It’s hip to dip

As families gather for celebrations of the season, there will be plenty of festive food. Impressive hams and holiday roasts anchor Christmas dinner, and the delicate desserts and once-a-year sweets stoke memories of past holidays.

When it’s time to ring in the New Year next week, cooks will welcome simpler fare. Dips have become a traditional way to greet guests or feed a group gathered to cheer on their football teams.

Hot dips are welcoming and familiar, but don’t require much time in the kitchen – perfect when the snow won’t quit.

They can be made ahead and heated just in time for dipping. A fondue pot, small chafing dish, electric warming plate or small slow cooker will keep hot dips melted.

But in the season of excess, creamy hot dips can seem like just one more fat and calorie trap to avoid.

Spokane registered dietitian Patty Seebeck says there are a few easy fixes that can quickly drop the fat and calorie content: Substitute fat-free mayonnaise, yogurt, sour cream and cream cheese for the full-fat versions.

“Often those dips have many strong flavors already happening, so any cutback on fat can be easily hidden,” Seebeck says.

Substituting fat-free mayonnaise in the Hot Crab Dip recipe she shared (below) will save 588 calories and 59 grams of fat.

“Just that one change will decrease each two-tablespoon serving to 75 calories and 5 grams fat,” Seebeck says.

Also, think beyond chips, bagel crisps, crackers and bread for your spread. Fresh vegetables will be welcomed by eaters tired of stuffing themselves with holiday foods, she says.

Peggy Fallon, author of “Great Party Dips,” recommends blanching certain vegetables for a minute or two to brighten the color and soften the texture before serving.

Asparagus, broccoli, broccolini, cauliflower, green beans and snow peas are best blanched. Other vegetables are better raw, she says.

Try offering raw Belgian endive leaves; green, red and yellow bell peppers; carrots; celery; cherry tomatoes; baby corn; cucumbers; Daikon radishes; fennel; jicama; mushrooms; radishes; scallions; sugar snap peas; and zucchini or summer squash.

A colorful array of vegetables will make it easier for people to fill up on nutritious foods and, perhaps, skip the dip altogether.

Here are a few dip recipes to get the party started, including some classics and a few fun variations from Fallon’s “Great Party Dips.”

Hot Crab Dip

1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded and divided

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon ground mustard

1 pound lump crabmeat or 2 (6-ounce cans) crabmeat, drained

Assorted crackers or pita chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix half of the cheese, mayonnaise, Old Bay seasoning, Worcestershire sauce and ground mustard until well blended. Gently stir in crabmeat.

Spoon mixture into 1-quart casserole. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and a dash of Old Bay.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until dip begins to bubble around edges. Serve hot with assorted crackers or pita chips.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings

Hot Artichoke Dip

From “Betty Crocker Cooking Basics.”

4 medium green onions with tops

1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts in water

1/2 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Crackers or cocktail rye bread

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Peel and chop the onions. Drain the artichoke hearts in a strainer; chop into small pieces.

In a 1-quart casserole or small ovenproof serving dish, mix the onions, artichoke hearts, mayonnaise and cheese. Cover with lid or foil; bake 20 to 30 minutes or until hot. Serve dip with crackers.

Note: To lighten up the artichoke dip to where it has 5 grams fat and 90 calories per serving, use 1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt and 3 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise in place of the 1/2 cup mayonnaise.

Yield: 12 servings

Approximate nutrition per serving: 150 calories, 11 grams fat (66 percent fat calories), 3 grams protein, 9 grams carbohydrate, 5 milligrams cholesterol, 1 gram dietary fiber.

Goat Cheese Marinara with Shredded Basil

From “Great Party Dips,” by Peggy Fallon. Serve with baguette slices, crackers, rosemary focaccia or crostini.

1 small log (5 ounces) of soft white goat cheese (chevre)

1 cup marinara sauce

4 large basil leaves

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the goat cheese into rounds about 1/2 inch thick. Arrange the slices in a single layer in a 2-cup gratin or other small baking dish. Spoon the marinara over the cheese.

Bake until the sauce is bubbly hot and the cheese has softened but still holds its shape, 10 to 15 minutes.

Stack the basil leaves on top of each other and roll lengthwise into a tight cylinder. Cut crosswise into thin slices. Scatter the basil over the hot marinara sauce and serve at once.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Deviled Shrimp with Bacon

From “Great Party Dips,” by Peggy Fallon. Serve with crackers, baked pita chips, won ton crisps or crostini, and a colorful array of crudités.

8 ounces uncooked medium shrimp in the shell

6 ounces lean thick-sliced bacon

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 1/2 teaspoons prepared white horseradish

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 scallions, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the shrimp and cook just until pink and slightly curled, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Drain and rise under cold water. When cool enough to handle, peel and devein the shrimp. Chop coarsely.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until nicely browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain on paper towels, then chop finely.

In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, all but 1 tablespoon of the parmesan cheese, the horseradish, lemon juice and cayenne. Mix until well blended.

Stir in the shrimp, bacon and scallions. Scrape the mixture into a small gratin or other shallow baking dish, spreading into an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon of parmesan over the top.

Bake for about 20 minutes, until the mixture is bubbly hot and the top is lightly browned. Serve warm, right from the baking dish.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings, about 2 cups

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