Deviled Eggs with Smoked Salmon and Dill
The Meal Planner


I have some time off before I have to go back to work, so I plan to work on getting some more meal plan posts and dinner meals written before I do.  In the meantime, I have one more appie recipe for you before the big New Year's Eve celebration.

I made these babies for a potluck bash quite awhile ago and I'm lucky I showed up to the party with a (mostly) full plate!  I had to taste test them for quality control and it was hard to stop myself after I popped one in my mouth.  Smoked salmon works so well when it's blended with creamy things like mayo or cream cheese and the honey mustard and fresh dill all come together to be serious friends.

The other thing I love about this dish is that smoked salmon usually comes in 8 ounce packages.  Since this recipe uses only one ounce of smoked salmon, you can stretch one package into two recipes by then making Smoked Salmon, Horseradish and New Potato Salad or Linguine Alfredo with Smoked Salmon.

Recipe from Eat, Shrink and Be Merry
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Makes 16 deviled eggs



8 large eggs
1/4 cup smoked salmon, minced (about 1 oz)
2 tbsp light mayonnaise
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp honey mustard
1 tbsp fresh dill
1/4 tsp hot sauce
Salt and pepper

Place eggs in a large saucepan.  Cover with at least 1 inch of cold water and heat to boiling over high heat.  Remove the saucepan from the heat.  Let stand covered for 18 minutes.  Immediately pour off the hot water from the eggs, then run cool water over them for several seconds to prevent them cooking any further.  Drain and let cool.  Once cool, peel the eggs.

Carefully slice the cooked eggs in half lengthwise and remove the yolks.  Place yolks in a medium bowl and mash well with a fork.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Using a small spoon, or a pastry bag with a large tip (or even a ziplock bag with the corner cut off), fill the centers of eggs with egg mixture, mounding slightly.  Place a small piece of fresh dill on top of each egg or sprinkle with paprika, if desired.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.  


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THE RESULTS?
I freaking love these things!  You need some prep time to make them, but they really aren't hard at all.  Once the eggs are boiled, they take maybe 5 minutes to assemble.  Soooooo worth it for your next potluck or party!

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White Bean Dip with Rosemary and Roasted Garlic with Spiced Pita Chips
The Meal Planner


Ahhhhhhh.  That's me sighing in relief that the busyness of Christmas is over and I have two full weeks off from teaching.  After all that rich food, I thought a nice healthy (addicting) appetizer as an idea for New Year's was in order.  Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the cream cheese laden spinach dips and the full fat sour cream chip dip (heck I'm still eating coconut tarts from my freezer with a big dollop of Cool Whip leftover from Christmas), but there's something about eating healthy food that doesn't taste healthy that I just love.  This white bean dip is very similar to hummus, but the flavors are so fresh and exciting from the lemon and rosemary.  The combination of the spicy pita chips with the dip is fantastic.  


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serves 12 as an appetizer


White Bean Dip with Rosemary and Roasted Garlic
2 15.5oz. cans of white beans, drained and rinsed
1-2 heads of whole roasted garlic (recipe follows)
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
the grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor, combine all ingredients except salt and pepper; process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with fresh vegetables or pita chips.


Roasted Garlic
1 head garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Cut the top third of the garlic head off so that the tops of the cloves are exposed and place on a piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with oil and cover completely with foil.  Bake for 45 minutes to an hour until soft and golden brown. Cool. Squeeze the roasted garlic from each of the cloves and mash into a paste. Store any additional roasted garlic in an airtight container in the refrigerator.


Spiced Pita Chips
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
6 pita breads, cut into 8 wedges each.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Combine the olive oil and spices in a large bowl. Add the pita wedges and toss to coat. Spread the wedges in a single layer on two baking sheets and bake, tossing once, until the pitas are brown and crisp, about 10-15 minutes (mine seem to cook quicker). Cool.  Serve with white bean dip.

These will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3 days.


Click here for printable version of White Bean Dip with Rosemary and Roasted Garlic with Spiced Pita Chips
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RESULTS?
I've made this recipe soooo many times over the last couple years and love it so much.  When my brother in law and his wife had their twins, I went and stayed with them to help them out and cook for them.  They love hummus, so I made tons of different variations, but this recipe was one of the favorites, especially with the spicy chips.  The dip tastes fantastic smoothed on wraps or inside pita bread with chicken and lettuce and other veggies.   I made a Rosemary Marmalade Ham last night for a family dinner and still have some fresh rosemary in my fridge.  Writing this post has given me a serious craving for this dip, so I think I'll have to add it to my grocery list!

One note about the pita chips: start checking them after about 8 minutes.  In my oven 15 minutes is WAY too long, yet it was fine when I was cooking at my brother-in-law's house.  You want them lightly golden and crispy.

Meal Ideas:

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