Ah-tichoke Dip!

Anyone who has ever visited Boston is wicked familiah with the size of the void created by the removal of the letter "R" from everyday speech. Except in rare instances where it has no business whatsoever, to which my dear friend "Angeler" can attest. This is frequently parodied around the world with the use of the expression, "Pahk the cah in Hahvahd Yahd." so much so that is a well-worn cliché. Less well known is the expression, "Hey Angeler, I got in idea, let's go to the store 2-4, (pronounced stowah too-fowah) get some ahtichoke dip and get retahded." sorry to be little politically incorrect there, but that's how it was repeated to me. Regardless, it leads me nicely, if not somewhat crudely, into my next topic:

Artichoke dip(from "Clean Food.")
Here's the biz:
1 garlic clove
1 shallot, peeled
2 tbsp lemon juice (I only use fresh now since I discovered they put preservatives in the bottled stuff. Besides, a $2.00 bag of organic lemons from Trader Joe's is a good investment.)
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise (I prefer Vegenaise)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup great northern beans (if you can't find these, navy beans or cannelloni beans will work fine.)
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp powdered mustard
1 4-ounce can of chopped green chiles
2 1/2 cups of canned, drained artichoke hearts

Begin by processing the garlic in the food processor. If you've been practicing your telekinesis, a small clove should be no problem for you by now, but remember, you can always cheat and plug it in. Once the garlic is minced, scrape down the sides of the food processor, add everything else, save the artichokes and blend well. Then add the artichokes, blend briefly, so you have a chunky dip as opposed to a purée.

Serve with pita chips or any other favorite vehicle for dip consumption. Let's face it, eating chips is all about the dip anyway, why not make it indulgent and reasonably healthy? (save perhaps the mayo, which if nothing else is at least all natural.)

Another variation I thought of after the fact is this: why not make the same dip with everything but the artichokes, then serve it with steamed artichokes instead of chips? I can't wait to try it this way! Steamed artichokes are really easy to prepare, fun to eat, and delicious!

I had some friends over for a small feast last night and served this as an appetizer, along with watermelon soup, roasted portobello salad, and for dessert a raw carrot cake, all of which you can find in earlier blog posts!








PS.. Orbiting Vegan now has its own Facebook page, which you can find and "like.". You can find it, like it, and further admire our sparkly new logo by clicking on this link!!!

Thanks again for all the positive feedback coming through the blog, Facebook, twitter and in person!
- Posted using BlogPress

Location:Madison, CT