Tag Archives: spinach dip

Our Gridiron Menu

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If autumn Saturdays mean football, this menu is for you. Even if your favorite team doesn’t fare so well on Saturday, you can console yourself with a warm bowl of chili and all the fixin’s.

NOURISH Evolution’s Gridiron Menu

Kickoff:

Traditional spinach dip can be an overly heavy/creamy goo. Lia’s Spanish Leaning Spinach and Chickpea Dip has rich texture and vibrant flavor that’s inspired by hummus.

Main event:

Fresh hot peppers add zip to Kurt’s Iowa City Chili. You can make it a day ahead and reheat it, or start it on Saturday and let it gently simmer until it’s time to eat.

On the side:

Our BLT Bread Salad with Creamy Buttermilk Dressing is a lovely creamy, crunchy foil for the chili. Prep the ingredients a day ahead, then toss the salad when you’re ready to serve. Whip up our Skillet Corn Bread with Tomatoes and Sage while the chili simmers on the stove.

Sweet touchdown:

Since it’s a pigskin day, we figure you can’t have too much bacon, can you? Nah! Settle the score with a batch of Chocolate Chip Cookies with Candied Bacon.

To pour:

Kurt calls for adding a bock or stout to the chili. Stock up on plenty to sip as well. Try a Shiner Bock from Texas.

Spanish-Leaning Spinach and Chickpea Dip

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I waffled about whether to name this “hummus” or “chickpea dip,” but ultimately thought it veered far enough from tradition — thanks to the addition of spinach and smoked paprika — to go with the latter. (And my choice should satisfy purists like Cheryl Sternman Rule — check out her tongue-in-cheek thoughts on the matter the hummus debate here.) It is, in any case, delicious. If you’ve ever had any doubt as to the strength of pounded garlic, this little dish will set you straight.

spinach-and-chickpea-dip

3 cloves garlic, peeled and pounded to a paste in a mortar and pestle with a pinch of salt
2 cups cooked chickpeas
12 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons tahini
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Combine garlic, chickpeas, spinach, lemon juice and tahini in a food processor, and blend until smooth.

Warm olive oil in a small pan over medium-low heat and add spices. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes, until just fragrant. Scrape oil and spices into bowl of food processor, add a pinch of salt and process until well blended.

Serves 8