Pretty, isn’t it? Think: Mediterranean version of the classic (and sometimes overdone) Mexican 7-layer dip. On the bottom there’s a fantastic cilantro-pecan pesto, then a generous dose of hummus, and a sprinkling of diced vegetables, feta cheese, and toasted pine nuts.

We recently became homeowners and threw a little housewarming party last weekend. I thought this dip would be a perfect addition to an appetizer spread. Oh, it was. There were compliments all over the place.

Can I just tell you how thankful I am to have this dip in my life? Just in time for the Super Bowl, too.

Who do we have to thank for this easy, drool-worthy Layered Mediterranean Dip? Tasty Kitchen member campgrandma, that’s who.

I can’t wait to relive this. Let’s get started!

I doubled the recipe, so these photos show larger quantities than the recipe calls for. Just so ya know.

First we’ll start on the pesto. You’ll need some chopped fresh cilantro, chopped pecans, pine nuts, grated Parmesan cheese, chopped fresh garlic and some extra-virgin olive oil.

I know there are a few out there who despise cilantro. First, my condolences. Second, you could probably substitute a mixture of fresh parsley and mint to complement the Greek/Mediterranean flavors.

Pull out your food processor and throw in the cilantro.

Then the garlic.

Then a small amount of the olive oil.

Give that a quick buzz until a paste forms. Scrape down the sides, too.

Add the pecans.

And the pine nuts.

And the cheese.

Buzz that up as well, stopping to scrape down the sides again.

Then turn on the food processor and add the remaining olive oil down the chute.

I added a pinch of salt. Your mixture should be pretty runny by now.

Like this. Pour it into a bowl, and set it aside while you prep the vegetables. You can do this step ahead and keep the pesto covered and chilled for five days or frozen for one month.

Dice the onion, cucumber, and tomatoes. Crumble the feta, if needed. You may notice that there are olives missing. We don’t like olives—especially kalamata olives. (Return the condolences, if desired.) So I added something else in their place.

Chopped peperoncini peppers. We love these. And they add a little kick to the dip, which we liked.

Now the fun part! Grab a very shallow serving dish or platter. Spread the pesto on the dish in an even layer. I didn’t want it to get buried (it’s so pretty!), so I brought it within an inch or so of the edge of the platter.

Next, carefully spread the hummus in an even layer over the pesto. Depending on the hummus you use, it might be quite a bit thicker than the pesto.

Time to sprinkle! I don’t think the order really matters, just get those cucumbers, onion, tomatoes, and feta sprinkled evenly. Oh, and the olives and/or peperoncini peppers, if you’re so inclined. I also added a drizzle of olive oil, just for kicks.

I added some extra grape tomatoes, a sprig or two of cilantro and some toasted pine nuts as additional garnishes. We served these with pita chips, carrots, cucumbers, and red bell pepper slices. And we all lived happily ever after.

Thank you Beth for a great addition to our appetizer menu! Visit her blog, Grandma B’s Kitchen, for more of her recipes.

Printable Recipe

Cilantro-Pecan Pesto Layered Mediterranean Dip

by campgrandma on February 9, 2010 in Appetizers, Cold Dips February 9, 2010 AppetizersCold Dips

See post on campgrandma’s site!

4.66 Mitt(s) 3 Rating(s)

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: -

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 12

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If you love cilantro and fresh ingredients, this is the dip for you! It’s easy to adjust to your liking.

Ingredients

• FOR THE PESTO:
• 1-½ cup Fresh Cilantro Leaves
• 2 cloves Garlic, Chopped
• ⅓ cups Olive Oil, Divided
• 2 Tablespoons Pecans, Chopped
• 2 Tablespoons Pine Nuts
• ¼ cups Shredded Parmesan Cheese
• FOR THE REMAINING LAYERS:
• 2 cups Hummus, Any Flavor (I Like To Use Roasted Red Pepper)
• ½ cups Baby Cucumber, Chopped
• ½ cups Red Onion, Chopped
• ½ cups Kalamata Olives, Chopped
• ½ cups Grape Tomatoes, Chopped
• FOR GARNISH:
• Pita Chips
• Feta Cheese
• Roasted Pine Nuts
• Cilantro

Preparation Instructions

For the pesto:

Process cilantro, garlic and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a food processor until a rough paste forms. Add pecans, pine nuts and cheese, and process until blended, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the processor running, pour the remaining oil through the food chute in a slow, steady stream; process until smooth.

Pesto can be chilled for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 1 month, if desired. Yields 3/4 cup.

For assembling the layered dip:

Spread pesto on a platter. Layer the remaining ingredients on top of the pesto in the order listed. Top with the garnish ingredients.

Serve with pita chips.

 
 
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Be sure to check out Natalie’s own beautiful food blog, Perrys’ Plate, where you can see her growing collection of lovely recipes. There’s always something new to see there. Go visit now!

