Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten-Free - Dips and Dippers Recipe Round Up

Welcome to the December 2011 Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten-Free. This is a gluten-free blog carnival that has been going for several years! All recipes are gluten-free and you can see past recipes at Naomi Devlin's Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried. This months theme is Dips and Dippers, perfect for New Year's cocktail parties.

The first entree is 7-Layer Mediterranean Dip from Our Gluten-Free Reality. This mother and daughter gluten-free duo tempt us with refreshing and zesty flavors from the sunny Mediterranean:

 Luckily they decided to multi-dip with Grape Salsa, what a great way to make the holiday bright:

And this one, Christmas Salsa, which they described as "a totally different flavor, almost a chutney, but raw, powerful flavor":

Lisa, from Allergy-Free Vintage Cookery, brings her Spicy Red Pepper Dip to the party:

Andy, from The Rice of Life, offers Baked Vegan Taquitos that are also dairy and soy-free:

No party is complete without something crunchy. The fabulous Naomi of Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried has a how to for these crispy Cheese Crackers:

Stephanie, the Dairy Free Diva has this new take on the traditiional cheeseball: "Gluten-Free Goats Milk Cheese Ball with Bacon and Olives":

Here's a new way to put carrots at the cocktail table (rather than setting them next to the ranch dip),  my submission is Roasted Carrot Hummus:

I am also double dipping, this is Hawaiian Dip, which is a cinch to throw together:

Here's another take on hummus, Roasted Garlic Lentil Hummus Dip from Amber's The Tasty Alternative. It is also SCD friendly:

Have a wonderful New Year. Be sure to check out She Let Them Eat Cake in January. Maggie is hosting and her theme is Foods That Heal.

Hawaiian Dip (SCD, Nut-Free)

I really don't know if they eat this in Hawaii. I am just paying homage to all of the recipes that call anything with pineapple in it "Hawaiian". This is one of my submissions for "Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten-Free".

Hawaiian Dip

8 oz of Farmers Cheese, or Dry Curd Cottage Cheese, or Dripped Yogurt, or Cream Cheese (cream cheese is not SCD legal)
8 oz can Crushed Pineapple in juice
1/3 cup finely chopped Green Onions, include tender green portion

If you are using cream cheese (not SCD legal), warm it to room temperature. Drain can of pineapple but reserve the juice.

Combine cheese/yogurt, drained pineapple, and green onions. If you need to adjust the taste then add pineapple juice, one teaspoon at a time until flavor is just right. Chill at least 30 minutes before serving.

Roasted Carrot Hummus (SCD, GFCF, Nut-Free)

There are many different versions of garbanzo bean-less hummus. The first one I had ever tasted was a black bean hummus and it was delicious. This one uses carrots. Roasting the carrots brings out their sweetness which contrasts nicely with the cumin. This is also my submission for this month's "Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten-Free", hosted by yours truly. The theme is Dips and Dippers and the fabulous recipes are already coming in. Be sure to check back at the end of the month to see the recipe round-up.

Roasted Carrot Hummus

2 cups of petite baby cut carrots, you can use an equivalent of regular carrots
About 1 TBSP Olive Oil
Sea Salt
1/3 cup Sesame Tahini
3 TBSP Lemon Juice
1 Clove Garlic
1/4 teaspoon Ground Cumin

To roast carrots: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss carrots with olive oil and sea salt, and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, just until fork tender. Cool.

Combine all ingredients in a food processor until fairly smooth. If it is too thick you can add a few drops of olive oil or water.

Here are some more garbanzo bean-less hummus ideas:

Roasted Carrot Hummus from She Let Them Eat Cake

Black Bean Hummus from Life's Ambrosia (Note for SCDers: Do not use canned beans, use properly prepared black beans)

Herbed Lima Bean Hummus from Epicurious.com

Beet Hummus from Elana's Pantry

Zucchini Hummus from Girl Cooks World

Red Kidney Bean Hummus from Adventures in Tralaland (Note for SCDers: do not use canned beans use properly prepared beans)

Red Lentil Hummus from Chow (Note for SCDers: Properly prepare lentils)

This post is linked to Monday Mania, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays,  Real Food Wednesdays, Real Food 101, and Fight Back Fridays.

Deviled Eggs with Sweet Onions (SCD, Nut-Free)

We have an abundance of sweet onions in our CSA box. Thankfully I have a food dehydrator. I also slipped some diced onions into the deviled eggs with tasty results.

