Guacamole

A few years ago (now that I think about it, it may have been more than a few years.  Man, I'm getting old.), my family took a trip to New York City.  Confession time:  I LOVE this city.  I love the hustle, the people, the sites, the sounds...all of it.  I've never been bothered by the "rudeness" of New Yorkers or the mass amounts of people everywhere.  Its such a change from my every day life that I actually enjoy it.  I could visit this lovely city every year and still find new place and sites to enjoy.

Anyway, back to the story....

My dad decided to take us to dinner at a restaurant on the west side of Central Park called Rosa Mexicano.  I honestly can't remember what I had for dinner than night, but I do remember the guacamole.  This was truly the best guacamole I've ever had.  They bring all the ingredients out and fix it for you, table side.  The flavors were incredibly fresh and bright and wonderful and simple.  Simple was the best part.  I like being able to taste the avocado in my guac and not have it be overpowered by other flavors and spices.

Over the years, we have worked on re-creating the creamy deliciousness of this guacamole.  I think we've finally done it.  I could eat the entire bowl-full, with a spoon...forget about the chips!

The great thing about this guacamole is that it is SUPER easy!  Quite often, I don't measure any of the ingredients and just throw things in the bowl until it "tastes" right.  Just be careful to not "taste" it all!

GUACAMOLE

2 ripe avocados

1/2 tomato, seeded and diced

3 tablespoons yellow onion, diced finely (I don't like big chunks of onion flavor)

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 jalapeno, chopped (deveined and seeded, depending on the level of heat you want)

Juice from 1/2 of a lime

1-2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

Salt, to taste

Optional: a couple dashes of your favorite hot sauce in addition to or instead of the jalapeno

Scoop out the flesh of the avocado and mash lightly.  Add remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix together until well combined and avocado is as chunky or smooth as you prefer it.  Taste and adjust as necessary.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

A couple years back, I made a spinach artichoke dip for a party the hubby and I went to. The hubby loved it and so did everyone else. Unfortunately, the only thing I could remember about it was that it wasn't healthy at all!

When the hubby asked me to make it again for our Superbowl party, I was stumped. I knew I couldn't make it the same way (I had no idea what recipe I had used). We've been working hard to change up the way we eat lately. Not that we are dieting; we are just trying to be more healthy all around. As I was researching recipes on the Internet, I couldn't find one I like or felt wasn't too unhealthy.

Unfortunately, time was running away from me that Sunday. We had people showing up in 30 minutes and other than buying some cream cheese, I hadn't given the dip a second thought. Luckily, we always have spinach and cheese in the drawer. I threw a bunch of things together and this is what we ended up with. I didn't pre-cook my spinach. No one seemed to notice. If you would prefer to use frozen spinach, make sure it is very well drained. Squeeze out as much water as you can before using!!

I'm assuming it was delicious as I had to quickly snap a picture of the hubby's plate in order to get something to put on the blog. I apologize for the quality of the picture!

SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP

5 cups fresh spinach, chopped
2 wedges Laughing Cow Light Swiss, softened
5 tablespoons grated Parmesan
8 oz 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
1/4-1/3 cup skim milk
1 cup artichoke hearts, chopped **see note at end
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, laughing cow cheese, grated Parmesan, garlic and Italian Seasoning. Add in 1/4 cup milk. Stir in spinach and artichoke hearts. If the mixture feels too thick, add the remaining milk, a tablespoon at a time.

Pour mixture into a 1.25 quart ceramic baking dish (I used the small one in this set). Sprinkle grated mozzarella on the top. Cover with tin foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve with fresh veggies or gf crackers for the gluten-free; sliced baguette or pita for the non-gf.

**NOTE:
If using frozen artichoke hearts; thaw, drain and chop. If using canned artichoke hearts, rinse some of the oil off first, before draining and chopping.