Posted on: Wednesday, January 21, 2004

The big dipper

• Make your own chips, fresh and hot, to go with dips

Advertiser News Services

Tortilla chips and guacamole are a classic chip-and-dip combo everyone loves. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

The lowly dip made a comeback during the holidays, even in the ritziest food magazines. There's a reason for this: Dips are easy. Even if you make them from scratch and refuse to use packaged products, they're generally a one-bowl, one-pan deal, and they don't need careful cooking or watching. They can be prepared in advance and the cook can watch the game, too.

You can have your vat of chili or your sprawling, oozing deli platter or your plates of fiery wings, but you can use Super Bowl Sunday as an opportunity to wander down a path in the supermarket where, for the rest of the year, we dare not tread: the Aisle of Chips.

The trick to dip-making (see recipes) is to take the lessons learned from Lipton, Knorr or Heluva Good packaged products (fondly recalling onion, leek and bacon horseradish, respectively) — dips of heft that stay in the bowl even if you turn it upside down.

You want something that tastes good and doesn't look fussy — if it resembles bruschetta or cries out for broccoli to be dunked in it, then you're cooking for the wrong sport. You want something that belongs in a paneled rec room with a TV screen as wide as Gilbert Brown, something that any football fan can grasp in one hand while he gesticulates wildly with the other over the back judge's failure to call defensive pass interference.

Is it loaded with fat and calories? Oh sure. But Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 1 this year, is not the day for a bowl of tangerines or celery sticks.

Adapted from the August 1991 issue of Gourmet magazine, this is an uptown answer to the Lipton-soup school of onion dips.

Fried Shallot Dip

• Vegetable oil for frying
• 1 cup shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Have ready a plate lined with a paper towel.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat about 1/2 inch of oil until hot but not smoking. Add the shallots and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to keep them from sticking together, until golden brown and crisp, 4 to 6 minutes. (Watch them closely as they turn brown very suddenly.) Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shallots to the paper towel and set aside to cool.

In a bowl, combine the sour cream and chives. Using your fingers, crumble the shallots into the bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste and combine. Serve immediately.

Makes about 1 3/4 cups.

Per 2-tablespoon serving: 38 calories, 1 gm protein, 3 gm carbohydrates, 3 gm fat, 6 mg cholesterol, 2 gm saturated fat, 9 mg sodium, trace dietary fiber.

The jolt of flavor and heat in this dip comes from the pureed chipotle en adobo. Puree the contents of the whole can and reserve what you don't use in this recipe. Then add it — cautiously — to chilis, salsas and your favorite sauces for chicken, pork or beef.

This was adopted from "Viva la Vida: Festive Recipes for Entertaining Latin-style" by Rafael Palomino (Chronicle Books, 2002).

Black Bean and Cumin Dip

• 1 can chipotles en adobo (any size)
• 2 cups cooked or a 15-ounce can black beans, drained and liquid reserved
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a blender or food processor, puree the chipotles en adobo until smooth. Scrape the puree from the food processor into a resealable container.

In the food processor or blender, puree 1 1/2 teaspoons of the chipotle puree with the beans, cumin and tahini until smooth. (Reserve remaining chipotle puree, covered and stored in the refrigerator, for up to 6 months.) If a thinner dip is desired, add reserved bean broth as necessary. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Makes about 1 cup

Note: Chipotle chilis are smoked jalapeno peppers, usually canned in adobo sauce. They are available at Latin American markets, such as El Mercado de la Raza in Honolulu, and some supermarkets.

Per 2-tablespoon serving: 95 calories, 4 gm protein, 15 gm carbohydrates, 2 gm fat, 0 mg cholesterol, trace saturated fat, 49 mg sodium, 4 gm dietary fiber

Any blue cheese will do in this recipe, but the better the cheese, the better the dip. Use Maytag. This one's from the December 1998 issue of Saveur magazine.

Maytag Blue Cheese Dip

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream
• 4 ounces Maytag or other blue cheese, crumbled
• 2 scallions (white and tender green parts), finely chopped, plus additional for garnish
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a medium bowl using a fork, combine the cream cheese, sour cream and ¥ cup of the cream. Add the blue cheese and scallions and stir until well mixed but still chunky. If a thinner dip is desired, add some or all of the additional ¥ cup cream. Add pepper to taste and, if desired, garnish with a sprinkle of chopped scallions.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Per 2-tablespoon serving: 94 calories, 3 gm protein, 1 gm carbohydrates, 9 gm fat, 27 mg cholesterol, 6 gm saturated fat, 144 mg sodium, trace dietary fiber

Don't wait until Super Bowl Sunday to buy avocados for guacamole. You need at least three days. Safeway stocks a great brand of guacamole that's vacuum-packed and is mostly avocado. You can dress it up as in this recipe.

