Cheesy Beef Dip in a Bread Bowl

Cheesy Beef  Dip in a  Bread Bowl

More food for the Super Bowl. This doesn’t follow my food philosophy; I mean I am suggesting you buy meat in a jar. HOWEVER, this is so good. I kept the leftover bread bowl and wrapped it in foil then heat it, sliced it up and ate the bowl!

Chipped beef is a dried, pressed, salted meat that is sliced very thin. It was a common dish in the US Army during World War II. The fact that it was inexpensive and did not need refrigeration made it a popular depression era food. It is still served in diners thought out the United States. You can find chipped beef on the aisle with canned tuna. I prefer Amour.

Chipped beef is insanely salty. Salt lick salty. To make it more palatable, I pour boiling water over the beef in a bowl. After allowing the beef to soak for 10 minutes, I discard that water and repeat the process. If you don’t mind very salty snacks, you can skip this step.

Time:  Active time: 15 minutes; cooking:  25 minutes, crunchy goodness in 45 minutes (an hour if you are removing the saltiness)

Hardware: Knives and a cutting board, a saucepan, measuring spoons and cups, a mixer, a mixing bowl, a silicone spatula, a large serrated knife, parchment paper or foil, and a baking sheet

Ingredients:

• Large (1 pound) round sourdough loaf
• 2-2ounce jars chipped beef
• 8 ounces of softened cream cheese
• 8 ounces of shredded cheddar
• ¼ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup mayo
• 2 green onions
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1.  Preheat the oven to 350°F. To make clean up easier, line the cooking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
2. If you desalted the beef (and you should) dry it. Roughly chop the beef. This is easiest to do, if you roll it up. Slice the green onions into thin rings. Use the white and the green parts. Set aside.
3. Mix the remaining ingredients with the mixer. Then fold in the beef and onions.
4. Use the serrated knife to make a bread bowl. Cut down into the bowl at an angle. Make sure to not cut down too far. Save the top of the bowl for dipping. You can scoop out more bread if needed. See the illustration below.
5. Fill the space that you created with the beef mixture. Place the bowl onto the baking sheet.
6. Bake for 25 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and the bread is crunchy. Serve right away with the reserved pieces of bread, crackers or soft pretzels.

Tzatziki Sauce

Tzatziki Sauce: creamy cucumber dip

Tzatziki sauce is perfect for Gyros or other grilled meat.  It also makes a nice dip for warm slices of pita.  You can change the sauce up by using mint or parsley in addition to or instead of the dill.  Always serve this cold.

Servings:  1 ½ cups

Time:  prep: 15 minutes, rest: 30 minutes + 2 hours
Hardware:  Cutting board and knives, veggie peeler, spoon, strainer, a bowl,  measuring cups and spoons, a whisk, a container

Ingredients: 

• 1 large cucumber
• 1 ½ cups Greek yogurt
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons of fresh dill (or 1 dried)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Salt & pepper

1. Peel the cucumber.  Using the spoon remove the seeds.  Slice it and place it in the strainer over the bowl.  Heavily salt the cucumber and allow it to rest for 30 minutes. This will make the cucumber release much of its liquid.
2. Squeeze as much water as you can from the cucumber.  Discard all the liquid.  Dice the squeezed cucumber and the garlic.  The smaller the better. 
3. Whisk the remaining ingredients together.  Taste and adjust the salt.
4. Allow to sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours.  Grind a little black pepper into the sauce right before serving.  This will keep in the fridge for 4 days.

Pineapple Jalapeño Dipping Sauce

I made this dipping sauce to use with Coconut Shrimp but it would really be good any time you might use tartar sauce. It is sweet, salty, spicy, and delicious.

Servings:  Makes 1 ½ cups

Time:  prep: 5-10 minutes; Rest: 2 hours-overnight
Hardware:  Measuring cups and spoons, a cutting board and knives, a can opener, a zester, a whisk or fork, a mixing bowl, a rubber spatula, an airtight container

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sour cream
• 8 ounces crushed pineapple
• The zest and juice from 1 lime
• 1 green onion
• 2 tablespoons diced pickled jalapeños
• 2 teaspoons diced cilantro
• ¼ teaspoon salt

1. Juice and zest the lime. Slice the green onion as thinly as possible.  Dice the jalapeños and cilantro, the smaller the better. Set aside.
2. Remove all the liquid from the pineapple.
3. Whisk the ingredients together until everything is thoroughly combined.  Place the sauce into the airtight container and put it in the fridge.  Allow the sauce to rest for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.
4. Use the dip with Coconut Shrimp or in place of tartar sauce.

