Snacks.

Am I right? Snacks make adulting just a wee bit more tolerable. But if you’re trying to eat healthy, it can be a challenge, because most snack dips are full of fat, dairy, cheesy goodness.

Once again…

I. Got. You.

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I’ve been making spinach artichoke dip forever, and with just a few substitutions, I was able to easily make it clean.

Here’s the recipe, and scroll down for some tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans (5-7 count) artichoke hearts (I use Cento)
• 8 ounces non-dairy cream cheese (I use Kite Hill)
• 1/2 cup Vegenaise
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 chopped onion or 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 cups chopped spinach
• 1 1/4 cup dairy free cheese of choice (I use Daiya)
• paprika for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°.
Coat baking dish or cast iron skillet with olive oil.
Drain, rinse and chop artichokes.
Mix all ingredients together until well-blended.  Fill baking dish/skillet evenly. 
Sprinkle with paprika.
Bake 20-30 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Now for my tips and tricks.

I used to always get the quartered artichoke hearts, but found that they were really difficult to chop up, the outer leaves were really stringy. By accident, I grabbed a can of the whole, 5-7 count, and they were so much easier to cut up. Of course, you can use a food processor, but I’ve found no matter now gently you pulse, they will get pulverized and you get a very different texture.

I also prefer to let the artichokes sit in clean, cold water for a little while before I’m ready to use them, to really get all the brine out of them, and to drain them really well to get rid of any excess water (also makes chopping them easier).

This dip mixture is super versatile. You can serve it on it’s own, with clean tortilla chips or crackers. My favorites are Late July Tigernut Flour Tortilla Chips and Simple Mills crackers.

But you can also make it up and use it to stuff grilled portobello mushroom caps, or stuff small mushrooms, or grilled zucchini boats, or stuff peppers with it, or spread it on a cauliflower pizza crust.

Make up a batch and let me know what you think!!