Spinach Dip

I am always happy to share simple and quick recipes. Today I have a delish and luscious Spinach dip for you. I prepared this on a movie night with just a few ingredients I had in my fridge. It turned out so good that it was all gone before I could click some more photos. Well, that’s what happens when the food is too good!

This cool and creamy dip is perfect to serve at game nights and movie nights. Major crowd pleaser too. I prepared it a couple days back for my book club friends and it was gone within minutes! This is so quick and easy that you will want to make this again and again. The fresh spinach adds a beautiful flavor while the Parmesan adds a delicious sharpness and saltiness in the dip. The cream cheese and heavy cream makes it melt in your mouth silky! I have seen several spinach dip recipes online but the special ingredient which adds a beautiful aroma in this dip is the garlic. Do not skip it! Trust me, one clove is not enough to overpower the entire dip, it does however, lends a delicious taste making the dip homemade and special.

Prepare ahead:

Prepare this delicious Spinach dip ahead of time, keep it in the fridge and when your guests are there, serve it! This yummy dip can be kept refrigerated for up to three days but I would recommend you to prepare this fresh so that it tastes as good as it looks. Preparing this dip doesn’t require any elaborate list of ingredients or instructions. 

Can I freeze it?

I have never frozen this dip so recommending it is difficult. However, the best part about this dip is, it is not prepared with yogurt (which when frozen may break down and make the dip runny). Since, we are using cheese and cream, freezing it should be ok. If you are keeping it refrigerated, then I would recommend consuming it within 2-3 days. Although it tastes great right out of the fridge, I like to microwave it for 10-15 seconds just to slightly melt the cheese. When refrigerating, make sure to use a clean plastic/ glass container and cover it with plastic wrap.

How long can you leave it out?

Since homemade dips don’t have any added preservatives in them, leaving them out for a long time wont work. Remember, the cheese, cream and spinach are all perishable items. When you are preparing the dip for a large number of people make sure to divide it into 2-3 portions. That way, you can easily refill whenever the dip is all used up. And everyone will be getting fresh dip even after several hours (I do this every-time we are hosting a game viewing party). Make sure not to let the dip sit at room temperature longer than 3-4 hours.

What can I serve with it?

• Hawaiian/ French/ Sourdough Bread
• Snacks
• Chips
• Crackers
• Baguette
• Tortilla chips
• Crudités (assorted Veggies like Celery Sticks, Carrot Sticks, Cucumber Sticks, Bell Pepper Strips, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Fennel and Asparagus Spears)
• Sausage
• Crostini
• Pretzels
• As a spread on sandwiches

So give this dip a try and then post on my Instagram #lifewithoutalu with the photo and your comments/ input.

Ingredients:

• Spinach – 1 small pack
• Butter - 1 ½ - 2 tablespoons, unsalted 
• Onion – ¼ cup, finely chopped 
• Paprika/ Red Chili Powder – ½ teaspoon 
• Cream Cheese - 8 ounces 
• Heavy Cream – ¾ cup (or more) 
• Salt – to taste (about ¼ teaspoon)
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper – ½ teaspoon 
• Parmigiano Reggiano - 1/3 cup, grated
• Garlic - 1 big clove, crushed

Directions:

• Wash the spinach well.
• Squeeze as much liquid out of the spinach as possible with a clean dishtowel or paper towels. 
• Melt butter in a big pan over medium-high heat. 
• Sauté the Onion with the Garlic until soft, 3–5 minutes. Add ¼ teaspoon of Salt. Mix well.
• Stir in Paprika and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 
• Add the Spinach, Cream Cheese, Heavy Cream and Black Pepper and cook, stirring often, until everything is warmed through and slightly reduced, 8–10 minutes; the spinach will wilt in the meantime.

• Mix ½ cup of the Parmigiano Reggiano. Taste to adjust the Salt.

• Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately with snacks/ chips.

With the football season coming in, it is always best to have a couple of different types of dips at hand. Try these dip recipes as well:

• Indian Spiced Tzatziki Sauce (Cucumber Raita)
• Dhania Chutney (Cilantro Chutney)
• Creamy Cream Cheese Dip
• Bread Dipping Oil with Parmesan and Herbs
• Guacamole with Goat Cheese and Bacon
• 5-minute Garlic Aioli
• Sour Cream Dip
• Mayo Mustard Sauce with Herbs
• Fresh Homemade Salsa

Indian Spiced Tzatziki Sauce (Cucumber Raita)

Well how to put this, umm... I wanted to try something new for dinner and I thought Kababs with Tzatziki Sauce will taste great. However, Debarshi was in no mood to try something new so I decided to give the Tzatziki Sauce Indian flavors. I did the same with the Kababs and voila! Delicious dinner ready in an hour! and this includes the preparation and cooking time.

What is Tzatziki Sauce?

