Covering the Spread

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8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar
1/4 cup canned or cooked beets, mashed
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish

In a mixing bowl, whip cream cheese and vinegar with a handheld mixer about 1 minute or until creamy. Gently fold in beets, black pepper and horseradish and stir until combined. Spoon mixture into a serving bowl and serve immediately. Leftovers will keep 3 days in the refrigerator.

LIGHT AND LIVELY LIMA BEAN DIP

This lima bean-based dip is a nice change of pace from the usual store-bought refrigerated chip and vegetable dips.

Two 10-ounce packages frozen baby
lima beans
1 medium onion, chopped
1 vegetable bouillon cube
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
2 cups water
1 teaspoon dried cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced and mashed
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill or
1 teaspoon dried
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt to taste
1/4 cup minced red bell pepper, for garnish
1 lemon, cut into wedges

In a medium saucepan, simmer beans, onion, bouillon cube and lemon peel in water until beans are soft, about 8 minutes. Drain; return to pot and mash with potato masher. Add cumin, oregano, black pepper, garlic, dill, 3 tablespoons olive oil and sour cream, stirring to combine. Stir in lemon juice. Add salt to taste. Mound into a serving bowl and cool to room temperature. To serve, drizzle remaining teaspoon olive oil on top, sprinkle with minced bell pepper and place lemon wedges alongside. Dip keeps for 3 days covered and chilled.

PSEUDO TZATZIKI

My version of this traditional Middle Eastern yogurt dip trades the usual cucumbers for parsley and onion, resulting in a longer shelf life. It tastes great on plain, ridged potato chips, and it’s also a natural choice for veggies. For something different, try it with Toasted Pita Dunkers (recipe follows).

3 cups whole-milk yogurt, drained well
4 peeled cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup yellow onion, grated
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh mint
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
2 tablespoons fresh dill

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir to mix well. Refrigerate for at least an hour to allow flavors to blend. Place in a serving bowl and garnish with more fresh herbs, if desired. Dip will keep up to a week in the refrigerator; stir before serving leftovers.

TOASTED PITA DUNKERS

These simple pita chips go well with many kinds of dips.

1 tablespoon sea salt
1 teaspoon dried dill
Ground black pepper to taste
4 pitas, each cut into 8 wedges
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

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