Chips and Dips for Any Occasion

Chips and dips are the ultimate party food, perfect for everything, from tailgating to cocktail parties.

And on "The Early Show" Friday, Lucinda Scala Quinn, food director of Martha Stewart's "Every Day Food", suggested a variety of dips for any occasion.

Chips and dips, she said, may be prepared in advance for easy party planning, and the recipes can be expanded or shrunk depending on the size of your guest list. Also, Quinn noted, they can be served indoors or outdoors, as most dips can be served at room temperature or slightly warmed.

Chips and dips have been part of world cuisine for years, Quinn said. In the Middle East and the Mediterranean, for instance, dipping chips, and other finger foods are an integral part of their ethnic cuisines and food traditions. Hummus, Quinn said, is one of the oldest recorded dips in history.

What is key to a chip and dip dish? First decide what flavors you want to emphasize, according to Quinn, and then decide what sort of "dipping mechanism" you want to serve it with. Regular potato chips? Tortilla chips? Vegetable sticks? Baguettes? The vehicle for the dip will help you dictate the dish's formality.

FOR TAILGATING PARTY:
This is a dip that works really well for your favorite sporting event as it's a great salsa, but not completely traditional. It has the creaminess of avocado and a small bite of fruity flavor in the mango. Perfect for a heavy tortilla chip, this will be sure to wow people who come over to watch the game. If you want to prepare ahead of time, mix the dip ingredients without the avocado, which oxidizes easily, and add the avocado right before serving.

Mango and Avocado Salsa

Makes 3 cups

1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and diced medium
1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and diced medium
1 small red onion, diced small
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 to 1 habanero chile (stem and seeds removed), minced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
Directions
1. In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Serve with tortilla chips

FOR A FORMAL PARTY:
Slightly warmed dips make a great choice for more formal occasions. This dip is creamy, it's classic, and if you whip it up in a souffle dish, it can go straight from your oven to the table. Cut up a couple of cut baguette slices, and you have a crowd pleaser that really works. Also, it can be made in advance and refrigerated before warming.

Artichoke-Spinach Dip

Ingredients
Serves 8; makes about 2 cups
5 artichokes, tough outer leaves removed, stems and tops of leaves trimmed
5 lemons
2 cups tightly packed baby spinach
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons shredded part-skim mozzarella
1 tablespoon shredded Parmesan cheese
1 whole-wheat baguette (9 ounces), cut on the diagonal into 1/4-inch-thick slices and toasted
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place artichokes in a large stockpot; cover with water by 3 inches. Halve 4 lemons; squeeze juice into water, and add rinds. Bring to a boil. Cover; cook 20 minutes. Transfer artichokes to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet; let drain upside down. Let cool completely. Remove leaves, reserving 3 cups. For each artichoke, trim inner part to the heart; scrape out fuzzy choke, and discard, reserving heart.
2. Put spinach into a steamer basket set over boiling water. Cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Let cool. Squeeze out water, and coarsely chop spinach.
3. Pulse artichoke hearts, the finely grated zest and juice of remaining lemon, the mayonnaise, shallot, garlic, ricotta, salt, and cayenne in a food processor until combined; season with pepper. Transfer to an ovenproof dish. Stir in spinach and 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon mozzarella. Sprinkle with Parmesan and the remaining tablespoon mozzarella.
4. Heat dip in oven 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Preheat broiler. Broil dip until edges are bubbling and top is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve dip with artichoke leaves and toasted baguette. Serve dip with artichoke leaves and toasted baguette.

FOR AN OUTDOOR PICNIC:
This dip works really well for a picnic or outdoor soiree. The dip can be made entirely ahead of time. In fact, if you make this a day ahead of time, the flavors will marry nicely. It brings some welcome outdoor fresh flavor to al fresco party. Also, the corn and the tomato are both in season at the moment, which make this the perfect end of summer dip.

Corn Dip with Tomatoes and Basil

Serves 4; makes about 1 3/4 cups
1 3/4 cups fresh corn kernels (from 2 ears) or frozen kernels
1/3 cup 2 percent milk
1/3 cup silken tofu
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper
8 cherry tomatoes, quartered, or 2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
3 cups baked white-corn chips (6 ounces)
Directions
1. Cook corn and milk in a skillet over medium-high heat until corn is tender, 7 to 9 minutes. Let cool completely.
2. Puree 2/3 cup corn mixture, the tofu, lime juice, and salt in a food processor; season with pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl, and stir in remaining corn mixture, the tomatoes, and basil. Serve with chips. Dip can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 day.

For a cocktail party dip recipe, go to Page 2.

FOR A COCKTAIL PARTY:
When you aren't serving dinner, you are looking for something a little extra in your chips and dips. This dip has a really nice heavy texture, which will make your guests feel satisfied. Also, this can be served with pita chips, baguettes or veggie sticks, allowing for variety.

Roasted Eggplant Dip

Serves 8

1 large eggplant
4 garlic cloves (skin on)
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for serving
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
Paprika, for garnish (optional)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place eggplant and garlic on a rimmed baking sheet and rub with 2 tablespoons oil. Roast until garlic is soft and golden, 20 minutes. Remove garlic and set aside. Continue to roast eggplant until soft and deflated, 20 to 25 minutes more. Let cool 20 minutes.
2. Slice eggplant open and scrape flesh into the bowl of a food processor. Peel garlic and add to bowl, along with lemon juice, tahini, salt, and 2 tablespoons oil. Process until smooth. (To store, refrigerate, up to 2 days.) Serve drizzled with more oil and a sprinkle of paprika if desired.
Serve with pita wedges