Bean and Corn Dip

This recipe is far from original - if you google “Texas Caviar” or “Cowboy Caviar” you’ll find tons of recipes for a similar dip. I first had this when my roommate back in 2014 made it for her sister’s birthday (hi Renee!). I am such a sucker for “fresh” appetizers at parties - veggie trays, anything with cucumber, salad rolls, etc. I think it’s because I’m always slightly dehydrated? Appetizers with lots of fresh flavour I gravitate towards. I remember the night I first tried this I kept going back for more. It’s tangy, fresh, and slightly addictive. I’ve been making versions of this recipe ever since and it’s always such a hit. It also keeps for 4-5 days in the fridge, and IMO gets better with time as the flavours sit together. I love it for lunches with tortilla chips, on top of a taco salad, or in wraps. It is also so great for summer parties because the frozen corn kind of cools it from within. I hope you enjoy this tasty bean dip for your next get-together!

Tips

Small Dice Your Veggies for Optimal Dipping Experience

This dip is great scooped up with tortilla chips so you want to make sure your veggie pieces are small enough so you get lots of variety in each bite.

Frozen Corn

I personally just like to add the corn frozen straight into the dip, and then let it thaw once mixed. I find it doesn’t take time to thaw and it keeps everything else a little cool while it sits at room temperature. If you are making this right before serving, you could cook the frozen corn according to the package and then let it cool to room temp before mixing with everything else. 

Dicing Tomatoes

I like to remove the seeds so the dip isn’t too ‘soupy’. To do this I cut the tomato into quarters and use a spoon to scoop out the watery seed parts. I then dice the flesh of the tomato.

Bean Substitutions

I have accidentally made this dip with chickpeas, kidney beans, and white beans (I have trouble reading bean can labels). All turned out great! I think any canned bean works here.

Storing

This keeps well in the fridge for 4-5 days in an airtight container. I sometimes make this the day before serving so it marinates overnight.

All the veggies chopped pre-mixing!

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Bean and Corn Dip

Good for a crowd, 20 min prep

Ingredients:

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can lentils, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen corn

2-3 medium tomatoes, fine diced (I like to remove the seeds so it’s not too soupy but you don’t have to fuss about this)

1 pepper (red, orange, yellow, green - whichever colour you prefer), fine diced

3-4 green onions, green parts thinly sliced

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

2 limes, juiced

¼ cup olive oil

¼ tsp kosher salt

Pinch of each ground cumin, garlic powder, chilli powder (adjust to taste)

A few shakes of tabasco or other hot sauce

Optional: a squeeze of honey or maple syrup

Optional: handful of fresh cilantro, diced

Method:

1. In a large bowl combine your drained and rinsed beans and lentils, frozen corn and chopped veggies (tomato, pepper, green onion).

2. In a small bowl or mason jar, combine your apple cider vinegar, lime juice, olive oil, salt, spices and hot sauce. Whisk well to emulsify (or if using a mason jar, seal tightly and shake). 

3. Pour over your bean mixture and mix well to combine. If using cilantro, add it in. 

4. Taste - does it taste good, like you need to take another bite? If not, you may need a pinch more salt. Does it need more spice? Add more tabasco. Need a little more sweetness? You could add a drizzle of honey or maple syrup, or add in more frozen corn!

5. Serve with tortilla chips!

Spanakopita (Leek and Spinach Cheese Pies)

I absolutely love Greek food. My mom and I used to always go to Greek restaurants as our mother-daughter dates growing up, and when I moved to Toronto in 2015 I happened to move to Greektown. Through the years I mastered when to cross the street so that I wouldn’t be on the same side as the tavernas with spinach and cheese pie in the window. It was too hard not to stop in and pick up a $3 slice to take home. I love making this recipe when I have a weekend afternoon free - they take a bit of prep and assembly, but they freeze super well (uncooked) which makes them a handy little snack for future-you or easy entertaining! These are perfect as an appetizer or pair with a big salad for a veggie main. As you have probably picked up from other recipes, I love leeks dearly and prefer them in the filling here, but you could always swap for white onion. 

A few tips:

Frozen vs Fresh spinach

I would definitely use frozen spinach over fresh for this recipe. I don’t think fresh is worth the effort here, plus it will save you money! You need the spinach cooked, so may as well use the already cooked stuff! The only thing to watch out for is the water content of the frozen spinach once you defrost it. You really want to get as much water out of it as possible otherwise you’ll have soggy spanakopitas. Here is how I prep the frozen spinach:

• Ideally, I take it out of the freezer when I take out the phyllo pastry (2-3 hours prior to assembly)

• If after 2 hours on the counter it hasn’t fully defrosted, I put it in a bowl to let it fully defrost in the microwave. 

• I then pour into a fine-mesh sieve and allow the water to drain into a bowl below.

• I use the back of a spoon to push on the spinach and squeeze out as much water as possible!

• You could also use cheesecloth to do this, but this saves your hands from getting spinach juice all over them!

Fresh herbs vs dried herbs

If you don’t have fresh herbs, you can also omit these! Or you could sub in dried herbs. I would do 3 tbsp of dried herbs instead of ½ cup of fresh since dried herbs are generally more concentrated in flavour.

How to Freeze

If you plan on baking them within a few days, you could store them uncooked in the fridge. I prefer to freeze the ones I am not baking immediately. To freeze, I place them in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and freeze for 1-2 hours. Once they are fully frozen, I then put them into a freezer-grade plastic bag or sealed container. Freezing them first in a single layer will ensure they don’t stick together in the freezer.

