Sunday, December 18, 2011

Cranberry-Jalapeno Cream Cheese Dip

Don't judge this dish based on the name... because it sounds, to be honest, like a gross combination. It's not! I told Doug I wanted to make this for the party we had last night, he wasn't a believer. After some convincing, he reluctantly agreed. From his first taste, he became a believer. He said that we shouldn't take it to the party but keep it all for ourselves! Alas, we did take it and it was a HUGE hit. It's a sweet fruit salsa, on top of cream cheese, served on crackers or chips... yum! It's better than a cheese ball!

Another recipe... as promised :)

Cranberry-Jalapeno Cream Cheese Dip

12 ounces fresh cranberries
5 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 cup sugar (more or less to taste)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 (8 ounces each) packages cream cheese, light or regular, softened
Crackers, for serving

Directions:
Pulse the cranberries in a food processor or blender until coarsely chopped (you can also do this by hand). Add the green onions, cilantro, jalapeno, sugar, cumin, lemon juice and salt and pulse until the ingredients are well combined and finely chopped. Transfer the mixture to a covered bowl or tupperware and refrigerate for 4 hours (or up to overnight) so the flavors have time to develop and the cranberries lose a bit of their tartness.
When ready to serve, spread the cream cheese in an even layer on a serving plate or 9-inch pie dish. Top with the cranberry-jalapeno mixture, spreading evenly over the top of the cream cheese.

Refrigerate for up to an hour before serving. Serve with crackers or tortilla chips.


Recipe Source: MelsKitchenCafe

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