Homemade Salsa
Tortilla, potato and pita chips cannot show up on Super Bowl Sunday alone, can they? And if you want people to eat what’s on that veggie platter, you better have something good to dip those veggies in.
Here are some of my favorite dips.
Salsa
I usually spend a little extra and purchase organic salsa or make my own. Here is my recipe for a Fast and Easy Salsa.
What’s wrong with conventional salsas? There are usually one or two potential GMOs in salsas: corn and vinegar.
Southwestern style salsa contains corn kernels, and they might be the recently-approved GMO sweet corn.
Vinegar in an ingredient list means white vinegar made from GMO corn.
Guacamole
This is such an easy dip to make that buying it seems silly (I did not check ingredient lists on premade guacamole so I don’t know if it contains GMOs).
- Cut two ripe avocados in half, remove pit. Scoop fruit into mixing bowl.
- Mash well with a fork
- Add
- salt
- pepper
- garlic powder or fresh crushed garlic
- lemon or lime juice (fresh, please)
- cumin (sorry, I don’t measure)
- Special ingredient: 1-2 tablespoons of hot salsa
- Serve immediately
Other Dips
French Onion Dip with potato chips is a tradition in my house for Super Bowl Sunday.
Non-organic sour cream-based dips contain MSG, corn syrup, vinegar, and other GMO ingredients. Glutamate is the worst offender in these dips (I cannot eat glutamates). Buy organic or make your own.
Onion Dip Recipe
- 1 16-ounce container organic sour cream
- 1 teaspoon onion powder or finely minced fresh onions (yellow onions can be hot)
- Dash of dried dill or parsley; rub between hands to release flavors
- Salt and pepper to taste
Combine ingredients and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight. This really does taste better the next day. Adjust salt and onion powder to taste.
You can add roasted peppers, roasted garlic, red onions, or anything you like to make your own custom dip for chips or crudités.
Faux Goat Cheese Spread
I love goat cheese, but it is crazy expensive here in Connecticut. Hey, if you can afford it, buy it. It is delicious and healthy.
I discovered that if I drain organic yogurt (flour sack cloth overnight hanging over a bowl to catch whey), I end up with this delicious yogurt cream cheese that begs for the addition of dill, garlic, onion, or roasted red peppers.
Combine yogurt cheese and flavor addition, wrap in plastic wrap or place in a glass canning jar and refrigerate overnight.
This is delicious spread on Mary’s Gone Crackers gluten-free, GMO-free organic crackers, cucumber slices and crudités.
Did I mention that this spread contains beneficial bacteria (probiotics)? Bonus!
(Use the whey in smoothies, baking or fermenting.)
Hot Dips
I love the Food Network spicy spinach and artichoke dip. I substitute ground red pepper and a teensy bit of apple cider vinegar or my homemade pear vinegar for the hot sauce in recipes. Other substitutions include caramelized onions for the artichoke hearts (which can be expensive) or roasted garlic. Be creative.
The main problem with this recipe is the mayonnaise. I buy non-GMO or organic mayonnaise. Target was the first store to carry my favorite mayo, but now my local grocery store carries it as well.
Just Mayo from Hampton Creek is Non-GMO Project Verified, egg-free and absolutely delicious.
Or make your own mayonnaise. I make one mayo from the egg yolks and then a white mayo from the egg whites. I use a hand blender with a whisk attachment and drizzle the oil in to create the emulsion. The key is to add mustard, vinegar, etc. to get the flavor YOU want.
Don’t fall for this Big Food deceiver which is not GMO-free:
Smart Balance Mayo is NOT Non-GMO. The label is deceptive.
The label on Smart Balance mayo states that it contains “Non-GMO Oil.” Lovely. But what about the GMO sugar and GMO vinegar? Other concerning ingredients include modified food starch (could be made from GMO corn) and TBHQ (a questionable preservative).
Bean Dip
Combine:
- 1 can of black refried beans
- 1/4 cup hot salsa
- 1/4-1/2 cup grated cheese of your choice
- More grated cheese to sprinkle on top
Stir and either bake in oven for 20-30 minutes until hot or microwave for a few minutes.
Serve with organic tortilla chips.
And for those veggie platters, you need a tasty, non-GMO dip that doesn’t contain glutamates.
Veggie Dip
Simply add what you would like to organic or Non-GMO mayonnaise:
- Onion powder gives it a ranch dressing kind of flavor
- Garlic powder, fresh garlic, or roasted garlic
- Dried and fresh herbs such as dill, chives and parsley
- Finely chopped red bell pepper
- Ground red pepper for a spicy zing or a little hot sauce
- 1/8 – 1/2 tsp of apple cider vinegar or other non-GMO vinegar
- 1/2 tsp lemon or lime juice
- Ground mustard powder or organic mustard (non-organic prepared mustard often contains GMO vinegar — read labels). I favor Dijon Mustard.
- Salt and pepper (optional) to taste
- Add milk and/or sour cream until it is the consistency you desire
Refrigerate for an hour or overnight to meld flavors. Taste before serving and add salt to taste.