Serving

These are best served fresh from the oven, but after they are baked they will keep well at room temperature for 1 hour, so they do make for perfect party food. 

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Spanakopita (Leek and Spinach Cheese Pies)

Yields 24-36 small (three-bite) individual pie triangles

Note: this recipe will use roughly half a package of phyllo pastry. If you’d like to use the full package, double the recipe! Or use the leftovers to make half a baklava recipe in an 8x8 pan - this is my go-to recipe!

Ingredients:

1 package of frozen, cooked spinach, thawed

1 package of frozen phyllo pastry, thawed

1 leek, sliced thinly (white part only)

1 tbsp butter

1 tsp olive oil

½ cup fresh herbs - I prefer dill, but parsley can also be used

2 cups of feta cheese, crumbled

1 egg

Salt and pepper to taste

For assembly:

Approx ½ cup - ¾ cup melted butter (to brush on phyllo)

Method:

Pre-prep:

• Minimum 2 hours prior to starting, remove your phyllo pastry from the freezer to allow it to defrost.  This is also a good time to take your spinach out to defrost.

Making the filling:

• Heat a pan to medium heat and add in the butter and olive oil. Add in your sliced leeks, saute until buttery and soft - approximately 8 mins. Season leeks with salt and pepper. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature (if you mix it in too hot it will cook your egg!)

• Drain spinach really well by pressing it with the back of a spoon in a strainer. Once well-drained, put the spinach onto a cutting board and run your knife through the packed spinach a few times to chop it roughly. Add the chopped spinach to a large bowl.

• To your large bowl with the spinach, you can add your feta, fresh herbs and cooled leeks. Mix together until everything is well distributed. Take a little taste - does it taste good? Does it need more salt? Maybe some pepper? Taste and adjust the seasoning until it tastes yummy.

• Once you are happy with the seasoning, crack in one egg and mix it into your filling mixture.

The Assembly:

• Set up your assembly station: you’ll need melted butter, a pastry or bbq brush, a pizza cutter or sharp knife, and a cutting board

• While you are assembling I recommend putting a damp clean kitchen towel on top of the phyllo pastry so it doesn’t dry out.

• Take a sheet of phyllo. Brush half of the sheet with melted butter and fold the other half over. Using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife to cut the now half-sized sheet into 3 long strips (or 2 if you want them to be bigger).

• Place a heaping tablespoon of filling at the end of the strip, and brush butter over the rest of the strip. Fold over the filling from the bottom corner to the top of the strip, forming a triangle. Then continue to fold the triangle repeatedly down the strip until all the phyllo is used (This is hard to explain so I have saved a video to my Instagram story highlights!).

• Repeat for all of your strips until all of the filling is used. 

• Once all of your pies are assembled, you can either freeze for later or bake right away.

• To bake, preheat the oven to 350F. Place spanakopitas on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet 1 inch apart and bake until golden brown on top, approximately 15 mins. 

  • From frozen they take 20-25 mins.

Roasted Brussels Sprout and Ricotta Crostini

When I travel for work one thing I can’t wait for is cable in the hotel room, and most specifically The Food Network. I love food competition shows and celebrity chef programming. A few years ago Giada de Laurentiis had a holiday special for hosting parties and she made these Charred Brussels Sprout Crostinis. I made them a few times that Christmas and they were always a hit. Over the past few years I’ve continued to make them, simplifying the recipe where I could find some shortcuts or simply didn’t have the ingredients on hand. Here is my take on Giada’s appetizer.

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Roasted Brussels Sprout and Ricotta Crostini

Original recipe: Charred Brussels Sprout Crostini by Giada de Laurentiis

30 mins

Tip: step 1-6 can be done ahead of time. You can store the ricotta and brussel sprout mixture in the fridge until ready to serve.

Ingredients:

3 cups of brussels sprouts, shaved or thinly sliced*

1 ½ tbsp olive oil

¼ tsp kosher salt

¼ -½ tsp red pepper flakes, depending on your heat preference

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp maple syrup

¼ cup dried cranberries

1 container of extra smooth ricotta

½ tsp kosher salt

1 baguette, or your choice of bread, cut into ¾ inch slices

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400F

2. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the thinly sliced brussels sprouts with the olive oil, kosher salt, and red pepper flakes on the sheet and pop into the oven for 12-15 minutes. You want the edges to be crispy and almost burnt - that’s flavour!

3. Meanwhile, combine the apple cider vinegar, maple syrup and dried cranberries in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Simmer for 5 - 7 minutes until has thickened. Set aside.

4. Once the brussels sprouts are out of the oven toss in a bowl with the reduced vinegar mixture.

5. Place the sliced baguette onto the same baking sheet and place into the 400F oven for 5-7 minutes until the bread has crisped  on the outside

6. Meanwhile stir the ½ tsp of kosher salt into the ricotta to add some extra seasoning. Cracked black pepper is also nice added here.

7. When you are ready to assemble, schmear ricotta onto the bread crisps, and then top with a spoonful of the brussels sprout mixture.

*to shave the brussels sprouts I start by cutting the end off the brussels sprout. I place this flat end onto my cutting board and slice as thinly as I can until I reach half way. At this point, I flip the half flat side onto the cutting board and start thinly slicing until I reach a quarter. At this time I flip again the quarter flat side onto the cutting board and thinly slice until complete. This method leads to some half slices, some quarter slices - that’s ok! It adds different textures.