dip off!!!

so last night we went to a holiday party that everyone was bringing something to. i wanted to find a recipe that was gluten-friendly as well as party friendly. i decided on a spinach artichoke dip that my friend jackie (devourthis.com) shared with me. so, in the midst of wrapping presents, cleaning my house and catching up on all the other holiday- related tasks, i had to make this dip (more like a bake than a dip really). since i am leaving in a day for the holidays i have very little in my house; my dog is packed up and staying with a friend (thanks amy), my presents are packed up, and our kitchen is pretty much bare. so, that meant a trip to the grocery store--- ah, the chaos. i trudged to the store, bought the necessary ingredients, and walked back to begin to bake. the phone rings… someone else is bringing an artichoke dip…oh the pressure. there was no turning back at this point however; i had already committed to the dip, and no sane person goes out twice into the holiday madness. so it began---the first annual “choke off” ( as we called it). the pressure was building. could i possibly win against a full-on gluten-filled dish?!

the dish was actually fairly easy, quick, and believe or not, somewhat low in fat, considering. it was adapted from a weight watchers recipe originally, but i didn’t want to share that information with the jury, worried that it would unduly influence them. the dip was a hit. somewhat on the spicy side, since i overdid with the hot sauce, which i think may have gained me some votes. this may have been my most well received dish yet. really it is a great party plate, or even just to have at home. it is very filling though because the amount of cheese and dairy used, so for those lactose-intolerant people, this may not be the best choice. but, it is gluten and egg free—just like me. for the recipe, see below. feel free to adapt and modify of course. i make a bit spicier than called for with jalapeño hot sauce, and next time i may try parmesan instead of cheddar. please comment if you try this or adapt this, so i can hear other alternatives. that’s it for me. i am off for the holidays.

happy holidays!!!


artichoke and spinach bake

1 tbsp butter
1 cup chopped onions
2 cloves garlic minced
10 oz. frozen spinach thawed and drained and squeezed dry
8 oz sliced water chestnuts, drained and coarsley chopped*
2 small jars marinated artichoke hearts - drained (or 1 14 oz can plain artichoke hearts) and corsely chopped
8 oz. rf sour cream
8 oz. 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1 cup lf shredded cheddar cheese - divided
1 tsp hot pepper sauce ( i use jalapeño hot sauce/ a few more shakes than a tsp.)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 spray cooking spray ( I use butter here)

preheat oven to 350

melt butter in large non-stick skillet over med. heat. add onion & garlic; saute 5 minutes( or until tender). add spinach, water chestnuts and articchokes, saute 2 min; add cream cheese, sour cream, 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese, hot sauce and s & p.

spoon into an 11 x 7 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. top w/ remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese. bake at 350 for 18-20 min. or until thoroughly heated and bubbly. serve with baked tortilla chips.

*** sorry about the photo-- i used my camera phone. it looks much better in person!!! ***
*************************************************************************************
1Y0-456 and EX0-101 exams can be prepared with the help of testking study guides. 642-845 ONT is a qualifying test for the CCNP professional. The ONT 642-845 test will verify that the winning candidate has significant knowledge and skills in optimizing the valuable QOS techniques for unified networks. 642-825 explains the modules and operations of IPSec VPNs as well as GRE Tunnels.