Yogurt Sauce

I love Middle Eastern food.  This sauce isn't necessarily a Middle Eastern recipe but it is inspired by the cuisine of the region. Yogurt is a common ingredient in sauces and dips, as are garlic and dill.  This can be used on warm Middle Eastern Meatballs, as a dipping sauce for chicken kabobs, or just on toasted slices of pita. 

Servings:  Makes 1 ½ cups

Time:  5 minutes
Hardware:  Measuring cups and spoons, a garlic press, a cutting board and a knife, a sauce pan, and a whisk

 

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces Greek Yogurt
• 1 tablespoon clarified butter
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill

1. Chop the dill and crush the garlic. Set aside.
2. Gently melt the butter over low heat.
3. Whisk in the yogurt, dill, and garlic.
4. Heat until warm, making sure not to allow the yogurt to scald.
5. Serve warm.

Hummus

School starts here on Monday.  I try to pack our lunches every day.  Packing lunch saves money and assures that we are eating well, but it is difficult to keep a bagged lunch interesting.  Really, there are only so many sandwiches you can make.  Packing different vegetables, fruits, and crackers with spreads and dips can make lunch fun.  Cream cheese mixed with basil pesto can be packed with bell pepper sticks or shredded, whole wheat snack crackers. Apples and graham crackers taste great with peanut butter and a little honey. 

Hummus is perfectly paired with pretzel chips, cucumbers, or carrots.  Hummus can also be used as a sandwich spread.  Smear a pita pocket with hummus and then stuff it with cucumbers, tomatoes, sprouts, and feta cheese.  You will have a tasty, healthy, and different sort of sandwich in your lunch pail.  If lunch is fun and interesting you, your kids, and your other will be more likely to eat it and less likely to grab an unhealthy snack.

Servings:  2 ½ cups

Time:  10 minutes
Hardware:  Measuring cups and spoons, a food grinder (processor or blender), a can opener, a rubber spatula, and an airtight container

Ingredients:

• 2-15 ounce cans of chickpeas
• ⅓ cup tahini (sesame paste)
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons liquid from the chickpeas
• 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic
• S&P to taste
• Paprika

1. Open and drain the chickpeas, saving 2 tablespoons of the liquid.  Rinse the chickpeas a few times and drain thoroughly. 
2. Peel the garlic and place it in the food processor with the olive oil and lemon juice.  Process until it is completely smooth.
3. Place the remaining ingredients, except for the teaspoon of olive oil, in the food processor and grind until it is the consistency of dry peanut butter. Add S&P to taste. 
4. Store in the fridge in an airtight container.  It will keep for 3-4 days. Serve straight from the fridge or at room temperature. When serving create a little swirl or well in the center of the hummus.  Pour the remaining olive oil into the swirl/well and sprinkle with paprika.  Offer your guests pita chips, crackers, or fresh veggies for dipping.

Hummus

After you master the basic recipe, you can play around with hummus.  Replace 1 tablespoon of the reserved liquid with ½ of a roasted red pepper for red pepper hummus.  If you replace all of the reserved liquid with lemon juice and add the zest from one lemon, you have lemon hummus.  You can also double the amount of garlic for garlic hummus.  Throw in a handful of black olives with the garlic and make sure to puree completely and then follow the rest of the instructions for olive hummus. Spicy hummus can be made by replacing some of the chickpea liquid with hot sauce and adding cayenne pepper to the recipe.  You can even use different beans.  You can use cannellini beans, yellow lentils, or black beans (don’t use tahini with the black beans and add some cumin).  So if you are imaginative and adventurous, hummus will never get boring.

Rèmoulade Sauce

Rèmoulade sauce was invented in France but has become very popular in Louisiana cuisine. The sauce I make leans Louisiana.  It is mayonnaise based and can be used instead of  tartar sauce.   I always make some whenever we are having fried shrimp, battered fish, or crab cakes.  We have even dipped French fries in it.  Rèmoulade is an excellent condiment on Shrimp Po’ Boys, which is why I made this batch. 

You can tweak this recipe by adding capers or horseradish.  You can also substitute spicy mustard for some or all of the Dijon. Depending on your tolerance for heat, you can increase or omit the hot sauce.  The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days and should in fact be allowed to rest overnight before serving.  So good.

Servings:  Makes 1 cup
Time:  prep: 5-10 minutes;  rest: 2 hours-overnight
Hardware:  Measuring cups and spoons, a cutting board and knives, a whisk or fork, a mixing bowl, a rubber spatula, an airtight container

Ingredients:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh (or dried) parsley
• 1 tablespoon Louisiana style hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 green onion

1. Slice the green onion as thinly as possible.  Dice the garlic and parsley, the smaller the better. Set aside.
2. Whisk the remaining ingredients together until everything is thoroughly combined.  Stir in the onion, garlic, and parsley.
3. Place the sauce into the airtight container and put it in the fridge.  Allow the sauce to rest for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.
4. Use the Rèmoulade sauce to spice up your seafood dishes.

