Spinach Artichoke Dip

Spinach Artichoke Dip
Vegan; Soy Free; Gluten Free

This is a crowd pleaser. I make this for potlucks and everyone really devours this dip. Easy to make with 1 pie plate to take and 1 pie plate to enjoy later, this is the perfect dish.

I've made this for a few potlucks and every time this gets eaten where I only have the dish to take home. Vegans and non-vegans enjoy this dip with chips, crackers, or pita chips..... This is the winner! :)

1 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 cup of cashews (you can use almonds - however it won't be as creamy)
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 pound of spinach
4 cups of artichokes (I use 1 jar of artichokes from Costco 33 ounces - drained)
1/2 cup of non-dairy milk (I use hemp)
3 cloves of garlic
1 can of cannellini (white) beans (drained and rinsed) (1 cup if made fresh)
1 Tbs. tapioca flour
1 tsp. basil (dried) or 1 Tbs. basil (fresh)
juice of 1 lemon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a food processor, combine all of the ingredients, except non-dairy milk, until smooth.

3. In (2) 9" pie plates, scoop out and spread dip evenly. Drizzle non-dairy milk on top of the filled pie plates.

4. Bake until fully crusty on top (about 1 hour), serve warm from the baking dish/pie plates.

Stuffed Artichokes

Stuffed Artichokes
Vegan; 1 hour 30 minutes

Finding artichokes on sale at the grocery store the other day, I picked some up. I love this, since it's one bowl and one pan it makes cleaning SO easy! Prep time is a little longer, since you do have to snip the pointed tips off each artichoke leaf.

4 artichokes
1/2 cup of Italian seasoned breadcrumbs (use gluten free)
1 Tablespoon melted earth balance
4 Tablespoons vegan Parmesan cheese
1 clove of garlic minced
2 teaspoons basil, parsley, crushed rosemary

1. Rinse artichokes. Cut about 1.5 inches from top (point). Cut off stem and reserve. Artichokes should sit flat by removing stem. With kitchen shears, clip the end from each leaf to remove thorn. Rinse. With point down on a hard surface (counter top) press down to spread leaves. Place artichokes in bowl of lemon water to keep from turning brown.

2. In a medium bowl combine ingredients, mixing till well combined.

3. Press about 1/2 cup of stuffing into each artichoke. Tightly pack stuffed artichokes together in a large heavy saucepan or Dutch oven. Add enough water to reach half way up artichokes. Steam for 45 minutes. During the steaming process, sprinkle artichokes with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. As artichokes cooks, baste often and don’t let liquid evaporate. As liquid steams away, add more water. This liquid turns into a delicious sauce. Artichokes are done when you can pull a leaf off easily.

White Pizza

White Pizza
Vegan; 1 hour 10 minutes

I made this last night for more me then Bruce, but he LOVED this! He may not even have to fight with me to make it again! The longest part is the oven roasting the garlic, and trust me, it's worth it! Humor me on the coconut cream, you cannot taste coconut. I cheated with the pizza dough. I did post a recipe, but I found fresh vegan pizza dough at Whole Foods and all you have to do is roll it out! Saved me some time, since Bruce and I have only had yesterday to ourselves....


Roasted Garlic Coconut Cream
1/2 head garlic
1/2 cup coconut milk, unsweetened

Toppings
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes (I used the packed in oil, so I didn't have to re-hydrate)
1/2 cup artichoke hearts
a few sprigs fresh thyme
a few sprigs fresh rosemary

1. Chop the top (of garlic) off to make them easier to extract later. Place them in aluminum foil and cover with a little olive oil. Roast at 375F for about an hour until light golden brown.

2. When they are cool enough to handle you can pop the cloves out with your fingers. Mince them and blend them with the coconut milk and set aside. (I plan on using the other cloves in a different dish.)

3. Turn the oven up to 475F. Lightly flour a large baking pan, then sprinkle the top of the dough and your hands. Lightly flour the dough again if needed and press out to a large oval, slightly thicker around the edges. (I used my rolling pin to get the right size.)

4. Lightly pour the cream across the crust, then dress with the sun dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, rosemary and bits of fresh thyme. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly brown around the edges and the cream is starting to bubble.

Cut up and enjoy immediately!

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Spinach Artichoke Dip
Vegan; Gluten Free;Serves 8

Along with everything else, that I made the other night, this was one the dishes.... I used my food processor to coarsely chop the spinach, artichokes and garlic. I didn't have fresh lemons on hand, so I used dried lemon peel from my spice rack. (I have quite a collection!) Since football season is here, this is a great dish to take to any of the tale gate parties!

1 recipe of cashew cream (I actually used less, since I made cashew cream filled strawberries)
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups of packed chopped spinach leaves
1 can of large artichoke hearts, chopped
1 small leek, sliced into rings
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Salt to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

2. Stir together cashew cream, vegan mayonnaise, nutritional yeast, garlic, chopped spinach, chopped artichoke hearts, leeks, lemon zest, and black pepper and combine well. (**Note: I placed the spinach, artichoke hearts and leeks in my food processor and pulsed a few times until coarsely chopped.)

