Tips from gaining health

Artichoke Pesto Dip and Mah Favorite CHG Recipes

We like cooking. And food. And, as of today, we here at CHG have something like 430 recipes in our archives. Leigh, Jaime, Rachel, and I have all tried them at least once. But there are only a few – maybe a dozen or so – I make with any regularity. Part of this is because constant experimentation with new dishes doesn’t leave a lot of time to go back and enjoy old favorites. The other part: these dozen are so tasty, I need to have them all the time.

They are:

• Easy Vegetarian Bean Chili
• Gingerbread Oatmeal
• Macaroni and Cheese
• Macaroni with Broccoli and Chickpeas
• Oatmeal with Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil, and Scallions
• Pasta with Asparagus and Mushrooms
• Pasta with Mushrooms, Peppers, and Onions
• Roast Chicken with Two Lemons
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts
• Roasted Eggplant Spread
• Sweet Lassi
• White Bean Dip

(NOTE: Carbs much?)

That last one – White Bean Dip – I make it more often than anything else on this blog, with the possible exception of Oatmeal with Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil, and Scallions. The dip is a fabulous alternative to hummus, and about a million times cheaper. Basically, all you need is a can of small white beans, five minutes, and a food processor. (Actually, you don’t even need the food processor. A potato masher and some good upper body strength is just the ticket.)

But? Thanks to Diane Morgan’s Skinny Dips, which came out late last year, there may be a new dip in town. Artichoke Pesto Dip is the name of the usurper, and though slightly pricier, it is a bowlful of pure joy. I want to spread it on toast. I want to spread it on pasta. I want to spread it on my taste buds, so each may know the joy of artichokes, lemon, Parmesan, and various sundries.

It will be on this list soon.

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If you dig this dip, you’ll surely dig:

• Grasslands Herb Salsa
• Pesto
• White Bean Dip

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Artichoke Pesto Dip
Makes 1 cup or 8 (2 tablespoon) servings
From Skinny Dips by Diane Morgan


1 (15-ounce) can artichoke hearts packed in water, drained
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 small clove garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
a few grinds black pepper

1) Place artichoke hearts in a food processor. Pulse a few times, until rough-chopped.

2) Add Parmesan, olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper. Pulse until dip reaches consistency you like. Serve with tortilla, pita, or what have you.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price Per Serving
48 calories, 3.9 g fat, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein, $0.41

NOTE: Author Diane Morgan calculated the nutrition numbers in Skinny Dips, so only the price is listed here. Also, I added more Parmesan to my version, which was very nice, as well.

Calculations
1 (15-ounce) can artichoke hearts packed in water, drained: $2.29
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese: $0.45
2 tablespoons olive oil: $0.10
1 tablespoon lemon juice: $0.33
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley: $0.10
1 small clove garlic, minced: $0.04
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt: $0.01
a few grinds black pepper: $0.01
TOTAL: $3.33
PER SERVING (TOTAL/8): $0.41