Spinach and artichoke spread

Spinach and artichoke spread | Me & The Moose. This veggie-heavy spread is quick, easy, and versatile for bus weeknights or any night, really. #meandthemoose #spinachartichokedip #spinachandartichoke #diprecipes #healthydips #healthydiprecipes

Throw some spinach, artichokes, garlic, and cheese in a blender and you have a versatile spread that you can eat all week.

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Spinach and artichoke spread | Me & The Moose. This veggie-heavy spread is quick, easy, and versatile for bus weeknights or any night, really. #meandthemoose #spinachartichokedip #spinachandartichoke #diprecipes #healthydips #healthydiprecipes

Who has time to cook before Christmas? Between prepping Christmas and Hannukah dinners, cookie swaps, last-minute gifts, wrapping, school parties, work parties, and the million other things going on, dinner is probably low on the priority list. Another challenge is that, at least in our house, all of this holiday hoopla has thrown us off schedule, which makes feeding a toddler even more difficult. After all, an overstimulated and tired kid is a cranky, fussy mess.

So, this weekend I whipped up some spinach and artichoke spread and we've been eating it in a million different ways: As a dip with carrots and crackers, thinned out and made into a pasta sauce, and with bread and tomato as a grilled cheese. I reduced the amount of cream cheese and cheese in most spinach and artichoke dips and increased the amount of spinach. It's been really convenient having something so versatile at our disposal and the variety keeps it interesting for M. And did I mention that this is a no-cook recipe that comes together in the time it takes to blend the ingredients? VERY helpful when time is limited.

Spinach and artichoke spread | Me & The Moose. This veggie-heavy spread is quick, easy, and versatile for bus weeknights or any night, really. #meandthemoose #spinachartichokedip #spinachandartichoke #diprecipes #healthydips #healthydiprecipes

Spinach and artichoke spread

Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 2 cups dip

2 oz cream cheese
1 cup Parmesan or Romano
1 can of artichoke hearts (or a heaping cup, 9 hearts, 8.5 oz)
4 medium garlic cloves
2 cups raw baby spinach, packed very tightly
1/2 tsp kosher salt
pepper to taste (I like to use Aleppo pepper for little kick, but feel free to use black pepper)

Put everything (raw spinach and garlic included!) in the food processor and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Potato patties with garam masala

These potato patties are quick to make and full of flavor. I love making them as a side for fish sticks as a play on fish and chips, or with a Trader Joe’s Tikka Masala. I can feel like I “made” an easy part of dinner while also relying on some tried and true shortcuts. Wins all around!

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My children are potato enthusiasts. Really, who isn’t? But if you’re feeling stuck in a rut and want to deviate from your usual French fry, tater tot, hash brown, mashed potato rotation, give these a whirl.

They’re very quick to make, especially if you use tiny potatoes and cook them in the microwave to start (or boil them on the stove for 15-20 minutes while you do something else). They’re also better when you make them ahead and chill them in the fridge before frying, so they’re a set-it-and-forget-it kind of dish.

Potato patties with garam masala

Time: around 40- 45 minutes, largely active
Yield: 9 small patties

Adapted from this recipe and this recipe:
1 lb small potatoes (any combo of small purple, red, and white potatoes)
1 cup chopped spinach
½ medium red onion, chopped (about ½ cup)
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 tsp garam masala
1/8 tsp cayenne
1 egg
½ cup panko
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp Olive oil (for sautéing)

Lemon Sauce:
1/2 cup mayo
6 Tbsp lemon juice (more, if needed)
2 very large pinches of salt

Wash the potatoes. Place in a microwave safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 6-8 minutes, depending on the strength of your microwave. Be mindful of the steam and undo the plastic wrap carefully and away from your face. Mash potatoes with a fork or potato masher. Let cool for 10 minutes.

—OR— In a medium pot, cover the potatoes with water and bring to a boil over a high flame. Keep boiling until the potatoes are fork tender, about 10-15 minutes. Drain and put the potatoes in a large bowl. Mash with a potato masher. Let cool for 10 minutes.

