Well, That's Just Dippy

It's that time of year... heat, humidity, summer, and cookouts out the whah-zoo. I think everyone must have a "go-to" cookout recipe. For you, that may be a killer marinade or burger seasoning blend. Or, an easy side salad or sweet dessert to share. You know, that one thing that instantly pops in your head when you hear "cookout".

While I have some yummy side salads in my repertoire, my cookout staple is the veggie tray. That's crudité for all you foodies out there. Growing up, if I would have said "crudité", people would have looked at me like I had 3 heads and just stepped off the Mother Ship. "Croo-dee-what?" Sigh.  So I just save the gourmet for an appreciative audience.

Anyway, the humble veggie tray comes in a whole bunch of forms, using all manner of raw veggies from carrots to celery to bell pepper to broccoli to cucumber.  When you make the veggie tray yourself, you can arrange any type of raw veggie that sounds "dippable" to you (That's a real word. True story.)  Just make sure they're in bite size pieces and you're golden.

Now that we've discussed the finer points of veggie selection, let's move on to the fun part - the dip. You can definitely do Ranch dip (always a winner), but my personal favorite is this Creamy Yogurt Dill Dip recipe.  It's zesty, creamy, herbaceous, and delicious.  And, the bowl is always scraped clean when I serve it at gatherings, so I take that as a good sign.

P.S. If you are a fan of sour cream and onion chips, you might like this dip with a nice crunchy, salty, kettle cooked plain potato chip.  It's pretty fantastic, I might add.  But me? I'm a veggie lovah at heart. Bring on the "croo-dee-what's" and let's get our cookout on.

Ok, COOKOUT. What dish just popped into your head?

Creamy Yogurt Dill Dip

by Raye

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Keywords: no-cook appetizer condiment side egg-free gaps nut-free vegetarian peanut-free sugar-free soy-free July 4th cookout summer

Ingredients (2 cups dip)

• 1 cup plain, Greek style yogurt
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp snipped fresh dill (or 2 tsp dried dill)
• 1 tsp granulated onion (or 1/2 tsp onion powder)
• 1 tsp granulated garlic (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt

Instructions

Combine ingredients. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours before serving to allow the flavors to meld.

Store any leftovers tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

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As Promised: THE Chicken Wing Recipe

As promised, here's a look at the chicken wing recipe I did for my Project Date Night for March.  If you recall, we did a Hunger Games Mockingjay theme date and I called these "Mockingjay Wings". 

They were super tasty so I just had to share.  I can't get enough of the zingy glaze.  In fact, if you like your wings really saucy, feel free to double up on the glaze and serve the extra on the side for dipping and/or slathering. Your choice.

In the interest of full disclosure, Curtis Stone came up with the original orange/rosemary/Dijon combination in a chicken skewer recipe he did for The Biggest Loser, so I feel I need to credit him as my inspiration.  Although I used very similar ingredients and quantities, I took my chicken recipe a completely different (possibly simpler) direction.

If you're looking for a version of wings to serve at a party or as an appetizer but want something different than the usual buffalo wings or deep fried wings, give these a try.  The flavor is AMAZING. Most of the bazillion wing recipes I researched included some form of gluten/dairy/soy/refined sugar, but trust me - you won't miss those ingredients at all! The glaze is like a flavor party in your mouth.

Serious-ness.

Sweet + Spicy Rosemary Chicken Wings

by Raye

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Keywords: bake roast appetizer dairy-free egg-free gaps gluten-free nut-free peanut-free refined sugar free soy-free lemon orange ginger

Ingredients (8-12 wings)

• Juice of 2 oranges
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 Tbsp grainy Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger (or 1 tsp dried ginger)
• salt
• freshly ground pepper
• about 3 lb chicken wings (8-12 wings)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400*F.
• If desired, cut the wings in half at the joint. Rub with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Arrange wings on a rimmed cookie sheet in a single layer (I used a broiler pan). Bake for about 30 minutes or until wings are crisp and golden brown. (Juices should run clear when pierced with a fork.)
• While wings are baking, combine orange juice, lemon juice, mustard, honey and garlic powder in a small saucepan. Grind dried rosemary in a spice grinder (or with a mortar and pestle) and add to saucepan.
• Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to low heat and simmer until mixture has thickened to form a glaze. Remove from heat.
• Remove wings from oven and brush with glaze. Serve immediately.

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