3. Bake for 25 minutes. Turn the oven to broil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the top becomes golden brown and crispy. Serve hot with your favorite dipping chips or crackers.

Found: Great Gluten-Free Vegan Eats by Allyson Kramer

Zucchini Vegan Parmesan Crisps

Zucchini Vegan Parmesan Crisps
Vegan; Serves 4

When I made these last week, I tossed them in a sun dried tomato pasta. To compliment both, I added artichoke hearts and sun dried tomatoes and as the sauce I made an olive oil, garlic and earth balance lemon sauce. Bruce loved it with the rosemary sourdough bread toasted with earth balance with some garlic powder.....

1 lb. zucchini or squash (about 2 medium-sized)
1/4 cup vegan shredded Parmesan
1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs (heaping)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with foil and spray lightly with vegetable spray.

2. Slice zucchini or squash into 1/4 inch-thick rounds. Toss rounds with oil, coating well.

3. In a wide bowl or plate, combine breadcrumbs, vegan Parmesan, salt and pepper.

4. Place rounds in Parmesan-breadcrumb mixture, coating both sides of each round, pressing to adhere. The mixture will not completely cover each round, but provides a light coating on each side.

5. Place rounds in a single layer on baking sheets. Sprinkle any remaining breadcrumb mixture over the rounds.

Bake for about 22 to 27 minutes, until golden brown. (There is no need to flip them during baking -- they crisp up on both sides as is.)

Adapted from Ellie Krieger's recipe in The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life

Artichoke and New Potato Packets with Pesto

Artichoke and New Potato Packets with Pesto
Serves 4; 30 minutes or fewer; Gluten Free

Slice the potatoes as thinly as possible for this recipe to ensure they cook evenly.
This is a great recipe to try with different types of pesto. In the blog you'll find lots of different ones (I'm going through a phase right now!)....

8 oz. new potatoes, thinly sliced (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
1 12 oz. pkg. frozen artichoke hearts, thawed (2 cups)
2 cups fresh or thawed frozen baby peas
2 medium leeks, white and green parts chopped (1 cup)
3 Tbs. prepared pesto
3 Tbs. vegan Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fresh chopped basil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place 4 16-inch lengths of aluminum foil on work surface. Fold foil in half from short side. Unfold. Shape corners and edges of one half into semicircular "bowl" with 1/2-inch sides. Coat insides of foil with cooking spray.

2. Arrange overlapping slices of potatoes in oval shape over bottom of each packet. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and drizzle each with 2 Tbs. broth.

3. Combine artichoke hearts, peas, leeks, and pesto in medium bowl, and season with salt and pepper if desired. Divide artichoke mixture among packets. Fold other half of foil over ingredients, and seal edges in overlapping folds until packet is sealed. Transfer to baking sheet, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

4. Transfer packets to serving plates. Let each person open packets slowly and carefully-escaping air will be hot. Sprinkle with some basil and vegan Parmesan cheese.

Per packet serving: 237 cal.; 11 grams prot.; 8 grams total fat (3 grams sat. fat); 31 grams carb.; 9 mg chol.; 266 mg sod.; 10 grams fiber; 6 grams sugars

Adapted from Vegetarian Times May/June 2010

Lentil Artichoke Stew

Lentil Artichoke Stew
Vegan; Serves 6

This aromatic, fiber-packed, and tasty Middle Eastern dish is great served alone or over brown rice or pasta. Using fire-roasted tomatoes is not necessary, but gives the stew a delicious smoky flavor.

Directions
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1 onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, pressed or minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 cup dry (uncooked) red lentils (3 cups cooked)
1 bay leaf
2 cups waterjuice of 1 lemon
2 24-ounce cans chopped tomatoes (preferably fire-roasted), undrained, or 6 cups freshly chopped tomatoes plus 1 cup tomato juice
1 1/2 cups quartered artichoke hearts (1 9-ounce frozen package or 1 15-ounce can)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

Heat broth in a large saucepan. Add onion and sauté on medium heat for about 5 minutes, until golden. Add garlic, cumin, and coriander and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add dried lentils, bay leaf, and water to pan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and add lemon juice, tomatoes and their liquid, artichokes, and crushed red pepper (if using). Simmer for about 20 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Add salt and black pepper, or to taste.

Nutrition Information
Per serving (1/6 of recipe): 176 calories; 1 g fat (0.1 g saturated fat); 4.9% calories from fat; 0 mg cholesterol
11.7 g protein; 34.3 g carbohydrate; 7.5 g sugar; 10 g fiber; 560 mg sodium123 mg calcium; 6.3 mg iron; 28.6 mg vitamin C; 238 mcg beta-carotene1.8 mg vitamin E

Found: This recipe is a preview from the upcoming NEW EDITION of The Survivor's Handbook: Eating Right for Cancer Survival.

