Big flavor in a little cup.

February 25, 2010

Jackson’s Lunch:

• Vegetable Soup with Whole-Wheat Crackers
• Veggies with Walnut-Feta Dip
• Blood Orange Segments
• Raisins

I love dips, so consequently we typically have at least one on hand.  Ideally, I’d like to try a new recipe every week, but that never happens.  My go-to dip has always been hummus, but this week I was determined to give a new dip recipe a go. 

I decided on Walnut-Feta Dip because I had a lot of both walnuts and feta cheese in the fridge.  It was relatively quick to whip up, and the results are very tasty.  The real test, though, was whether or not Jackson would like it. 

 Jackson generally likes dips, too.  I believe his love for them, however, stems more from the potential mess factor of dipping something into a gooey mass rather than from the yum factor as it does for me.  Either way, he took one taste and immediately gave me two thumbs up.  “Mmm,” is what I believe he said; it was difficult to tell since his mouth was still full.

Both of his teachers commented today on how good it both looked and smelled, so I told them I’d share the recipe with them.  I’ll share it here, too.

Walnut-Feta Dip*

1/2 cup walnuts

3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 small clove of garlic, peeled

Toast the walnuts in a 375 degree oven for 7 to 10 minutes or until fragrant.  Let cool slightly.

Combine all ingredients, including walnuts, in a food processor.  Whiz until smooth.  Scrape down sides and whiz again. 

Super simple and really yummy on veggies or crackers.  And since it isn’t at all runny, it works great in a packed lunch.

*Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray’s “Feta and Walnut Dip” on Foodnetwork.com.