Tomato - Green Chile Relish

Have you ever had the pleasure of enjoying a Santa Maria-Style barbecue?  It traditionally features a tri-tip steak served with pinquito beans, fresh salsa (think pico de gallo) and garlic bread.  A tri tip is one of our favorite cuts of meat.  Mr. Devilish Dish often puts one on the smoker.  The result is the smokiness of a brisket, but the taste and texture of steak or a really good roast beef if you slice it a little thinner.  We don't always prepare the tr-tip Santa Maria style, but a while back we did and I made this delicious variation on the traditional Pico de Gallo style fresh salsa.  This "relish" features ripe red cherry tomatoes that are bursting with flavor, accompanied by a dressing made with balsamic vinegar.  Now you might be thinking that sounds like the flavors of a Caprese-style salad, but the addition of the green chiles to this recipe really brings it back to the Santa Maria flavors.  The chiles really tone down the strong flavor of balsamic, and give this relish the versatility of being served both like a salsa or a side salad.  If you chopped the tomatoes a little finer, this would be ideal with the sliced tri-tip either inside a fajita or on a sandwich.  The ideas are endless.  We planted 5 Super 100 cherry tomato plants this year, so I'm hoping the harvest will be abundant and I'll be able to prepare this recipe often.

This is bursting with flavor.  It is so delicious with
a Santa Maria-style barbecue, but also ideal as 
simple salad for any meal.

It's time for those beautiful fresh cherry tomatoes
to be bursting with flavor.

Halve the tomatoes and serve this relish
like a delicious salad with any meal, or chop finer
and enjoy like a salsa or on a sandwich.

Enjoy the unique flavor combination of this
relish.  You won't be disappointed!

TOMATO-GREEN CHILE RELISH

4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1.5 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup diced green chiles (1 small can, drained)
5 green onions, finely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together the balsamic vinegar and oregano.  Gradually add in the olive oil, whisking constantly.  Stir in the green chiles and green onions. This will be your dressing.  You can prepare this ahead if desired.  When ready to serve add in the tomatoes and toss to coat with dressing.  Season with salt and pepper.  

Enjoy,

Homemade Bean Dip

There are a few food combinations that go so well together, they are iconic:  Peanut Butter & Jelly, Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup and of course Fritos Corn Chips & Bean Dip!  That dip in a can was a household staple growing up.  It was our go-to snack food all through college.  When Mr. Devilish Dish decided to make it from scratch a while back, it became an instant hit.  I just happened to have my college friends in town, so he whipped up a batch and everyone agreed how delicious it was.  We even gave it to my Mom & Aunt for Mother's Day.  That is how often this snack staple is enjoyed by my family.  The best part about this dip is it goes together in seconds, with just a hand full of ingredients.  It is so easy to keep an couple of cans of pinto beans in the pantry to pull out whenever we need a quick side dish or snack.  Of course tailgate season will be here soon, and I know this recipe will be on repeat.  Creamy, with just a hint of spice, this dip is ideal for dipping or as the base for a 7-Layer Dip.  Grab a bag of corn chips, and put this recipe into your summer snack rotation immediately! 

The ultimate snack combination...

This is so simple and delicious.

Just dump everything together.

Process until smooth.

Enjoy with corn chips for dipping.

We double this recipe every time we make it.
It's that good.

HOMEMADE BEAN DIP

1 can Pinto Beans, drained
1 Tablespoons Jalapeno brine
3-4 pickled jalapeno slices
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon chili powder

Place all ingredients into a food processor or blender and mix until smooth and creamy.  You can enjoy immediately, or even better if you let the flavors meld together in the fridge for a couple of hours.

NOTE:  We double this recipe every time we make it.

Enjoy,

 

BOOTY DIP/Fruit Charcuterie Board - National Snack Day!

It's National Snack Day!  My go to snack would probably be chips and salsa.  Or pizza rolls.  Mr. Devilish Dish makes some mean pizza rolls in the smoker.  He wraps them in bacon, puts fresh jalapeno slices on top and then drizzles them with hot honey and cooks them in the smoker.  I didn't know it was possible to make a pizza roll better, but you can.  It's a fact.  So yes, you could say we are normally into savory snacks, but a while back we were invited to a big Super Bowl watch party and I automatically started brainstorming something sweet.  When you think about typical ball game snacks, it's chili, buffalo wings, and queso.  This time I wanted to wow the crowd with something sweet for the kids in attendance and of course some fruit for those who didn't want a giant plate of cheese sauce.  I have my big round board I love to use for tailgates and get-togethers.  It's kinda big for just Mr. Devilish Dish and I, so I love to incorporate that for parties whenever possible.  BOOTY DIP went viral on social media awhile back.  Probably named that because if you eat a lot of it, your booty will get bigger.  It's so tasty it doesn't matter, and it makes a great dip for fruit and assorted cookies and crackers.  It was definitely a hit at the party with kids and adults alike.  All that was left was a couple of strawberries and a couple of grapes.  

