Are you the type of host who plans everything the last minute and scrambles around trying to get everything into place? Whether it is a formal dinner with the in laws, or a casual Saturday night with friends, are you always serving chips and nachos as an entree? Why don’t you try a new alternative and to put to the test your cooking skills?
Dips are a clever, sophisticated, and a simple way to complement various dishes, and bring originality to your reunions. You can try healthy versions with carrots, and celery sticks, or less healthy ones to go with onion rings, breaded shrimps, or chicken wings. Try these 8 tasteful dips to become a gourmet expert, and amaze your dinner guests.
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Tuna Fish Dip
Ingredients:
1 canned tuna fish
113 g of Cream Cheese/ 4 oz. of Cream Cheese
Chipotle to taste
½ bunch of fresh cilantro
Directions:
Wash the cilantro before finely chopping it and put it to one side. Fill a blender with water, tuna, cream cheese, and chipotle (to taste). Blend until the mixture has a uniform consistency. Serve in a bowl or plate, and garnish the dip with the cilantro. If you prefer, you can also garnish it with sesame seeds.
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Green Onion Parmesan Dip
Ingredients:
1 cup of light mayonnaise
1 cup of heavy cream
½ cup Parmesan cheese
3 green onions
Directions:
Grate the parmesan cheese and chop the green onions and put them to one side. Blend the cream and the mayonnaise first and then add the rest of the ingredients until the mixture has a uniform consistency. This dip is perfect to go with carrots or celery sticks. For a tastier version, serve with bacon strips.
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Onion Dip
Ingredients:
½ cup of milk
2 tbsp. of Worcestershire Sauce
1 pinch of salt and pepper
6 scallions
50 g of cream cheese / 1.8 oz. of cream cheese
Directions:
Add ½ cup of milk to the blender, then add the rest of the ingredients. Even though the scallions are small, you can cut them in half to make the blending easier. To obtain a stronger flavor add more pepper, but be careful not to add too much. Once the mixture is uniform, refrigerate it. To complement your dip, you can use traditional chips, pita bread, or onion rings. If you want to try a more gourmet approach, serve it next to rye bread.
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Cilantro, and Jalapeño Dip
Ingredients:
4 small size jalapeños
½ bunch of fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp. of lime juice
1 tbsp. of olive oil
Directions:
In a food processor, mince the garlic cloves, the cilantro, and the jalapeños (4 might be too much or too little, depending on the spiciness you’re looking for. If you keep the seeds of the chilli, it will be more spicy.) until everything is well mixed. Then add the lime juice and olive oil to the mixture, and incorporate the ingredients. This is a special dip you can try for a Mexican party theme.
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Original Guacamole
Guacamole is the king of dips, and it is essential if you want to throw a successful party. It can be served with nacho chips, toasted bread, pita bread, onion rings, chicken wings, and more. The possibilities are endless
Ingredients:
4 or 5 ripe avocados
1 medium size onion
1 medium size tomato
1 Serrano Pepper
2 tbsp. of lime juice
2 tbsp. of fresh cilantro
Salt
Directions:
Chop the onion, tomato, and serrano chilli. Mince the cilantro. Add all the ingredients (except for the pepper) into a large mortar and pestle. Then add the ripe avocados, lime, and salt to the mixture. Use the pestle to grind everything. The tomato and onion should maintain their texture. We recommend to add the chopped Serrano pepper as the last step.
Spinach, and Cheese Dip
Ingredients:
1 cup of grated mozzarella cheese
½ cup of grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup of cream
1 garlic clove
100 g of spinach/ 3.5 oz. of spinach
Directions:
Wash, and julienne the spinach, cook them until they’re slightly softened and remove from the water. In a blender, add the mozzarella, the Parmesan, and the garlic until a mixture of uniform consistency is obtained. Pour the mix into a bowl, and add the spinach. Stir to incorporate. Serve with crackers, bread, or veggie sticks.
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Chipotle Ranch Dip
Ingredients:
½ cup of light mayonnaise
½ cup of cream
3 tbsp. of Ranch dressing
Chipotle to taste
Directions:
Blend all the ingredients, adding the chipotle at the end to make it more or less spicy. The mixture has to have a uniform consistency.
Mango, and Honey Dip
Ingredients:
½ cup of mayonnaise
½ cup of cubed mango
2 tbsp. of minced cilantro
1 tbsp. of honey
2 tbsp. of curry sauce
1 tbsp. of lime juice
Directions:
Blend all the ingredients, starting with the mango, then the curry sauce, and finally the honey. Serve with breaded chicken strips, breaded shrimps, or any fish, and chicken.
These dips will guarantee you success in your next reunions. Your friends and family will be happy to have a skillful and original party host.