Deviled Eggs with Sweet Onions (SCD)

6 Large Eggs, hard boiled
2 TBSP Mayonnaise
2 TBSP Butter, melted
1/3 cup Sweet Onions, very finely diced
Salt and Pepper to taste
A sprinkle of paprika for garnish.

Slice eggs in half lengthwise and scoop yolk into a small bowl. Add mayonnaise and butter and mash well. If the mixture is too dry, mix in more mayo one teaspoon at a time to desired consistency. Add onions, salt and pepper. Drop yolk mixture into egg white shells. Sprinkle with paprika. Chill until serving.

Garlic Parmesan Wings (SCD)

Excuse the bad flash photography, these are much better than they look here. I love wings and fall get togethers are a great time to serve them.

This is also my submission for this week's Fightback Friday, a real food web carnival at Food Renegade


3-5 lbs Chicken Wings
Oil for frying
1/2 cup (one stick) Butter, melted
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
3 or 4 cloves Garlic, minced
2 TBSP Parsley, finely chopped
3/4 to 1 cup Parmesan Cheese, finely shredded

Rinse wings and pat dry. In a large skillet over high heat, heat enough oil for wings. Add wings to hot oil and fry until lightly browned and slightly crispy. Turning occasionally. This usually takes me about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a very large bowl, whisk melted butter and mayo until smooth and creamy. Whisk in garlic and parsley. Let sit while wings cook. When wings are done, toss in bowl with sauce. Toss in cheese. Serve with towels.

Here's more SCD/GAPS friendly chicken wing recipes:

Honey Ginger Wings from yours truly

Sticky Bat Wings from Comfy Tummy

Superbowl Wings from Life Lines

Satay Chicken Wings from Maureen's List

Garlic Anchovy Dip (SCD)

I saw a recipe for this in Diane Rozas "Spreads, Toppers, & Dips" and was intrigued. I had to try it out of curiosity. I adapted it to what I had on hand. Don't let the word "anchovy" scare you here, they add a boldness to the dip, but they are not fishy.

Garlic Anchovy Dip

1 (1 1/2 oz) jar Anchovy Fillets in Olive Oil, drained
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1/4 cup water
1 cup Yogurt Cream (yogurt made from half and half)
2 TBSP Parsley, more for garnish

In a small skillet, bring anchovies, garlic and water to a boil. Reduce heat and boil until thickened, stirring. Cool.

Put all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Chill

Rutabaga Chips (SCD Advanced, GFCF)

I'm really beginning to believe that if you don't like a particular vegetable, it's just because you simply have yet to have it prepared the right way. I would not have expected the rutabaga, a large homely lump, to make an outstanding chip. It has a great crunch with a hint of sweetness to it.

A rutabaga or two
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

Good knife, cutting board and a mandolin (or similar device) for slicing

Rutabagas have a waxy coat on them and they are tough buggers to cut. Cut the rutabaga in half, then cut off the waxy coating. I used a mandolin to slice them. First I used the very thin setting, which made thin strips that crinkled when fried. They were very crunchy and sweet, but if you are wanting to use them for dip you need them thicker.

Then I sliced some with the thicker setting. They were not as sweet (a hint of sweetness), but they were sturdy enough for dips.

Heat enough oil, in a deep pan or fry daddy, and drop in some of the chips. The trick is to watch them close, you want to get them out as soon as you see a hint of browning. They get too browned easily at this point. You may want to do a couple small trials before frying larger batches. They get crisper after they cool and can stay crisp up to three days.

Note for those on the SCD, Elaine warned to try these cautiously, they are very fibrous.

Green Chile Guacamole (SCD, GFCF)

There's so many ways to make guacamole. This one is very easy and the green chilies add a nice flavor.

2 large or 4 small Avocados (I prefer Haas)
2 teas. Lime Juice (or more to taste)
1 (4 oz.) can Diced Green Chilies (do not drain)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mash avocados in a small mixing bowl with a potato masher or fork. Add lime juice and mix through. Mix in diced green chilies. Add salt and pepper to taste. Best served the same day.

Asparagus Dip (SCD, GFCF)

This is my fathers recipe. We just spent the last few days in Albuquerque visiting my parents and he served this. A few months ago there was an email touting the benefits of asparagus, which inspired his mission to develop some creative recipes with it. To make a gfcf version, omit the yogurt. For the SCD use fresh or frozen asparagus instead of canned. While I was on this trip I dropped and broke my camera, so my blog may be a bit blah until it's fixed.