While the potatoes cook, chop the spinach, onion, and garlic and prep the lemon sauce.

Add the other ingredients (except oil) to the mashed potatoes and mix until combined. When cool enough, use your hands to work the mixture until it feels a bit sticky. Form into 9, small palm-sized, thin patties.

In a large frying pan, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil over a medium flame until a little bit of the mixture added to the pan, begins to bubble immediately. Cook the patties until brown on one side. Carefully flip. Brown on the other side. When evenly browned, add 2-3 Tbsp of water to the hot pan and cover. Let cook until water is evaporated. Remove from the heat and sprinkle with a bit more salt.

Note: The lemon sauce really takes these patties over the top, so PLEASE don't skip it. TRUST.

Zucchini and blueberry waffles

Zucchini and blueberry waffles | Me & The Moose. These naturally sweet bread-y pastries are a great way to get some veggies into your kiddos first thing in the morning, as an afternoon snack, or anytime really. #meandthemoose #waffles #blueberries #zucchini

Use up the last of late summer produce with these zucchini and blueberry whole grain waffles.

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Zucchini and blueberry waffles | Me & The Moose. These naturally sweet bread-y pastries are a great way to get some veggies into your kiddos first thing in the morning, as an afternoon snack, or anytime really. #meandthemoose #waffles #blueberries #zucchini

Late summer/early fall usually means a glut of zucchini and it's one of M's safe veggies. Don't get me wrong: If I put a piece of zucchini in front of him (steamed, roasted, covered in chocolate), he would NOT eat it. But in a waffle with sweet blueberries and toasty whole wheat and flax, he doesn't even notice that he's eating vegetables for breakfast.

Zucchini and blueberry waffles | Me & The Moose. These naturally sweet bread-y pastries are a great way to get some veggies into your kiddos first thing in the morning, as an afternoon snack, or anytime really. #meandthemoose #waffles #blueberries #zucchini

Zucchini and blueberry waffles | Me & The Moose. These naturally sweet bread-y pastries are a great way to get some veggies into your kiddos first thing in the morning, as an afternoon snack, or anytime really. #meandthemoose #waffles #blueberries #zucchini

Zucchini and blueberry waffles | Me & The Moose. Flour, sugar, eggs, vanilla, spices, buttermilk, flaxseed, and a little butter. #meandthemoose #waffles #blueberries #zucchini #ingredients

A couple of notes about these waffles:

• I used buttermilk in this recipe, but if you don’t have any or don’t want to buy buttermilk, my favorite substitution is this: For every 1 cup of buttermilk that you need, add 1 Tbsp of vinegar to a measuring cup and then add enough dairy milk (any fat content will do) to equal 1 cup. Let sit for a few minutes and use!

• Don’t use more blueberries and zucchini than the recipe calls for. I’ve been tempted to throw in another handful of blueberries or the rest of the shredded zucchini, but I feel like any time I do, the waffles end up too wet.

Zucchini and blueberry waffles | Me & The Moose. These naturally sweet bread-y pastries are a great way to get some veggies into your kiddos first thing in the morning, as an afternoon snack, or anytime really. #meandthemoose #waffles #blueberries #zucchini

Zucchini & blueberry waffles

Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 16 waffles

1 cup shredded zucchini (1/2 large zucchini), patted dry
3/4 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup AP flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 heaping Tbsp flax seed meal
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp butter, melted and cooled to room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract
1½ cups buttermilk

Melt 1 Tbsp of butter in the microwave. Set aside.

Shred the zucchini with a box grater and squeeze the excess water out with paper towels or a cheesecloth. Set aside.

To a large bowl, add the flours, flax seed meal, baking powder, spices, and salt and whisk to combine.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until frothy. Add the melted and cooled butter, vanilla extract, and buttermilk. Whisk until combined.

Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and whisk thoroughly. Add the zucchini and blueberries and whisk gently until combined.

Depending on the size of your waffle maker, spoon about ¼ cup of batter onto the hot surface and follow your appliance’s instructions.