Creamy dips make excellent party appetizers. They can be served in bowls with tortilla chips nearby, so guests can dip the chips into the bowls. Another serving suggestion is to spread the dip on toasted slices of French baguettes, garnished with small dices of red and yellow bell peppers or with halves of cherry tomatoes and parsley leaves. These nice mini-sandwiches will make your guests love your cooking talent and want to get invited by you more often. Yes, sometimes a simple spinach artichoke dip can do what other charms can't.

Ingredients:

• 10 ounces artichoke hearts, drained, chopped
• 10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed, chopped and very well drained
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (you can replace it with low-fat mayonnaise)
• 1/2 cup sour cream or yogurt
• 1 cup Mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 4 small packs (4 ounces) of cream cheese
• Salt, pepper

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Serves: 8

How to cook the creamy spinach artichoke dip:

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and blend them until they become a paste. Beware that sometimes canned artichokes can have a strange flavor, so it’s always best to rinse them well and drain them before use, especially if you’re not going to bake the dip. Even if you do, you can still rinse the artichoke hearts, as it won’t take you long anyway. Pour the blend in a casserole, cover it and cook it in the oven (preheated at 350 F) for 25-30 minutes. Serve it with carrot or celery sticks, or with any other dipping such as toast, chips or sliced pita bread. You can refrigerate the dip and serve it the next day.

Ingredients:

• 1 can artichoke hearts, drained
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced (can be replaced with garlic powder or garlic salt)
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 8-10 oz frozen spinach, thawed, drained and cut small
• 1 cup fat-free yogurt
• 1 cup fat-free cottage cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar (or freshly squeezed lemon juice)

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Serves: 8

Cooking procedure:

This is one of the fastest artichokes and spinach dip recipes. It’s easy to prepare because canned artichokes are pre-cooked, spinach is very good raw and the other ingredients just go inside as they are. Basically all you need to do is mix all ingredients together in a big bowl, stir well, let everything sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, then serve it. Be careful to drain very well the artichokes and the spinach, because if they are watery, the composition will be too fluid and you’ll probably have to eat it with the spoon. That’s not what you’d wish for a festive dinner unless you don’t care about your guests. Another cooking tip: depending on how much you insist with the stirring, the dip will get a different consistency. Just stop when you feel it’s right. Serving suggestion: top the bowl with diced tomatoes, black olives and some parsley and use tortilla chips, toasted pita bread or celery sticks for dipping. For those of you who like it hot, adding some hot chili peppers could be a great idea.