Easy Entertaining - Ladies' Favorites

Ginger Sesame Dip

This mix was inspired by our love for the Chinese Chicken Salad we loved that was popular before sesame oil became the dominant flavor for all Asian salads.  Its sesame flavor comes from black sesame seeds.  It’s beautifully balanced, and incredibly fresh tasting.  It is our most popular mix to serve with fresh vegetables, probably because of its heritage from a vinaigrette salad dressing.  Women love it.  Once they taste it, even kids and men go for seconds and thirds.  We like to go beyond the usual broccoli and carrots, as you can see in the picture.   That’s also part of its charm.

Ingredients:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 package Ginger Sesame dip mix
 
Directions:

Combine all ingredients.

Chill at least 1 hour, preferably over night.
 
To Serve:

Garnish with paprika or snipped parsley if desired.

Serve with potato chips and/or fresh raw veggies (think sugar snap peas, green beans, yellow and green squash, mushrooms; use as many different colors as possible for a really interesting presentation).

Artichoke Dip

 

Artichoke dip is the #1 favorite for our female friends and women who visit our booth at festivals.  It’s based on a popular restaurant recipe, which was based on an old family recipe.  It can be baked or served cold.  You can make it simply by the recipe, or add spinach or crab.

Ingredients:
2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/4 to 1/3 cup finely chopped artichoke hearts (marinated are best); reserve 1 Tablespoon for garnish if desired
1 package Artichoke dip mix
1 (6 oz) can crab (claw meat is fine as you want some in every bite), or more to taste for crab & artichoke dip
1/4 cup chopped spinach for spinach & artichoke dip
 
Directions:

If using crab, drain as much as possible, then pat dry with paper towels or dip will be watery.

If using fresh spinach, rinse and pat dry with paper towels.

If using frozen spinach, defrost, wrap in paper towels and squeeze tightly.  Repeat until spinach is as dry as possible or dip will be watery.

Combine all ingredients.  Chill at least 1 hour before serving, over night is best to let flavors set.  See Baked Dips and Stuffed Mushrooms on RECIPES page for directions. 
 
To Serve:

Mound in serving bowl or hollowed out French bread boule (pictured made with spinach and garnished with spinach).

Garnish with reserved chopped artichoke hearts, paprika or grated Parmesan if desired.

Shrimp with Mango Curry Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 package Mango Curry dip mix
1 pound medium or large shrimp, cooked, deveined, tail on

TIP:  Fresh shrimp is delicious, but will need to be shelled, deveined and cooked.  Most frozen shrimp is now flash frozen and is hard to distinguish from fresh shrimp when defrosted. To save time and money, use frozen shrimp that has already been shelled, cooked and deveined.

TIP:  If using fresh shrimp or uncooked frozen shrimp, look for “easy peal” shrimp that already has the shell split open; this saves lots of time and frustration.
 
Directions:

Combine all ingredients except shrimp.  Chill at least an hour to let flavors set, or until ready to use.
 
If using frozen cooked deveined & shelled shrimp, defrost in fridge (takes several hours) or in a bowl of cold slowly running water (takes under 10 minutes).  Pat shrimp dry using towel or paper towels.  Repeat until towels are only damp, not still wet.  Chill until ready to use.
 
If using fresh shrimp or uncooked frozen shrimp, remove shell (run a knife point down the back of the shrimp next to the black stripe to cut the shell.  Peel off shell from bottom up to tail.  Use knife to remove the black stripe (vein).  Rinse shrimp after deveining.  Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil.  Add shrimp.  Lower heat to simmer (low) and simmer just until shrimp are pink (about 4 minutes).  Drain, pat dry with paper towels.  Chill until cold or ready to use.
 
To Serve:

In individual serving spoons:  Mound dip in spoons.  Balance 1 shrimp in the dip in each spoon.  Serve spoons on a tray or platter.  Garnish serving dish with parsley sprigs if desired.

TIP:  See SERVEWARE for where to buy black tasting spoons.

To serve family style, place dip in a bowl; garnish with parsley sprigs if desired.  Set bowl on a plate.  Line plate with lettuce leaves if desired.  Mound shrimp around bowl.

Venetian Kalamata Olive Tapenade

Ingredients:
2 cups (about 18 oz) pitted Kalamata olives
2 Tablespoons white wine (Pino Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, white table wine) or lemon juice
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes if spicy version desired
1 package Venetian tapenade mix

Directions:

Place all ingredients in food processor.  Pulse until finely chopped.

Chill 1-2 hours to blend flavors.
 
To Serve:
Bring to room temperature to serve (1/2 hour to 45 minutes).  Stir to recombine.
Serve with baguette slices or crackers.

Queen of Sheba Hummus

 

Traditional hummus and presentation is pictured above on the left.  Black Eyed Pea hummus is pictured on the right.

Ingredients:
1 can garbanzo beans (15.5 oz), drained & rinsed
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1/2 package Queen of Sheba dip mix
 
Directions:

Place all ingredients except 1/2 teaspoon of dip mix in food processor and process until smooth. 

