When I dip, you dip, we dip

I'm not proud of that title.  But it's the first thing that popped in my head.  So there ya go.

Coming up with new things to make every week is a challenge I've started to enjoy, thanks to starting this blog.  Prior to getting into cooking, Joe used to joke that I had two food groups: nachos and pizza.  That makes me sound kind of gross.  It is also accurate.  This blog possibly saved me from overdosing on nachos and pizza (aka dying from heart failure). 

I've started to write down a running list of ANY ideas that pop into my head or recipes I see in magazines or on websites or just food I really enjoyed when I was out to eat somewhere.  But today I didn't rely on that list.  Today I woke up with spinach dip in my head.  I just wanted something creamy and snacky.  Something rich and garlicy and fresh.  Spinach diiiiiiipppppp.

I generally only ever eat something like spinach dip, at holiday parties or some sort of get together.  It's a go-to appetizer.  And that's because spinach dip has cheese or cream or ranch dressing or something else fatty and delicious.  If I'm going to make spinach dip for just a regular old Tuesday, I feel like I gotta make it healthy or I'm just going to cry into the bowl while I eat it alone in my yoga pants and an over sized t-shirt.   I can't be that person.  I just can't. 

But don't think making spinach dip healthy, doesn't mean it's not every bit of creamy, snacky, rich, garlicy, and fresh as the fattier stuff. 

Creamy Spinach Avocado Dip (oh yeah, and it's vegan!)

- 6 cups of fresh spinach (or one box frozen spinach, thawed and drained of excess water)

- 2 avocados

- 2-3 tblsp minced garlic

- 2 tblsp olive oil

- 1/2 of a yellow onion

- 1 tsp honey

- 1 can white beans, drained and rinsed (try cannellini beans, navy beans, or try 1 cup greek yogurt if you wanna just go vegetarian)

- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (or 1/4 cup grated parmesan)

- 1 tsp salt

In a medium skillet, heat 1 tblsp of oil.  Add onion and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add honey and 1/2 tsp salt and continue stirring onions until they start to caramelize.  Remove from heat and put onions into a food processor.  Put skillet back on the heat, and add remaining tblsp of oil.  Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about one minute.  Add spinach, one handful at a time and cook until wilted (you'll probably have to do this in batches).  When all the spinach is cooked, add to the food processor, with the onion.  Add avocado, nutritional yeast, beans, and remaining salt to the food processor. Pulse until smooth and serve.

I made a fresh, homemade loaf of french bread, and cut several thin slices, brushed a little olive oil on them, sprinkled them with salt, and toasted them up.  You could eat it with crackers, chips, bread...whatever! 

You could also smear this stuff all over some bread and make a sandwich, with some grilled chicken and tomato.  Get crazy, man.