Going Green

In case you haven't heard, its a woman's prerogative to change her mind. That goes double for Divas. Call me crazy, you wouldn't be the first, but I've done a culinary one-eighty. On Tuesday I was all about the Winter foods ... these last two days? Nothing but Spring. Maybe it was the double shot of turnips, or perhaps I've been cooped up in my cashmere too long ... but suddenly I'm craving fresh things, fresh flavors. I'm craving green.

Creamy Spinach and Feta Dip:

• 1 small shallot, minced
• 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and smashed
• 2 cups, packed, of baby spinach leaves, stems removed, washed and drained
  
• 3/4 cup of crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup of 1/3 less-fat cream cheese
• 8 oz. of non-fat plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tsp. of grated lemon zest, minced
• 1 tbsp. of chopped fresh dill
• pinch of salt and a generous grating of fresh black pepper

Heat a small saute pan over medium high heat and to it add 1 tsp. of olive oil. Saute the minced shallot in the oil until translucent and just beginning to color, about 2 minutes or so, do not brown. Remove the shallots to a small bowl, cool and reserve.

Place the garlic, cooled shallots, and the spinach into the bowl of your food processor. Its ok - preferable even - if a bit of water is still clinging to the spinach leaves. Pulse and process until the spinach is shredded. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the Feta and the cream cheese. Process until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the Greek yogurt and process until smooth. Add the lemon zest, fresh dill, a bit of salt and pepper and process until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Transfer the mixture to a serving vessel and serve immediately with a variety of crudites and some whole grain crackers or flat bread. Or, alternately, cover and chill until needed.

As written, this recipe will yield approximately 2 cups of dip.

Honestly, this dip is so good, so luscious and creamy, I could simply eat it with a spoon. Its delightful with some strips of red bell pepper or some crisp carrot sticks as well. And hey, if you want to try it with some chips, go for it ... I promise I won't tell.

The sun is shining, the birds are singing and we're on our way to a delightful high of 63 degrees today. I'd say that's cause for celebration. Why not whip up a batch of this yummy, healthy dip, pour yourself a long, tall Moscow Mule and start the weekend off right? A more winning combination I cannot imagine.

Bon appetit!