WINTER DIP DUO

Each of these recipes is so extremely easily to make and so ridiculously delicious. Both of the dips utilize seasonal vegetables that are roasted to perfection, filling your kitchen with the aroma of the holidays.

The fennel dip uses the hearty fennel bulb, that normally had a slightly licorice taste but when roasted brings out an entirely new, sweet flavor. The butternut squash dip, with its blend of sweet and spice, is perfect for holiday parties and potlucks. The depth of flavor you get these simple roasted vegetable dips will have all of your friends jealous of your culinary talents (or lack there of).


These dips can easily be made alone, but honestly when it comes to roasting vegetables, if you are roasting one, you might as well roast a dozen. Plus the flavor combination of fennel and butternut squash as well as the combination of the off white fennel and bright orange squash embodies winter.
This dips (although can be enjoyed alone) are recommended to be shared with friends. The feeling of being surrounded by warm-hearted friends and eating warm roasted dips makes you forget about the cold winter chill outside. To pair with good friends, good conversation and good food, I recommend this mix from Fake Blood. It’s a great mix of old tunes perfect to play while waiting for the vegetables to get sweet and to play in the background while enjoying some good vibes, good wine, and good bites.



Fennel Dip:

Materials:
3 fennel bulbs (trimmed and cut into wedges)
2 garlic cloves
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (+3 tablespoons)

Methods:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a bowl, coat fennel and garlic cloves with olive oil, salt and pepper.
3. Arrange fennel & garlic on a foil-covered pan in a single layer.
4. Roast until fennel is tender (about 30-40 minutes).
5. Let cool for 3-4 minutes then puree fennel and garlic in a food processor until smooth. If desired, add a little bit of milk, yogurt or sour cream to make creamy. Fold in parmesan cheese.
6. Transfer to a baking dish and top with 3 tablespoons of cheese. Bake until cheese is golden brown.
7. Serve with toasted bread.

Butternut Squash Dip:

Materials:
1 butternut squash (or 2 pre-cut packages)
1 medium yellow onion
2 tablespoons yogurt or sour cream
pinch of paprika or cayenne pepper
pinch of nutmeg

Methods:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut squash in half and de-seed. Chop the onion into large chunks. Place the squash halves (cut side down) and cut onions and garlic on a foil-lined pan.
3. Drizzle with olive oil, and top with salt and pepper. Roast until the squash is completely tender (about 45 minutes).
4. Let squash cool enough to handle, and then scoop out the meat.
5. In a food processor, puree the squash meat, roasted onion chunks, yogurt, and spices until smooth.
6. Serve with toasted bread.


Extra Bits:
-The Fake Blood mix can be downloaded for free, as well as all of the other mixes in the USED series.
-Fake Blood has a new album, Cells, that just released. Seriously check it out!!! It’s like a breath of fresh air.
-I sprinkled a little bit of fresh rosemary on top of the dips to add a little wintery freshness.