Slow Cooker Spinach Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

• 1 (10 oz) bag fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
• 1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, chopped
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup onion, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, cubed
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Spray a slow cooker (I used a 4 quart slow cooker) with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, mix together spinach, artichoke hearts, sour cream, mayonnaise, onion, garlic, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, garlic salt, and milk. Add salt and pepper as desired. Dump into your slow cooker.
3. Place your cubed cream cheese on top of spinach/artichoke mixture, spread out as evenly as possible.
4. Cook on high for 2 - 2 1/2 hours, or until ingredients are cooked through and the cream cheese is melted. Mix in the cream cheese keep dip on "warm" setting until eaten. Serve with crackers, bread, or vegetables.

Bake Broccoli Paremesan Dip

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup Panko*
• 8 ounces PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, at room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups fresh broccoli florets
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon Emeril's Essence Creole Seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Creole Seasoning is:
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9-inch baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add Panko and cook, stirring, until browned and toasted, about 3 minutes; set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, broccoli, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, sour cream, Parmesan, milk, Emeril's Essence, garlic powder and onion powder; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Spread broccoli mixture into the prepared baking dish; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheddar cheese. Place into oven and bake until bubbly, about 20-25 minutes.
• Serve immediately, sprinkled with Panko, if desired.

Hummus Recipe

Ingredients
4 garlic cloves, minced and then mashed
2 15-oz cans of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
2/3 cup of tahini (roasted, not raw)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Pine nuts (toasted) and parsley (chopped) for garnish

Method
1 In a food processor, combine the mashed garlic, garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, 1/2 cup water, and olive oil. Process until smooth. Add salt, starting at a half a teaspoon, to taste.

2 Spoon into serving dish and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and chopped parsley.

Serve with crackers, raw dip vegetables such as carrots or celery, or with pita bread. You can cut the pita bread into thin triangles, brush with olive oil and toast for 10 minutes in a 400°F oven to make pita chips with which to serve the hummus.

Makes about 3 cups.

Indian Avocado Spinach Dip

What you need!
2avocados, cut in half and scooped out
3 cups packed baby spinach leaves
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/8-1/4 tsp salt
Freshly cracked pepper

Make it!
In a food processor, combine avocados, spinach, and lemon juice until creamy. Add garam masala, salt, and pepper and pulse until well combined.

Perfect guacamole recipe

Perfect guacamole recipe

Or is it? Tomatoes or no tomatoes? Garlic or no garlic? Chunky? Smooth? Somewhere in between? Here's my recipe — go ahead and have your way with it.

What you need!
2 large ripe avocados
½ small red onion, finely chopped
1 medium tomato, seeded and finely chopped
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
2 tbsp (30 mL) lime juice
½ tsp (2 mL) ground cumin, or to taste
¼ cup (50 mL) chopped cilantro
½ tsp (2 mL) salt

Make it!
Cut the avocados in half and remove the pits. Hold one half in your hand, flesh side up, and with a sharp knife cut through the soft flesh just to (but not through) the skin, in a criss-cross pattern. Scoop out the whole business with a spoon into a bowl. (Pre-chunked avocado — no messy chopping required!) Repeat with remaining avocado halves.

Add the onion, tomato, jalapeno pepper (if you're using it), lime juice, cumin, cilantro and salt. Toss gently if you like your guacamole chunky, or mash slightly with a fork if you want it a bit smoother. In any case, don't over-mash — you want to leave some texture.

Serve with shrimp, fajitas or just with tortilla chips. Addictive and wonderful.

Makes about 2 cups (500 mL).