Katie's Pizza Cannellini Bean Dip

The first thing I do when I get the Wednesday paper is head for the Food Section, and open it up to the Special Request recipe for the week (a local restaurant recipe requested by a happy customer, and kindly supplied by the restaurateur). A couple of weeks ago the recipe looked rather dull. I sighed. Mr. O-P peered at me over the top of the Sports Section.

“Is it disappointing this week?” he asked.

“Cannellini Bean Dip,” I replied.

“What's in it?” he asked, grumbling over last night's losing score.

“Essentially beans, garlic, and lemon juice. How can that possibly be any good? The requester said it was 'addicting’.”

He pulled a face. “Sounds rather insipid,” he offered, and then added, “How many cans should I get?”

Am I that transparent? I directed him to get only one can because I had decided to cut both the recipe and my losses in half. This just had to be bland, and I didn't want to waste anything more than was necessary, and I was going to use crackers that I had on hand rather than spring for pita chips, or try to make my own from pizza dough. This recipe, I reasoned, could not possibly be worth the effort to do more.

Boy, was I wrong.  It is delicious, and addicting? Oh, yeah! Frankly, I couldn't believe it. Neither of us could. It was just too quick, too easy, and too inexpensive to be anything exceptional, and yet, it was. Step aside hummus (Unless, of course, it is Basil Hummus!) and make way for Cannellini Bean Dip. Yummy!

Katie's Pizza Cannellini Bean Dip

As seen in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

1 large clove garlic

2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon salt

½ tablespoon pepper

Kalamata olives and fresh basil, for serving

Freshly baked pizza points or pitas, for serving (I just used crackers and it was still delish)

In a food processor, mince garlic until fine.  Add beans, oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and process until smooth and creamy but still retaining some texture.

Cover and refrigerate to allow flavors to meld for a minimum of 4 hours.

To serve Katie’s Pizza-style, fill 2 small ramekins with bean dip, top each ramekin with 3 kalamata olives and a basil leaf. Place ramekins on each end of a rectangular platter, mounding pizza points between.

Yield: Makes 2 generous cups

Lime Cordial

When Mr. O-P came home with a bag of a dozen large limes, I just looked at him. Not that I don't appreciate limes in mass quantities, but the previous day he had come home with twice as many key limes. That is a lot of limes! Yes, the queen of salsa (cf. this blog post) does use a heck of a lot of fresh lime juice in salsa and guacamole, but, really, a dozen more?

So, I hopped onto the Internet in search of something unique to try, and I found it, and boy is it easy. It is also refreshing and delicious, and positively addicting. As you might imagine, it makes a great accompaniment to chips and salsa, and is not bad at all with a shot of tequila. In fact, added to a pitcher of freshly brewed iced tea it makes a great summer refresher.

Lime Cordial

From epicurious.com

Lime cordial is a mixture of sweet limeade syrup and beer, club soda, or seltzer, in a ratio of about 3 parts syrup to 1 part beer or soda (the syrup by itself can also be properly called lime cordial). The wonderfully refreshing drink both complements and tames intense spices.

6-1/2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 cup strained fresh lime juice (from 8 large limes)
Beer, club soda or seltzer

Heat water and sugar in a 2-quart saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved, then cool to room temperature.

Stir in lime juice and chill, covered, until cold, about 3 1/2 hours.

Pour about 3/4 cup lime cordial in a tall glass filled with ice and top off with beer or club soda.

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Avocado Salsa Verde

I am queen of the salsas, and what would the week be like without my providing you with yet another must for your repertoire? I don't think either one of us wants to think about that. Today it is salsa verde with the wonderful, creamy, packed-with-nutrition addition of avocado.  Sound good?  It is!  It is also a breeze to make. Whip up a batch shortly after your guests arrive and serve it in the shell of the avocado.  Delicious and great fun!

Avocado Salsa Verde

2 pounds fresh tomatillos, husks removed, roasted*

1 medium Melissa’s serrano chile, seeds removed, minced

1 clove garlic

3/4 cup chopped red onion

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

¼ teaspoon cumin

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

2 large avocados, diced

Kosher salt, to taste

*To roast tomatillos, preheat your broiler, line a rimmed cookie sheet with foil and place the tomatillos on top. Place as near to the broiler as your oven shelves will allow and roast until charred. Flip over to the other side and char. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. You can roast the chile and garlic along with the tomatillos, but watch it as will roast more quickly. Do not remove the charred bits, they add flavor to the salsa.

Place tomatillos, chile, and garlic in food processor. Pulse until a coarse puree forms. Pour puree into medium bowl. Mix in onion, cilantro, cumin, and lime juice. Fold in avocado, and season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover; chill in fridge).

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Cheeseburger Casserole

Anyone who knows me knows just how much I love cheeseburgers. I could, seriously, eat one once a week, if not more. (Toss in a side of chili cheese fries, and I am your slave!) So, when I saw this recipe from Paula Deen, I just had to try it. I changed it up a bit (reflected below) by adding some minced garlic, steak seasoning, and fewer noodles. This is not company fare by any means, but it is, as Mr. O-P put it when reaching for his second helping, “Good comfort food.”  It is indeed.

Cheeseburger Casserole

1 lb. ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

½ teaspoon minced garlic

1 green pepper, chopped

1 (28 oz.) can chopped tomatoes, with juice*

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided

½ teaspoon Montreal Steak Seasoning

1/2 teaspoon pepper

5-6 oz. medium egg noodles

2 cups good quality (I used Tillamook) sharp cheddar cheese, grated

. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large skillet, cook the ground beef over medium heat, breaking up the lumps as you go, until meat is evenly browned. Drain off the fat. Add the onion and the green pepper, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic; cook 1 minute more. Add the tomatoes, with juice, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, steak seasoning, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to low. Simmer the mixture for about 15 minutes.

Fill medium pot half full of water. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Bring the water to a boil. Stir in the noodles and boil for about 6-7 minutes, until tender. Drain the noodles, return the noodles to the pot. Pour the tomato mixture over the noodles and stir until blended.

Put the noodle mixture into a baking dish that you have sprayed with cooking spray. Top with cheese. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is melted, and edges are bubbly. Enjoy it as a family meal, then refrigerate the leftovers.

*The next time I make this, and I will, I think I’ll use tomato puree.

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