Low-Fat Pasta Salad

Low-Fat Pasta Salad
Makes 6-8 servings; Vegan

This is a great recipe to use what is in season and is a great dish to take to potlucks. I used summer/yellow squash and zucchini instead of the olives. Hope you enjoy! Sorry it's really late.....

1 1/2 cup whole wheat bowtie or corkscrew pasta, uncooked
1 cup broccoli, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 red onion, diced
1 12-ounce can of water-packed artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 red or yellow bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 cup cooked cannellini beans
2 tomatoes, seeds removed and diced
1/4 cup sliced black olives
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup fat-free Italian salad dressing
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and allow to cool.

Lightly steam the broccoli, until just tender.

In a large bowl, toss together the pasta, broccoli, and remaining ingredients and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Allow to marinate in the refrigerator one to two hours before serving. Toss again before serving.


Nutrition Information | Per serving (1/6 of recipe)

calories: 367; fat: 3 g; saturated fat: 0.6 g; calories from fat: 6.8%; cholesterol: 0mg; protein: 16.6 g; carbohydrate: 70.3 g; sugar: 8.1 g; fiber: 13.3 g; sodium: 553 mg; calcium: 112 mg; iron: 5.2 mg; vitamin C: 52 mg; beta-carotene: 837 mcg; vitamin E: 2 mg



Recipe from Food for Life instructor Kay Kitchens

Artichoke-Potato Medley

Artichoke-Potato Medley
Vegan; Serves 6; Gluten Free; 30 Minutes

TO date this has been viewed 484 times on the San Antonio blog!

For extra color, use a combination of potato varieties and serve on a bed of arugula or watercress.

1 lb. small red potatoes, quartered
2 10-oz. boxes frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced (4 tsp.)
3 Tbs. chopped parsley
2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 tsp. grated lemon zest
3/4 tsp. sweet or smoked paprika

1. Bring potatoes to a boil in a large pot of salted water. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 5 minutes, or until potatoes are just tender. Drain.

2. Return potatoes to saucepan; heat over high heat with artichokes and oil. Cook 5 minutes, or until vegetables start to brown, stirring occasionally. Add olives, garlic, parsley, lemon juice, lemon zest, and paprika. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cook 5 minutes more, or until fragrant and heated through. Serve garnished with chopped eggs, if using.

Per 1-cup serving: 171 cal.; 4 grams prot.; 7 g total fat; 1 grams sat. fat; 24 grams carb.; 0 mg. chol.; 231 mg. sod.; 7 grams fiber; 1 grams sugars

Found in Vegetarian Times-June/July 2009

Chickpea and Date Tagine

Chickpea and Date Tagine
Serves 6; Vegan

I hope all had a beautiful holiday and I wish everyone a joyous new year!!!!! I made this for a holiday potluck and it was a HUGE success!

1 Tbs. olive oil
1 large onion, diced (2 cups) **I used less
4 cloves of garlic, minced (4 tsp.) **I used about 2 1/2 tsp.
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 15-oz. can crushed tomatoes **I used fire roasted tomatoes (organic)
3 cups cooked chickpeas or 2 15-oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup whole-wheat couscous **I used organic regular
1 cup pitted dates, halved
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, and cook 10 minutes, or until starting to brown, stirring often. Stir in garlic, cumin, coriander, ginger and cinnamon, and saute 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, chickpeas, and 1/4 cup water; simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, toast couscous in small saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes or until fragrant. Add 1 3/4 cups water, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and let stand 5 minutes. **I had to let it sit a little longer.

3. Stir dates and lemon juice into tagine, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve over couscous, sprinkle with cilantro.

Found: Vegetarian Times December 2011

Spinach-Artichoke Pesto

Spinach-Artichoke Pesto
Vegan

So, what does one do when their boyfriend asks what's for dinner, and you think he'll have his kids-so I don't have to cook. Well this happened last week, since it was spring break and his kids were still out of town. One does what she can to not have to go to the store and still create a fabulous meal, so, while I was driving home and he was walking my four legged furry "kids", I was taking inventory of what is in his fridge. When I googled the recipe-to see how many variations, only one came up. To make it vegan, I went with my own.... Bruce LOVED it! This is great with veggies or to make a complete meal, mix it with some pasta and veggies....

1/4 pound spinach
1 handful of fresh basil, or 1 package
2 packages of artichoke hearts, I found mine in the fresh veggie section, packed in water (I only had 1 on hand, but it really did need the 2nd.)
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil (extra depending on how thick you want it)
2 Tbs. nutritional yeast flakes (add a little at a time)
2 cloves of garlic
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste (I used white peppercorns)
rosemary, to taste (I used maybe a little less then 1/3 tsp)
oregano, to taste (I used maybe a little more then 1/3 tsp)

1. Place ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the spices, more olive oil to taste.

2. We prepared spinach fettuccine and sliced up mushrooms, zucchini, and a tomato (to add more color, this would also be great with yellow squash and orange sweet bell peppers). I sautéed the veggies with olive oil, garlic and onion adding more rosemary, oregano and crushed red peppers. Served with some rosemary bread.