AFRICAN RED DIP WITH SHRIMP (ATA SAUCE WITH SHRIMP) West African Ata Sauce is based on a homemade red pepper paste, complex with the flavors of many spices. RED PEPPER PASTE: 1/4 C dry red wine 1 t ground red pepper 3/4 t salt 1/4 t ground ginger 1/8 t ground cardamom 1/8 t ground coriander 1/8 t ground nutmeg 1/8 t ground cloves 1/8 t ground cinnamon 1/8 t black pepper 1/8 of a med onion 1 small clove garlic 1/4 C paprika SAUCE: 1 C chili sauce 12 chilled cooked and peeled shrimp To prepare Red Pepper Paste, process all Paste ingredients except paprika in blender until smooth, scraping sides of blender frequently. Heat paprika in 1-quart saucepan 1 minute. Add spice mixture gradually, stirring until smooth. Heat, stirring occasionally, until hot, about 3 minutes. Cool. To prepare Sauce, mix together chili sauce and only 2 tablespoons Red Pepper Sauce (reserve rest in refrigerator for use at another time). Serve Sauce with chilled cooked shrimp. ANCHOVY-GARLIC DIP (BAGNA CAUDA) Meaning "hot bath," Bagna Cauda is an Italian dish that was traditionally served steaming hot as a cold-weather meal, with lots of fresh bread for dipping. 2 cans (2 oz each) anchovy fillets 1/2 C margarine or butter, softened 2 cloves garlic, cut into halves Snipped parsley Vegetable Dippers (See NOTE) or Italian bread sticks Drain anchovies, reserving 1 tablespoon oil. Process anchovies, reserved oil, margarine and garlic in blender on medium speed, scraping sides of blender frequently, about 1 minute. Garnish with parsley. Serve at room temperature with Vegetable Dippers. NOTE: These can include carrot sticks, cauliflower or broccoli flowerets, celery sticks, cucumber or zucchini sticks, green onion pieces, small whole mushrooms, red or green pepper strips, radishes with stems. ARTICHOKE DIP 1 pkg frozen artichoke hearts (10 oz) 1 C sour cream 1 C mayonnaise 1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese PREHEAT OVEN TO 375F. Defrost artichoke hearts and drain. Mix together sour cream, mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese. Add artichoke hearts and mix thoroughly. Turn into a baking dish and bake until hot and bubbly. AVOCADO AND RAISIN DIP 2 avocados, peeled, pitted and chopped 1/2 C raisins 1/2 C oil 1/4 C lime juice 1 t sugar 1 t salt 1/4 t freshly ground pepper Place all ingredients in blender container. Cover and blend on high speed until smooth, about 45 seconds. Serve with raw vegetables, assorted crackers or fried tortillas. BEAN AND GARLIC DIP 2 C cooked pinto beans 1/4 C mayonnaise or salad dressing 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 1 1/2 t ground red chiles 1/4 t salt Dash pepper Tortilla chips Mix all ingredients except tortilla chips. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour. Serve with tortilla chips. GUACAMOLE DIP 1 avocado, peeled and seeded 1 T lemon juice 2 T chopped canned green chiles 1/2 C chopped tomato 2 T mayonnaise 1 t salt 1/8 t garlic powder 4 drops hot pepper sauce Cooked artichokes, chilled (optional) Puree avocado with lemon juice in blender. In small bowl, combine avocado mixture, green chiles, tomato, mayonnaise, salt, garlic powder and hot pepper sauce. Cover and chill 1 hour. Serve with chilled artichokes, if desired. CORN AND WALNUT DIP 2 pkg (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened 1/4 C oil 1/4 C lime juice 1 T ground red chiles 1 T ground cumin 1/2 t salt Dash pepper 1 can (8 3/4 oz) whole kernel corn, drained 1 C chopped walnuts 1 small onion, chopped (about 1/4 C) Beat all ingredients except corn, walnuts and onion in large bowl on medium speed until smooth. Stir in corn, walnuts and onion. Serve with tortilla chips. CURRY DIP 1 C mayonnaise 1 1/2 t curry powder 1/2 t dry mustard 2 t lemon juice 1/8 t salt Fresh cut vegetables or seafood Blend together mayonnaise, curry powder, mustard, lemon juice and salt. Chill and serve as dip for fresh cut vegetables or seafood, if desired. EGGPLANT DIP (BABA GHANNOOJ) 1 med eggplant (about 1 lb) 1 small onion, cut into fourths 1 clove garlic 1/4 C lemon juice 1 T olive or vegetable oil 1 1/2 t salt Vegetable Dippers (See NOTE) Pierce eggplant 3 or 4 times with fork. Bake at 400F until very soft, about 40 minutes. Cool. Pare eggplant and cut into cubes. Process eggplant, onion, garlic, lemon juice, oil and salt in blender on high speed until smooth. Serve with Vegetable Dippers. NOTE: These can include carrot sticks, cauliflower or broccoli flowerets, celery sticks, cucumber or zucchini sticks, green onion pieces, small whole mushrooms, red or green pepper strips, radishes with stems. REFRIED BEAN DIP 1 (29-oz) can refried beans 1 (4-oz) can chopped ripe olives 1/2 C minced onion 1/4 C bottled taco sauce 1 t garlic salt 1 1/4 C shredded cheddar cheese Tortilla chips Combine refried beans, olives, onion, taco sauce, garlic salt and 1 cup cheese. Spoon into 1-quart baking dish and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Bake at 350F 30 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips. SOFT CHEESE DIP 1/4 C butter or margarine, softened 1/2 lb mild cheddar cheese, shredded 2 T minced parsley 1 1/2 T minced jalapeno chile 1/2 t hot pepper sauce 1 T Worcestershire sauce Cream butter until light and fluffy. Add cheese, parsley, jalapeno chile, hot pepper sauce and Worcestershire and beat until smooth. SPICY TUNA DIP 1 (13-oz) can tuna 1 (6.5-oz) jar or can jalapeno chiles, chopped 1 onion, minced 1/2 C mayonnaise Chopped cilantro Tortilla chips (optional) Mix tuna with chopped jalapeno chiles and jalapeno liquid. Add onion to tuna mixture. Stir in mayonnaise until consistency is mushy. Sprinkle cilantro on top and serve with tortilla chips, if desired. Seven Layer Dip 24 ounces refried beans 6 rip avocadoes 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 cup sour cream 4 tablespoons maoynaise 1 package taco seasoning mix 1 bunch green onions, chopped 3 medium tomatoes, chopped 2 ounces sliced black olives 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese On a large round plate, spread beans. Layer mashed avocadoes over the top and sprinkle with lemon juice. Mix sour cream, mayo and taco mix, spread over avocadoes. The green onions and tomatoes make up the next two layers. Spread olives on top, sprinkle with cheese. Serve with chips for dipping. Spinach Dip 8 oz sour cream 1 cup mayonnaise 1/2 teaspoon celery salt 1/2 teaspoon dill 1/2 cup chopped green onions 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed 8 oz water chestnuts, chopped 3 tablespoons chopped bell pepper Combine sour cream, mayo and seasonings. Stire in onions, spinach, water chestnuts and pepper. Cover and refrigerate. Serve with veggies, crackers or bread.