Creamy Miso Dip

I've been working like a crazy person lately. Cooking, doing dishes, taking photographs, editing recipes...and yet I make it to 2pm without having eaten a single bite of food. It goes something like this: work, work, work, work, forget to eat, work, work, CRASH.

Yes, that's about right.

In order to avoid this afternoon down-slide, I've been trying to put out healthy things to munch on. This creamy miso dip has been perfection. Shiro (white) miso, the mildest miso paste, is mixed with Kewpie mayonnaise. If you've never tried Kewpie mayonnaise you should probably get on that. Now. Go ahead and run to the nearest Asian grocery store. I'll wait.

Ready to continue? Good.

Kewpie mayonnaise is popular in Japan. The flavor is different from the mayonnaise we buy here thanks to ingredients famous for adding umami to dishes. In Japan it is used on anything from yakisoba to pizza. Here, I've used it in a more familiar way that I learned from a Japanese friend. She made this dip for my baby shower and I absolutely fell in love with it.

You don't have to make much of this dip because it is so full of wonderful flavor. The only tip my friend gave me when I asked her for the recipe was that you have to experiment with the amount of Kewpie and miso to determine the balance of flavors you prefer. I like to add a touch of light soy sauce to my dip as well, but you can add anything from chopped scallions to sesame oil or toasted sesame seeds. It's a great blank canvas.

Creamy Miso Dip

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons shiro miso
• 1/3 cup Kewpie mayo
• 1 teaspoon light soy sauce

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir vigorously until smooth. Serve with fresh vegetables like carrots, sugar snap peas, celery and radishes.

Notes

If you don't have access to Kewpie mayonnaise, take 1/3 cup regular mayonnaise and add 1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce, and a pinch of garlic powder. Stir to combine and use as directed in the recipe creamy miso dip.

Cocktail Friday: Tamarind Bourbon Sidecar

Last week I was in my frigid homeland: Minnesota. Yes, the temperatures were cold enough to force anyone and everyone to run politely between cars and buildings in an attempt to minimize the amount of time spent in the dangerously cold air. This is a practice my husband says he had never seen before living in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. It never seemed strange to me for two reasons: 1) when it is below zero degrees you want to do anything to get from outside to inside as quickly as possible, and 2) it's like a little mini-workout that could potentially warm you up a bit more than a simple stroll...right? Yes, Minnesotans are a little strange (I'm allowed to say that because I am one) to live in such a cold place by choice, but we are not stupid. We have a survival mode of sorts.

For me, another necessary method of surviving winter is simply reminding myself that warmer weather will come. Mixing up a cocktail is a pretty great way to do just that. In this case, I've made a Tamarind Bourbon Sidecar. Tamarind is a fascinating ingredient that is used in familiar Southeast Asian dishes such as Pad Thai. It's flavor is sweet-sour, similar to citrus, but it is a little richer and more complex. It's the perfect addition to a warming bourbon sidecar because it gives just the right amount of brightness. Plus, since it is used in warm-weather countries like Thailand, it helps paint a mental picture of palm trees, oceans, sandy beaches...all the things many of us start to long for this time of year.

Just to be clear: I LOVE winter. This weather is my bread and butter. I'm not typically the type of person to long for an escape this time of year. That comes for me in the middle of summer when temperatures are stiflingly hot and I can't breathe. That is not my favorite. Still, a reminder of warmth and sun is good for the soul no matter what season you prefer.

Tamarind Bourbon Sidecar

Ingredients

For the cocktail:

For the tamarind syrup:

• 2 oz Bourbon
• 3/4 oz Tamarind Syrup
• splash of cointreau
• ice
• fine sugar
• 3/4 cup tamarind paste
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups water
• Lime wedge for garnish

Instructions

1. Using your (clean) finger, coat the edge of a cocktail glass with some of the tamarind syrup. Put the sugar on a plate. Gently put the rim of the glass in the sugar and rotate just slightly to coat. Set aside.
2. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the bourbon, tamarind syrup, and cointreau. Cover and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Pour through a strainer into your prepared cocktail glass. Garnish with a keffir lime leaf (or lime wedge) and serve.
3. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan.
4. Using a wooden spoon, break up the tamarind paste and stir until the syrup is completely combined.
5. Bring the syrup to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes or until the liquid thickens slightly.
6. Pour the syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a heat proof jar.
7. Bring to room temperature before storing in the refrigerator.
8. Kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator, the syrup will stay fresh for two weeks.

Skillet White Chili Dip

Back when Brad and I first started dating, I had less than zero interest in anything football related. It all seemed the same to me: run a little, crash into each other, fall down, do it again. Still, because I loved him so much, I gave in and watched a game with my boyfriend. We were sitting on the sofa in the house he shared with several other college boys. I stretched out just as the game began. Five minutes later I was sound asleep. And I stayed asleep for the entire game.

Oops.

These days I'm a least slightly more interested. Between watching a 2 year old cheering for Peyton Manning and the excuse to make delicious snack foods I can remain entertained. I've realized during this football season that has been so amazing for the Denver Broncos that I enjoy watching others enjoy the game more than the actual event itself. I guess that's the beauty of sports. In a time when we are distracted by smart phones, computer screens, video games and more, anything that brings people together to spend time cheering, laughing and eating together is worth it.

I've been traveling for the last week and a half, so I'm looking to keep this weekend as simple as possible. This white chili skillet dip is perfect if you have last minute guests coming over to watch the game or if you just want something that doesn't take tons of time but brings the classic flavors people expect during the big game. What I love about this appetizer is that it's a little more elegant than the typical cheesy chili dip with tortilla chips. Serving it in a classic cast iron skillet lends a nice touch.