A perfectly SWEET SNACK for 
National Snack Day!

The ingredients.

Whip together the cream cheese,
marshmallow fluff and brown sugar.

Fold in the whipped cream and
mini chocolate chips.

Serve with assorted fruit and cookies.

BOOTY DIP :)

This is such and easy and tasty treat idea.
Perfect for any occasion.
Makes such a fun grazing board.

Enjoy!

BOOTY DIP FOR FRUIT

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow fluff 
1 tablespoon brown sugar
4 ounces whipped cream (2 ounces heavy whipping cream, whipped stiff)
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Whip together the cream cheese, marshmallow fluff and brown sugar until smooth.  Fold in the heavy whipping cream and stir in the chocolate chips.  Refrigerate until ready to serve, or serve immediately with assorted fruit and graham crackers or cookies.

Homemade Salsa in the Blender

It's that time of year where we are either entertaining, going to parties or we are just so darned busy we don't even want to mess with cooking a full meal.  Sometimes we just have snack night and we will eat mini naan breads with hummus, or little freezer tacos with queso.  Or <GASP> pizza rolls.  I'm not too much of a food snob to hit the freezer snack section of the grocery store once in a while, BUT the one thing I am picky about it store-bought salsa.  There is really only one kind I like, and I swear everyone in town must like it too, because it is always out of stock.  Only a couple of stores around town even carry it, and on the rare occasion I do see it, I'll buy several jars.  When I can't find it however, I prefer to make my own.  I love this version because not only is it super easy, it's made with canned whole tomatoes.  Of course I love salsa made with fresh from the garden tomatoes, but now it is the time of the year the grocery store tomatoes are mealy and white in the middle with no flavor.  This version has much more flavor and you can control with spice with how many jalapenos you use.  It's great for Mexican food night, or company because most of the ingredients are items you probably have on the pantry shelf.  Grab a bag of chips and give this a try - it might just be your favorite (or in my case, my second favorite!)

This is so quick and easy to make.

Just a few ingredients.  Use as many or as few
whole pickled jalapenos as you would like to 
make your salsa milder or hotter.  I usually use
around 6-8 PLUS the juice from the can.

Grab some chips and enjoy.

HOMEMADE SALSA IN THE BLENDER

1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes
1 small can whole pickled jalapenos (AND the liquid from the can)-use as many as you want to make it hotter or milder

1 small red onion (or part of a red onion if it is larger)
1 garlic clove
handful of fresh cilantro (to taste)
juice of one lime
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar (this helps the canned tomatoes not taste so canned)
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt (or to taste)

Combine everything in a blender or food processor and pulse until everything is chopped and combined.  Check for seasoning and add more salt if necessary.  Will keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cake Dip

If you don't have any holiday spirit by now, here's your chance.  What's better than a Little Debbie Christmas Tree Snack Cake?  A whole bunch of them made into a festive dip.  This dip is decadent, fluffy and delightfully sweet.  And it comes together quickly so it is perfect for holiday parties, Christmas Eve snacking and last minute guests.  I served my dip with graham crackers for dipping, but this would be ideal with fruit or pretzel sticks too.  It's such a fun presentation of a nostalgic treat.  It's full of red and green sprinkles as well as holiday spirit.  

Isn't this just the cutest dessert?
Perfect to get everyone into the
holiday spirit.

I somehow lost my pictures of the 
ingredients, but the first step is 
blending the cakes, cream cheese,
milk and vanilla.

I like to make my own whipped cream 
in lieu of using whipped dairy topping.
Feel free to use either.

Carefully fold in your whipped cream
or whipped topping.  You want to keep
the dip light and fluffy.

Transfer to your serving dish and cover 
and refrigerate if you aren't using 
right away.

Or, if you are using right away, garnish with 
red and green sprinkles and plop that remaining
Little Debbie Cake right in the middle.