 
I was on the hunt for a recipe. I was having a good friend over for lunch and it had to be a recipe that didn’t take long to whip up. Bev Weidner’s (Tasty Kitchen member Bev Cooks) recipe for Creamy Penne with Blue Cheese, Arugula and Toasted Walnuts just about stopped me in my tracks. Actually that’s exactly what it did. While perusing through the many wonderful Tasty Kitchen recipes looking for a dish that had pizzazz and that I could make super fast, my eyes instantly locked on Bev’s recipe. With ingredients like penne, blue cheese and toasted walnuts in the title, how could I go wrong?
 
I was happy to see I had pretty much all the ingredients already in my pantry and fridge. After a quick trip to the grocery store for fresh arugula, I was off to submerge myself in some blue cheese laden pasta!
 
If you’re a huge blue cheese fan (like me), you’ll just love Bev’s recipe!
 
 
 
 

I had no idea you could make a pasta sauce out of blue cheese but after making Bev’s recipe, I’m now a believer and an obsessed fan. I about fell over with how easy this was to whip up. There is minimal prep work so that meant I had it on our plates with a glorious forkful in our mouths in 20 minutes flat.
 
 
 
 

In a small dry pan over medium heat, slowly toast the walnuts until fragrant.

Remove, coarsely chop and set aside. 
 
 
 
 

Into a large pot of boiling water, add about a half pound of penne. Cook as the directed on the package. While the pasta cooks, go ahead and get going on the sauce.
 
 
 
 

Melt the butter into a small sauce pan. Add in the milk, blue cheese and season with salt and black pepper. Whisk until all the ingredients come together and start to bubble. 
 
 
 
 

Drain the pasta. Before draining you could reserve a little of the pasta water, just in case you need to thin the sauce out a tad in the end.
 
 
 
 

Add the pasta into the pot that has the blue cheese sauce, and add in the arugula.
  
 
 
 

The arugula will begin to wilt as you gently toss it around to coat every inch of the penne pasta. Here is where you could add a little of the reserved pasta water to thin it out a tad. I didn’t find that I needed to. It was absolutely perfect!
  
 
 
 

Remove to a large platter and sprinkle with the toasted walnuts.
  
 
 
 

The sauce wasn’t too heavy, and I especially enjoyed the flavors of the peppery arugula mixed with the creamy pungent blue cheese. I served our plates with a large spoonful of pasta, and then added just an extra little sprinkle of salt and a healthy pinch of black pepper. 
 
 
 
 

You could also serve this pasta with a large slice of buttery toasted baguette, a side salad and you’ll have yourself an easy and elegant meal! Oh, and if—and I mean if—there are any leftovers, they’ll reheat nicely the next day.  
 
A big thank you to Bev for posting this pasta recipe. Believe me when I tell you it was inhaled and enjoyed thoroughly! Be sure to stop by her blog Bev Cooks for beautiful food, laughs and pure shenanigans. You can also visit her Tasty Kitchen recipe box for more mouthwatering recipes. 
 
Note: The only change I made was that I used whole milk instead of reduced fat. The sauce is a little thin, but can easily be thickened with corn starch if desired.

Printable Recipe

Creamy Penne with Blue Cheese, Arugula and Toasted Walnuts

by Bev Weidner on November 4, 2011 in Main Courses, Pasta November 4, 2011 Main CoursesPasta

See post on Bev Weidner’s site!

3.83 Mitt(s) 6 Rating(s)

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 15 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 2

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What do you get when you fall in luuuve?

Ingredients

• ½ cups Walnuts
• ½ pounds Penne Pasta
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 1 cup Reduced-fat Milk
• ½ cups Crumbled Blue Cheese
• 1 pinch Coarse Salt And Freshly Ground Pepper
• 4 cups Arugula

Preparation Instructions

Start by toasting your walnuts. Pour them into a small skillet and toast over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until they start to brown and you can smell ‘em. Remove them from the heat and coarsely chop. Set aside.

Cook the pasta until it reaches al dente (use package instructions for al dente). Reserve 1/4th of the pasta water and drain the rest. Set pasta and reserved water aside.

Back in the pot, reduce the heat to medium and add the butter, milk and blue cheese. Whisk together until combined and smooth. Throw in a pinch of salt and pepper.

Add the cooked pasta and the arugula into the sauce, wilting the greens and gently stirring to cover everything with the sauce. If you need to thin out the sauce a little, you can add the reserved pasta water here.

Serve with toasted walnuts and oh my dear, eat eat eat.

 
 
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Laurie is the force behind Simply Scratch, a blog that documents her efforts to find and create recipes that are made simply from scratch. (We think it’s sweet that her mother-in-law helped her set up her blog and get started.) We love her recipes; they’re not just tried and true, but they look gorgeous as well. Check out her blog and you’ll become a fan too.

