Spinach Artichoke Dip- Vegan and Allergen Free

I can’t say I ever tried a spinach artichoke dip that was not some “heat ‘n serve” green and white cheesy blob from Costco. In fact, I think something like that was a bit too sophisticated for my tastebuds, having grown up on a lot of restaurant quality chicken fingers, and french fries (truly, it is a wonder that I have made it this far).

A spinach and artichoke dip sounds healthy– artichokes being an excellent source of fiber and protein to say the least, and spinach a green super food, rich in protein, calcium, and alkaline minerals. However, a spinach artichoke dip generally means copious amounts of oil, fat, dairy, and additional unpleasantries that the body cannot digest and breakdown, thus slowing the metabolism and leading to weight gain, low energy, migraines, skin breakouts, and other such issues.

When a request from one of my lovely clients came in to create a healthier spinach and artichoke dip, I was absolutely intrigued. The easy route would have been to make a creamy cashew “cheese” with nuts and nutritional yeast, but in my opinion, that would have been too dense.

As is my goal for every recipe I create, I wanted this recipe to be as nutritious, pure, and light as possible. And so, behold this fabulous and delicious dip, fit for a vegetable platter, baked corn tortilla chips, or as an addition to your salads in replace of tuna, meat, or other such denser foods.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

• 3 cups roasted cauliflower florets (about 1 small cauliflower, or 4 cups florets)
• 3 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1½ tsp garlic cloves (about 2 medium cloves)
• ½ tsp sea salt, divided
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• ½ tsp ground mustard powder (a spice)
• 1-2 cups artichoke hearts, frozen, or jarred and rinsed (I use Monterey Farms Artihearts)
• 2 cups spinach, loosely packed

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange florets on a baking sheet lined with parchment, or a non-stick liner. Sprinkle florets with ¼ tsp sea salt and bake for 30 minutes, or until edges of cauliflower are browning. Remove from oven and scoop into high-speed blender. Blend with lemon  juice and garlic until smooth. Add salt, yeast, and mustard and blend until smooth. Add artichoke hearts and spinach and pulse until well combined but chunky. Transfer to an oven safe dish and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. If desired, transfer to serving dish and serve with a raw vegetable platter, as a topping for grilled vegetables, or as a dip for baked corn tortilla chips.

Cheers!

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Dried Cranberries- Oil-Free Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving Week!

I am doing my best to round up some of my favorite newer recipes for my client’s festive and healthy holiday meals! I have had so much excitement regarding this Brussels sprout recipe, I wanted to go ahead and post it.

I have never seen (healthy) Brussels sprouts disappear so quickly. The combination of their natural crunch and unique flavor profile, matched with the chewy, tart and sweet bite of the cranberries, all to contrast a refreshing and caramelized fennel, and dressed with the sweet and salty flavoring from the coconut aminos, is the perfect celebration of fall. 

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Dried Cranberries

• 1½ lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 1 tbsp raw coconut aminos, or gluten-free tamari
• 1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.), or 1/8 tsp granulated garlic
• ¼ cup coarsely chopped dried (fruit infused) cranberries (you can find these in the bulk section of Whole Foods Market).
• Salt to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss prepared Brussels sprouts and fennel with aminos, garlic, and 1/8 tsp Himalayan salt and black pepper. Place sprouts in a baking dish and bake for 25 minutes. Carefully remove from oven and stir in cranberries. Return to oven for 10-15 additional minutes, or until Brussels sprouts are golden brown/ crisp on the outside, and tender on the inside. Transfer to serving dish, or keep on warm in the oven until ready to enjoy. 

Vegetable side dish at the table?

Check!

Oil-free? Check!

Gluten-free? Check! Check!

Vegan, wholesome, and simple?

Check, check, check!

Happy Thanksgiving to all, and to all a good night.

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