I have a serious weakness for dips. I don't really understand it, but smearing something creamy on top of a crisp piece of bread or crunchy cracker is immensely satisfying. Problem is, when you make dip, you usually make it to feed a crowd, not just two people.
But I say to hell with that. I want to eat dip and I don't want to feel guilty about eating a whole bunch of it, so I guess I'll just size it down.
If you've ever been to Maggiano's and had their spinach artichoke dip, you know what vegetable heaven tastes like, and this recipe is the closest to that taste I've found. It turns out Asiago cheese is the key, it's almost nutty flavor really complimenting the vegetation. This recipe tastes good with any cheese, but the Asiago really takes it over the edge.
Spinach Artichoke Dip for Two
adapted from recipelink
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon flour
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper
4 tablespoons Parmesan
1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed in the microwave and drained
1/4 cup shredded Asiago Cheese
2 large artichoke hearts from a can, drained and chopped
5 slivered, re-hydrated sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
Heat oven to 350.
In a microwavable cup (I just used the 14 oz ramekin I was going to bake the dip in), stir together cream, flour garlic, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Heat in microwave for 30 seconds or until hot and slightly thickened.
Stir spinach, artichokes, Asiago and sun dried tomatoes into the cream mixture.
Spread evenly into a 14 oz ramekin. Sprinkle top with remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Bake uncovered for 10-15 minutes or until dip is hot and bubbly.
Serve with pita chips or toasted, thinly sliced bread.
If you've never tried Tres Leches Liqueur, I highly suggest you find some. The first time I ran across it, it was on a whim, but since then I've been hooked. And of course with something called Tres Leches, the obvious mixer is cake flavored Vodka.
This is a pretty simple drink with excellent flavor. Here's the players.
Tres Leches Cake Cocktail
2oz Tres Leches Liqueur
2oz cake flavored vodka
2oz milk
Shake over ice and garnish with a cherry.
These days I'm pretty into asparagus. Not too long ago, I wasn't too adventurous when it came to vegetables but in an attempt to eat healthier, I started exploring the world of green foods. It turns out asparagus is delicious.
It's light and crisp and matches perfectly with this creamy, bacon-y pasta dish. But then again, I would probably eat anything if it came with bacon.
The inspiration for this recipe comes from Val So Cal. She uses prosciutto in place of bacon. I've tried both but I like the intense bacon flavor in the recipe listed below. It also helped mask the vegetable flavor from my boyfriend who usually leaves a pile of greens at the bottom of his bowl.
I also lightened the recipe up a bit. In theory I'm on a diet and therefore shouldn't be consuming more than a cup of heavy cream in any one meal, so I replaced some of it with whole milk. I don't notice the difference but feel free to experiment with half and half or just go all out with a cup of heavy cream.
Pair this pasta with a small salad or a nice bread roll like we did and you got yourself a light, delicious meal.
Bacon Asparagus Pasta
recipe adapted from Val So Cal
(serves two)
4oz angel hair pasta (I used whole grain)
3 pieces of thick cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 lb asparagus, cut into one inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
I clove of garlic, minced
3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese (I used a mix of Parmesan and Goat Cheese)
salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes
Cook pasta according to package directions.
In a large frying pan, saute asparagus with olive oil and garlic until tender. Pour in the milk, heavy cream, cheese, and seasonings to taste, heating until thickened. Stir frequently (about two minutes).
Toss in the cooked pasta and serve sprinkled with more Parmesan.
Happy New Years! Having never done this before, perhaps I'd best just dive right in:
My name is Megan, I'm 23 years old and I love food. Particularly the kind that I just know isn't good for me. It's probably not a healthy relationship but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't happy.
I live in Southern California with my film maker boyfriend and since his idea of a sturdy meal is hamburger helper paired with instant mashed potatoes, I've taken over the cooking in our painfully cramped kitchen.
For a long time, it was a tedious task. Between incredibly long hours at art school and a vague feeling of indifference towards meals, nothing spectacular was ever laid out on our table. As a kid I'd been more into baking, so learning how to make food that didn't consist mostly of sugar was... challenging. To top it off, most of the recipes I found were designed to feed a family, so we'd be swimming in leftovers.
Then, apparently much later than the rest of the world, I found Pinterest.
Suddenly there was a world of recipes at my fingertips. I tried cooking all sorts of foods I never imagined I'd be able to make. Best of all, inadvertently I started eating healthier and feeling better. Whipping up seriously delicious meals with whatever I had in the pantry was alarmingly gratifying, and after four years together, I finally figured out how to serve meals that feed the two of us perfectly.
After half a year of experimentation, I thought I'd try contributing to the vast array of recipes available online. The delicious meals posted by food bloggers have filled my belly and opened my eyes to a community I'm excited to join.
So welcome to Munched, a blog dedicated to cooking up amazing meals for two.