The simple combination of onions, garlic and green chiles make the perfect base. A little bit of beer (I used an IPA) reduced down to concentrate the flavor and give the white beans an extra boost creates the most delicious contrast to the creamy cheese. After some time in the oven getting bubbly and golden, the dip is sprinkled with fresh cilantro and drizzled with lime juice. Scooped up with salty tortilla chips, this dip was made for game day.

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Easy Skillet White Chili Dip

Yield: 8-10

Author: Rachael

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinInactive time: 5 MinTotal time: 35 Min

This warm and delicious skillet dip is full of creamy white beans, diced green chiles, and lots of cheese. Perfect with tortilla chips on sportsball watching days!

Ingredients

Easy Skillet White Chili Dip

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4.5 to 5 ounces diced green chiles
• 1 small jalapeño, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 12 oz can white beans, rinsed and drained
• 6 oz beer (IPA works nicely- stay away from darker beers)
• 12 oz Pepper or Monterey Jack cheese, cut into cubes
• fresh cilantro
• lime wedges
• tortilla chips

Instructions

1. Move a rack to the top third of your oven and preheat your broiler.
2. Heat the olive oil in a cast iron (or other oven proof) skillet over medium heat.
3. Add the green chiles, jalapeño (if using), garlic and onion to the skillet and heat until softened and fragrant, 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the beans and a bit of salt to the skillet and stir to combine.
5. Pour the beer into the skillet and bring to a boil. Use a fork to mash the beans a bit here for a creamier final texture.
6. Reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid has reduced by nearly half.
7. Turn off the heat and add the cheese.
8. Transfer the skillet to the oven and broil for 5 minutes, watching carefully to make sure nothing burns, until the cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown on top.
9. Remove the skillet from the oven and let it sit for about 5 minutes before garnishing and serving.
10. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and lime juice. Serve the dip piping hot with tortilla chips on the side.

Notes

• To make your dip extra creamy, mash the beans with a fork after you add them to the skillet. They will absorb more of the liquid in the pan beautifully!
• You can use other cheese: white cheddar, pepper jack, even a scoop or two of cream cheese along with the Monterey Jack cheese!
• If you don’t want to use beer, you can use chicken or vegetable broth
• I love the green chiles from the Hatch Chile Shop- they’re worlds better than anything canned! They were kind enough to send me a box of their frozen chiles and I cannot recommend them enough.
• Would you like to see how to make it? You can check out my Instagram Reel here!

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @setthetableblog on instagram and hashtag it # setthetableblog

Cocktail Friday: Cilantro Lime Gin Fizz

I'm really good at over-thinking. I take something that should be simple and muck it up with a bunch of complicated nonsense. I'm going to go ahead and keep believing that I'm not totally strange for doing this. Do you over-think? Maybe just a little?

Please say yes.

Today, I'm choosing to think a little less. It'll be a day to clean my mental slate and appreciate the mundane daily tasks that require little thought or planning. Perhaps when the day has ended I'll be able to put my feet up and sip on this fresh cilantro-lime gin fizz. Yes, I think that's just the kind of day I need.

Whether you need a break from all of the thinking or you are looking to scare away the winter blues, this cocktail is the perfect way to begin the weekend. The recipe is simple, resulting in a clean-tasting cocktail offering a hint of summer in these cold winter months. Even for a winter-lover like me, taking a moment to remember the greener days to come is a welcome escape.

Cheers and TGIF!

Cilantro Lime Gin Fizz

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon cilantro leaves, firmly packed
• Juice from 1/2 a lime
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• 1 1/2 oz gin
• 3 oz club soda

Instructions

1. In the bottom of a Collins glass, muddle the cilantro with the honey and lemon juice.
2. Fill the glass to the top with ice, then add the gin.
3. Stir with a stir stick to fully incorporate the honey into the gin.
4. Top with the club soda.
5. Serve with a stir stick and garnish with cilantro leaves and a lime wedge.

Cocktail Friday: Tokyo 75

I've got Tokyo on my mind. Again.

Lately I've been having flashbacks of life in Japan. It's all popping up in my memory like it was yesterday instead of a year and a half ago when we were buying bento lunches and people watching on the other side of the world. I never thought we would live there forever, but was also unaware of how hard it would be to say goodbye. Even now, all these months later, I miss Tokyo just as much (or more) as the day we left.

A couple nights ago, we went to dinner at Izakaya Den with some friends in Denver. Just one look at the menu and I started flashing back to nights out that started with sushi, followed by yakitori and a couple pints, and ended with a a few hours of karaoke. We laughed until our sides ached and ate until we could take another bite. Of course, there were quieter memories that came to mind as well. Like the bike ride to work when we would pass the same elderly gentleman carrying a golf club and preparing to do his morning stretches while gazing over Tokyo at Mt. Fuji. I'm not sure what he was preparing for, but simply witnessing that morning ritual made me love Japan even more.

This cocktail was inspired by the drink I had when we were out for dinner in Denver. Theirs was called a Kyushu 75 and it was bubbly, fresh, and had the perfect hint of yuzu flavor. I've made this Tokyo 75 a bit simpler than the restaurant version but equally as tasty. Prosecco, yuzu juice, a splash of lemon juice, and Angostura bitters are perfectly paired with a piney gin.

It's a small thing, but even the smell of the yuzu juice used here brings me back. So, cheers to the New Year and to remember years past with fondness. I hope you all are soaking up every bit of 2014 and making it a great year to remember.

Tokyo 75

Ingredients

• Prosecco
• 1 1/2 oz gin
• 2 drops Angostura bitters
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• 2 teaspoons yuzu juice (found at Asian grocery stores or online)
• A squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Instructions

1. Combine the gin, bitters, honey, yuzu and lemon juices in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
2. Shake vigorously until chilled.
3. Strain into a champagne glass and top with prosecco.