It’s day 12 of my 24 day Christmas cooking marathon. I’m half way through and want to celebrate by sharing my new absolutely all-time favorite dip. You have to try this scrumptious appetizer. The red and green colors are perfect for this time of year and you won’t believe how good it is. I can’t help myself from grabbing a spoonful of the cranberry mixture every time I walk by the refrigerator, it’s that good! I also plan to replace my usual cooked cranberry chutney with this delicious raw cranberry mixture for our Christmas dinner. It will be delicious with either turkey or ham.
You might be skeptical and wonder how tart fresh cranberries and jalapenos can work together, but trust me, they do, and once you add the cream cheese you will become a believer! I’ve even stocked up on cranberries and am storing them in the freezer so I can make this year round. This dip will remind you a little of the cream cheese and green pepper jelly dip that was so popular a few years ago.
This recipe is from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe blog. Mel has some great recipes, so when you have time, you should check her blog out.
To begin, gather your ingredients which are: fresh cranberries, green onions, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, sugar, cumin, lemon juice salt and cream cheese. Oh, you will also need crackers for serving. Choose a sturdy variety because the cream cheese can be pretty stiff.
To get started, rinse your cranberries and drain well. Put your cranberries in your food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add minced green onions, chopped cilantro and a jalapeno pepper that you have seeded and finely minced. Additionally, add your sugar, cumin, lemon juice and salt. Pulse the ingredients until everything has been well mixed and your ingredients are finely chopped. Don’t over process though, you still want some texture and you want to still be able to see flecks of the jalapeno and cilantro. Transfer your mixture to a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours to allow your flavors to marry.
When you are ready to serve, either soften your cream cheese, spread in a pie plate and spread the cranberry mixture evenly over the top, or simply put a block of cream cheese on a plate and spoon the cranberry mixture on top. Serve with crackers.
Thank you for visiting my blog! I hope you try out this recipe. Please feel free to share to share with your friends and if you do make it or any of the other recipes you find here, please come back and comment to let me know how you liked it.
| Servings |
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries rinsed and drained
- 4-5 green onions finely minced
- 1/4 cup cilantro or parsley finely chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper with seeds and ribs removed, finely minced
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 2 packages cream cheese softened 8 oz packages
Ingredients
|
- Pulse the cranberries in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Add, green onions, cilantro or parsley, and jalapeno pepper. Pulse a few more times to mix.
- Add sugar, cumin, lemon juice and salt and pulse until throughly mixed.
- Transfer your mixture to a bowl and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Store in your refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours to allow the flavors time to marry.
- When ready to serve, either spread the softened cream cheese evenly in a pie plate and top with the cranberry mixture or, simply put a block of cream cheese on a plate and spoon the cranberry mixture on top.
- Serve with sturdy crackers.
You go girl!!! YOu are an inspiration.