What's For Dinner: Crispy Artichokes, Cod Fritters And Spinach

Pass around small plates tonight, Spanish style

Not feeling inspired by your usual dishes? Here's what's for dinner.

It's hard not to love tapas bars. This Spanish style of dining involves an endless variety of shareable plates, and the small portions give you the chance to try as many dishes as you want. Instead of going out tonight, try your hand at these three dishes. They all come together in less than an hour, so you can Basque in the glory of your feast in no time.

① Crispy Baby Artichokes with Anchovy Aioli

You tend to see anchovies in the form of vinegar-cured boquerones at tapas joints. But here, D.C. chef Mike Friedman whisks finely chopped bits of anchovy into a smooth aioli and pairs the dip with golden fried artichoke pieces.

② Cod Fritters with Spicy Tomato Sauce

Classic aioli thickens the potato-and-cod fritter mixture, which gets whipped into creamy oblivion, dredged and fried. Any extra tomato sauce makes an all-star addition to scrambled eggs tomorrow morning.

③ Catalan Spinach

No boring spinach sides here. Plumped raisins, diced apple and a splash of sherry sweeten the slightly bitter green, and don't forget the lemon zest, which lends another pop of flavor.