This is a print preview of "Taco Dip Platter + New House Tour!" recipe.

Taco Dip Platter + New House Tour! Recipe
by Kristin

10 hours, 2 truck loads, and 8 family members and friends later…we are in the new house – HOORAY!

Thank you all so much for hangin’ in there with me while we’re getting settled in. I don’t think I’ve ever been more exhausted in my entire life, though I’m sure it’s nothing compared to how Ben et al. are still feeling after the marathon box and furniture moving sesh that started bright and early on Saturday morning with coffee and sustenance from The Dunk!

We fueled up then moved…and moved, and moved (and moved, and moved, and moved!)

10 hours later every item we own had been taken out of our old place, and put into the new one. After our last move I said we would never do it again without professional movers. Ben, who “likes” moving, now agrees. We’re getting too old for this much heavy lifting! ; )

At the end of the day, and after a much-needed round of showers (it did end up being the hottest day of the year so far!) we celebrated with Chipotle for dinner and fireball shots for the men…which they took then promptly passed out. ; )

Welcome to the new crib!

The two features of this house that really sold us are the kitchen (show ya’ in a sec) and the outdoor living area, complete with a serene koi pond with waterfalls and fountains, and a lushly landscaped yard.

We came from a house with virtually zero landscaping, to a house with maintenance-requiring plants on all 4 sides of the house. I know, what have we gotten ourselves into, but gosh, it sure is calming and pleasant.

We’ll probably have to scale back some of the plants, but that’s a decision for another day.

Oh, Mr. Bullfrog says hello!

The other part of the house that immediately spoke to me was the immaculate kitchen.

Every finish was something I’d pick out myself if I were to build my own kitchen from scratch, and I could not be happier with it. It’s absolutely gorgeous, and SO functional.

Check out my lid drawer – WHEE!

The outdoor space also has a wonderful kitchen, complete with an all-season fridge for quick beer access, a sink with disposal for easy cleanup, and a gas line-fed grill, which means no propane tanks to mess around with.

Last night Ben and I broke ‘er in and grilled steaks and asparagus for our first real home-cooked dinner. I used this steak marinade recipe > on a couple of shoulder tenders.

And tossed fresh asparagus with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper, then rolled them around on the hot grates for a few minutes.

Now, although it was blazing hot the day we moved, at least it wasn’t blazing hot AND raining, which is what Mother Nature’s been dishing out since the morning after our move (save for a few hours around dinnertime last night!)

That being said, I’ve had little to no desire to turn the oven on, so Sunday afternoon I made Ben and myself a Taco Dip Platter to dunk and crunch on for a light lunch/dinner.

Taco-spiced plain Greek yogurt is spread with Chipotle hummus and a bevy of taco-inspired toppings like chopped tomatoes, black olives, crisp lettuce, and shredded cheddar cheese. Dunked and devoured with an array of dippers. I made a similar dish almost exactly a year ago – Greek Dip Platter – with Mediterranean ingredients, which I ended up eating all summer long. This was just as delicious.

I don’t know about you, but my appetite seems to wane a bit when it’s hot and humid, and this easy dip platter is cooling and light – but still plenty filling from the protein-rich Greek yogurt and hummus. Serve for lunch, dinner, or even put out at a party!

Start by mixing 6oz plain Greek yogurt with 1 teaspoon salt-free taco seasoning. I have this Frontier taco seasoning that I really like, otherwise you can make your own! Here’s my recipe >

Spread that onto a plate with a lip.

Nesx layer on 8oz hummus. I used (gasp!) Sabra’s Chipotle hummus instead of my standard red pepper, to get an extra-smokey, taco-y flavah. Really liked it a lot.

Now layer on 1/4 cup salsa. I had a bunch of Sabra salsa leftover from my Mini Salsa Turkey Meatloaves, but just use whatever you’ve got on hand.

Next piiiile on the toppings (my favorite part.) I added chopped tomato, sliced black olives, shredded romaine, and hand-shredded cheddar cheese. Add whatever it is you’d normally put on your tacos!

Lay out a bunch of crunchy dunkers like tortilla chips, sliced cucumbers, and carrots, then dig in!

Taco Dip Platter

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

Directions:

Spread hummus on the bottom of a deep plate. Mix taco seasoning with Greek yogurt then spread on top of hummus. Dallop salsa on top followed by remaining toppings. Serve with tortilla chips and sliced/chopped fresh veggies.

Check out those layers of flavor!

I enjoyed the crispy veggies, but the salty tortilla chips were just divine with this dip. Triscuits would be good too – it’s all up to you! Enjoy!