Then again, I am far from immune to the temptation to shift gears toward the end of January. Maybe it’s the inner party planner in me — I’m the girl who plans fictitious dinner parties I know I’m never going to have (I still am contemplating a recipe round-up post for all my favorite dinner party ideas, for those who are actually motivated to execute on that front). As you can see, I went decidedly re-tox for this dish. No more detox fare here. Processed “cheese”? Check. A hefty dose of (albeit healthy) fat? Check. Something that requires some sort of chip for dipping? Check.

Yes, folks, I’ve gone “bad” for this recipe. But what’s a Super Bowl party without some junk food thrown into the mix? I don’t care if this is a vegan dish packed with 4 cups of fresh spinach. This dip tastes baaad in such a good way; I doubt anyone will find this to be health fare.

On that note, if you’re serving a crowd, I’d suggest a double/triple batch. Between the two of us, my mom and I finished this off in just two sittings (not exactly something I want to brag about here, just stating the facts).

Serves: 4-6

Hot Spinach Dip:

1 cup chopped scallions (about 1 bunch)

4 cups tightly-packed fresh spinach, chopped*

1/2 cup Grapeseed Oil Vegenaise

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1/2 cup Daiya vegan mozzarella, plus more for topping

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3. Mix all ingredients, except remaining cheese for topping, in a large bowl until combined. Turn out into a shallow baking dish or ramekin and smooth out top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until bubbly. Serve immediately with favorite gluten-free chip.

* For a healthier twist, use 1/2 spinach and 1/2 finely chopped kale

I made this dip about a month ago and was instantly addicted. It’s the kind of dip that really makes any type of cracker or bread just a vehicle for the dip, which is rich and flavorful and, dare I say, somewhat healthy to boot (with omega-3 packed walnuts and vitamin-packed beets). I apologize for the rather imprecise measurement of the beets. I was originally not planning on sharing the recipe. But since I veered slightly from the original and enjoyed it so much, I thought I would pass this one on to all of you. I’m sure slight variations on the amount of beet used won’t change the fact that this is one great recipe. The original recipe also calls for water, in addition to much more olive oil that I used, making it more of a puree than a dip, as it is presented here. Feel free to add a bit of water or more olive oil as needed to reach desired consistency.

Walnut Beet Dip:
Adapted from Spain: A Culinary Road Trip

1 cup walnuts

1 1/2 large beets, boiled, peeled and cut into large chunks

2 tablespoons good olive oil

2 tablespoons sesame tahini (I used raw)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons curly parsley, minced

sea salt

Directions:

Puree walnuts in a food processor with a sharp blade until finely ground. Add beets, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice and parsley and puree until combined. If the consistency is too thick, you may add a bit of water to thin it out. Add enough salt to taste, plus another spinkle of lemon juice or drizzle of olive oil if desired.

This cashew spread is great on bread (and can even liven up the most failed of gluten-free breads as well, as I can attest). I could also see it being nice over pasta (zucchini pasta for a raw meal, perhaps?) or even sauteed vegetables.

Cashew Spinach Spread:
Adapted from a recipe by Susan Powers at Raw Mazing

1 1/4 cups raw cashews, soaked for 4 hours, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped

8 fresh basil leaves

2 handfuls (about 2 cups packed) fresh spinach leaves

1/4 cup minced sweet onion

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup golden flax seed meal

1-2 tablespoons water as needed

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.

The one thing I’ve noticed about guacamole is that while the same basic ingredients go into every recipe — avocado, lime, salt, onion, tomato — it seems like no guacamole is ever alike. Some are lime-y, some are creamy, some are chunky, others smooth. They range in flavor, texture, and heat, and I love them all.

I decided to call this recipe a dip. Despite the wide range of possible guacamole interpretation, the creamy consistency of this recipe really reminds me of a great dip. I made a big batch on Friday and Gennaro and I enjoyed it over fish tacos. I enjoyed the leftovers the next day with a healthy handful of chips.

Avocado Dip:

2 ripe avocados

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoons salt

3 scallions, greens topped off

4 jalapenos, seeded and roughly chopped (add back seeds gradually until dip reaches desired heat)

2 plum tomatoes, seeded, roughly chopped

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Puree avocado, lemon juice, salt and scallions in a food processor until smooth and homogenous.

2. Add remaining ingredients and puree until dip is speckled but smooth, with no large chunks of vegetable remaining.

A while back, I created a recipe for hot spinach artichoke dip using vegenaise and thickened soy milk. I really loved the recipe, but I found that the results were somewhat inconsistent. Sometimes it would be thick and creamy, other times thin. But the days of inconsistency are over. This dip knocks it out of the park every time. For good results, though, I do not recommend heating this one, which will affect the consistency of the beans in the dip. I still use vegenaise in this recipe, which is made using organic ingredients, and unparalleled in the flavor and texture it adds to the dip.

This is also a great option for a low fat, lower-calorie spinach artichoke dip. You’re eating vegetables, after all. Might as well make everything else a little healthier as well. I also noticed, after creating this recipe, that there is a similar Moosewood recipe out there from their low-fat cookbook. I’ve declared my love for Moosewood on this blog before, so I’d be interested to see how their recipe compares.

Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip:

1 15-oz. can cannellini beans

1/3 cup vegenaise

3 tablespoons lemon juice

3 scallions, roughly chopped, green part removed

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 14-oz. can artichoke hearts

3 cups baby spinach, loosely packed

Directions:

1. Using the sharp blade of a food processor, blend beans, vegenaise, lemon juice, scallions and salt until smooth.

2. Add spinach and artichoke and pulse, 10-15 times, or until dip reaches desired consistency.

3. Enjoy. Serve with vegetables or tortillas chips or spread over gluten-free bread.

On a final note, this dip got the seal of approval from Gennaro, who dislikes spinach, let alone spinach blended into a dip. When he said he really liked it, that’s when I knew it was good.