 
Our herb garden is going crazy this year. I am not complaining because I love fresh herbs, but I am having a hard time keeping up. Our basil plants are especially out of control. I’ve made several batches of pesto, but every time I walk outside it looks like I haven’t touched the plants. They are growing like weeds. 

I am always looking for new ways to use up our basil, so when I saw Jenna’s recipe (TK member kitchenlovenest) for Basil Butter Garlic Bread, I knew I had to try it. I love regular garlic bread and this version looked even better. The garlic bread gets jazzed up with basil butter and Parmesan cheese. 

To make the bread you will need: ciabatta or French bread, butter, olive oil, basil, parsley, garlic, green onion, salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese. 

First, combine all of the ingredients, except for the bread and cheese, in a food processor. 

Process until smooth. 

Season basil butter with salt and pepper, to taste. 

Cut the bread in half using a bread knife. 

Spread the basil butter generously over each half of bread. 

Put the bread halves together and wrap in aluminum foil. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees F. 

Remove the bread from the oven and carefully separate the bread halves. Sprinkle each half with Parmesan cheese. 

Return the bread halves to the oven and turn up the heat to 500 degrees F or put them under the broiler. Cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly. 

Cut the bread into slices and serve warm. 

We made the bread for a pizza party and everyone loved it. It was the perfect appetizer. The basil butter is full of flavor and the perfect addition to garlic bread. The melted cheese on top also makes this bread extra special. If you are looking for a way to spice up traditional garlic bread, try this Basil Butter Garlic Bread. It is easy to make and out of this world delicious. Thanks Jenna for helping us use up our garden basil. We love this bread! Visit her blog, Jenna’s Everything Blog, for other tasty recipes. 

Printable Recipe

Basil Butter Garlic Bread

by kitchenlovenest on August 4, 2011 in Breads August 4, 2011 Breads

See post on kitchenlovenest’s site!

4.83 Mitt(s) 6 Rating(s)

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 6

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Garden overflowing with basil? Look no further for a recipe that will use a generous handful!

Ingredients

• 2 ounces, weight Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 bunch Basil Leaves (generous Handful)
• 1 bunch Parsley (use 1/3 Of The Amount Of Basil)
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1 whole Green Onion
• 2 pinches Salt To Taste
• 1 pinch Pepper To Taste
• 1 loaf Ciabatta Or French Bread
• 1-½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (up To 2 Cups)

Preparation Instructions

1. Combine all the ingredients except the bread and cheese in a food processor, and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Cut open the loaf of bread and spread both halves with the basil butter. Put the halves together and wrap in aluminum foil. Bake for in a 400ºF oven for 10 minutes.
3. Remove the bread, separate the halves and load them up with Parmesan cheese. Return them to the oven and either crank up the heat to 500ºF or put them under the broiler.
4. Cook until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and starting to get brown. Serve!

 
 
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Maria and her husband Josh (who she affectionately refers to as her “dough boy”) blog at Two Peas and Their Pod. They’ve been featured on Saveur, Eatocracy, Gourmet Live, Glamour, and the Los Angeles Times, to name just a few. We’re so glad to have them here!

 
If I could, I’d gladly eat Mexican food for the rest of my life. I’m pretty sure that I will never, ever, ever get sick of warm and fluffy tortillas, spiced chicken, melted cheese, warm chips dipped in warmer salsa, guacamole bowls the size of my head and ladlefuls of queso. Oh and margaritas! Who could forget margaritas? I’d like one right now, please and thank you.

Growing up, we ate tacos at least one night a week—many times twice with some makeshift leftovers. It wasn’t until I reached my teens that I discovered my love for refried beans, and this is years after my mom would heat a huge pot on the stove for herself that the rest of us wouldn’t touch. I’d ask her how on earth she could eat something that looks like … THAT … and then she’d stare at me like I had four heads.

I’m so glad I was wrong about that.

Obviously, the minute I saw Table for Two’s recipe for said beans, I bookmarked it that day. It fit in perfectly with our weekly Mexican feast (I mean, I can’t help but carry on that tradition) and is so simple that I can barely stand it.

Here’s all your need! Pinto beans, salt, pepper, an onion, red pepper flakes, paprika and brown sugar. Oh and tons of water. About 3 quarts to be exact.

The first step—soaking the beans overnight—is optional. I know, I know. Sometimes it’s difficult to remember to do such things at night when you really just want to smash your head onto your pillow and watch the four episodes of Friends on Nikelodeon. I get it! If you forget or simply don’t want to soak the beans, no worries. You will just cook them slightly longer and I’ll tell you more about that later. Whether you soak them or not, give them a really great rinse. K?

