Creamy basil pesto dip from scratch

Mmm, don’t you just love fresh basil? It’s definitely one of my favourite herbs and I’m pretty sure I could eat pesto for months and not get sick of it—especially fresh, homemade pesto! Perhaps the only thing I love more is sushi, which I’m munching on while writing this lunchtime update.

I wish I could say that this basil was from my own garden, but alas I seem to be struggling to coax anything to grow except for my two gorgeous zucchini plants. Ah well. Summer has been taking its time arriving in Australia, so perhaps there is time yet for oodles of home-grown veggies and herbs!

This basil pesto dip was so easy to whip up before having guests over, and tasted great the next day too. The best part is that it isn’t made from pre-made pesto, so you have control over all of the ingredients and can adjust them to your taste. Enjoy!

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Edited: November 6th, 2011

Caramelized Onion Dip

This recipe should probably come with a giant, “Warning: You will eat all of this in one sitting!” sign. So before I start gushing about this amazing dip, consider yourself warned.

Then again, the warning sign kind of says it all, right? This dip is to die for. Creamy and onion-y, savoury with just that little bit of caramelized sweetness—it’s a bit of perfection, my friends! I suppose some may call it a “French Onion Dip,” but I feel like that would be misguiding. This dip is all about the caramelized onions… and anything that lets me caramelize onions to within an inch of their life has got to be amazing! It’s best made with a very, very thick brand of sour cream—don’t stint and get anything fat-free, it just won’t be worth it.

This great dip will be a hit at any event! Most notably, my mother-in-law-to-be made it for our engagement party, and somehow we had leftovers—which we devoured for the rest of the weekend. My what a weekend that was! Enjoy responsibly!

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Edited: April 6th, 2011

The Best Yam Fries Dip

You may have noticed my recent post about homemade baked yam fries, and in it you will have noticed that I promised to share my yam fries dip recipe as well. Ironically, I perfected this recipe before I perfected the fries themselves—I do so love my dips and sauces! After much fiddling, I have created this sauce, which is tangy and smooth and altogether wonderful paired with homemade yam fries. It would also be a great dip for veggie sticks in general.

Without further ado, enjoy!

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Edited: October 15th, 2010

Easy Noodle Salad

This easy salad recipe will have you on your knees! Noodle salads can be hit and miss sometimes, but I promise that this one delivers. Tangy but sweet, crunchy but soft—it’s everything a crisp noodle salad should be. The first time my boyfriend made this I fell in love with it, and it’s a salad that I always wonder how I lived without whenever we make a fresh batch. The crowning glory of this salad is the vinaigrette dressing, as it is so easy to make and tastes so good I’ve actually had to lick my bowl. Uh… you didn’t know that! This also makes a great salad to bring to parties, as it’s not your ordinary green salad nor does it have any expensive ingredients.

So what are you waiting for? Get out the knife and start chopping to make this easy & delicious noodle salad!

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Edited: September 2nd, 2010