Rèmoulade Sauce is perfect with
Shrimp Po' Boys

Teriyaki Sauce

This can be used as a dipping sauce for pork dumplings.  It can also be brushed over chicken, fish, or shrimp during the last few minutes of broiling to act as a glaze.











Hardware:  Measuring cups and spoons, a small bowl and fork, a sauce pan, a whisk
Servings:  Makes 1 ¾ cups
Time:  5 minutes

Ingredients:

· 1 cup low sodium soy sauce

· ½ cup Miran (you can substitute white wine and a tablespoon of sugar)

· 1 teaspoon sesame oil

· ½ teaspoon powdered ginger

· ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

· ¼ cup packed brown sugar

· 2 tablespoons cornstarch

· ⅛ cup cold water

1. Whisk everything but the cornstarch and water together in the pan over medium heat.
2. Mix cornstarch and cold water together until all of the cornstarch dissolves and there are no lumps. Add the cornstarch-y water to sauce and heat until thickened.
3. Adjust to your taste.

Sweet and Spicy Hoisin Sauce

This sauce is sweet, tangy, and a little spicy.  I love it as a dip for meatballs, pork dumplings, or eggrolls.

Servings: Makes 1 cup

Time: 5 minutes
Hardware: Measuring cups and spoons, a sauce pan, a whisk

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons honey
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon ginger powder
• Pinch ground Cayenne pepper (optional) 

1.  Whisk all of the ingredients together in a sauce pan over medium heat.
2. Stir until just simmering. Serve warm.

Honey Mustard Dressing

This is simple, but tasty.  I use it as a dipping sauce or a salad dressing.  Honey mustard is Jeff's favorite.

Servings: 1 cup

Time: Prep: 5 minutes:
Hardware: Measuring cups and spoons, a whisk, a bowl, a storage container with a lid

Ingredients:

• ⅓ cup mayonnaise
• ⅓ cup mustard
• ⅓ cup honey
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

Whisk everything together. Refrigerate until serving. This can be stored in the fridge for up to a week.

Guacamole

Hass Avocados are still in season in Florida, meaning that they are cheap and yummy. Avocados are scrumptious and good for you. They are full of fiber and vitamin C. Sometimes, I will just salt an avocado and eat it right out of the shell. So decadent.

Servings: 1 ½ cups
Time: 10 minutes
Hardware: Cutting board and knives, measuring spoons, bowl, potato masher, mixing spoon, NO POWDER latex gloves

Ingredients:

• 4 Haas avocados
• 1 lime
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 jalapeño pepper (The seeds and the white ribs of a pepper contain the capsaicin, the chemical responsible for the heat. So remove these if you prefer less heat. However, jalapeños are very mild. Always seed and chop peppers using gloves.)
• 1 small onion (¼ cup)
• ½ pint cherry tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon cilantro
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• Salt to taste

Green Goodness!

1. Squeeze the lime into the bowl.
2. Cut the avocados open and scoop out the fruit. Toss the avocado with the lime juice.
3. Chop and seed the tomatoes. Chop the cilantro
4. Dice the garlic, jalapeño, and onion (the smaller the better).
5. Drain the avocados and mash them.
6. Stir in the cumin and sour cream until thoroughly mixed.
7. Fold in the remaining ingredients.
8. Salt to taste.
9. Serve with corn chips.

Peanut Sauce



                                                           

                                                                    A continuation of my saucy week!

Servings:  3 cups

Time: 15 minutes

Uses:  Pad Thai, noodles, dipping sauce for satay or chicken

Hardware:  Cutting board and knives, measuring cups and spoons, NO POWDER latex gloves, a zester, a saucepan, a wooden spoon, a can opener

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon of sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon of olive oil
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 1 hot pepper, diced(For this I use Thai peppers, which are also sometimes called Birdseye peppers. They are very hot!  The seeds and the white ribs of a pepper contain the heat.  So remove these for less heat.  Leave them in for more.  Always seed and chop peppers using gloves.)
• 1 tablespoon lime zest
• 1 1/2 cups of crunchy peanut butter
• 1 can of coconut milk (I prefer Thai Kitchens)
• 2 tablespoons of lime juice
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce (substitute soy sauce if you prefer)

1. Place the oils in a sauce pan over medium high heat.
2. Add the garlic, pepper, and lime zest and stir until the garlic begins to sweat.
3. Lower the heat to medium.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until everything is incorporated and heated through.
5. Serve warm.

 This is wonderful as a dipping sauce for chicken wings.  It is also the basis for Pad Thai.