Guacamole with Lots of Lime

• 3 ripe avocados, halved, pitted and peeled
• Finely grated zest from 2 limes
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 6 scallions (white part only) finely chopped
• 1 small clove garlic, finely minced
• 2 tablespoons minced jalapeno chili pepper, or to taste
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro, or to taste
• Salt to taste

Coarsely chop the avocado. Place it in a large bowl and add the lime zest, lime juice, scallions, garlic and jalapeno. Using a fork or a wooden spoon, mash to the desired consistency. Add cilantro and salt to taste and mix gently. Serve immediately.

Makes about 3 cups.

Per 2-tablespoon serving: 45 calories, 1 protein, 3 gm carbohydrates, 4 gm fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1 gm saturated fat, 96 mg sodium, 2 gm dietary fiber

If uber-chef and TV personality Wolfgang Puck can serve hot spinach and artichoke dip to his friends, it must be just the thing for our Super Bowl party.

Wolfgang Puck's Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

• 3 bunches fresh spinach, thoroughly washed and stemmed, or 3 10-ounce bags prewashed baby spinach
• 1 package (about 10 ounces) frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and drained
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup mascarpone
• 1/3 cup creme fraiche
• 2 tablespoons fresh goat cheese
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons roasted garlic (see note)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons bread crumbs
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. On the counter near the pot, place a large mixing bowl filled with ice and water. Put ¡ of the spinach into a large metal sieve. Submerge it in boiling water for about 1 minute. Transfer the spinach in the sieve to the bowl of iced water and let it cool 30 seconds.

Remove sieve from water. With the back of a large metal or wooden spoon, press firmly down on the spinach to squeeze out as much water as possible. Set aside in another mixing bowl. Repeat with remaining spinach.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Put artichoke hearts into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse until the artichoke hearts are very coarsely chopped, five to seven seconds. Add mayonnaise, mascarpone, creme fraiche, goat cheese, ¥ cup parmesan, roasted garlic, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Process until just combined, about five seconds.

Add blanched spinach to the processor and pulse a few times more, until spinach is thoroughly blended with other ingredients. The dip should still have some texture. Spoon into a shallow three to four cup baking dish.

In a small bowl, toss together the remaining parmesan, crumbs and paprika. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the dip. Bake until dip is heated through and its topping is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with hot, crusty bread or crackers.

Makes about three cups.

Note: To roast garlic: Place a head of garlic on a piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with about one tablespoon of olive oil. Wrap the garlic securely in the foil and bake at 375 degrees until it is soft — 50 to 60 minutes. Cool, cut in half horizontally and squeeze soft garlic pulp out of its skins. Refrigerate until needed.

Per 2-tablespoon serving: 100 calories, 3 gm protein, 1 gm carbohydrates, 9 gm fat, 27 mg cholesterol, 6 gm saturated fat, 144 mg sodium, trace dietary fiber

And here are a few quick ideas:

• Sesame Dip
• 2 cups mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, or one-half teaspoon dried
• Mix all ingredients.
• Makes two cups.
• Mediterranean dip
• 1 jar (10 or 12 ounces) roasted and peeled red bell peppers
• 2 tablespoons bottled pesto
• 8 ounces crumbled feta cheese
• 8 ounces cream cheese

Put drained peppers into blender with pesto. Blend 10 seconds on high or until smooth. Add feta cheese and blend briefly. Cut cream cheese into eight chunks and add them one at a time to blender, blending after each addition (scrape the sides each time).

Makes three cups.

Horseradish Bacon Dip

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• 6 slices bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
• 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish

Beat cream cheese until creamy. Add ¥ cup sour cream and beat. Add remaining sour cream and rest of ingredients and beat until blended.

Makes two cups.

Hot Curried Shrimp Dip

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 8 ounces cooked, peeled shrimp
• 4 ounces shaved or slivered almonds

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until softened. Add sour cream, green onions, curry powder and cayenne and beat until blended. Chop the shrimp into small pieces and stir into dip. Spoon into gratin dish or baking pan and sprinkle with almonds. Bake 15 minutes until top is golden and mixture is hot. Serve with crackers, toast or raw vegetables.

