Our Veggie Kitchen

I frequently experiment with new ideas for vegan sandwiches, especially sandwich spreads.  They make school-time lunches a breeze and they often double as a dip for veggies or chips.  With my oldest daughter, it's often a dip for her spoon.

I've made this Artichoke Dip a few times.  It's got a subtle white bean base and just creamy enough, while avoiding a calorie overload.  And the artichoke flavor shines through.  I've also made this Spinach Dip.  With the stronger spinach flavor, I could use a whole can of white beans without tasting beany.  But my girls turn their nose up at all the spinach.  This iteration, blending the two is the perfect mix.  It's healthy enough to use it in a sandwich, its got great flavor and my girls love it.  In fact, it's my favorite of the three.



Artichoke Spinach Dip
1 bunch spinach, washed, chopped and cooked
8 oz water chestnuts, finely chopped
6 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, minced
2 tbs pickled jalapeno peppers, minced
Sauce:
1 can white kidney beans
1/2 cup vegan sour cream
1/4 cup vegenaise
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cloves garlic

Add the sauce ingredients to a blender and blend thoroughly, until very smooth. To the blended sauce, add the cooked spinach, minced water chestnuts, minced artichokes, and jalapenos.  Pulse the blender to combine and refrigerate until the sauce thickens, at least a couple of hours. The dip is better if kept overnight.
Makes about 3 cups

12 servings: 139 cal (5g fat, 19g carbs, 6g protein)