LITTLE DEBBIE CHRISTMAS TREE CAKE DIP

(8) Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes (they usually come 5 per box.  You'll need 2 boxes and have a few for snacking or decorating)

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla 
8 ounces heavy whipping cream + 1 tablespoons sugar OR (1) 16 ounce carton whipped topping (like Cool Whip) *SEE NOTE
Red and Green Sprinkles

Remove the wrappers from the tree cakes.  Set one aside for garnish.  Break up the remaining 7 trees into the bowl of a stand mixer (Or large bowl and a hand mixer) Add the softened cream cheese, milk, and vanilla.

Mix the ingredients on medium until the mixture is well-blended and smooth.  

 *NOTE: Beat the 8 ounces of whipping cream with the 1 tablespoon of sugar until you have a nice, stiff-peaked whipped cream.  I do this step because I really like the texture and flavor of freshly whipped cream instead of using a whipped dairy topping.  If you want to skip the whipped cream step and use a 16 ounce carton of whipped dairy topping please do.

Fold in the (already) whipped cream or the whipped topping carefully so your dip will become light and fluffy,

Transfer to a serving dish.  If you're not using it right away, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

When ready to serve garnish the top with red and green sprinkles and add the remaining Christmas Tree Cake.

Bloomin' Onion Dip

I'll have to admit, it's been years since I've had a Bloomin' Onion.  It's been years since I've eaten at an Outback Steakhouse.  Don't get me wrong, from what I remember it's pretty tasty.  I just have my own guy cooking steaks "OUT BACK" in my own backyard.  When Mr. Devilish Dish and I were first married, I used to make the bloomin' onions all of the time.  I would carefully cut the onion, batter and fry it.  I would even make that delicious horseradish-infused dipping sauce.  So when this dip recipe went viral, and I've seen it allover the place, I decided that the holiday season was the perfect time to bring this tasty appetizer back.  Even better, is the flavors are combined in a tasty dip form, so there's no mess of dipping into batter or frying.  It even features the kick of horseradish just like the dipping sauce.  And, the best part is the topping of those crispy French fried onions.  I love a good hot dip recipe for a party, and I know we will be making this viral sensation again during the holidays, or even out back, next summer lol.

All the flavors of that famous
Outback Appetizer, in an easy
hot dip form!

Here's the line up.  It seems like a lot of 
ingredients, but it all gets stirred together in one
bowl. So easy.

Simply stir it all together.
Much easier than cutting and frying
an onion.

Spread the dip mixture into the prepared
dish and top with the fried onions and bake.

Garnish with chopped green onions and
serve with pita chips.

No wonder this recipe went viral!
So good.

Bloomin' Onion Dip

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
8 ounces sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup finely chopped white onion
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1 1/2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup crispy French fried onions
chopped green onions

Town House Sea Salt Pita Chips for dipping

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Lightly grease a deep pie dish or casserole dish and set aside.  Combine the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, chopped onion, Parmesan cheese, panko breadcrumbs, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne, oregano, paprika and salt and pepper in a bowl.  Stir well.  Spread this mixture into prepared dish and top with the fried onions.  Bake approximately 20 minutes, until browned and bubbly.  If the onions are starting to get too brown, cover with foil for the last few minutes of baking.  Remove from oven and garnish with chopped green onion tops and serve hot with pita chips.

Dirty Martini Dip

We took a Fall break to Colorado to see Devilish Nephew and Fam.  Well really to see those Littlest Devils.  My Oklahoma Sooners just happened to be playing a big away game, so of course a huge watch party ensued.  The night before the big party however, we wanted to have a nice family dinner.  Mr. Devilish Dish made Chicken Saltimbocca and Garlic Bread.  It was a late meal, because of course I have to make sure the Littlest Devils get their bath, put on their jammies, brush their teeth, say their prayers and then I get conned into reading about a dozen books and singing a whole lot of lullabies.  I probably should not admit their favorite bedtime songs include "Boomer Sooner", "Oklahoma" and "You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma." By the time and literal song and dance is done, sometimes we don't eat until 8:00 pm.  In addition to Mr. Devilish Dish and I making the trip out to Colorado, Little Devil and her boyfriend came to visit, along with one of the Devilish Nephew's fraternity brothers and his wife and children.  Once the kids were all down, we had nice grown up meal planned for 8 adults.  The Chicken Saltimbocca is so good, it stands alone, and we decided all we needed to serve with it was some crusty bread.  But I thought while Mr. Devilish Dish was preparing dinner we could use some kind of appetizer or antipasto.  Literally on the fly I the grocery store I settled on a Dirty Martini Dip.  I was so tired from cooking, shopping, singing and dancing I needed a simple appetizer to prepare.  I've seen this several times, with the olives chopped up and served in martini glasses, but I thought serving it on a big platter would be fun with a couple of different kinds of olives.  Honestly I wish I would have doubled the recipe, spread the dip onto a big charcuterie board and added several kinds of olives.  That's definitely happening soon.  It was truly a fun appetizer, light and tasty and not too filling before our delicious main course. 