Makes about three cups.

These recipes are from the Washington Post and the Louisville (Ky.) Courier-Journal.

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Make your own chips, fresh and hot, to go with dips

We've grown used to thinking of potato chips as sin food. For followers of conventional low-fat eating plans, they're out because of their fat content. For followers of high-protein regimens, it's the carbohydrate that takes them out of the running.

But if dips figure in your Superbowl Sunday plans Feb. 1, surely chips of some kind will, too.

Here's an idea: Bake your own nutritious chips.

For those watching fats, cook crispy-thin potato slices with nonstick cooking spray or a little olive oil and salt (or herbs, if sodium is a concern). To up the fiber and nutrients, wash the potatoes well, but leave the skins on.

For the high-protein, high-fat folks and for diabetics, serve baked sweet-potato chips, which have a much lower glycemic index (50) than white potatoes (98), meaning the sugar turns less readily to fat and the release of insulin is more controlled. Warn them to plan for some carbohydrate in their diet that day. (These do have to be peeled.)

An option for either dietary plan is homemade baked tortilla chips. Use nonfat flour tortillas.

First, the potato chips. The key here is slicing: The potatoes must be sliced 1/8-inch thin and the slices must be uniform, so all the chips bake at the same rate.

For this, the best tool is a mandolin slicer — either the expensive metal European ones or the inexpensive plastic Asian ones. Second-best is the slicing blade on a food processor. There'll be some waste, and slices may be a bit thick. Another option is the single-slice aperture on a box-type cheese grater. Or you can cut them yourself with a sharp knife if your knife skills are up to par.

For these chips, fresh-ground sea salt is wonderful — you need less and the flavor is clean and salty-sweet. Or use garlic or onion salt. Fresh or dried herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, lemon pepper or other flavorings, also may be used with or without salt. Whatever you use, sprinkle with a light hand.

You'll need a couple of baking sheets for this, and you'll still have to do several batches. These are best served fresh, and they take a bit of work: peeling, slicing, then baking. For a Superbowl party, plan to serve the chips as the first course, during the pre-game show, and start them before guests arrive.

You must watch these potatoes as they bake. Smaller slices will brown faster and may need to be turned or removed earlier than large slices. There's an art to getting them crisp but not burned. Watch for browned edges and a scattering of brown freckles. Remove chips with spatula onto paper towels. Serve them as soon as possible because they don't keep.

Baked Potato Chips

• 2 large sweet potatoes or baking potatoes
• Salt and/or herbs
• Nonstick cooking spray or olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees for sweet potatoes, 400 degrees for baking potatoes.

Line baking pans with foil or silicon sheets. Two trays will accommodate slices from a single large potato. Bake one potato's worth of slices at a time because the raw, peeled potatoes will turn brown if you hold them.

Peel and slice one potato and proceed.

Nonstick spray method: Spray lined baking pans with nonstick spray. Arrange potatoes in single layer. Spray again. Sprinkle with salt or herbs as desired. Bake 15 minutes, then turn and bake until edges brown and freckles appear (as short as 12 minutes or as long as another 20 minutes, depending on size and type of potatoes, oven heat).

Olive oil method: Place a tablespoon of olive oil in a bowl. Sprinkle with salt and herbs as desired. Place slices from one potato in bowl and turn to coat. Arrange potatoes in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes, then turn and bake until edges brown and freckles appear (as short as 12 minutes or as long as another 20 minutes, depending on size and type of potatoes, oven heat).

Check potatoes frequently. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately with dips. Because some chips may not be perfectly crisp, provide spreaders for dips.

Each potato makes about 20 chips.

Sources: TV Food Network, Karensrecipes.com, Big Spud Potato Collection.

Making tortilla chips is a snap. You'll get 8 chips from each standard-size tortilla. These make great dippers but they must be used in a timely manner. They become unpleasantly chewy if they're held in a closed container.

Baked Tortilla Chips

• Nonfat flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Cut each tortilla in half, then half again and half again, until you have 8 wedges.

Place wedges on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 4-6 minutes. Keep an eye on them! Chips are done when the thickest part of the tortilla wedge is crisp to the touch.

Turn out on paper towels to cool and serve.

Source: www.mtortillas.com.