I love snacking on chips and dip. It is definitely one of my many guilty pleasures. A few years back I bought an overly priced jar of artichoke spread from a speciality food store. I loved the spread and treated it as if it were a dip. Slathering it on tortilla chips, pita chips, and slices of fresh whole wheat baguette. After I finished the jar I wanted more but my conscious couldn’t bring myself to spend that much money on another jar of artichoke spread. That’s when I got in the kitchen and started working on a mock recipe.
I’ve been making this low-fat high flavor dip for a few years now. I probably hadn’t made the dip in almost a year until I spotted a jar of that pricey artichoke spread last month at the store. I immediately got back in the kitchen to re-work the recipe and write down actual measurements since I had never done that in past times. This dip is even better than what I created years ago. Best of all there is no fattening mayonnaise to make you feel guilty about indulging. This dip is perfect if you are watching what you eat and want to snack on flavorful food on game day.
Artichoke Dip
Ingredients
- 8.5 oz can of artichoke hearts drained
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Sweet Mini Red Bell Pepper
- 2 teaspoon Tuscan Seasoning
- ¼ c Parmesan Cheese + additional for topping
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a food processor, place drained artichoke hearts, olive oil, sweet mini red bell pepper, tuscan seasoning, parmesan cheese, and a dash of salt and black pepper to taste, in food processor.
- Secure lid and puree for 20-30 seconds until all the ingredients have broken down. *You may need to stop in the middle and scrape down the sides of the bowl.As you read above making balsamic reduction sauce is actually very easy to make. I store the reduction in a glass jar in my refrigerator. I only have ever kept this reduction sauce for a month in my refrigerator. Heck, two weeks if I’m lucky! You’ll find yourself using this thick sweet balsamic sauce on salads, meats, and more. It’s not just for caprese!
- Place the artichoke mixture into a heat resistant serving dish and microwave for 1 minute or until hot. Sprinkle with additional parmesan cheese.
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com
OMG! Yum! I love lighter version of dips, and this recipe sure fits the bill!
Katie
Thanks Kiran!
icakepops
I love artichokes – they are delicious and good for you! Count me in!
April
wow, this looks awesome! I love anything with artichokes and its light-perfect!
Ali @ Gimme Some Oven
Yum! I could pretty much live on artichoke dip!!!
Ashley Bee
A lighter version of artichoke dip? I’m all for it 🙂
Katie
Yes! No fattening mayo… just pure artichoke hearts and tasty seasonings! You must give it a try!