I’ve been enjoying going through some cookbooks I found at Mesa County Libraries (huge shout out to our amazing library system — free books and so much more!) and also sorting through the numerous cookbooks on my bookshelves.
I am always looking for easy recipes that don’t take a bunch of time or make too big of a mess.
They also need to be delicious, and if they are actually healthy — wow! — that’s a bonus.
One cookbook I found is called “Just Cook It!” by chef and Food & Wine’s culinary director-at-large, Justin Chapple.
I recently made his easy and yummy dip featuring canned butter beans and hearts of palm. This recipe was one of the fastest I’ve ever made and I loved how there was no prep work other than opening two cans and tossing everything into a food processor or blender.
A few minutes later, I had a tasty and delicious (and nutritious!) dip that paired great with vegetables and crackers.
Chapple also has a pickled beet dip recipe I plan to try in the future. It looks perfect for cooler weather and its gorgeous, vibrant, dark pink color really pops.
I’m now inspired to keep going through cookbooks, trying new recipes and making older ones that I had forgotten about.
These are two good cookbooks by Justin Chapple that I’ve been exploring.
CHRISTINE GALLAGHER/Special to the Sentinel
Have you ever wondered about the history of “dips” at parties? I was curious, so I started exploring and found out that in the 1950s in the United States a woman in California supposedly created a dip featuring sour cream and a package of dried Lipton onion soup mix.
As the lore goes, it quickly became very popular and soon it was the “in” thing to have at parties, especially with ridged potato chips.
Food blogger Bonnie McDowell of Quaint Cooking noted that the “California Dip,” as it was called, “… was created in 1954 by an unknown home cook in California which was two years after the dehydrated onion soup mix hit the U.S. markets.”
A few years later, Lipton tweaked the recipe a bit and then started printing it on its packaging. This dip has been popular in the USA ever since!
Around the world, dips can be found in various cultures throughout history. I particularly love some of the ones found in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cultures, such as hummus and baba ghanoush with which one uses pita to scoop up the yummy goodness.
I hope this inspires you to read old cookbooks, new cookbooks, and family recipes and try some that are sure to please you and guests. Have fun!
CHRISTINE GALLAGHER/Special to the Sentinel
Canned butter beans and hearts of palm are the main ingredients in a delicious dip by Justin Chapple.
CHRISTINE GALLAGHER/Special to the Sentinel
BUTTER BEAN & HEARTS OF PALM DIP
Recipe courtesy of Justin Chapple.
1 14-ounce can butter beans, drained and rinsed
1 14-ounce can hearts of palm, drained
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
(Note from Christine: I didn’t grate the garlic. I just peeled the two cloves and tossed them in the food processor. It made it even faster!)
In a food processor or blender, combine the butter beans, hearts of palm, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic and puree until very smooth.
Scrape into a small serving bowl and season generously with salt and pepper.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, about one hour. Serve with crudités or pita chips.
Do It Ahead: The dip can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to three days.
PICKLED BEET DIP
Recipe courtesy of Justin Chapple.
1 16-ounce jar pickled beets, drained
3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
1 tablespoon freshly grated or prepared horseradish
1 garlic clove, crushed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Snipped fresh dill, for topping
In a food processor, combine the beets, yogurt, horseradish and garlic and puree until very smooth; scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times while pureeing.
Scrape the dip into a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper.
Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 15 minutes.
Top with snipped dill and serve with crudités, chips or pita chips.
Do It Ahead: The beet dip can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to one week. Top with snipped dill just before serving.
Dining and Cooking