Creamy Spinach, Feta, Dill Dip

Today was the first day that finally actually felt like Spring.  Days after the "official" beginning of the seasons and weeks after I am past the point of my limited patience of waiting for it, Spring has come.  Yes, I do realize that there is still snow on the ground, but do you know what else?  There are birds that are actually singing, outside, and the sky?  It's blue.  With white puffy clouds!  A blue sky!  I don't think I've seen one of those since November!  My heart is filled with joy.

Needless to say, for an Arizona girl, unhappily transplanted in the Midwest, the first day that actually feels like Spring is a Godsend.  And it could not have come at a better time.  Things are starting to really fly, both at work and at home (hello wedding planning!) and I don't know how well I could have taken any more drab, ugly, melt-y snowy, crappy days.  And if you asked Ben, he would tell you that I haven't been handling them at all.  But that doesn't matter any more.  Because I am calling it, although Punxsutawney Phil I am not, Spring is here people!  Put away the heavy down coat!  And scarfs, cute as they may be.  Good bye leather gloves and 180 earmuffs.  Because It. Is. Spring.  And so help me God, if it snows again, I may have a psychological break down.

For Ben's sake, let's pray it doesn't...

On the whole 3 month absence... I have come to a conclusion.  Although my brain may be a little punch drunk with the idea of spring, us here at the BGCB, we're rolling with it.  The conclusion was this: seeing as no one really even noticed I was gone (and if they did, they failed to mention it), I am not apologizing, giving explanations or excuses.  We're pretending I didn't fall off the bandwagon.  And hoping I won't again any time soon.  And that's that on that subject.

Creamy Spinach, Feta, Dill Dip
From Jan./Feb. 2013 Cooking Light

Not much to say about this dip.  It came together very easily.  Was tasty and somewhat tangy from the feta.  It did have a large amount of ingredients when, to be perfectly honest, I am just as satisfied mixing in Hidden Valley's Fiesta Ranch dip mix into some zero fat Greek yogurt.  Yes, I use dip mix.  But I put it in Greek yogurt, not sour cream.  It totally makes it healthy.  And it tastes the exact same.

In other words, below is the recipe for this dip (which is good!), but here's another, even easier, just as tasty one as well:  Fiesta Ranch dip mix + Greek yogurt.  Add veggies.

6 oz. nonfat Greek yogurt
3/4 c. crumbled feta cheese
2 oz. softened cream cheese
1/4 c. low-fat sour cream
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 1/2 c. fresh spinach, chopped (measured after chopping)
1 Tbsp. fresh dill
Fresh ground black pepper

In food processor, wiz together first 5 ingredients, through garlic, processing until smooth.  Add spinach, dill and pepper.  Pulse until well combined.  Chill.

Serve with veggies or pita chips or whatever you love to dip.  Like chicken wings!  Just realize, there's some loss of healthy-ness when you reach for a chicken wing...

Sausage & Spinach Rice Bowl

Recently, I came across the apparently infamous single lady pancake.  And let me start off by saying that I feel a little cheated that I am just finding out about this now.  That means for a good year and a half, when I have spent the majority of Saturdays and Sunday alone, I could have been eating this.  Because, really, on a weekend morning, what is more fabulous, more wonderful than a pancake?  Nothing.  I'll repeat that for you.  Nothing.  Hmphh... now I want a pancake.

Anyways, back to the point of this post, sometimes those of us who live in apartments with no roommates in strange new cities and towns, sometimes we are alone.  Which means that sometimes we sleep with the closet light on because we scare ourselves by identifying strange noises right before climbing in bed.  And that sometimes we don't put real people clothes on the entire day long.  And that we don't always have to immediately clean the hair out of the bottom of the shower, because it's just ours and there's no one else to get grossed out by it.  Sometimes it means we have to man up and kill the damn bug because there is no one to call for help.  And it also means that, more often than not, we are in our small apartment kitchens cooking for one.  Well, at least on those night's when we, the roommate-less, choose to eat a dinner that is more than a spoon, a jar of peanut butter and assorted things to slather peanut butter on.  What I'm saying here is that sometimes, we need things like single lady pancake recipes.

I kind of considered this a single lady kind of recipe.  First and foremost, it comes together in roughly 10 minutes and it is yummy.  On top of that, tt's very scale-able, you could make it for four or for one.  It uses leftovers, which is awesome.  And, finally, like most things that contain twice-cooked rice, it's incredibly comforting.  A warm bowl of this, a bottle of hard apple cider and reruns of Sex and the City?  That's one heck of a single lady night in.

Sausage and Spinach Rice Bowl
Adapted from the April 2012 Cooking Light 

CL suggests pairing this with some sort of side, sauteed mushrooms or the like.  Personally, you got your vegetable, protein and grain in here, so I say you're good to go.  One bowl of this, a (maybe smaller, but since you're alone, who's to know?) bowl of ice cream, a good drink and it's all you need for a good single night in.  The proportions below will give you a skillet full which is two very solid servings (I like leftovers...).  Divide or multiply as needed!

I also used leftover brown rice that I have frozen from a previous brown rice making shindig.  It worked great.  I thawed in the fridge overnight and then microwaved to warm, fluffing with a fork every 45 seconds or so.

1 1/2 c. brown rice
1 Tbsp. Grapeseed Oil (or Olive.  I wanted to use Grapeseed.  So I did)
6 oz. hot Italian Sausage
1/8 - 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
6 oz (basically 1 package) baby spinach
Parmesan cheese to top

Warm rice.  In large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat.  Add sausage (casings removed if using links) and red pepper.  Brown sausage, breaking up with spoon, 5 minutes or until brown and cooked through.  Add garlic, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add spinach and cooked until it has wilted down, about another minute more.  Add rice and stir to distribute all ingredients evenly.  Let cook for a minute undisturbed before "flipping over".  Let other side cook for another minute undisturbed, until everything is warmed through.  Move to bowl, top with cheese, eat while sitting on couch enjoying TV that you only watch when you're home alone.