#4 Baked Artichoke Dip

Shownotes for #4 Baked Artichoke Dip!

The music for the opening and ending of the show is Fast Food Rampage by the The Touch Ups, courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network.

Stuff you need to know fore this show's recipe:

If you would like to learn more about the fifth taste, umami, click here to go to a website dedicated to this taste. Isn't cool. I bet sweet, sour bitter and salty all wish they had websites too!

All the recipes here are an hour or less. Active time for the cook is less than 15 minutes. Total preparation time (refrigerator to mouth) is 1 hour and 15 minutes. This recipe goes quicker if you have some kind machine for combining the ingredients, a food processor, or a hand-held or stand mixer. If you are ready to buy a food processor, but can't spend the $150 for a five cup Cuisinart (the only one I recommend; its all about the power of the motor), there is a three cup version that will last you for several years. To use it with large amounts you mix the final combination of processed foods in a large bowl by hand. Still at $40, its a bargain. There's a link to Amazon's page for purchasing this 3 cup version here on the Munchiespodcast web page. If you can buy this, you'll use it a lot to make the snacks I'll discuss on future podcasts.

A blender will get stuck a lot with this dip. It will do too fine a job when it does work and add a lot of air. So don't use one.

Of course, the entire operation can also be accomplished by chopping the artichokes finely with a knife and using a big spoon to mix everything together.If you are new to using a knife, take a look at the videos on chopping and mincing on the Food Network. They are quite helpful. If you need a knife, there's a link I'll have more to say about how to buy a knife that will last you a lifetime, next week.

Additional podsafe music used in the show include:

I happy to showcase Matthew Ebel's holiday song Walk a Thousand Miles. This is a live acoustic version from the Podsafe Music Network that will go very nicely with your enjoyment of that artichoke dip.

Here are some additional recipes from the show:

For the original, full-on heart clogging recipe that made suburbia the place for parties, see this page on the All Recipes website.

The following recipes can all be served in a bread bowl! Eating food on bread is a very old way to eat, predating ceramic plates. When you were done with the stew or meat, you ate the "plate!" There was less to clean up. Buy a high round bread of any variety. This shape is known as a boule. Cut a round slice out of the top of the bread as if you were opening a bowl. Scoop out the interior crumb with your hands. Save this for making bread crumbs (dry a few days, then grind in a food processor; keep in a bag in the freezer to maintain freshness), or cut into cubes to make croutons (toss with oil, salt and pepper, and saute in a skillet until the sides begin to color; then keep in a plastic bag)..

Pour the dip into the hollow bread bowl on serving platter and surround with slices of multigrain or whole grain bread for dipping. Reserve extra dip to warm and refill the bread bowl as necessary. Cut up bread bowl when the dipping slices are gone. Eating the bowl (at the end of the party or the next day) is even better than dipping slices of bread because the bowl absorbs the flavors from the dip.

Baked Artichoke Dip (with even less calories from fat then the one featured on the show; recipe adapted from Food Network Kitchens)

3/4 pound light (but not fat free) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup 2% milk
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 scallions (white and green), chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cups drained jarred or thawed artichoke hearts, patted dry
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Pinch cayenne
Butter, as needed
Assorted crackers

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a food processor, combine the cream cheese, milk, Parmesan, scallions, garlic, eggs, and lemon juice; pulse until smooth. Add the artichokes, salt, pepper, and cayenne, and pulse until just mixed, but still chunky. Transfer the mixture to a buttered, deep 4-cup casserole dish and bake until lightly browned and set, about 1 hour. Serve warm with crackers.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip (traditional recipe)

1 box frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
8 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, softened
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, plus more as needed
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained
Carrot sticks, celery sticks or baked tortilla strips, for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Squeeze all excess liquid from spinach, place in a food processor with sour cream, Parmesan, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella, the cream cheese, garlic, pepper and hot sauce.

Process until just blended but still slightly lumpy. Add artichokes and pulse to form a chunky mixture. Place in a 1-quart baking dish. Top with remaining mozzarella. Bake until bubbly, about 30 minutes. Serve with carrot sticks, celery sticks or baked tortilla strips.

Stovetop Spinach and Artichoke Dip (recipe adapted from Rachel Ray, The Food Network)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
1 tablespoon butter
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves or 2 teaspoons dried
1/2 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup half-and- half or heavy cream
1 can (15 ounces) artichoke hearts in water, drained and coarsely chopped
2 boxes, 10 ounces each, chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry in kitchen towel
1 1/2 cups shredded Italian 4 cheese blend (provolone, Parmesan, mozzarella and Asiago) available in 10-ounce pouches on the dairy aisle of your market
Salt and pepper
1 round loaf crusty bread: top removed and cubed, bottom hollowed out to use as serving bowl
1 loaf multigrain or whole wheat baguette, sliced at bakery/bread counter in market

To a medium sauce pot preheated over moderate heat, add about 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan in a slow stream. Add butter to oil. When butter melts, add garlic and onions to the pot. Sprinkle in thyme leaves. Saute 2 minutes, add chopped red pepper. Saute mixture a minute more. Sprinkle in flour, stir to coat vegetables. Cook flour 1 minute. Whisk in wine and reduce by half. Whisk in stock and thicken sauce 1 minute. Stir in half-and-half or cream. When sauce returns to a bubble, add artichokes, spinach and cheeses. Keep stirring until cheeses melt and sauce is well combined. Add salt and pepper and adjust seasonings, to your taste.

Crab and Artichoke Dip (recipe adapted from La Quinta Resort, Palm Springs, CA)

2 cups chopped shallots (or red onions)
1/2 cup chopped garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces chopped artichoke hearts (canned or bottled, but not marinated)
8 ounces Dungenesss crab meat (flake is sufficient, don't spend a lot of money on lump meat for this recipe)
4 cups spinach (2 boxes or one large bag frozen will do here)
1 cup heavy cream (not whipping cream)
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
1 cup (2 boxes) Boursin cheese
1 cup bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Saute shallots and garlic in olive oil until caramelized. Add the artichokes and crab, and saute. Add spinach, cream, crushed red pepper, tomatoes, and cheese. Stir. Let it simmer then puree mixture. Place in casserole dishes and top with bread crumbs. Bake for 7 minutes.

Here is the shopping list for next week:

Three or four ripe red tomatoes,

A fresh lime

A large onion

two or three chilies, like jalapeno or serrano. These should be fresh, not canned or pickled. The skin should be tight, not wrinkled.

You’ll also need some fresh cilantro.

Here is a list equipment you will need for next week: