I’m all about any occasion that makes us stop and enjoy life. For many Valentine’s is a holiday they see as an opportunity for businesses to sell flowers, stuffed animals, and heart-shaped boxes of chocolates. I understand this annoys many but instead of banishing a holiday due to what hallmark has made it why not make it your own. David and I do not buy ten dollar cards or participate in any Valentine’s Day themed product purchasing. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! It’s just not our thing!

This year David (the guy I’m married to) had to study Valentine’s Day evening so we kept it simple! I made us a Vegan spinach dip and a Vegan pasta dish. This is a huge treat for us. We don’t usually do carbs at night or ever in this amount. I honesty came up with this idea because I looked in the fridge and found someone had wrote spinach on the grocery list when we already had two pounds of spinach. This meant our fridge was 60% spinach. So, I knew it would be easy to grab a couple extra ingredients and whip together the Sexy Sassy Spinach Dip. The Dip took moments and turned out wonderful! David took 30 minutes off study, I whipped around the house and found any white or red candles and we had a beautiful dinner. We just enjoyed each other and our yummy creation.
 
*** Warning the following pictures are classified as food erotica. Viewing these photos may lead to extreme hunger and over purchasing of spinach. View discretion is advised.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Below is the recipe! You have to try it. I’ve given you the vegan and regular recipe for you to choose which suits you and your loved one. This recipe is a crowd pleaser as well so think about it for your next event.
 

Sexy Sassy Spinach Dip in a Bread Bowl

 

 
Ingredients:

olive oil cooking spray
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 oz fresh spinach
12 oz artichoke hearts (mine I bought were in olive oil with garlic for that extra kick)
8 oz low-fat cream cheese, softened (or dairy-free variety to make dip vegan)
1 cup low-fat greek yogurt
3 tbsp low-fat Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tbsp chives, finely chopped
1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
2 tbsp. onion powder
1/8 tsp sea salt (optional)
12″ round bread loaf

*We used a spelt and rye bread loaf. I Highly suggest using a healthy and high quality bread. This dip and amount of bread is a treat you don’t have often so go to the market and get a fresh loaf.

Directions:

1) Heat nonstick or cast iron pan over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Spray pan with cooking spray and let heat for another minute. Add onion and sauté until caramelized, 5 to 10 minutes, stirring so that it does not burn. When onions are caramelized or golden brown, add garlic and sauté for about 1 minute. Add spinach and cook for 2 minutes or until just wilted. Remove from heat and let cool for 2 to 3 minutes.

2) Preheat oven to 350°F. Put artichoke hearts and spinach-onion mixture into a food processor fitted with a standard cutting blade. Chop for 1 minute. Add cream cheese, greek yogurt, and whirl for about 2 minutes. Add Parmesan, chives, pepper, seasoning and, if desired, salt. Chop for another 2 to 3 minutes or until vegetables are finely minced and well blended into dairy (or dairy-free) mixture (**** I skipped the food processor part, honestly because we were starving, and it was still so good!!!). I just added all the ingredients to a bowl and mixed them well).

3) Hollow out your bread bowl by removing the top and removing the contents down so the bread is only one inch on the bottom and sides. Set aside the top you removed and bread from the middle (this will be torn apart and placed on the side of the bowl for dipping). Place dip in bowl. Bake for 20 minutes or until top is lightly browned. Remove from heat and serve on a large plate with sides of vegetables and bread from the bowl.

ENJOY!
 
*The next day I had the dip on top of my lunch salad and it was wonderful!!! Creamy and delicious.
 

 

Clean Eating Spinach Dip

 
(Makes approximately 6 cups)

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz.) container low-fat cottage cheese
10 oz. container frozen spinach, thawed
8 oz. bottle of artichokes , chopped
2 tbsp. onion powder
1 tsp. dried parsley
2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

1) Using a blender, blend the cottage cheese until it is smooth and creamy.

2) Put the cottage cheese in a large mixing bowl, and add all other ingredients. Stir well.

Eat and Enjoy!
 


 
 
Doesn’t this look delicious? This is brown rice pasta with an organic fire roasted tomato and basil pesto sauce with orange peppers, spinach, and spicy sundried tomato vegan sausage. Recipe coming soon!
 

 
You can find the DAMY Lemon-Ginger Longevity Cocktail Here!
 

What did you do for Valentine’s Day?!
 

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