It’s been a busy couple of weeks here in the Big Apple. Last week a friend of mine from back home visited New York for her sister’s wedding, and I was really happy to spend some time with fellow Norwegians. We had some great dinners in Brooklyn and spent the days shopping and sightseeing. I was invited to join her family on a sightseeing bus that they had rented, and it was so much fun to see more of Manhattan even though it was freezing sitting on top of the bus.
What else is new? I’ve tried yoga for the first time! I did not expect to like it at all, I thought it was all about breathing and finding your inner peace or whatever (those of you who know me, know that I’m not really into all that), but I was so surprised by how good exercise is actually was! I really got my heart rate going and I could definitely feel it all over my body the next day. Of course, it is also about breathing and being peaceful and all that, but I don’t think you have to be into that to enjoy yoga. I went three times last week and will try to keep it up.
Here’s a picture of Times Square that I took from the sightseeing bus.
I have also been doing a lot of studying lately, even on Friday and Saturday nights… Brittany and I have been thinking about how we can make doing homework on a Friday night more fun, the answer is: with dips and wine of course! Brittany made a very tasty guacamole and I decided to make this spinach dip. I first tried this dip at a party in New Jersey a couple of weeks ago and it was so good I just had to ask for the recipe! Turns out the recipe can be found on the back of packs of Lipton vegetable soup mix. When I saw the recipe I realized I had to make some major adjustments to make it healthier. The original recipe calls for a cup of real mayonnaise and eight ounces of sour cream. As a future dietician I couldn’t really justify making a dip with so much fat, so I substituted 2% Greek yogurt for the mayonnaise and I used half fat sour cream. I don’t think the taste was compromised at all, it was still delicious. I really like spinach a lot, and it’s so healthy too. Spinach is a very good source of folate, which is scientifically proven to lower the incidence of neural tube defects, and may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and some cancers. In addition to folate, spinach is also a good source of other micronutrients such as vitamins K, A, C, and also iron and magnesium. So make my healthier version of this dip and feel good about getting all these essential nutrients.
Recipe (makes 3 cups)
1 sachet (51 g) Lipton vegetable soup mix
230 g (8 oz) low-fat sour cream
240 ml (1 cup) 2% fat Greek yogurt
280 g (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
230 g (8 oz) water chestnuts, drained and chopped
3 spring onions, chopped
Directions:
- In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients; chill 2 hours.
- Serve with your favourite dippers. I served my dip with spelt pretzels, but I think it will be really good with carrot and celery sticks and some pita bread.
Source: Adapted from Lipton
Food and the City 