Marinated Goat Cheese Spread / Dip

By Katzen

A great spread that wins raves at potlucks and dinner parties. Rich and flavourful, it's perfect served with toasted pita chips, whole grain crackers or grilled bread. Thanks to my co-worker Melanie for the AWESOME recipe! Note that 1/2 cup of pesto can be substituted for the fresh herbs - it saves time and waste if you don't have a use for the rest of the herbs!  Pastica has made this recipe numerous times and it is always a crowd pleaser.

Ingredients:

8    ounces soft fresh goat cheese, sliced
1/2 cup kalamata olive, sliced
2    tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, sliced
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
3    tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2    garlic cloves, minced
1    tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1    tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
1    teaspoon fresh coarse ground black pepper
3    tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, more to taste
 
Directions:
 
Prep Time: 15 mins

Total Time: 3 1/4 hrs

1.  Arrange cheese in a shallow dish in a single layer. Scatter olives, sundried tomatoes and basil over and around it.
2.  In a small bowl, combine vinegar, oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and pepper. Pour over cheese.
3.  Marinate a few hours in the fridge or overnight. Serve at room temperature with grilled or fresh bread.

Caramelized Onion and Balsamic Brie Spread

Photo & Recipe by: bashful8788

Caramelized onions are combined with the soft inner portion of brie cheese and balsamic vinegar to make this spread for crackers or toast.

Ingredients
•2 tbsp butter
•1/2 of a white onion
•1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
•1/2 lb. of brie cheese
•1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
•1/2 tsp pepper, or to taste
•Toasted bread or crackers

Preparation
1. Thinly slice onion. Then heat a pan on medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add butter and allow to brown, approximately 2-3 minutes. Do not let it burn. Once butter is browned, add onion and saute on medium heat until caramelized and brown, approximately 15-20 minutes. When onions are caramelized, add balsamic vinegar to the onions and saute for 1 minute. Turn off heat
2. Remove the outer rind of the brie. You will be left with the soft center. Mix balsamic-onion mixture into the soft brie, then add salt and pepper. The heat of the onion will slightly melt the brie. Serve immediately with toasted bread or crackers.

Baba Ganoush

Baba Ganoush
by sgrishka

photo by sgrishka

Baba Ganoush is a classic Middle Eastern dish that is both healthy and versatile. It makes for a tasty appetizer served with crackers, sliced baguette, toasted pita chips or raw veggies. You can use it as a spread on pita or sandwiches, add it to other dishes, or just eat if off the spoon!

 
Ingredients

1 1/2 lb Eggplant
3 tb Lemon juice
1 ts Salt
2 ts Minced fresh garlic
3 tb Sesame tahini
1/4 c Chopped parsley
1/2 c Toasted pine nuts
2 tb Olive oil

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prick eggplant all over with a fork. Bake whole until tender (about 30 minutes). Remove from oven, halve and scoop out the flesh. Blend in a food processor with the lemon juice until smooth. Mash the salt and garlic together and combine with the eggplant, along with the tahini. Cool and stir in the parsley and pine nuts. Before serving, drizzle with the olive oil. Serve as a dip with tortilla chips or triangles of flat (pita) bread. (Adapted from The Victory Garden Cookbook) From: The Cooks Garden catalog, Spring/Summer 1993 (page 20) Posted to MM-Recipes Digest V3 #305 Date: Wed, 6 Nov 1996 23:46:18 -0500 From: BobbieB1@aol.com

Spinach Dip Inside a Cob Loaf

Spinach Dip Inside a Cob Loaf

by: keepsmilyn

Ingredients:

1 cup Sour cream

1 cup Mayonnaise (egg mayonnaise works well)

1 packet Frozen spinach (use once fully defrosted)

1 packet Spring Vegetable Soup Mix (30g)

1 large Onion

1 large Cob bread loaf

Preparation:

1. Hollow out the cob loaf and cut bread into 3cm squares.

2. Bake hollow cob and bread squares in your oven for about 10-15 or until slightly crispy. Appoximately 120 °C.

3. Mix all other ingredients together in a mixing bowl (if possible do the day before).

4. Place the mixture into the hollow cob loaf and serve with bread squares.

You may also consider cutting up extra bread to serve with this because the squares seem to dissappear quite quickly. Once all the bread is gone start breaking off parts from the 'bread bowl'.

Edamame Guacamole Recipe

Found this Edamame Guacamole recipe at a great site called "Two Peas and Their Pod" The Cooking Couple.  The have other fabulous recipes.  I encourage you to visit them.

by twopeas

Edamame Guacamole

Adapted from Epicurious

1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 onion, roughly chopped
1/2 jalepeno, finely chopped
Juice of 2 limes
2 to 3 tablespoons water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Put edamame, avocado, cilantro, garlic, onion, jalapeno, and lime juice in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until combined. Add enough water to make a creamy consistency and pulse again. Pulse until smooth. Transfer edamame guacamole to a serving bowl and season with salt and pepper. Stir. Serve with chips or vegetables.

*Note-this guacamole is also good as a spread on sandwiches.

Pastica - PAS-TEE-KA

Pastica is a delicious combination of spices, ingredients, vegetables, meats, fish, sourcream, chipotle, ham, cream cheese, peppers, mayo, mustard, ketchup, tabasco, well....let's just say just about anything.  Recipes abound on the web.  You are only limited by your own taste buds, let your self go.

Pastica is pronounced "Pas-Tee-Kaa" and it is spanish for "dip" "spread", and defined as: a mixture for dipping food into: a creamy mixture into which pieces of food can be dipped, often served with crackers or chips.

The traditional Pastica we tend to use at parties is onion dip or vegetable dip...but traditional and conventional is sometimes boring.  Pastica will showcase the world of dips and recipes to be shared by all.