Tzatziki is a greek dip prepared with cucumber and yogurt. Along with these two ingredients, it also uses lemon juice, garlic and fresh dill. It is usually served with chicken and fish, grilled/ raw vegetables, pita bread/ chips, crackers and gyro. 

What is Raita?

Raita is a condiment spiced with Indian spices like Chaat Masala, Cumin Powder etc. It is served as a dip with Parathas and main course. Because of the wide use of spices in Indian cuisine certain dishes are quite hot on the palate. Raita contains yogurt which helps to cool down the heat. It can be prepared with almost anything! In fact, one of my all time favorite brunch is Alu Paratha with Boondi Raita. My mom often prepares Cucumber/ Alu Raita at home and even now whenever I visit her, she prepares it especially for me. 

Similarities between Cucumber Raita and Tzatziki Sauce:

• Both Cucumber Raita and Tzatziki Sauce use cucumber and yogurt along with a few ingredients (like Black Pepper) which add and elevate the flavors. 
• Herbs like mint and cilantro are also sometimes added in Raita. Tzatziki Sauce uses Dill but I have seen Mint and Parsley also being used in many recipes. 
• Both Cucumber Raita and Tzatziki Sauce take very less time to prepare and hence can be added at the very last minute to your menu. 
• Both of these go very well with spiced/ toasted/ grilled foods and can be served as either a dip or a condiment.

Differences between Cucumber Raita and Tzatziki Sauce:

• Raita is usually spiced with Cumin and Chaat masala. Tzatziki Sauce on the other hand uses Garlic and Lemon Juice. 
• Some people like adding a slight hint of sweetness in Raita with sugar or honey which makes it perfectly delicate, cool and creamy to go with spicy foods. Tzatziki Sauce does not have any added sweetness. 
• Tzatziki sauce uses greek yogurt whereas Raita is a little thinner in consistency and is prepared with plain yogurt and a little water. 
• Tzatziki also uses lemon juice making it tangier than raita. Raita recipes use Amchur and Chaat Masala but not lemon juice.

In our home, Debarshi is not too fond of yogurt but I just love it! If I can, I would prepare fresh raita everyday. It is just the sort of cool and creamy dip that goes great with everything. Now this sauce/ raita may be easy and quick to prepare but its flavors will blow you away. So, give it a try and post in the comments!

Ingredients:

• Plain Greek Yogurt - 1 cup, 
• Cucumber – ½ cup, peeled and deseeded, finely diced
• Garlic - 2 cloves, grated
• Fennel Seeds - 1 tablespoon 
• Lemon Juice - 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed 
• Chaat Masala – ½ teaspoon
• Black Pepper - ¼ teaspoon, freshly ground
• Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons 

Directions:

• Take a bowl and whisk the yogurt with the Chaat Masala, Fennel Seeds and Black Pepper.
• Add the Garlic and Cucumber. Mix to combine.
• Stir in the Lemon Juice. Combine thoroughly. Cover tightly and refrigerate for an hour so that the flavors develop.
• When ready to serve, stir the Tzatziki sauce to refresh and transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle with Olive Oil. 
• Serve with warm pita bread and your favorite vegetables and enjoy!

Serve this Indian Spiced Tzatziki Sauce (Cucumber Raita) with:

• Mughlai Kabab
• Tandoori Chicken
• Chicken Nutrela Kabab
• Chicken Alu Cutlets (Crispy Chicken and Potato Patties)

Other Chutneys, Condiments and Dips you may like:

• Dhania Chutney (Cilantro Chutney)
• Tamarind Chutney – sweetness with tang
• Boondi Raita
• Plum Chutney
• Spinach Dip

Before we move on to the travel part, I would like to thank everyone for showing interest in my travels and requesting information. Today I am going to take you to a place which is almost like stepping into a luxurious dream, in a different era. You don’t have to be Julius Caesar to experience this, just take a stroll inside the hotel - Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

Make sure to enter from the Forum shops entrance otherwise by the time you will finish exploring the main hotel and casino, you will be too tired to go to the extension shopping wing. Keep in mind that this is known as the ‘Shopping wonder of the world’ and features specialty and designer stores, fine restaurants and attractions.

The mall has spiral staircase with a touch of today – spiral escalators. 

Here we are at the Fountain of the Gods. To tell you the truth, for me the main attraction of the forum shops was not the shops but the fountains and the artificial ceiling. 

After you have finished exploring the forum shops, it is time to move towards the hotel. You will come to a hallway between the casino and forum shops.

Keep walking a little further and you will see Cleopatra’s Barge.

This is a live music venue and bar. If you want to feel like one of the royal families during Julius Caesar’s time, then this is the place for you. This luxurious floating barge is colored in red and gold and is the exact copy of the boat which was used to transport royalty on the Nile river.

I think Caesars palace is one of those places which will fill you with awe and wonder. Do take your time to explore the hotel and forum shops. I will be back with more travel info in my next article.