Dilly Dietitian Dip

Two weekends ago I was home alone, so I decided to host a potluck just so I would have friends over to keep me company. The night was a success - all my friends brought over tasty dishes (despite threatening to bring me bags of chips before) and we had a nice, sit-down dinner followed by games of Poker, Cheat and Carcassonne. Since I was hosting, I decided to take on three dishes, but unfortunately only one of them turned out... and this wasn't one of them.

I got this recipe from Elaine, a dietitian based in BC. Her blog, Greens & Berries, was probably the first nutrition blog I'd ever read, and it's unique in that it's written more with the professional in mind - Elaine regularly links to resources that she has found helpful in her own practice and she is definitely a proponent of continuing education. She is always talking about brushing up on certain topics—especially when she has an intern under her wing—and I love "eavesdropping" on her Twitter conversations with Kathryn of Limes & Lycopene and Sophie of Mostly Eating to hear about their latest discoveries in nutrition and healthy, tasty food.

This dip recipe actually comes from one of Elaine's tweets, and it's a low-fat, high-protein dip thanks to the cottage cheese and yogurt standing in for the usual sour cream. The original recipe calls for parsley, or a mix of parsley and dill, but I just used all dill because I love it, while at the same time feel kinda "Ehh" about parsley. The dip is thickened by the cottage cheese (I made mine smoother than Elaine does just because my Magic Bullet is not the most cooperative thing in the world,) and the squeeze of lemon juice gives it a pleasant tang while the dill gives it a summery freshness. The original name of the dip is much more pedestrian, I prefer Dietitian Dip because it's healthy, I got it from a dietitian, and I like alliterations :P

So why didn't this dip work out? I didn't have time to cut up vegetables before the guests arrived so it unfortunately just sat in the fridge during the party...

Dilly Dietitian Dip
Adapted from Greens & Berries
Makes 2 cups

• 250 mL (1 cup) low-fat cottage cheese
  
• 15 mL (1 tbsp) fresh lemon juice
  
• 250 mL (1 cup) fresh dill
  
• 125 mL (½ cup) low-fat plain yogurt
  
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
  

1. In food processor, lightly process cottage cheese and lemon juice until just blended.
   
2. Add dill, yogurt, and pepper. Process just until mixed or until dill is coarsely chopped. (Depending on your food processor, you may need to chop the dill before putting it in.)
   
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least four hours to allow flavours to set in. Garnish with dill sprigs (optional) and serve with fresh, cut vegetables.

Nutrition Info (per ½ cup): 61 calories, 1 g fat (1 g saturated), 4 mg cholesterol, 4 g carbohydrate (0 g fibre, 4 g sugar), 9 g protein, 251 mg sodium. An excellent source of vitamin B₁₂.