Creamy Spinach Dip

Alright folks - listen up: there is less than one month left until the Super Bowl!! Now, I am not really a huge football fan... I am more into the social aspects of the whole football thing, but the one thing I do know about football related events is my job at said events. My job when it comes to football and the Super Bowl is very important - I am the party planner, menu planner and chef extraordinaire!! So, my apologies to those of you who don't get caught up in the hype of the whole football thing, but leading up to the Super Bowl, there will likely be a lot of party dishes and appetizer ideas posted here... just sayin'!

But really, who can have enough appetizer recipes? I sure can't; I'm always bookmarking something for a later date or far off occasion. Sooo I'm sure you can put these recipes to good use regardless of whether you're into the Super Bowl hype or not.

I made this spinach dip for Christmas eve this year and it was a hit. I've made it many times and someone always asks for the recipe. So I'm going to share it with you! A little secret - its dead easy. So here we go:

Creamy Spinach Dip
Recipe minimally adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients:

• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup sour cream (recipe calls for fat free, but I always use full fat)
• 1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan, divided
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 2 (8 oz) blocks cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and thoroughly drained

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine 1 1/2 cups mozza, sour cream, 2 tbsp parmesan, pepper, garlic, artichoke hearts, cream cheese and spinach. Mix until evenly blended. Turn mixture out into baking dish and level mixture into an even layer. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozza and 2 tbsp parmesan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Serve with fresh bread, crostini or tortilla chips for dipping. Consume while hot.

Mmmmmm.... lets all pause while we drool over this picture of creamy, spinach goodness!! This recipe originally called for using low fat everything - feel free to do that when you make it, but I never use low fat ingredients when I'm entertaining and this is no exception. In my experience, the full fat version ALWAYS tastes better!! But I do realize that some of us have resolutions to keep, so don't worry, I won't judge and your guests likely won't notice the subtle difference.

This post has been linked up with Jane Deere's Fusion Fridays Link Party! Stop by to check out what other creations my fellow bloggers have posted in Fusion Fridays. You won't be disappointed. :)

Happy Baking my Friends! Thanks for stopping by. :)

Spanakopita

I've never really been a Gordon Ramsay fan. I wasn't big on his bad language and confrontational style as portrayed on all the promotional commercials and trailers for shows he has been on in the past as I'm sure many people aren't. Then I started watching Masterchef USA and slowly he grew on me. He is always very quick to praise when someone does a good job and the way with which he encourages people is unbelievable and you'll never see that side of him in any commercial or trailer for his shows. Needless to say, I went out and bought one of his beautiful cookbooks - Gordon Ramsay's World Kitchen. About a month ago I made Gordon's Spanakopita recipe and it was super delish!


Gordon's note about this recipe is as follows: "This spinach and feta pie is probably the most popular of all Greek pies, which are everyday fare in Greece and typically eaten as substantial snacks. I prefer to serve this scrumptious pie as a main course, or a a side dish to roast lamb."

Spanakopita

Recipe from Gordon Ramsay's World Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil


• 2 large sweet onions, peeled and minced


• sea salt and black pepper


• 1 lb spinach leaves, washed and drained


• nutmeg, to grate


• 9 oz feta, crumbled


• 2 large eggs


• generous 1/3 cup heavy cream


• scant 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted


• scant 1/2 cup butter, melted (you definitely won't need all of it)


• 14 sheets phyllo pastry

Method:

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and add the onions with a little salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 6-8 minutes until soft but not colored. Transfer to a large bowl.


2. Wilt the spinach leaves in several batches: stir them in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until just wilted, then tip into a colander. Press down on the spinac with the back of a ladle to squeeze out as much excess water as possible. Allow to cool slightly, then chop roughly.


3. Add the spinach to the onion and grate over a little nutmeg. Add the feta, eggs, and cream. Season with a generous grinding of pepper and just a small pinch of salt - as the feta is salty. Finally, stir in the pine nuts. Chill until ready to serve.


4. Preheat the oven to 400F. Brush the base of a large ovenproof dish with a little of the melted butter. Now layer 10 sheets of phyllo pastry in the dish, brushing each layer with butter and allowing any excess pastry to overhang the sides. Spoon the spinach and feta mix over the pastry sheets and then fold any overhanging phyllo over the filling. Layer the remaining phylo sheets on top, buttering generously and scrunching for an attractive finish.


5. Bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes until the top of the pie is golden and the filling is set. To check, insert a small knife into the center of the pie - the filling should not look too runny.


6. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Serve the pie either warm or at room temperature.

We definitely love Greek food in this house, so everyone was very excited about this Spanakopita. Hopefully you enjoy it as much as we did. :)

Happy Cooking my Friends!

Spinach & Date Filo Triangles

Whew! This week has just flown by! I just realized that its Thursday already and I haven't posted a single thing all week. Sorry about that! I've been meaning to share these with you for a while... they were so delicious that my sister and I ate the whole batch in one sitting. Add a little tzatziki for dipping and you're set with a lovely little appy that your guests will gobble up in no time! Be sure to double or triple the batch so you don't run out too fast.

Don't shy away from filo pastry either! Honestly, its easy to make these little packages (even if they don't turn out like perfect triangles). Follow the instructions and be sure to keep the filo you're not using under a damp tea towel to keep it moist and pliable. Filo has a bad reputation of being too finicky to work with, but I don't find it difficult at all! Brushing with butter can fix a multitude of sins! Plus, they look super ugly til you start baking them... once they start baking they take on a beautiful golden brown colour and puff up nicely. You won't regret making this appetizer!

Spinach & Date Filo Triangles

Recipe from Meals in Heels

Ingredients:

• 100g english spinach leaves, rinsed


• 2 tbsp olive oil


• 1/2 onion, thinly sliced


• 2 small garlic cloves, finely chopped


• 1/2 tsp smoked sweet paprika


• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds, toasted


• 1 1/2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted (I omitted these because I didn't have them on hand, but I'm sure they add a delicious texture element to this recipe)


• 3 medjool dates, pitted and chopped


• 4 sheets filo pastry, each sheet halved widthways


• 1 oz melted butter for brushing

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400F and place baking tray inside.


2. Place the spinach and a pinch of salt in a large frying pan over high heat and cook, tossing frequently, for 1-2 minutes or until wilted. Drain, refresh in cold water and use your hands to squeeze out all the liquid. Chop and set aside.


3. Heat the oil in frying pan over low heat. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes. Add the spinach, paprika, cumin and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the pine nuts and dates, then transfer to a bowl to cool.


4. Take a sheet of filo pastry and brush with melted butter. Keep the remaining pastry covered with a slightly damp tea towel to prevent it from drying out. Slice the pastry into 3 long strips. Place a heaped teaspoon of the filling in the lower corner. Fold over and up and keep repeating until you have a tight little triangle. Brush again with butter and place, seam side down, on a baking tray. Repeat with the remaining pastry, butter and filling. Place on the preheated aking tray and bake for 15 minutes or until golden. There is no need to flip them. Serve warm.

I hope you enjoy these yummy little bites! They are so delicious I can't even begin to describe the amazing flavour to you. Do try out the recipe!!

Have a wonderful Easter weekend! I hope you get to enjoy some well deserved time off to hang out with friends and family. I'm sure if your family is anything like mine, that Easter weekend is always an excuse to get together and have a great time with each other eating great food and playing fun games.

Happy Cooking my Friends!