Creamy Whipped Feta

This post is sponsored by Nikos Feta.

Have you ever whipped feta cheese? 

If the answer is no, buckle your seat belt and get out your food processor. You are in for quite a ride (or at least, your food processor is in for a quite a workout).

This recipe is super simple, but totally changes the character of feta. The rich and tangy flavor that's usually packaged in chewy little crumbles infuses this smooth, creamy, and versatile dip. I enjoyed this whipped feta with fresh asparagus spears, carrot sticks, and my favorite gluten-free crackers, but the possibilities are limitless. (It MAY have crossed my mind to use this instead of tomato sauce on a pizza, maybe with roasted red peppers and fresh mozzarella balls, too. Doesn't that sound amazing?)

Nikos Feta works beautifully in this dip. It's not as overwhelmingly salty as some fetas are, but still has the wonderfully sharp and distinctive flavor that feta is famous for. It's sold in a block or in a tub of crumbles, and either one will work for this recipe! I used their traditional feta, but I bet this would also be great with one of their other flavors (tomato basil, perhaps?). You can see all the different flavors here.

Sweet Potato & Roasted Garlic Hummus

Is it spring yet?  It's still freezing here.  Also, yesterday was so windy that I ended up getting dust and tiny pebbles blown into my eyes several times during my ten-minute walk to the train.  A little early-spring sandstorm right here in Boston.  Needless to say, I was not a fan.

I'm trying to keep my food springy, in hopes that the weather will follow suit.  So, here is some paleo (chickpea-free) hummus.  It's a little sweet from the sweet potato, but with lots of savory flavor from the tahini, a whole head of roasted garlic, and some garlic-infused olive oil.  Don't be intimidated by the large quantity of garlic--it mellows out as it roasts, and the flavor is amazing.  Your house will smell amazing, too.

Chickpea Mushroom Spread

In my last post, I shared a recipe for gambas al ajillo inspired by my meal at Solea.  The other thing I was dying to try at home was Solea's chickpea spread, which they bring at the beginning of the meal with a basket of crusty bread.  It's really delicious!  I could tell it had chickpeas in it (plus, it was adorably garnished with one whole chickpea), but I couldn't tell what made it so much richer, and so different from, hummus.

Luckily, our waiter didn't mind telling us the other key ingredient--porcini mushrooms!  I had never cooked with them before, and they smelled really funky before they were reconstituted.  But, it was worth it.  I was rewarded with this hearty dip, which I think is just as good as what I had at Solea.

Ingredients (makes about 1 1/2 cups):

1 15 ounce can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Juice of half a lemon, or to taste
Salt to taste
1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, plus more for serving
1/4 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
Paprika for serving, optional

Place the porcini mushrooms in a small bowl, and pour in very hot water to cover.  Let sit for 30 minutes.  Drain, reserving the soaking water, rinse, and pat dry.

Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat, and saute the mushrooms for about five minutes.

In a food processor, combine the chickpeas, lemon juice, salt, and mushrooms.  Turn the processor on and add the half cup of olive oil in a steady stream (you can use less oil and more mushroom water if you'd like).  If the spread seems too dry, add the mushroom soaking water a tablespoon at a time and process until smooth.

Taste for seasonings and adjust if needed.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with paprika, if desired.  Serve with crusty bread or vegetables for dipping.