Cheering on a lively, healthy carrot dip good for tailgating or any time

Three cheers for the Baylor Bears, who won our college’s homecoming game this past weekend. And three cheers for Carrot Dip; since last year’s homecoming, I’d saved the recipe in my file to make for this year’s tailgate party. In the middle of a weekend of fast-food and not-always-healthy eating it gave us a reason to bring out the veggies for digging into a tasty and healthy dip.

I shredded enough fresh carrots to make 1 1/2 cups and also chopped green onions to make 1/3 cup. All this was folded into a mixture of fat-fee sour cream, low-fat mayo, and low-fat cream cheese (I use Neufchatel). Seasonings included lower-sodium soy sauce, prepared horseradish, salt, and pepper.

Dippers were zucchini sticks, red Bell pepper strips, fresh carrot chips, and three varieties of chips. The recipe (courtesy www.bhg.com) called for using an electric mixer to make the mixture smooth (before you fold in shredded carrots and green onions), but mine turned out plenty smooth just by beating it with a wooden spoon. (This also saved having to clean up the beaters for the electric mixer). The recipe advised chilling the dip in a covered container for from 4 to 24 hours and not to prepare further ahead than this, or the dip would become too thin. I stuck within the 24-hour limit; everything was just fine, but I can see how very much beyond this might affect consistency.

We feasted and fested and lavished in our annual weekend with family and friends at our alma mater. Carrot Dip helped make things wonderful.

Carrot Dip

1/2 of an 8-ounce carton sour cream

1/2 of an 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing

2 teaspoons soy sauce (I used the lower-sodium variety)

1 1/2 teaspoons prepared horseradish (optional)

1/4 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups finely shredded carrots

1/3 cup chopped green onions

dippers such as flatbreads, crackers, tortilla chips, celery sticks, sweet pepper strips, jicama sticks, and/or zucchini sticks

In a medium mixing bowl beat together sour cream, cream cheese, mayonnaise, soy sauce, horseradish (if using), salt, and pepper. Use an electric mixer and beat until smooth. Stir in shredded carrots and green onions until combined. Cover and chill for 4 to 24 hours (do not prepare further ahead than this, or the dip will become too thin). Keep the dip chilled while you are transporting it. Stir dip before you serve with dippers. Makes about 2 cups dip (approximately 10 servings).