Food TV

You know, one of my very favorite appetizers is Spinach and Artichoke dip. It’s a good way to get some veggies into your diet, and darn tasty with tortilla chips. The problem is, most Spinach and Artichoke dips are filled with cheeses and mayonaise to a point where the benefits of the greens are completely obscured by the fats that surround them. Well Ellie Kreiger has helped us with this creating a dip that is still delicious, but much better for you. She has replaced the huge amounts of mayo and cream cheese that most of the recipes require with reduced fat sour cream and reduced fat cream cheese, with a mere 2 tablespoons of mayo (which I bet you could replace with light mayo to give it that little extra kick of goodness…) Add in just a half cup of part skim mozzerella cheese and you have a delightful appetizer sure to satisfy that craving for the (yummy) bad spinach and artichoke dip you find at your favorite local restaurant.

Now, as I said, my favorite way to eat spinach & artichoke dip is with tortilla chips, but why ruin something that we have finally made in a healthful way with deep fried chips? Why not leave the oven on from the dip and crank out some of your own baked tortilla chips? It’s easier than it sounds, and YOU get to control the quality of ingredients. It also works out to be a lot less expensive, as a single bag of tortilla chips can cost up to $5, and you can get 3 dozen corn tortillas for about half that price. Personally I would replace the vegetable oil called for in the recipe from food network kitchens with healthier canola oil. Make these both for a party, or take them to a pot luck, and you will have something your friends will be talking about for a very long time…

Warm Spinach and Artichoke Dip Copyright 2007 Ellie Krieger, All rights reserved.
Show: Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger
Episode: Get the Party Started

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 cloves garlic
1 (9-ounce) package artichoke hearts, defrosted, rinsed and dried
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted, excess liquid squeezed out.
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 cup (4 ounces) Neufchatel cheese (reduced-fat cream cheese)
2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes, or until onions are light golden but not browned. Remove from heat and cool.

In the bowl of a food processor combine artichoke hearts, spinach, sour cream, mayonnaise, Neufchatel, mozzarella and salt and pepper. Process until smooth. Add cooled onion-garlic mixture to the food processor and pulse a few times to combine.
Transfer mixture into an 8-inch glass square baking dish or 9-inch glass pie plate which has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through. Serve with pita wedges or crudites.

Nutrition Information
Nutritional Analysis Per Serving Calories 100
Total Fat 7g Saturated Fat 3g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.6g
Cholesterol 13mg Sodium 211mg
Protein 4g Carbohydrates 5g
Fiber 2g

Baked Tortilla Chips From Food Network Kitchens

Twelve 6-inch corn tortillas (preferably white)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Fine salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Brush both sides of the tortillas with the oil. Stack the tortillas and cut the pile into sixths to make chips. Spread the chips out in a single layer on two large baking sheets and season with salt. Bake until golden brown and crisp, rotating the baking sheets once, about 12 to 15 minutes. Serve.

Copyright 2001 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved

p.s. Why don’t you go see what’s up in the world of Country Music?