it 1 final mix with a fork.
2) Lay a piece of plastic wrap tight on surface of the guacamole so it doesn't brown and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Yield: about 4 cups.

Feta and Cucumber Dip

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Contact Noah. We really need the ark. We've had a day of heavy rain and what was to be a barbecue is now a buffet. We Oregonians are a hearty lot and normally a little rain doesn't phase us. I grill in January for heavens sake. However, when it rains this furiously it's impossible to keep the fire going and cooks, looking even briefly toward the heavens, have been known to drown. Factor in accidents caused by flatlanders attempting navigation of a muddy hillside and you have the makings of a disaster. The good news is that the guests and everything on the menu can be moved indoors. Better still is the knowledge that the drought that turned our valley brown is over. I have three hors d' oeuvres in the kitchen that you might enjoy. They're fast and easy and require no last minute fussing. We'll get to them all this week, but we'll concentrate on the feta cucumber dip today. You all know that an hors d' oeuvre is a small hand-held item that's served before and separate from a meal. An appetizer, which could actually be the same food, is the starting point, the first course, of a meal and is served at the table. The real difference between the two is the time at which they're served. While this is a Martha Stewart recipe, its origins are Italian and a recipe similar to this one appeared in The New York Times Cookbook decades ago. Here the cucumbers are grated rather than diced and heavy cream and feta cheese are added to yogurt to make a smooth and tangy dip for pita chips or crudites. Try to get thick Greek yogurt. If it's not available, drain the yogurt through a sieve to extract as much liquid as you can. The cucumbers, too, should be as dry as possible. While the dip can be made early in the day, it becomes watery if allowed to sit over night. Any leftover dip makes a marvelous low-fat salad dressing. Here's the recipe.


Feta and Cucumber Dip...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
4 medium cucumbers, peeled
Coarse salt
2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt (16 ounces), preferably Greek
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (1 cup)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint, plus 1 sprig for garnish
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup heavy cream
5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
Freshly ground pepper
Sliced Cucumbers for lining the bowl for lining bowl (optional)
Crudites, for serving

Directions:
1) Halve cucumbers, and scoop out seeds using a melon baller or small spoon. Grate cucumbers using large holes of a box greater. Transfer grated cucumbers to a colander; set over a bowl to drain. Stir in 2 teaspoons salt; let cucumber mixture stand 15 minutes to drain.
2) Rinse cucumbers; shake out excess liquid. Wrap in a clean kitchen towel; squeeze out as much liquid as possible. A potato ricer may also be used to extract liquid.
3) Stir together cucumbers, yogurt, feta, chopped mint, garlic, cream, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. If desired, transfer dip to a bowl lined with cucumber slices. Garnish dip with mint sprig if desired. Serve with pita chips or crudites. Yield: 3-1/2 cups.

Roasted Red Pepper and Sun-Dried Tomato Spread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite... Prepare yourselves. Memories of gnarled and ancient trees whose boughs are bent with gold and hillsides flaming in the glow of a setting Tuscan sun are about to be unleashed. Some call it a spread or dip. Others call it a sauce. Whatever you call it, this dish is so good that it's hard to grasp it can be made from a handful of ingredients in so little time. Strange, maybe, but undeniably true. Well-drained, oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes and roasted red peppers are thrown into a blender and spun to a puree that is thinned with a bit of olive oil and flavored with garlic and pepper flakes. That's it. It's served with flatbread or with pasta. Si mangia bene. Here's the recipe.

Roasted Red Pepper and Sun-Dried Tomato Spread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 cup well-drained, coarsely chopped, roasted red bell peppers from a jar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 cup well-drained sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil and herbs

Directions:
1) Combine peppers,oliveoil,garlic, basil,red pepper flakes and tomatoes in the jar of a blender or food processor. Pulse or process until desired consistency is reached.
2) Transfer to a serving bowl and serve with flatbread or toss with hot pasta. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.