Go for a dip

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This article was published 02/04/2025 (460 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It almost felt like it was going to last, didn’t it?

In typical Winnipeg fashion, last month’s momentary spring was rudely interrupted by a late-season snowstorm and a return to wintry conditions. Lousy Smarch weather.

Due to the recent “dip” in temperature, this week’s Homemade is an homage to, you guessed it, dips.

Unlike certain seasonal dishes, dips are a year-round affair stirred up for parties, raw vegetable tolerance and, for followers of the Oliver Putnam Diet, full meals. (Martin Short’s character in Only Murders in the Building harbours an “unhealthy relationship with dips” and exclusively eats dips for dinner, often with a spoon.)

While I’ve never spooned hummus straight into my mouth, I’ve definitely treated it as a main on days I don’t feel like cooking. And most of the hot and cold dips below could easily make for a standalone meal.

Enjoy recipes for Cowboy Caviar from Leslie Pitchford, Cucumber Chip Dip from Julie Leefe and Hot Hamburger or Bean Dip from Helen Goerzen.

For the next instalment of Homemade, I’m looking for Easter recipes. Visit Homemade to fill out the submission form.

eva.wasney@winnipegfreepress.com

Cowboy Caviar

• 1 can (540 ml) black-eyed peas
• 1 can (341 ml) corn kernels
• 1 avocado, cubed
• 160 ml (2/3 cup) green onions, chopped
• 160 ml (2/3 cup) cilantro, chopped
• 60 ml (3/4 cup) Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) red wine vinegar
• 7.5 to 10 ml (11/2 to 2 tsp) hot sauce
• 7.5 ml (11/2 tsp) olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Drain canned ingredients. Add everything to a bowl and mix until combined. Let chill or serve immediately with tortilla chips.

“A favourite of mine, always a hit, fresh and delicious.”

— Leslie Pitchford

Cucumber Chip Dip

• 1 field cucumber or 1/2 English cucumber, washed
• 1 250-g pkg cream cheese
• 45 ml (3 tbsp) mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 10 ml (2 tsp) sugar
• Salt and pepper, to taste

If using a field cucumber, peel, cut lengthwise and remove seeds with a spoon. No need to peel or de-seed if using an English cucumber. Dice into 1/2-inch pieces.

Dice cream cheese into 12 cubes.

In the bowl of a food processor, layer ingredients as follows: half of the cucumber, half of the cream cheese, remainder of the cucumber, remainder of the cream cheese. Add mayonnaise, green onion, sugar, salt and pepper.

Pulse until combined, stopping to scrape down the sides once or twice. Don’t over-process; this dip will have some body to it. Refrigerate before serving (can be made a day ahead). Serve with plain ripple, tortilla or pita chips.

“My mom, Marge Parks-Woloshyn (Flin Flon, 1925-2017), used to make this for family gatherings and the tradition has been carried down the generations. It seems like everyone who tries this dip loves it. Double the recipe if hosting more than 10 guests. It disappears in a flash with our crew.”

— Julie Leefe

Hot Hamburger or Bean Dip

• 1 large onion, diced
• 900 g (2 lbs) lean ground or 250 ml (1 cup) each celery and zucchini, diced
• 225 g (1/2 lb) Velveeta cheese, diced
• 1 (284 ml) can tomato soup
• 1 (284 ml) can mushroom soup
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 10 ml (2 tsp) chili powder
• 7.5 ml (1/2 tsp) garlic salt
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 hot banana pepper, whole
• 1 large can pork and beans or kidney beans
• 45 ml (3 tbsp) flour or cornstarch

To a pan over medium heat, add onion and ground beef, or vegetables if making vegetarian, and cook until browned.

Add cooked onion and beef or vegetables to a slow cooker or large oven-safe dish. Add remaining ingredients, reserving the flour or cornstarch.

Set the slow cooker to high and let simmer for about an hour, or preheat the oven to 375 F and bake for 1 hour.

Stir in flour or cornstarch part way through cooking. If using cornstarch, make a slurry with water before adding. The dip will thicken as it cools.

Serve warm with taco chips or fresh vegetables.

“I have made this recipe for years. It’s also yummy to add to a taco salad. It freezes well. Oh, did I mention that it feeds a crowd? It’s a never-fail go-to recipe.”

— Helen Goerzen

Eva Wasney
Reporter

Eva Wasney has been a reporter with the Free Press Arts & Life department since 2019. Read more about Eva.

Every piece of reporting Eva produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.