Spinach and Feta Dip

You know when you have half a bag of spinach in your fridge and you keep sniffing it, thinking its going to turn any day, knowing you should use it up, but you don't really feel like eating a raw spinach salad and you don't know what else to do with it and you're kinda in a snacky mood? That's when you make this dip.

This dip is one of many Jessica Seinfeld tactics I've had to pull lately to get my kid to eat his daily veggies (I wonder what it's like to be Jessica Seinfeld and have your name associated with prideful deception of innocent children?).  It appears that the days of joyously watching Ben eat Brussels sprouts with gusto are over. Blah blah serenity parenting blah, I know in the long run it doesn't really matter that my kid ate fruit snacks and chocolate milk for dinner instead of the kale and white bean soup I so lovingly prepared, but I can't help it. The tiger mom in me growls when my baby skips his greens. They've invented gummy vitamins and lemon-flavored fish oil, but if I want my kid to eat real fresh food, sometimes I gotta get sneaky.

Surprise surprise, not only did my little guy lap this up, but even my husband liked it.  "This is good!" he says, as if shocked that a bowl of green dip could be tasty. But if you ever come over for drinks and snacks, be warned: Ben's a double-dipper. Actually, he just used the same cracker, licking the dip off his Triscuit and redipping. I didn't care. My baby was eating spinach, and for this I was grateful.

Spinach and Feta Dip
Adapted from The New American Plate by the American Institute for Cancer Research. Easy-peasy, just a spin in the food processor and it's done. 

4 c. stemmed fresh spinach, loosely packed
1/2 c. feta crumbles (about 2 oz)
2 scallions, chopped
1/4 c. mayo
2 tsp. prepared white horseradish
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 c. chopped fresh dill
Salt and pepper

In a food processor, finely chop the spinach. Add the feta and scallions. Process until well blended. Add the mayo, horseradish, and lemon juice and process to blend until smooth. Add the dill and process for another 15 seconds. Season to taste with salt and pepper.