There is a scene in my life movie when the food devil appears and temps me with a deal I can’t refuse: my soul for all the spinach and artichoke dip I can eat for THE REST OF MY LIFE without consequences for my hips or health. I rip the contract out of his little red hands and sign my John Hancock on the dotted line. I love, love, love spinach and artichoke dip. It’s my favorite treat. If there’s spinach and artichoke dip at a party I have to physically restrain myself from hovering over it like a cat over a fish tank. How embarrassing.
I found this spinach dip on Closet Cooking, a great blog written by a guy name Kevin from Toronto. This blog is DANGEROUS for me because he makes lots of mouthwatering dips. Someday, I would like to write a cookbook completely dedicated to dips, mostly because then I would have to eat dip in a test kitchen all day long. My job would be EATING DIP.
With big hunks of artichokes, this creamy dip is complemented by a hint of garlic and little heat. I adapted the dip a bit by adding more artichokes, spinach, and garlic. Things I didn’t change: lots of cheese and cream cheese and mayo remain the stars of the show. So much in fact that you should really consult a physician before you eat this dip. Or make a deal with the food devil.
My adaptation is below and Kevin’s post is here.
Ingredients:
1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach; thawed, drained and coarsely chopped
2 (14 ounce) can artichoke heart; drained - chop in quarters
2 blocks of cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 cup mayonnaise (if mayo bothers you, use sour cream instead)
2 cloves garlic; grated
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/4 cup grated parmigiano reggiano; grated (asiago is a nice substitute)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1. Blend the cream cheese and mayonnaise using a mixer
2. Fold in artichokes and spinach (make sure to towel off any water from both)
3. Add grated garlic and hot sauce
4. Pour into a baking dish. Sprinkle parmesan on top.
5. Bake in oven at 350 degrees until bubbling and golden brown on top. About 20 minutes.
Serves: a lot of people who will invite you to more parties and be your BFF.
p.s., I tagged this as vegetables. I know that's a HUGE stretch. I'm working on my index. Hang in there.
