~ "By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; Through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures." ~ "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing" ~ "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." ~ "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."~

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Kopanisti Dip...Whipped Feta and Red Pepper Dip



Kopanisti Dip...Whipped Feta and Red Pepper Dip/Spread. A week ago, I came across this dip on Tastespotting. Since then, I found it here and here and here. It sounded delicious and very easy to whip up. I knew I wanted to try it. I just love unique dips. Because I had all the ingredients, I whipped it up in no time. This recipe came together rather quickly. Ok, maybe it was because I had some ready-made roasted peppers on hand:). I had bought these peppers from Costco, and wanted to see if they were just as good as the homemade ones. They didn't have any preservatives... just peppers, salt, vinegar, water and grape juice. Plus, they were Florinas peppers ... supposedly the best peppers to use for this dip. The Florinas peppers are distinguished by their cone shape and scarlet color, and cultivated in the eastern part of Greece. Greek dip, Greek peppers... now, that should work. So I gave them a try:). They did the job! This dip was definitely easy to do. Simple. Different. You can roast your own peppers, and it would be just as delicious, if not better. Actually, I think I will roast my peppers next time... just to see the difference. There are so many variations to this dip...Some use sundried tomatoes, others use just the cheese without any bell peppers, while still others add a few pepperonchini peppers. Ingredients and amounts can vary...but the cheese is the star. Traditionally, it should be the Kopanisti cheese found in Greece, therefore the name. But, feta cheese can be substituted. A lot of the dips use quite a bit of feta. So, if you don't like feta....well, that could pose a problem:)...maybe you could substitute some milder cheese. The neat thing about making this at home, is that you can play around with the amounts to suit your liking. Use less feta or use more bell peppers...add more garlic or don't put so much. It is up to you. This is how I made mine and liked it. Hope you enjoy!
You will need:
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
2-3 TBS Olive Oil, you might want to add more
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 TBS fresh mint (optional)
red pepper flakes (optional)
1 roasted red pepper, skin peeled
pepper to taste
cumin, to taste, very optional (my addition, liked it better, actually)
a pinch of sugar, in case your dip is a bit on the sour side(I think my peppers were a bit on the sour side)

Directions:
Combine all the ingredients(except the oil) into a food processor and blend together. Drizzle olive oil until it becomes smooth. You might need to add more than the 2-3 TBS. I just limit the amount of oil I use....though it does bring it together quite nicely. It also tastes better with more oil:).
Taste and adjust seasoning for red pepper flakes. Add pepper if needed. Blend again until smooth. Serve with pita/naan/ crusty bread. I think this dip tastes better as it sits, so the flavors blend.

7 comments:

Carrie said...

Wow, sounds fabulous! I love the color.

Sailaja Damodaran said...

Sounds very easy.....any replacement for feta?

Ellie said...

Carrie,
Thanks for stopping by...It is a beautiful color for sure:)

Sailaja,
I really haven't substituted any other cheese, though you might be able to use some queso fresco,cotija cheese...or even a mild goat cheese, cream cheese. Hope that helps.~Ellie

Gloria Baker said...

I love this, look absolutely tasty and yummy!! gloria

Ellie said...

Gloria,
Thanks for your kind comment.... and for stopping by!~Ellie

Anonymous said...

I made today this recipe without knowing that your website is about romanian food. The dish was delicius so I went again to your website and I saw that it was romanian. The food from your country is so tasty...Lovely country with lovely people and food :)

Ellie said...

Anon, Oh, I am so glad you enjoyed the Kopanisti dip:)... glad you came back again.

Yes, I do love Romanian food, which is why I have a special place for the food I grew up with:). But I do also love trying out other cuisines... and I never tire looking for new and unique recipes. So I blog about those as well...

Thanks for stopping by and sharing your feedback.... and your kind words. I really appreciate it!