Oils, Sauces and Spreads ~ Oh My!!

I love dipping! I love to dip bread into Garlic Infused Olive Oil with Balsamic Vinegar; I love dipping veggies into a great Ranch Dip or Spinach Dip; I love dipping my pizza crust into that wonderful Garlic Butter; I love dipping fruit into that sweet pink cloud! So, in order to share my dipping frenzy, I'm giving you some of my best dips, oils and spreads. Enjoy!!


Fluffy Pink Cloud Fruit Dip

1 8oz Cream Cheese softened

1 Small Jar Maraschino Cherries, chopped (juice reserved)

1 Small Jar Marshmallow Cream

1 tsp. Almond Extract

1 8oz Cool Whip

Drain the cherries reserving the juice. Mince the cherries with a knife or in a food processor. Beat Cream Cheese until smooth. Blend in the cherries and about 1/2 of the juice (You don't want it to be drippy but the juice will thin the cream cheese out a bit). Beat in half of the jar of marshmallow cream and the almond extract. Fold in the Cool Whip until completely blended.



Infused Oils

• 1 cup of a spice like cardamom, cumin, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, or strong-scented herbs like rosemary, tarragon, chives, dill, mint, or oregano. You can use one herb or spice, or mix two of them.

• 4 or 4 1/2 cups canola, safflower, or other flavorless oil

• a bottle with an airtight seal

• a heavy-bottomed, nonreactive saucepan to heat spices

For a Hot Infusion

This method infuses the oil quickly, so you can use it soon after you've made it. By only heating half the oil initially, you won't waste the whole lot if you accidentally burn it.

1. Put about half the oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Heat it, stirring constantly, over medium heat, until the spices start to sizzle and the oil bubbles a bit. If you have a candy thermometer, heat the oil to 140° F.

2. Cook for about 5 minutes. The oil should be very aromatic at this point.

3. Remove the pan from heat, transfer the oil and flavorings to a bowl, and allow to cool.

4. Taste the oil to make sure that it hasn't burned, and that it tastes strongly of the spices and herbs. If it doesn't, add more flavorings, and heat again.

5. Add the remaining plain oil to the flavored oil, strain through a cheesecloth if necessary, put the oil in bottles and store them in the refrigerator. It will keep up to 2 months (if made with olive oil, 1 month)

Tip
Store spices in airtight containers away from light. Whole spices will keep for about a year; ground spices last only a
few months.



Cold Oil Infusion

1. Bruise the herbs and spices a bit to release their flavors.
2. Place them in the bottle.
3. Add warm oil.
4. Cover and let stand for 2 weeks.
5. Taste the oil. If the flavor isn't strong enough, add more flavorings. Once the oil is infused, keep it in the refrigerator. It may get cloudy from the cold, but should clear up when it reaches room temperature. The oil should last, refrigerated, for up to 2 months.

Creamy Garlic Dip
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 tablespoon dried parsley

1. In a medium bowl, mix together sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic powder, crushed red pepper and dried parsley. Serve immediately or refrigerate overnight for full flavor.

Herb Cream Cheese Spread

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley
2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives or finely chopped green onion, with green
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp finely minced chili pepper or jalapeno (optional)

Combine cream cheese and sour cream; beat until well blended. Stir in shredded cheese,
parsley, chives, and Tabasco. Spoon into a serving bowl and chill thoroughly. Makes 2 cups of cheese


Fiesta Dip

1 8oz Cream Cheese, soft
1 8oz Sour Cream
1/2 tsp Cumin
1 15.5oz Jar of your favorite Salsa (if using restaurant style, use half a jar)
1-2 Chili Peppers, seeded and finely minced

Beat cream cheese until smooth then blend in the sour cream and cumin. Next add the salsa & chili pepper until all are thoroughly combined. Store in fridge until ready to serve. You can use this as a dip or spread it out on a platter and top it with taco toppings...lettuce, cheese, tomato, green onion etc.

Don't worry about the heat, even if you use a hot salsa, all the cream in this recipe will tone down the heat.