Spinach And Artichokes: A Dip with A Heart
The Super Bowl may have come and gone, but that’s no reason to stop working on your arsenal of dip recipes. This vegetable-laden dip is one of my favorites for cocktail parties or hors d’œuvres before dinner. It’s easy to make ahead of time and simply slip under the broiler when your first guests arrive to a perfectly melted cheesy topping. And the use of organic spinach and artichokes makes it a recipe you can feel good about serving to your loved ones.
You can use fresh artichoke hearts, frozen artichoke hearts or jarred artichoke hearts, but be sure to stay away from the canned ones. If you can’t find jarred organic artichoke hearts near you, you can always order them online: Monjardin Organic Artichoke hearts are sold in jars, as are Native Forest artichoke hearts. Order in bulk to save on shipping, then use the artichokes in all of your favorite artichoke recipes. Though the latter are not certified organic, the company is obviously one that cares about organic and sustainable farming: they sell organic hearts of palm, as well as artichoke hearts and asparagus farmed using sustainable methods. You can also purchase frozen organic artichoke hearts or fresh artichokes, which you steam whole and then remove the heart.
I prefer to use frozen spinach in this recipe, though you can certainly use fresh: cook fresh spinach and squeeze out any extra moisture before using it in the recipe. As for the roasted garlic, I always have a head in my fridge, which I roast with my weekly roast chicken and throw into recipes all week long. If you don’t have roasted garlic, two heads of raw garlic, grated or finely minced, will be fine.
Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Ingredients
Method
Preheat your over to 350º
For a creamy dip, combine all of the ingredients except the parmesan cheese in a blender or in a large mixing bowl, using an immersion blender to blend them. Pour into a baking dish and top with parmesan cheese. Bake until the dip is warmed through and the top is bubbly and browned, about 15 minutes.
For a chunky dip: Follow the above instructions, reserving about half of the artichokes until the other dip ingredients are blended. Stir in the artichokes and then finish the recipe as written.
image: adactio
