Easy Dips & Spreads for Quick but Memorable Snacking

2 Granny Smith apples
2 red apples
1 pear, peach or plum (or all three
) 1 can light cherry pie filling (optional)
1/2 can crushed pineapple
2 tsp cinnamon
3 tsp brown sugar (more if you think it’s needed)

Peel apples and other fruit, dump into your food processor and zap in 10-second pulses until roughly chopped. If you choose to add it, this is when you add 1/2 can cherry pie filling; pulse until it becomes just this side of a puree. Empty into a serving bowl. Stir in the pineapple, cinnamon, and sugar. Done.

You certainly could make this process quicker if you buy a bag of pita chips (like Stacy’s) and warm them in the microwave just before serving. The made-by-you dip is really enough to garner admiration as a good cooker.

1/2 tsp dried crushed rosemary
1/4 tsp each salt, garlic powder & black pepper
3 (6-inch) pitas, each cut into 8 wedges
2 bacon slices, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (19-oz) can cannelini beans, drained
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp hot sauce
1/8 teaspoon each salt & paprika

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine the rosemary, garlic, salt & pepper and set aside. Arrange pita wedges in a single layer on a baking sheet and lightly coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with the rosemary mixture and give them another light spray. Bake for 18 minutes or until golden. (Or ignore this whole paragraph and nuke up some store-bought pita chips.)

While they’re baking, cook bacon in a small saucepan over medium heat (or faster in your microwave) until crisp, then remove and set aside. Add garlic to the tasty drippings in the pan; cook half a minute, stirring frequently, then add broth and beans; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 8 - 10 minutes.

Combine this bean mixture, onions, and the rest of the ingredients in a food processor, and pulse until smooth. Spatulize (another fancy cooker term) into a bowl; stir in 1 Tbsp of the reserved bacon; sprinkle with the remaining bacon just before serving.

Serve with the pita chips you’ve just taken out of the oven.

Frank’s (used to be “Durkee’s”) really IS the “official” wing sauce from the Anchor Bar in Buffalo.

1 8-oz pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 9.75-oz cans chunk chicken breast, drained
1/2 cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
1/2 cup blue cheese salad dressing
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
fresh crunchy vegetables and/or corn chips

In a glass 9-inch deep pie dish, combine all ingredients and zap in the microwave until hot and bubbly, about 4-6 minutes. Stir well and serve with veggies and/or chips.

When ‘cados cost more than two dollars each, you want get max mileage out of them. Here’s one really easy way; amazing what a little fresh ginger and some cilantro can do.

2 ripe avocados
1/4 cup. + 1 Tbsp sour cream
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 & 1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger
juice of 1/2 lime

With a dinner fork, mash the avocado in a bowl until it’s almost but not quite smooth Add the remaining ingredients and mix until smooth. Serve with tortilla chips or other crunchy munchies.

This one is worth photographing – before everyone digs in, which they will.

1 (10.5-oz) goat cheese log, softened
1/2 cup roasted, salted sunflower seeds
1/4 cup honey
1 pt fresh blueberries
Garnish: fresh mint leaves
Assorted crackers

Press or roll goat cheese log in sunflower seeds, thoroughly covering cheese, including the ends. Place the cheese on a serving platter with any remaining seeds and drizzle with honey.

Sprinkle with berries and make sure some stick to the honey. Pretty, easy and impressive..

How can you make this classic dip in 15 or 20 minutes with all those tasty ingredients? Well, you don’t cook it; you just mix and spread stuff – that’s how.

1 16-oz can retried beans
2 tsp taco seasoning mix
1 6-oz container guacamole
1 8-oz container sour cream
1 4.5-oz can chopped ripe olives, drained
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 4-oz can chopped green chiles
1 & 1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
tortilla chips

Stir together beans and taco seasoning and spread it into an 11- x 7inch (approx.) dish. Spread guacamole, then sour cream evenly over the bean mixture. Mix together the next 5 ingredients and evenly sprinkle ontop. Serve with tortilla chips, of course.

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This yummy dip can also serve as a sandwich spread, but go easy on the rosemary or it’ll overpower the other ingredients, and you could end up with a rosemary sandwich. And if you’re not into “spicy” use paprika for a splash of color instead of cayenne.

2 (7-oz) containers hummus
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Ground red pepper to taste

Combine first 6 ingredients. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with red pepper (or paprika) to taste. Serve with veggies and/or crispy chips.

This will be another of those too-fast-to-be-believed items, and a very classy one at that.

1(14-oz) can of artichokes, drained
1/2 cup Freshly grated Parmesan
3/4 cup Mayonnaise
1/4 cup Plain yogurt
1 Clove of garlic; mashed with a pinch of salt
2 tsp Lemon juice
1 Chopped scallion
Hot pepper sauce to taste

In a food processor, blend everything including hot pepper sauce to taste. Serve with French bread slices or pita chips.

This is another one where you should use that small, expensive bottle of extra virgin olive oil. Fresh oregano is recommended as well. And, of course, it's okay to use green olives; just change the name.

8 oz pitted black olives
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp dried oregano or 2 Tbsp fresh, chopped
salt (careful, olives may be salty)

Add olives, oil and oregano to your blender and, that’s right, blend. For a firmer paste, add 2 Tbsp of fine breadcrumbs to the blender before mixing the ingredients.

Place the pate in a serving dish, garnish with parsley and, right again, serve up.

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