Spinach Basil Pesto

Courtesy of AllRecipes.com

• 1 1/2 cups baby spinach leaves
• 3/4 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup toasted almonds
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and quartered
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• extra-virgin olive oil as needed

Blend the spinach, basil, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, pepper, lemon juice and lemon zest in a food processor until nearly smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary. Add 1 tsp of olive oil per serving, and water as needed until pesto is the desired consistency.

Notes:
-- Original recipe called for 1/2 cup of olive oil.
-- Original recipes suggests freezing the pesto in ice cube trays so you can use it for single servings later. I just put blobs on a cookie sheet, put the in the freezer until the were solid, and the moved them to a plastic bag.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Courtesy of seriouseats.com

- makes about 10 servings of about 1/2 cup each -
Adapted from Cooking Light.

Ingredients

10-ounce bag fresh spinach
6 ounces (3/4 block) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
6 ounces (3/4 block) fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1 1/2 cups part-skim mozzarella, shredded
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, crushed (not minced)
6 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese, divided

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Tear spinach into bite-size pieces, removing any thick stems. Rinse in a colander, leaving a little water on the leaves. In a large nonstick skillet or Dutch oven, sauté the spinach over medium heat until wilted. Drain in the colander, pushing a little of the extra water out.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheeses with a potato masher. Add sour cream and mash more. Add spinach, mozzarella, artichokes, pepper, garlic, and 2 tablespoons of the parmesan. Stir everything until thoroughly combined.
4. Pour mixture into a 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan on top. Bake 30 minutes, or until parmesan is melted dip is all bubbly. Remove from oven and give it a minute or two to cool down. Serve with baked tortilla chips to applause.