So...um...I guess it's football season?
I dunno, my brother and facebook feed seem pretty stoked.
I don't make a secret about the fact that I am not the kind of girl who likes or cares about sports (some people may say I cram the fact down their throats...I say that people who like sports try to cram it down mine so only fair). Here's the deal: where I come from...sports, especially football, is like...a huge deal. First of all the Midwest in general is super into the sport. Then, also, everyone knows how Ohio-ans are about Ohio State. Oh and Catholics love Notre Dame (my grandma, for instance). Oh and Canton (the city right next door to my hometown, where I went to high school) has the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Oh yeah and Massillon (where I'm from) has the longest running high school football rivalry (Massillon vs. McKinley)-is generally all about football (Paul Brown, of the Browns-as well as many other football players-went to Massillon's high school). They're so football crazy that every little boy born in Massillon hospital is given a football at birth. And here I am, this un-coordinated, uber-girly, just...not sporty girl. And people tried SO HARD to make me like sports, especially football, that all it did was make me like it less.
So there you have it, a reason for my insanity.
Now, all my personal dislikes aside, I completely support people's desire to be into sports.
And even more so...I completely support the consumption of copious amounts of delicious foods at the parties, games, tailgates, etc etc. that go along with the sporty tradition. So, in honor of all of you-sports lovers and haters alike-let's eat some dip!
I don't know if any of you care but...ya know...if you wanna avoid a football season gut...or I dunno maybe delay it or minimize it (?)-this dip has a little bit of a secret weapon: it's been lightened up.There's still sour cream, for taste. But it's also made with Greek yogurt (I used 2%) AND-in addition to, obviously, onions-spinach. You can't really taste the spinach, and I am by no means saying it makes this dip a health food but it's still spinach and it still gives you a bit of nutritional value. So, yay. :P
Funny story about this dip: I didn't love it at first. I thought it's onion flavor wasn't...well...onion-y enough.
Michael wasn't a big fan either, he thought there was too much onion (he didn't like biting into onion pieces).
So I speculated on ways to potentially solve this problem: obviously chopping the onions as small as possible buuut...I'd already tried my best with that (secret shame: I'm awful at chopping). I thought maybe I could puree the cooked onions? (I'm still curious about the idea).
Regardless, there we were, with a TON of dip, staring at it and trying to figure out how we'd finish it.
But then...something magical happened. I don't know if the extra time in the refrigerator made the flavor get more integrated over time or if it just grew on me but, um, I got addicted. Like...couldn't stop eating it. All the fears were for naught, I finished that bad boy in a few days.
No shame.
If you like sour cream and onion stuff you'll like this (even if it means you don't eat it until after it's sat in the fridge for a day or two :P) Trust me. Would I steer you wrong? That's right.
Sour Cream, Spinach, and Onion Dip
(Lightened Up)
Ingredients:
- 2 large yellow onions, diced into as small of pieces as possible
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tbsp. water (if needed)
- 5 oz. (or more, or less, to taste) frozen spinach, thawed, with water thoroughly wrung out
- 17 oz. container of Greek yogurt (whole or 2% for best flavor/texture)
- 16 oz. container reduced fat sour cream
- garlic powder, pepper, and salt, to taste
Preparation:
- Heat oil over medium low heat in a large pan. Add onions and saute until very soft and translucent (but not yet caramelized--unless you want to caramelize them, then go to town), stirring frequently-for about 30 minutes. If onions get dry towards the end of cooking, add water.
- Turn off heat and add spinach. It'll cook as the onions cool. Let cool completely.
- In a large bowl combine yogurt and sour cream.
- Mix in the cooled onions and spinach, and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving (will keep in the refrigerator for about a week, but this will partly depend upon the expiration dates on your yogurt and sour cream.)
- Serve with ruffled potato chips, pita chips, veggies, or whatever you want! (I may have spread some of this on a grilled cheese :P)
Here, I'll share some with you. We're friends.