Tasty Recipes from Recipe Wizards

Dips are tailgate mainstays. And there’s good reason: they can be made ahead and require little effort. Dips are crowd-pleasing communal appetizers (just don’t double dip) and the ones party-goers zero in on.

Dips can be fancy or doctored-up versions of package mixes. They’re built on bases of mayonnaise, cream cheese and sour cream. All, of course, spell fat. So it’s OK to substitute reduced-fat or nonfat products and bump up the flavor with fresh herbs. Or spice up the taste with a high-flavor profile cheese and fresh or roasted vegetables.

For an ultra low-fat dip, try yogurt cheese as a base. Here’s how to make it: Take nonfat or low-fat yogurt and place it in a coffee filter lining a colander. Set it over a bowl in the refrigerator and strain the yogurt for at least 4 hours (or overnight) to release the liquid (called whey). The end result is a texture similar to cream cheese without all the fat.

No matter what’s on your menu, when it comes to tailgating the main game plan is to plan ahead and make as much as you can in advance so you can enjoy the party.

Here is a sample checklist: Cut up veggies and make dips two days in advance. Store them individually in plastic sealable bags.

Have an assortment of hot and cold foods. Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. For dips, place the serving bowls on ice to keep them chilled. If you’re serving lots of chicken, use chafing dishes.

Foods like chicken, meat dishes and dips with dairy should stay out no longer than 2 hours unless you keep them at safe temperature s.

Bring plenty of paper towels, napkins and plastic bags for trash.

Have an insulated cooler with ice to keep things cold.

Pack food and beverages separately to avoid cross contamination of any raw meats or poultry.

Pack foods in stackable containers and plastic sealable bags so they lie flat.

WHITE BEAN AND ROASTED GARLIC DIP

Serves: 10 / Preparation time: 10 minutes / Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

You can store this dip covered in the refrigerator for 3 days.

2 whole garlic heads

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 cans (15.5 ounces each) cannellini beans or other white beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley plus more for garnish Baked p ita chips or vegetables for serving Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Cut the top third of garlic heads off so tops of cloves are exposed. Place heads, unpeeled, in ovenproof dish and drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil. Cover with aluminum foil; bake about 30 minutes.

Uncover and bake until the garlic cloves are soft and golden brown, another 30 to 40 minutes. You can make the roasted garlic in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Remove the garlic from the oven and when cool enough to handle, squeeze the soft garlic from the cloves.

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the beans, roasted garlic, remaining 3 tablespoons oil and lemon juice and process until smooth. Add the salt and white pepper. Stir in the parsley.

To serve, transfer to a bowl, garnish with the parsley leaves and serve with pita chips or vegetables.

From “The Food You Crave” by Ellie Krieger (Taunton, $28).

Tested by Susan M. Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.

Analysis per 1/4 cup serving.

145 calories (31 percent from fat ), 5 grams fat (1 gram sat. fat ), 20 grams carbohydrates, 7 grams protein, 94 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol, 4 grams fiber.

MIKE SCHEETZ’S CHEESE DIP

Makes: 3 cups / Preparation time: 10 minutes / Total time: 10 minutes

1 packet Hidden Valley Fiesta Ranch Dip Mix

16 ounces sour cream

1 can (2.25 ounces) chopped black olives, drained

1 can (4 ounces) chopped and peeled chiles

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Crackers or tortilla chips for serving

In a medium bowl mix together all the ingredients. Chill before serving with crackers or tortilla chips.

Submitted by Mike Scheetz of Lansing, Mich.

Tested by Susan M. Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.

Analysis per 1/4 cup.

84 calories (75 percent from fat), 7 grams fat (4 grams sat. fat), 4 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams protein, 256 mg sodium, 73 mg cholesterol, 0 grams fiber.

TWO ONION AND ROASTED RED PEPPER DIP

Makes: 2 cups / Preparation time: 10 minutes / Total time: 10 minutes

The celery in this dip adds a nice crunch. Serve the dip with crackers or baked pita chips.

1 envelope onion soup mix

4 green onions, washed, thinly sliced

16 ounces reduced-fat sour cream

2 jarred roasted red peppers, chopped

1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/2 cup minced celery

In a medium bowl mix together all the ingredients and chill before serving.

From and tested by Susan M. Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.

Analysis per 2 tablespoons.

51 calories (71 percent from fat), 4 grams fat (2 grams sat. fat), 4 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram protein, 226 mg sodium, 12 mg cholesterol, 0 grams fiber.

Stuart Leavenworth, our Chef Apprentice, will occasionally share an Oliveto recipe. Today it’s a sugo – a rustic and intense meat sauce that is spooned on meat dishes at the Oakland restaurant. Chef Paul Canales developed this version for home cooks.

The recipe involves a lot of work and time, but the payoff is huge. The final sauce can be frozen in ice-cube trays and used for months. Try it on pork scallopine, pork chops or roast pork. If you don’t like pork, try it with other cuts of meat, such as scraps of lamb or goat.

Pork sugo

Prep time: 35 minutes

Cook time: 3 hours, 45 minutes

Makes about 1 quart

INGREDIENTS

4 ounces pancetta, thinly sliced

1 pound chicken legs and or thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces with a cleaver

2 pounds pork leg (dark muscle) or shoulder meat, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

1 small carrot, thinly sliced

1 medium bay leaf (Mediterranean variety)

3 cloves

2 quarts homemade meat broth or store-bought substitute

INSTRUCTIONS

Place the pancetta, chicken and pork meat in a heavy-bottomed sauce pot (14 inches in diameter by 9 inches high works best for us in the restaurant) and begin rendering over medium-high heat. As the meat renders fat and liquid, raise the heat to high and add the salt and black pepper.

As the liquid begins to evaporate, the meat will begin to brown. At this point, pay close attention to the pot and adjust the heat down to medium. Be careful to stir the pot only to facilitate building the foundation of residues on the bottom of the pot. Remember, you are working for the residues stuck to the bottom as opposed to nicely browned meat with a clean-bottomed pot.

This initial process should take about 30 minutes, at which time you should add the onion, carrot, bay leaf and cloves, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Continue cooking the mixture until the onions are translucent and the carrots are soft, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Next, begin the deglazing process by raising the heat to high, adding a couple of ladlefuls of broth and scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. As the residues come free, continue cooking over high heat until the liquid begins to reduce to a glaze and form another foundation. At this point, add a few more ladlefuls of broth. Repeat this process 2 more times.

After the final reduction, add the remaining broth, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, achieving a very lazy simmer. Cover with parchment paper and cook for about 2 hours.

To finish the sugo, pass the contents of the pot through the medium dye of a food mill into another pot, taking care to press all the liquid from the solids and scraping any residues from the bottom of the food mill. You should be left with a dry, fibrous mass in the food mill and luxurious, silky sugo in the pot.

While you will have more sugo than needed for a single dish, the rest can be frozen in ice cube trays, with the cubes reserved in a freezer bag.