Next, throw your beans in a large pot and add 3 quarts (a little more or less is fine) of water. The key is to have about 3-4 inches of water above the beans. If you are a nerd like me, you might measure it with a ruler. If you are cool and don’t measure, I wish we were friends.

Bring the beans to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. If you soaked your beans overnight, you are going to cook them for 1 1/2 hours. If you didn’t soak the beans, you are going to tack another hour on to the cooking time for a total of 2 1/2 hours. I did not cover my pot o’ beans, FYI. I’m sure it would be fine if you did. Just make sure to check them periodically and give them a stir.

This part is important! Before draining your beans, reserve 1 cup of liquid and set it aside. And I mean before you drain your beans. Because, uh, someone I know once drained the beans, pouring all the delicious liquid down the sink. I don’t know who would do such a thing.

After reserving the liquid, drain the beans, then throw them back in the pot and set them aside for a few minutes.

Grab a skillet and saute your chopped onion, paprika (I used smoked paprika), brown sugar and red pepper flakes until soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the contents of that skillet to the big pot of beans. Oh yes.

And add the reserved liquid too.

Next comes the mashing of the beans. To begin, I used a potato masher to smash everything together. You can also use a pastry blender or heck, even a few forks. That will give you a good arm workout, but it will work.

After mashing the beans, I went to town with my immersion blender. This gave the beans a really creamy texture, so if you prefer a more rustic mix, continue mashing with your tool of choice. Additionally, if you do not have an immersion blender, an electric hand mixer also work, though it didn’t smoothen the beans out quite as much. Don’t freak if you can’t get the beans super creamy. They will still be delicious.

At this time, you also want to take a few tastes of your beans. They will taste pretty bland since we haven’t added any salt, so begin with an amount you feel comfortable with. The original recipe called for 4 tablespoons, but I began with 1 teaspoon and got away with about 1 tablespoon of salt for the whole pot. I also think this had to do with my use of the smoked paprika, as well as the pinch of salt I added to my sauteing onions.

After seasoning, scoop the beans into a bowl (or your mouth) for easier consumption. Top with your favorites, like cheese, green onions and cilantro.

Throw on burritos, tacos, nachos or salads. Even use as a delicious dip for blue corn chips! Die and go to heaven. These are fabulous.

Thanks so much to Julie for the recipe! Be sure to check out her blog, Table for Two, where she posts some of the most delicious comfort food I’ve ever seen.

Printable Recipe

Homemade Refried Beans

by Table for Two on January 9, 2012 in Sides January 9, 2012 Sides

See post on Table for Two’s site!

2.20 Mitt(s) 5 Rating(s)

Prep Time: 12 hrs

Cook Time: 3 hrs

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 10

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Homemade refried beans: you won’t ever go back to the canned stuff!

Ingredients

• 2-½ cups Dry Pinto Beans
• 3 quarts Water
• 1  Onion, Chopped
• ½ Tablespoons Red Pepper Flakes, Or More To Taste
• ½ Tablespoons Paprika
• 2 Tablespoons Light Brown Sugar
• 4 Tablespoons Salt, Or As Needed

Preparation Instructions

1. If possible, soak pinto beans overnight. This will cut down your cooking time a lot. If not, it’s okay. Instructions are the same as below.
2. Rinse the beans to get off any dirt.
3. Add the beans to a pot and cover with the water. Make sure there is at least 3-4 inches of water above the beans. Cook the beans for 2 1/2 hours, about 1 1/2 hours for pre-soaked beans.
4. Once the beans are cooked, reserve 1 cup of the water, then drain the rest. Set aside.
5. In a skillet, saute the onions, red pepper flakes, paprika, and brown sugar for about 5 minutes. Add this to the pot where the beans are and add the reserved cup of water.
6. Using an immersion blender, lightly blend the beans until they’re the consistency you want. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a pastry blender (like I did). It gives a coarser consistency than the immersion blender since it’s harder to get every bean.
7. Season with salt as needed. Keep tasting it occasionally. This is also where you can add more red pepper flakes if desired.
8. Serve immediately.

 
 
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Jessica Merchant is a personal trainer turned food writer and blogger. Her blog, How Sweet Eats, is where she proclaims her love for all things sweet, all things bacon, and everything else in between. She works her magic in her Pittsburgh kitchen, which she shares with her husband of 2 years.

Every September I always have at least a few green tomatoes dangling in the garden. This is always a good thing because while ripe juicy red tomatoes are wonderful, green tomatoes are much more of a delicacy for me and hard to come by any other time of year. This was the perfect time for me to make this Fried Green Tomato recipe by Stephanie of Cookin' Cowgirl.

  Eating chicken wings is one of my favorite pastimes. I usually eat the spiciest ones I can get my hands on, but this sweet recipe for Oven Baked Chicken Wings with Sweet BBQ Sauce from Dine & Dish looked so delectable that I decided they must be tasted.       You will need: […]