Football Food Friday! Spicy Artichoke Dip

I am so excited to share this recipe with yall as this dip is by far my favorite dip and I love any opportunity to make it! It is creamy and delicous with just a hint of heat.

Another great thing about this dip is that it is great hot or cold, so depending on when you're making it, if you're taking it somewhere, etc. you can decide whether or not to serve it hot or cold.

Ingredients:

2 cups of artichoke hearts, drained, lightly chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 jalepeno peppers, finely diced

1/2 cup sour cream

8 ounces cream cheese

1/2 cup mayonaise

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

To serve warm: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix all ingredients together and pour mixture into an oven proof dish. Bake uncovered until lightly browned on top, approximately 25 minutes.

To serve cold: Mix all ingredients together and pour mixture into a serving bowl of your choice.

Serve with pita chips, wheat thins or crackers or chips of your choice.

Enjoy!

Shrimp and Feta Orzo Salad with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette

This is a deliciously light and tangy recipe that is perfect for summer! You can serve this as a main dish or side dish and is great (or maybe better) the next day.

If you are not familiar with orzo, it is a small (size of rice) teardrop shaped pasta. You should be able to find it in the pasta section of the grocery store.

Ingredients
1 package of orzo pasta
1/2 small green or red bell pepper, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese
1 lb of shrimp, shelled and deveined and patted dry
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
cajun seasoning

Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
Juice of two lemons and zest of one
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 garlic clove
1 teaspoon vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt, if needed

Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain well and put in large bowl. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and toss to prevent sticking.

While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in skillet. Sprinkle shrimp with cajun seasoning and add to pan. Cook until opaque and pink in color.

Add bell pepper, onions and shrimp to orzo, mix well.

To make dressing, zest (with my favorite tool) one lemon into a small bowl and then add the juice of two lemons. Add mustard, basil, garlic and vinegar to the lemon juice and zest and mix. Very slowly drizzle the olive oil into the mixture while quickly whisking simultaneoulsy to emulsify the vinaigrette. If done properly, the dressing will not separate. )You can also do this very easily in a blender or food processor by drizzling the olive oil through the top opening while the machine is mixing.) Adjust flavor with salt and pepper, if needed.

Add dressing to orzo, tossing well to coat. Gently fold feta into the orzo to incorporate.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

As always, leave a comment if you have questions or just to let me know what you think!

Enjoy!