Spinach Dip: Cold

Now, my basic recipe for cold spinach dip.  Most spinach dip you can buy at the store is so light on the spinach that it seems like you are putting just a blob of mayo on your cracker.  I like my spinach dip to actually have some spinach in it, and since it is so damn easy to make, I always make my own instead of buying it.

I really like the crunch of water chestnuts in this dip.  Adding chopped green onion, a kick of hot peppers, or fresh dill can make a nice variation.

1 (10 oz.) package frozen spinach, thawed and very well drained
1/2 c real mayo
1 tbsp milk or cream
1/3 c water chestnuts (canned), drained, chopped
1/4 tsp each salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper

Stir everything together well and season to taste.  Add more mayo for a creamier dip; add more milk for a thinner dip.

If you want to use fresh baby spinach for the dip instead of frozen, you can sautee chopped fresh spinach in a little butter or oil, tossing until the spinach is wilted.  Just be sure to let it cool before using in the recipe.

I love cold spinach dip with water crackers, but like the hot version, it goes well on just about anything.

Happy Holiday eating!

Spinach Dip: Hot

I love spinach dip in all its forms, cold, hot, with or without artichokes... all kinds.  Cold or hot, it's great for either a homey snack, or for a holiday party table.  Plus, no matter how fatty it is, you can comfort yourself in knowing it is chock-full of healthy spinach.  I am going to give my basic recipe for both hot and cold spinach dips.  First, the hot.

For this recipe, you can use whatever cheeses you like, but white cheeses look best, I think, and parmesan is a must for sprinkling on top.  You can also add other veggies to this basic format, such as red peppers, or the classic artichoke hearts.

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp finely minced yellow, white, or green onion
1 large bag baby spinach, washed, thoroughly dried, excess stems picked out, and roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, finely minced (or pressed in a garlic presser)
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
2 tsp fresh parsley, chopped (or 1/2 tsp dried)
a few grinds black pepper
salt to taste (about 1/2 tsp)
1 tbsp flour
1/2 c cream
2 oz. white cheddar, shredded
2 oz. mozzarella, shredded
1/4 c parmesan, grated, divided

In a large non-stick pan, sautee onions in butter for two minutes; stir in garlic, crushed red pepper, parsley, black pepper, and salt; add fresh spinach and toss until spinach wilts, a few minutes.  (You can use frozen spinach, thawed and well-drained, instead).)  In a small cup or bowl, mix flour into cream until fully incorporated.  Pour spinach into a baking dish; stir in shredded cheeses, half the parmesan, and cream mixture; mix everything together.  Flatten out the top of the dip, and sprinkle the remaining parmesan on top.  Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until dip is hot and bubbling.  If you want, for a browner "crust" on top, you can then finish the dip under the broiler for 2-3 minutes.

Warm, bubbly spinach dip is great with tortilla chips, bread, or veggies.  I like to serve it with pita I cut into triangles, lightly seasoned and toasted.  This dip goes with just about anything.

Happy Holiday eating!

Soup's On, Part IV: Confetti Black Bean Soup

This soup is the easiest yet.  This type of black bean soup is brothy, with whole beans, instead of thick with pureed beans.  I like to make it with plenty of brightly colored veggies, hence "confetti." 

Instead of yellow or white onions, I like to use green onions in this soup, for their nice sharp flavor as well as bright green color.  But, any sort of onion will do, even red onions if you like them.  Most of these ingredients are things I keep around, but if I don't have them all, leaving something out here or there is totally fine. You should adjust amounts to your preference and ingredient availability, but here is a general format to start with:

Canola or other veggie oil
3 green onions, white and green parts, chopped
1 roasted red pepper (a few tablespoons), chopped
1/4 c sweet corn, frozen or canned
1 can black beans, with the canned liquid
2 tbsp mild green chiles, chopped
3-4 cups very good veggie stock, plus extra water
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
dash of garlic
black pepper
fresh cilantro

Sautee the onions in a few tablespoons of oil for just a minute or two, and then add in the other ingredients.  I use the liquid from the canned beans, plus about 3 cups each veggie stock and water, to produce the broth for the soup.  After the soup has simmered together for a few minutes, taste for seasoning, and add salt or seasonings as necessary.  Fresh cilantro and some crunchy tortilla strips make a nice garnish for this super-easy soup.

Happy eating!

Festive Decor

For my final Thanksgiving-related post, I wanted to show you a few of the things I did for decor.  I rarely have a reason to really deck out the table, so I wanted to make the dinner special.  I used my nice china (which isn't anything super exotic or fancy, but still, nice) and set the table with my pretty gold and silver snowflake napkins.  I used a tablecloth instead of the matching snowflake placemats, and instead used one of the placemats as the base for a centerpiece.

The centerpiece was just the sparkly placemat with miscellaneous gourds which I had sprayed with gold glitter.  Yes, I sprayed the gourds with glitter.  It was more subtle than you might think.  And, it added a little sparkle when the flames from the candles hit the glitter.  I had several more gourds, but some of them started to get soft and rot.  Bummer.  By then, I couldn't find any more of those little gourds anywhere!  The stores were cleared out.  So my centerpiece was a little sparse, but it worked out alright.

One fun thing I was excited about, decor-wise, were these little mulitcolored leaf-shaped dishes I found.  They are super cute.  They don't really match the gold and silver color scheme I was going for, but I just couldn't resist.  I used them on an appetizer tray to hold olives and gherkins.

Creating pretty decor and table settings helps make a meal special.  Any young kid knows that it is fun to play dress-up once in a while; it's fun to do that with meals, too.

Happy eating!