A great party appetizer.

Combine the ingredients in a 
food processor or mixer and blend
until smooth.

Spread mixture onto a platter.
Drizzle with good quality 
olive oil.

Top with your favorite
pitted olives.
We love the Castelvetrano olives.
I opted for the Jalapeno stuffed since the
dip already contained blue cheese.
(Normally blue cheese stuffed
olives are my go-to for a good martini.)

This is such a pretty alternative to
just chopping the olives and 
serving the dip in a bowl.

DIRTY MARTINI DIP

8 ounces cream cheese
4 ounces crumbled blue cheese
2-3 tablespoons olive brine
1 tablespoon vodka
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
zest of 1 lemon
good quality olive oil for drizzling
1 jar of olives (Your choice - or use several different kinds.  I used Castelvetrano Olives and Jalapeno Stuffed Olives)
Chips of your choice for dipping

In a food processor or mixer combine the cream cheese crumbled blue cheese, olive brine, vodka, white pepper, garlic powder and lemon zest.  Mix until smooth.  Spread the dip onto a plate or platter.  Drizzle with olive oil and place the olives on top.  Serve with pita chips, crackers, pretzel chips or tortilla chips for dipping.

Spooky 7-Layer Dip

 A while back we had a "Nacho Bar" for our tailgate.  Which is honestly an easy way to feed a large crowd.  We all bring crockpots full of queso and chips and then pile on the toppings.  Grilled chicken, taco meat, pico de gallo, pickled jalapeno peppers, sour cream, guacamole.  The ideas are endless and it's a hearty treat that is always a hit with our football friends.  I had a few toppings leftover, and spent an entire day creating a feast of frightening treats.  Traditionally a 7-layer dip features layers of refried beans, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, shredded cheese, diced tomatoes and black olives.  Served with tortilla chips for dipping of course.  Since I had a host of nacho topping leftovers, I decided to get creative with what I had on hand, to create my own spooky version of a 7 layer dip.  I made a large batch of my Homemade Mexican Restaurant Relish, and even used some pickled carrots and jalapenos to make a cute little spooky spider to top off the dip.  It turned out really cute, and honestly what is not delicious about a layers of Mexican ingredients in dip form?  You could make your own version with whatever you have on hand, including leftover refried beans, salsa, queso, cooked chorizo etc...Just make sure you your top layer is a ghoulishly green guacamole and you have some sour cream to pipe the spider's web!

Your favorite Mexican Dip with 
a spooky twist for Halloween!

I made this with things I had on hand
leftover from our Nacho Bar Tailgate.
Feel free to use your favorite
Mexican ingredients.

Spread a layer of refried beans or 
bean dip into the bottom of a 
shallow dish.  Top with shredded cheese.

Add a layer of your favorite salsa or 
even chopped tomatoes.

Make your last layer a spread of 
ghoulishly green guacamole.

Make a little spider from pickled 
jalapenos and carrots.

Pipe on a sour cream web as your last layer.

Serve with your favorite tortilla chips
for dipping.

Isn't he cute?

I added a little garnish around the edge of my
dip with the pickled carrots and jalapenos from
my Homemade Mexican Restaurant Relish.
Honestly I did not have a single platter or dish to
serve this in that was remotely appropriate for Halloween,
so I decided to use the carrots and peppers to add 
a pop of Halloween color.  

SPOOKY 7-LAYER DIP

Refried Beans or - I used a can of Frito Lay Bean Dip

Your Favorite Salsa
Shredded Cheese
Guacamole
Sour Cream
Mexican Relish or canned Mexican Carrots & Jalapenos for the spider
Candy eyeballs for the spider
Tortilla chips for dipping

Spread the layer of refried beans or bean dip into the bottom of a shallow dish.  Top with a layer of your favorite salsa, and then a layer of shredded cheese.  Spread a layer of guacamole over the top.  With a pastry bag and thin pastry tip, pipe sour cream on top of the guacamole to create a spider web look.

Optional, use a pickled carrot slice and some pickled jalapeno pieces to create a spider and legs.  Top with candy eye balls.  Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

NOTE: The sky is the limit on the ingredients you can put in this.  Add some leftover taco meat, or black beans.  I literally just used what I had in my fridge leftover from a Nacho Bar party.