1 (12 or 14 oz) can Asparagus, drained or
1 1/2 cups Asparagus, cooked until soft
1 TBSP. Olive Oil
1/4 cup Yogurt
2 fresh Sage leaves
1- 1 1/2 teas. Apple Cider Vinegar
1 clove Garlic

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. No need to cook the canned Asparagus. Serve with crackers.

Honey Ginger Wings (SCD, GFCF)

Move over Hooters! These are messy but very good.

Note: if you are following the Specific Carbohydrate Diet for health reasons, peanut butter is an advanced food, you can substitute with almond butter.

3 lbs. Chicken Wing Drumettes
3 TBSP. Creamy Peanut Butter
3 TBSP Honey
2 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar
1 TBSP Fresh Ginger, grated
3 TBSP Water
1 teas. Red Pepper Flakes
Oil for frying
Sliced green onions for garnish (Optional)

Rinse wings and pat dry. In a large skillet over high heat, heat enough oil for wings. Add wings to hot oil and fry until lightly browned and slightly crispy. Turning occasionally. This usually takes me about 30 minutes. Remove wings from heat and oil and place in a large bowl.

In a small bowl whisk remaining ingredients until combined. Add to wings and toss. Serve with hand towels!

Liver Pate with Hazelnuts (SCD)

We're in the middle of a yard renovation and our new deck was just finished today. We've gone two years without a usable backyard. Now we're stir crazy and ready to entertain. Bring on the hors d'oeuvres! This surprisingly pleasant pate was adapted from "Spreads, Toppers & Dips" by Diane Rozas. I cut out a few steps and made it SCD legal. Simmering the chicken livers instead of frying gives this pate a more subtle flavor.

1/2 pound Chicken Livers
1/2 cup Hazelnuts
4 TBSP. good quality Butter
3 or 4 Green Onions, include the good green parts
1/4 cup SCD Yogurt
Salt and Cracked Pepper to taste

Remove any veins and membranes from the liver. In a medium saucepan, bring about 2 or 3 cups of water to a boil. Add liver, return to a boil, cover and simmer about 5 minutes, just until liver is no longer pink. Remove from water and let cool. (My dogs and cat get the leftover liver water)

In a food processor combine all ingredients until very smooth. Put into a ramekin or a small pretty bowl and refrigerate for a few hours. Serve with crackers, toasts, veggies, pear slices, etc.

Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten-Free- Pimento Cheese Spread

Go Ahead Honey ...It's Gluten-Free, is a web event that's has a different theme each month. This month's host is Shirley of Gluten Free Easily. The theme: Make Me a Happy Camper. Pimento Cheese Spread fits the bill perfectly. This recipe is simple and easy. It's a nice take along for a camping trip or picnic. It travels well and is great on bread, crackers or piled into a stick of celery. However, don't let it's simplicity fool you, Pimento Cheese Spread is the gem of Southern Cuisine. In fact, it's an icon on a pedestal all it's own. No southern childhood memory is complete without a pimento cheese sandwich served on gummy white bread. And no party guest list is complete without it. Whether it comes to the trailer park soiree dressed in an old margarine tub with an unmatched lid, or it sits next to the caviar and fois gras on a dish of crystal, it's quite simply expected to be there. It's even popular at the Masters Gold Tournament. Southerners are just wild their Pimento Cheese Spread. A few years back, the Atlanta Journal Constitution devoted their entire food section to Pimento Cheese Spread. There are lots of creative things to do with it: put on burgers, deviled eggs, make into fritters, fry it, bake it...the list is endless. The recipes are endless too. Everyone has their own rules and reasons. For me, the cheese has to be freshly shredded. Purchasing pre-shredded cheese just will not work. Perhaps it's the starches they put on it to keep the shreds from clumping that ruin the texture for me. Anyways, here's my version, it's simple and heavenly, and you don't have to be from the South to savor it. I've also included some links to articles and recipes you might enjoy.

Pimento Cheese Spread (SCD)
8 oz. Block of good Sharp Cheddar Cheese
4 oz. jar Pimientos, chopped, do NOT drain
Mayonnaise (for SCD use homemade)
Salt and Pepper
Dash of Cayenne Pepper (optional)

Grate the cheese by hand. In a mixing bowl mix cheese and pimientos, juice and all. Add mayo in spoonfuls until it's the consistency you like it. Season to taste. Some folks like theirs creamy and will use a mixer to blend it. This keeps well in the fridge for a few days.

Pimento Cheese: It's a Southern Thing

Learnin about Pimento Cheese

2003 Pimento Cheese Invitational

Paula Deen's Recipe