If needed, add additional wine or water 1 teaspoon at a time and process until desired consistency is reached.  Chill at least 1 hour to set flavors, preferably over night.
 
To Serve: 
Traditional presentation:  Place hummus in serving bowl and hollow out about a 1" circle about 1/4’-1/2” deep.  Fill with olive oil and sprinkle in remaining 1/2 teaspoon of dip mix for garnish.

Contemporary presentation:  Place in serving bowl.  Garnish with paprika, snipped chives or parsley & reserved dip mix if desired.

Serve with pita bread pieces, pita chips, veggie chips (sweet potato, beet, black bean) or fresh veggies for dippers.

Most any wine or ale goes well with either hummus.

Artichoke Tapenade

Ingredients:
2 cups (about 24 oz) cooked artichoke hearts
4 teaspoons sweet vermouth or white wine
1/4 cup canola oil
1 package Artichoke dip mix
1/2 cup crumbled cheese (gorgonzola, feta, asiago) or more to taste

Directions:

Place all ingredients except cheese in food processor.  Process using short bursts until artichokes are in small pieces and all is combined.

Chill in air tight container at least 2 hours, preferably over night, to let flavors set.
 
To Serve:

Bring tapenade to room temperature (1/2 hour to 45 minutes).  Stir to recombine.

Gently stir in cheese, leaving as many big pieces as possible.

Mound in serving bowl.

Serve with baguette slices or crackers.

TIP:  Any white wine goes beautifully with this.

Irish Cream Mousse with French Toast Sticks for Dipping

Irish Cream mousse is pictured as a dip for French Toast Sticks.  This and most other mousses make great buffet desserts or endings for a casual gathering.

Ingredients:
1 package (8 oz) 1/3 less fat Philadelphia® cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup + 2 Tablespoons milk
1 container (8 oz) Lite Cool Whip®
1 package Irish Cream mousse mix
1-2 boxes frozen French Toast Bites
 
Directions:
 
Mousse:

Let cream cheese soften 1/2 hour at room temperature, or heat at 100% in microwave for 30 seconds.

Stir 1/3 cup milk and mousse mix together until well combined.

Use food processor or mixer to whip cream cheese and 2 Tablespoons milk until fluffy.

Stop whipping process several times to scrape sides of processor or bowl.

Add milk/mix to food processor or mixer.  Whip with cream cheese mixture, scraping sides as needed, until well combined.

Place cream cheese mixture in a large bowl.  Gently fold in Cool Whip® until well combined.

Chill 4 hours, preferably over night, to set flavors.

TIP:  Low fat cream cheese and Cool Whip®  are recommended for a light and fluffy mousse.
 
French Toast Sticks:  Heat per package directions.
 
To Serve:

Mound mix in serving bowl.

Pile French Toast Sticks on plate, in a bowl, seasonal treat bucket, or in individual shot glasses as pictured.

Cannoli Filled with White Chocolate Amaretto Mousse

Ingredients:
1 package (8 oz) 1/3 less fat Philadelphia® cream cheese, softened
3 Tablespoons milk, divided
1 container (8 oz) Lite Cool Whip®
1 package White Chocolate Amaretto mousse mix
Cannoli shells:  3 dozen mini or 1 dozen regular size
1/3 cup dried apricots, if desired

TIP:  Prepared cannoli shells can be purchased online, from many local bakeries and some grocery stores.  Wegmans regularly carries freshly made cannoli shells in regular and mini sizes.  Plan on 1 large or 3 mini cannoli per person.  See the READY MADE INGREDIENTS page for more details.
 
Directions:
 
Mousse:

Let cream cheese soften 1/2 hour at room temperature, or heat at 100% in microwave for 30 seconds.

Stir 2 Tablespoons milk and mousse mix together until well combined.

Use food processor or mixer to whip cream cheese and 1 Tablespoon milk until fluffy. 

Stop whipping process several times to scrape sides of processor or bowl.

Add milk/mix to food processor or mixer.  Whip with cream cheese mixture, scraping sides as needed, until well combined.

Place cream cheese mixture in a large bowl.  Gently fold in Cool Whip® until well combined.

Chill 4 hours, preferably over night, to set flavors.
 
Cannoli: 

Cut dried apricots into small pieces.

To fill cannoli with mousse, place 1-2 cups mousse in a plastic bag.  Twist bag until mousse fills 1 corner of the bag.  Cut tip of bag and pipe mousse into cannoli shells, filling cannoli half way from each open end.  Repeat as needed to fill all cannoli. 

Refrigerate leftover mousse, if any, for another use. 

Dab cut apricot pieces into mousse on each cannoli end for garnish if desired.

Chill covered until ready to serve.  These are best if filled shortly before serving, but can be filled the night before.
 
To Serve:

Place cannoli on serving plate or tray.

Garnish with powdered sugar if desired.