"Not-too-bad-for-you" Spinach Artichoke Dip

So I know I've been talking about light, summery things like watermelon and snow cones and salads. Spinach Artichoke Dip and watermelon? gross. don't do it. So this is probably not what you'll make all summer, but it is what you'd make if you were part of the "Winston Salem Contingent".  haha. My wonderful friend Laura's dad is an assistant coach for the Boston Bruins...who just happen to be playing in the Stanley Cup finals. :) So what have I been doing every other night for several weeks/months? Watching hockey with several other dedicated fans (and we now have a gang name..the WSC...winston salem contingent. we're pretty serious. and dorky. and half joking. anyways.) Spinach Artichoke dip goes well with hockey. not snow cones.

I looked for lots of different spinach artichoke dip recipes, all of which had mayonaise, sour cream, cream cheese, or a mixture of all of the above. I decided to make up my own recipe. It's much lighter, but still really flavorful. Totally delicious! Game 5 is tomorrow night, game 6 is Monday night, and if it goes to game 7, that'll be Wednesday night. Form a contingent. Make this dip.

Go Bruins!!!

What you'll need:
-a food processor (or a good chopping hand)
-about 4 cups spinach (frozen or fresh, well chopped if not going in a food processor)
-1 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained
-4 cloves garlic
-1 cup grated parmesan cheese
-juice of half a lemon
-sea salt
-pepper
-dash of red pepper flakes
-1 cup 0% fat greek yogurt (I used fage brand)

What you do:
Preheat oven to 400. Combine all ingredients in food proccessor and pulse until well blended. Spread into baking dish. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve hot. Get your game face on.

i can hardly take myself seriously right now... :) omg. but seriously...GO BRUINS!

holiday brie

you can call this "holiday brie" or in Peace Meals it's called "cranberry salsa with warm brie and pistachios", but none of these names really describe the "party in your mouth, can't stop eating it it's so good" type of appetizer that this really is. see....

                                       

Brie:
1 small round of Brie cheese
1/2 cup chopped pistachios, toasted
water crackers (I use Carr's brand)

Cranberry Salsa:
12 oz. fresh cranberries (or frozen)
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 small jalapenos, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish
2 T peeled and grated fresh ginger
2 T fresh lemon juice

What to do:
Rinse the cranberries and discard any that are soft or bruised. Reserve several of the whole cranberries for garnish. Place the remaining cranberries in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped (do not overprocess). Transfer to a bowl and stir in the remaining slasa ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350. Place the Brie on a rimmed baking sheet and heat for 15 to 20 minutes until softened. Transfer to a serving platter and top (generously!) with Cranberry Salsa. Sprinkle with pistachios, reserved whole cranberries and additional cilantro.
Serve warm with crackers.

ok one more look at it :)

pumpkin crunch

This Fall treat is a great snack to have on hand, a great treat if you're having company over, and a sure way to make your home smell like the holidays fast!

The recipe calls for maple syrup...I used Agave Nectar instead...worked great!

Ingredients:

1 cup pumpkin seeks (raw, without shell. I bought mine from Whole Foods in the bulk section)

1 ½ teaspoons canola oil

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon allspice

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons maple syrup (or agave)

1 ¼ cups dried cranberries (or dried cherries if you prefer)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300. Coat baking sheet with canola oil and spread pumpkin seeds evenly over sheet. Roast for twenty minutes or until almost dry. Place pumpkin seeds in a medium bowl and mix in maple syrup until coated. Combine spices in a large bowl and add pumpkin seeds. Place back on baking sheet and return to oven. Roast for fifteen minutes or until dry. Set seeds aside until completely cool – about thirty minutes. When cool, combine seeds with dried cranberries.

it looks so pretty too!

enjoy :)

fresh homeade salsa!

Ingredients:

3 roma tomatoes

1 can tomatoes (I use diced canned tomatoes with chiles for a little added "kick")

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded

1/2 white onion
1/4 bunch cilantro
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
dash of tobasco

Directions: Place all ingredients in food processor (or blender) and process to desired consistency. Refrigerate and enjoy :)