Cilantro Pesto.

I haven't really made anything new/good/interesting in quite some time for various reasons, but I did have some cilantro to use up recently, which reminded me of the cilantro pesto I used to buy last summer. The pesto was excellent with the spinach bolani, sharp and tart.

I found Elise actually had a recipe for cilantro pesto, though it wasn't built as a tangy dip. I suppose what I really wanted was a mix between her cilantro pesto and chimichurri. I mostly followed the pesto recipe but used less oil, a little too much walnut, and added some lemon juice. I don't think I had enough cilantro, to be honest, even though I still had most of a bunch left to use for it. The result was a little fluffy from too much walnut and the taste mild but it was recognizable.

Jalapeno Popper Dip Redux.

Rehashed this recipe using fresh jalapenos (via friend) instead of canned and pickled. The heat is better and more uniform. Generally, it just has a fresher taste.

Black Bean Guacamole.

Similar to the black bean dip I made a while ago, but I think this is better in some aspects. I think I got it from Closet. It's basically a lot smoother, having run the beans through the food processor. Cumin, diced onion, lime juice, garlic, salt, pepper, cilantro. It's less watery than the bean dip. You'll also run through it pretty quickly. This was two only two cans, which seemed like a lot when I was opening them but seeing and tasting the end-product made me think otherwise.

Purple Basil Bean Spread.

I went looking for some purple basil-based recipes a while ago since I didn't know what to do with what I had. I found some interesting stuff on Farm Girl. She made a purple basil pesto and used it to season a white bean base. Pretty good, but the combination of both parmesan and sea salt was a bit too salty.

Radish and Scallion Dip.

Sourced from Farm Girl. Basically just processor'ed radishes, creme cheese, feta, scallions, a bit of pepper and lemon juice. I used only half the amount of creme cheese so it came out a bit watery but very fresh tasting. More creme cheese = more like a spread, which would be/is pretty good on some pulled pork or turkey sandwiches.

Refried Black Bean Dip.

Sourced from Farm Girl. I used canned black beans (which I didn't drain enough) that I mashed myself so it came out rather watery. Red onions (adds some freshness), diced tomatoes (canned, but fresh would taste so much better), canned green chiles (fresh minced jalapeno would be good), didn't have cilantro, chopped avocado.

Crab Jalapeno Popper Dip.

Yanked from the Closet. Simple and straightforward. Pretty good because, generally, dips are pretty good.

Cantaloupe Salsa.

Sourced from Smitten. Very simple, though I had to use dried basil instead fresh (or cilantro). It ended up with kind of a herbal but stale flavor and fresh would have been way better. It was an interesting taste experience with an herbed heat from the basil and chiles that give way to tartness from the lime which naturally eases into sweetness from the red onion and cantaloupe.

Reuben Dip.

I've had this one in my back pocket for a while now, ever since I saw it on Closet Cooking, mainly just waiting to buy some corned beef and have some leftovers for this. I more or less bought the corned beef with the sole intent of ending up with this. Anyhow, it was pretty good. I didn't get the top browned like I wanted, but I didn't feel like moving racks around after I had checked on it at the 20 minute mark. Basically a reuben converted to a creme cheese-based dip. There's also horseradish in there. I don't really know if I like horseradish as it always reminds me of Arby's Horsey Sauce which I do not like, but it worked well here.

Cannellini Bean Spread.

Sourced from Jaden. Holy shit. Shit is awesome. I almost ate the whole damn thing but I didn't only because I know how much olive oil went into it (and not even as much as was called for). Releasing the aroma in the garlic first really pulls the whole thing together. Diced tomatoes, a bit of salt and pepper and parsley. FUCK YEAH BEANS.

7-Layer Bean Dip.

Man, I fucking love 7-layer bean dip. We had some at a reception recently so that got me in the mood to make some. The thing about it is 7 is a pretty arbitrary number and the number of "layers" varies. Of course, the name implies seven discrete layers, though the understanding is usually seven distinct ingredients. I generally opt for the seven ingredients rule and make as many layers as I have materiel. Warm refried beans, jalapenos, cheese, guacamole, sour creme, cheese again, olives, tomatoes.