Spicy Spinach Dip
I had some left over pine nuts from my angel hair pasta with feta and pine nuts so I thought I would use them up by making spicy spinach dip. I thought this was an ideal place for them. Pine nuts are a little pricey so I did not want to waste one little nut.
I keep them in my freezer since they are quick to go rancid.
I have tasted a lot of bad dips in the old days, made with not so great mayonnaise, and bad packages of preservatives. Well no more. This recipe is fresh, it’s healthy, and it is delicious. I think I have a decent vocabulary. However, the more I blog the more I grapple with an appropriate word to describe recipes. I am not try not to be a smarty-pants, but sometimes yummy just lacks sincerity. I mean really how good is it? Okay, I found the correct word. I think this spicy spinach dip recipe is fabulous.
I found this recipe on Mari’s site, Once Upon A Plate. If there were not laws against it, I would like to personally follow Mari around and see what she is making. This recipe is so simple, but every time I make something she has made I feel like I could actually be a good cook someday. Mari, I am kidding about the stalking thing.
When googling this I did see this recipe on Food & Wine, but I would never have made this without seeing Mari’s version. Her photos are that good. I did have one issue with the Food & Wine version, it called for frozen spinach. I have seen a lot of really good cooks use frozen spinach, but I don’t understand it. There is something unappealing about that little brick of green. Just make your own. It only takes a couple minutes. Spinach is always sandy, so wash the spinach well. While still beaded with water drop into a hot skillet just until it is wilted. I guess you could microwave it just to wilt.
Do you own a ricer? Use it if you have one, or some paper towels, or a coffee filter. Or, if you must, use a clean dishtowel. I have seen Rachel Ray do that, and I have to tell you I cringe that you would stain a perfectly good towel, but who am I to tell her what to do. She makes a bazillion dollars telling us how to do things. I bought my ricer years ago on “the throw-away rack”, that’s the marked down isle as my sister relative refers to it. Ricers are wonderful for refined mashed potatoes if you are one of those people that suffer making lumpy mashed potatoes, but I digress. Use it for squeezing out the moisture of the spinach. Chop up the spinach, add to other ingredients and mix.
Toast some flatbread, or you can use sliced toasted French baguette. I do buy Trader Joes baked pita chips, one of the few packaged indulgence; not too salty, not too fat, and I try very hard not to over indulge. But, when it is all said and done, if I have pigged out, it is just spinach, yogurt, nuts, and spices. So how bad can that be? This is a real keeper.
I think this would even be good as a topper for baked potato, but I will let you work that part out.
So thank you Mari. I strive to be half the cook you are. Be sure to come back, but everyone please visit her site for the food and for the photography. Check her Mother Daughter Tea Party and her Chicken Stories. Delightful. Thank you Food & Wine. And thank you Fage for the decent yogurt.
Ok, the chickens just make me giggle.
- 1 cup Greek-style plain nonfat yogurt
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- ½ small sweet onion, minced
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon pure chili powder
- Pinch of cayenne
- One bunch of spinach (or 10-ounce package frozen whole-leaf spinach, thawed)
- Salt
- Squeeze of lemon
- Mise en place ~ Gather ingredients.
- Scoop the yogurt into a coffee filter or paper towel-lined strainer set over a bowl.
- Strain at room temperature for 30 minutes; you should end up with a ½ cup yogurt.
- Heat olive oil in a small skillet.
- Add minced onions, sauté.
- Add pine nuts.
- Stir over high heat until onion and pine nuts are golden brown, watch carefully as this mixture can go from golden to burned in a moment.
- Stir cumin, coriander and chili powder into pan, just to bloom the spices.
- Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool.
- Meanwhile steam spinach, then squeeze as much liquid from the spinach as possible; using your hands or a potato ricer.
- Finely chop spinach, pay particular attention to cut the stringy stems and veins into small pieces.
- Place spinach in a medium bowl and stir in onion - pine nut – yogurt mixture to thoroughly combine, add salt to taste and stir again.
- Add a few drops of lemon juice with the salt.
I am taking this to
All my favorite spices in here, how could I not like this. I love your idea about the potato ricer, would never have thought of that! Brilliant!
Chris, Thanks so much for stopping by. Memorial Day is just around the corner – company’s coming. I hope you will try it.
I just saw your yummy looking link over at Hammock Tracks Link Party and thought I’d stop by and check out your recipe 🙂 I’d love for you to link up with me at The Weekend re-Treat on The Best Blog Recipes going on right now! We’re also having a GIVEAWAY this weekend and I’d love for you to enter to win while you were there!
Hope to see you there,
Shauna
http://thebestblogrecipes.com/
Looks delicious. I didn’t know pinenuts go bad quickly. Thanks for the info.
Thank you for visiting. Yes, they are high in fat,but good for you. But,they will go rancid quickly. Also, you never know how long the market has had them on the shelf. I try to watch for the sell-by date to buy the freshest possible.
I feel the same way about Mari’s recipes. I can always count on them to be delicious. And thanks so much for the tip about the ricer. I have one but never would have thought to use it to remove moisture from spinach. Very clever. I have started replacing mayo in some of my recipes with Greek yogurt and have been very happy with the results.
Thank you for visiting. I just love Mari. I wrote to her and ask permission and she generously gave me permission to talk about her recipe. This recipe is so good I can’t shut up about it.
Sounds yummy. Thanks for the recipe and thanks tons for joining Inspire Me. Hugs, Marty
What a unique dip. Thanks for sharing at Saturday Dishes. Pinned!
Thank you for visiting. This really is pin worthy.
This looks so delicious. I have pinned this and will make it soon for sure-I love anything with pine-nuts!
Thanks so much for joining in with the Say G’Day Saturday linky party. Hope to see you again this weekend.
Best wishes,
Natasha in Oz
I do hope you will try it. I really am crazy about it.
Thank you so much for coming to share at Super Saturday Show & Tell! I’d love to have you come and share again today http://www.whatscookingwithruthie.com Have a great weekend! xoxo~ Ruthie
This looks wonderful…I love a good dip! Thanks for stopping by and commenting on the caprese salad…
Oh my, This does sound “yummy”. It also sounds so healthy and I love anything with pine nuts. This one is definitely a keeper.
I couldn’t figure out how to reply but I do so appreciate you thinking about me and my garden. I will posting some new pictures of my little garden soon, I hope your will visit.
Blessings, Ginger
Thank you for visiting Ginger. I do hope you manage to save your garden. It is just too beautiful to not be able to rescue.
Thank you so much for linking up to Saturday Dishes Snacks.
I pinned it.
Blessings,
Diane Roark
This sounds delicious! I love spinach dip, but I’ve never actually made it. Pinning.
I have to tell you that your comment about the word yummy made me laugh. I have such a hard time coming up with the right words to describe recipes, too!
Thanks for sharing at Saturday Dishes! Hope to see you back again tonight!