Spinach and peanut dips

I had forgotten about the wonders of spinach dip until my friend Krisi made some for a party a while ago. I wanted to try a tofu base instead of Sour Supreme to save some money. My go-to peanut sauce relies heavily on coconut milk and peanut butter. This was my attempt at something a little healthier, but still full of tastiness.



Creamy spinach dip
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 c. onion, sliced
2 tbs. olive oil
1 -12.3 oz. box of aseptic tofu, extra firm
3 tbs. soy milk
1 tbs. mustard
1 tsp. agave nectar
1 tsp. fresh dill
1/2 tsp. salt
zest and juice of 1 med. lemon
1/2 tsp. sriracha (optional)
3 c. frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 green onions, sliced
1 - 8 oz. can water chestnuts, chopped

Saute the onions, garlic, and olive oil over med-high heat until the onions become translucent and the garlic is golden. Set aside for a few minutes to cool slightly, while you measure out everything else.

The 3 c. of spinach is a rough measurement of frozen, bagged spinach that I had crumbled slightly so it would be a little more measurable. After thawing and squeezing out the water, it was about 1 packed cup. If you didn't plan ahead and defrost the spinach, just run it under warm water in a colander.

Place the tofu through sriracha in a food processor and add the cooked mixture. Make sure to scrape in all of that garlicky oil. Process until creamy, then add the spinach and process again until somewhat smooth. Adjust for salty/spicyness, then scrape into a bowl and stir in the green onions and chopped water chestnuts.

Chill until ready to serve.

Peanut dip
1 - 15 oz. can great northern beans, drained (cannellinis would work as well, maybe even garbanzos)
1/3 c. peanut butter
2 1/2 tbs. soy sauce
1 tbs. sesame oil
1 tbs. rice wine vinegar
1 tbs. agave nectar
2 green onions
8-10 mint leaves
4-5 stems of cilantro
zest and juice of one lime

This one's easy. Process until smooth, then chill until ready to serve.