Friday, April 8, 2011

Artichoke Dip inspired by Rick Bayless



I didn't title this one EAT HEALTHY, but I believe this recipe qualifies. According to the recipe I found in HEALTH magazine, it only has 156 calories per 1/4 cup serving and only 4 g carbs (which is what I watch).

Now, the recipe they featured in HEALTH was provided by the fabulous Rick Bayless.

But, as always, I adjusted, changed, and otherwise adapted it to my own needs.

I assume the calorie and carb counts of my version don't vary too much from that of Rick's because my changes were pretty minor.

If you want the precise recipe, you'll want to check out the April, 2011 issue of HEALTH, page 129.

If you want to see what I've concocted, here goes:

1 six-ounce jar of marinated artichokes, undrained

8 ounces goat cheese (Rick's recipe specifies "fresh goat cheese" and Avery will be able to tell you the difference between fresh and whatever isn't fresh... stale? but I just picked up a goat cheese on sale at the grocery store.)

5 or 6 sun-dried tomato halves

3 green olives (I left the pimentos in)

A very small amount of jalapeno pepper. Rick's recipe calls for 1 Tbsp diced pickled jalapeno, but I couldn't find anything like that. I used about 1/4 inch of a fresh pepper.

1 half-handful fresh Italian parsley

pinch of sea salt

I combined the first two ingredients, the artichokes in liquid and the goat cheese in my food processor and I blended until smooth, then spooned the mix into a bowl.

At that point I deviated from the recipe (shocker) and combined the remaining ingredients in my already-gloppy food processor. What the heck? Why chop each thing separately as directed when I could get it all done with a couple of pulses. Well, maybe more than a couple.

Once everything was chopped, I added it to the goat cheese, artichoke bowl and mixed well. Then all that was left to do was set out crackers and serve.


Super simple, if I do say so myself.

But how did it taste?

Great. I like the tang that comes from the combination of cheese and artichokes. The jalapeno was not overwhelming, and the sun-dried tomatoes were wonderful.

If you're not a fan of goat cheese, you may not care for this. But I bet it would be good with other soft cheeses. I may have to experiment!

Hope you have fun with it!
Julie

Check out Jennifer's post yesterday at Jenn's Bookshelves - where she reviewed Grace Under Pressure. And my guest post about Grace Interrupted, too!

Just two more months before Grace Interrupted comes out. I'm very excited!

12 comments:

  1. I love artichoke dip, but I get tired of the one that I do. This sounds *completely* different from the recipe I usually pull out--love the tomatoes and jalapeno and the goat cheese!

    I'm getting excited about "Grace Interrupted," too! Can't wait to read it. :)

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  2. Sounds like a winning combination.

    Rick seems like such a sweetie (maybe he's a monster to work for). Now, if I had to choose between a meal with Rick Bayless or Eric Ripert, or maybe Thomas Keller...

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  3. Elizabeth - that's exactly why I was excited to try this one. It's different from the artichoke dip I've relied on for years. I like it.

    Sheila - Choose? Why not one from all three?

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  4. Anything with artichokes, sun dried tomatoes and goat cheese has to be good. This will be a nice change from the artichoke/cream cheese/parmesan dip I've been making for years. Can't wait for cocktail time! TGIF!

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  5. I have to try this for my friend who loves artichokes! Funny thing about goat cheese. I never was a fan of feta, but lately I'm finding a lot of goat cheeses that I like. My favorite is goat Gouda, which I think is better than regular Gouda.

    ~ Krista

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  6. This dip is a winner. I liked your adjustments -- and you cracked me up with your asides. (Can you just see someone asking the grocer if the goat cheese is stale? :)) I, too, am looking forward to Grace Interrupted!

    TGIF,
    ~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
    Cleo Coyle on Twitter

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  7. Cttiger - I think you and I have been making the same artichoke dip all these years! This one is definitely spunkier. I hope you enjoy it!

    Krista - we were just having a conversation about goat Gouda here yesterday. My daughter's bf said that goat Gouda is the best Gouda he's ever had. Now you've said the same thing. I must get some!

    Cleo - I suppose there's fresh or pasteurized or ... smoked ... or something, but I couldn't resist! Thanks!

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  8. One of my all-time favorite things. Thanks for this new recipe. Can't wait to try it. The goat cheese addition sounds like it'll give it a nice tang.

    ~Avery

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  9. Julie, I'm with Cleo--I laughed out loud at the "stale" comment. You're so funny! Enjoyed your post at Jenn's; your latest sounds most intriguing. I have a friend who's been doing Civil War Reanactments for many years, so I'm sure I'll enjoy Grace Interrupted and spread the word!

    Your take on Rick's dip sounds terrific. I'm passionate about anything with artichokes and will definitely be serving this dip as soon as I rustle up some more sundried tomatoes. I'm a huge Bayless fan -- enjoy his PBS show & have tried many of his recipes. I make his Shrimp Ceviche every summer and coincidentally just purchased an extra 4 heads of garlic to try this dish: http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/view?recipeID=248

    Thanks to you and Krista, I now know there is a goat Gouda. I learn something new and interesting here all the time!

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  10. Easy and fun and permission to deviate? What's not to love? Thanks, Julie!

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  11. Avery - it does. The family loved it.

    Lynn - thanks so much for the link! And I'm happy you laughed. I did when I read the original recipe. Rick Bayless is pretty darned cool and it's fun to try to recreate his masterpieces.

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  12. MJ - Thanks! I'm checking out your eggciting recipe on the blog today!

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