Feta Walnut Dip

Dips are one of those things that I think pretty much everyone likes.  Sure, you may not love them all, but I’m betting you have a favorite.  Spinach artichoke?  Sour cream and onion?  Black bean?  There are just so many good choices – which would explain why I have about 20 different dip recipes waiting to be tried.  And to tell you the truth, there should be several more dip posts on this site.  I’ve made some delicious recipes that I couldn’t wait to tell you about – only I didn’t take the pictures fast enough, and the dips disappeared before I could get the final shots.  I’m going to have to work on that.  It’s all in the planning… and in the hiding of the dip until the pictures have been taken.

When we lived in Cleveland a few years back, this Feta Walnut Dip was my favorite.  It was kind of my signature dip, if you can have such a thing.  I made it when people came over, and I was often asked to bring it to other people’s houses for parties and dinners.  It was my thing.  I made it so often I kind of got tired of it, and I haven’t made it for a few years.  However, I decided it was time to bring it back for New Year’s.  And I’m glad I did, because it went over big.

This dip is big on flavor and small on effort.  All you have to do is toast some walnuts and then toss all of the ingredients into a blender or food processor.  A minute or two later, and you are ready to dig in.  The feta is the star of the show, giving the dip a creamy texture, while the toasted walnuts add richness and a subtle nutty flavor.  A few crushed red pepper flakes help make the dip as spicy (or not) as you want, and a few sprigs of fresh parsley keep things light and fresh.  Blended together, the ingredients in this recipe combine to form the perfect dip for pita bread, crackers or veggies.  It would make a great sandwich spread too.  Give it a try.  It might just become your new “signature” dip.

 

One Year Ago: French Onion Soup-Stuffed Mushrooms, Lentil Vegetable Soup, and Thai Honey Peanut Chicken

Two Years Ago: American Sandwich Bread, Roasted Eggplantwith Garlic and Parsley and Baked Fudge

Feta Walnut Dip

Adapted from Rachael Ray

Ingredients:

1 cup walnuts, toasted

1 1/2 cups feta cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup milk (any kind works)

1 clove garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/4 cup Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

Directions:

Add all of the ingredients except for the parsley to a blender or food processor.  Process until smooth. 

Add the parsley and pulse a few times, until the parsley is chopped and there are little green flecks throughout the dip.  (You can also throw in your parsley with everything else and process it all at the same time, but your dip will be green – which is just fine.)

Scrape the dip out of the blender/food processor and transfer it to a serving dish.

Serve with pita, chips, vegetables, etc.