Garlicky Spinach-Artichoke Dip, trimmed down to size

I have traded in yesterday’s shorts and t-shirt for sweatpants and a sweatshirt, and am secretly craving a nice soup for dinner over the tuna burger and coleslaw combo I have on tap instead. Because of this, I can’t find it in my heart to tell you about some no-bake meal that weather of past days encouraged. No, today you get a warm, oven-lovin’, comforting Spinach & Artichoke dip – one, I might add, that will bring you comfort with much less guilt.  Don’t worry, it’s still plenty creamy and cheesy – you see, I make a lot of modifications and talk a lot about “less guilt,” but these recipes never sacrifice the flavor. I will never eat a supersized-but-low-fat brownie that tastes like dirt, but if I can find a purely indulgent yet ultimately sinless version of that chocolate square, I’m going to go with that over the full-fat, full-sugar original. Never compromise your ability to enjoy the food you eat.

The original recipe for this dip came from Healthy Green Kitchen, and I roughly quartered/halved it (hence the “roughly” – bad habit of cooking by a whim), then added some onion, mushrooms, and spinach. Instead of bread (though it took every bone of self control in my body), I dipped raw broccoli florets into it, which was actually an excellent decision in the end. It helped lighten up the meal and offset the richness of the dip, and although I was a little broccoli-ed out by the end of it and certainly full, I didn’t feel totally weighed down by the food I had just eaten. I would recommend this dip to anyone, and think that it would make just as great of an appetizer as it did a main dish for me. Who knows! If this weather keeps up, you might even consider serving it on Father’s Day. I sure wouldn’t mind having a taste of this fantastic dip again…

4 cups loose-packed spinach  1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, divided