Baked Artichoke & Spinach Dip

Baked artichoke dip is a standard snack found at all parties or sporting event get togethers. The Superbowl is this weekend and while I won't be watching, I will be enjoying this artichoke spinach dip along with other tasty treats. Of course you can skip baking and serve this cold but baked and served hot right from the oven really heightens each flavor.

Other game day treats Deviled Eggs and Apple Empanadas
One Year Ago Today Butterscotch Sundae with Smoked Almond Praline & Vanilla Ice Cream
Two Years Ago Today Chipotle Tomato Soup with Black Eyed Pea Meatballs

Fresh spinach, creamy white beans, artichoke hearts and toasted garlic are creamed together and baked until hot and ready to be eaten with sesame crackers, vegetables and crusty bread.

Baked Artichoke & Spinach Dip
serves 6+
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
5oz fresh baby spinach
2-15oz cans great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1-15 oz can artichoke quarters, drained and rinsed
2 tbl nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper, to taste
raw vegetables and crackers, to dip

Preheat the oven to 375.
Saute the garlic in olive oil for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the spinach and cook 2-3 minutes until wilted. Remove from heat.
In a food processor, add the beans and blend until creamy and smooth. Add the artichokes, nutritional yeast and cooked spinach. Season with nutritional yeast, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Pulse until combined but not smooth. Taste and season then pour into an 8" baking dish.
Bake for 20 minutes and serve warm.

Game Day #2: German Style Sliders-White Bean Brussel Patties, Warm Apple Cabbage Slaw, Mashed Potatoes

Sliders are a great game day snack, easy to make in large batches and can be made in a million different flavors. My sliders are German style with all the classic ingredients to make a flavorful burger. Of course, these patties can be formed into 3 or 4 large cutlets instead of sliders and the mashed potatoes and warm slaw can be served on the side as a dinner entree.

Creamy white bean mini patties with shredded brussel sprouts, carrots, breadcrumbs and sage served on a wheat bun with whole grain mustard. Mashed potatoes flavored with caraway seed and fresh parsley and warm sweet and sour apple-cabbage slaw top each patty.

White Bean Brussel Sliders
1-15oz can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
6 sage leaves, roughly chopped
1 scallion, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 carrot, shredded
5 brussel sprouts, shredded
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup vegan mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper
canola spray
9 mini wheat hamburger buns or rolls, halved and toasted
whole grain mustard (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375. Place a baking sheet in the oven.
Pulse the beans, sage,scallion and garlic in a food processor until about 3/4ths mashed. Transfer to a boil and mix in the remaining ingredients. If the mix seems too moist, add a bit more breadcrumbs to firm it up. Season with salt and pepper. Form into 9 small patties.
Take the hot baking sheet out of the oven, coat with canola spray and place the patties on.
Bake for 15 minutes, reduce the oven to 350, flip then back for 7 minutes more.
Spread some mustard on one side of each toasted bun and serve with slaw and potatoes.

Apple Cabbage Slaw
1 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp fennel seed
1 tsp coriander seed
1/2 white onion, thinly sliced
1/2 fuji apple, unpeeled, matchsticks
2 tsp organic sugar
1/2 small green cabbage, thinly sliced
1 tsp dry mustard powder
1/2 tsp pepper
3 tbl apple cider vinegar


In a large saute pan, bring the cold oil up to heat with the fennel and corinader seed. Add the onion and 1/2 tsp salt and saute over medium heat until soft, 5 minutes. Add the apple and sugar cook 5 minutes more. Add the cabbage, dry mustard, pepper and vinegar and cover. Cook for 15 minutes until the cabbage is very tender. Add a splash of water to the bottom of the pan if it gets too dry. Remove the cover, let the liquid evaporate and saute over medium heat to brown the cabbage, 5 minutes. Taste and season.

Mashed Potatoes
1 really large (or 2 regular sized) russet potato, skin on, small dice
2 tbl earth balance vegan butter
1/4 cup vegan sour cream
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp caraway seed, crushed and toasted
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 tbl fresh chopped parsley
salt and pepper

Bring the diced potato and 2 tsp salt to a boil. Cook until tender, drain. Transfer back to the pot Add the butter and sour cream. Mix until melted and combined. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Season with more salt and pepper.

Game Day Treats- "Deviled Eggs", Apple Empanadas

I am REALLY siked about this entry because both of these snacks came out great the first time around and the deviled eggs are downright amazing. I don't mean to toot my own horn here but veganizing something like a deviled egg seems pretty absurd. Not only did I do it, but they taste exactly like I remember....EXACTLY! The trick to these "eggs" are in one secret ingredient: black salt.

Tiny yukon gold potatoes cooked with black salt until tender and stuffed with a smooth puree of veganaise, dill, scallion, olive oil and dijon. Tender flaky puffs of fried dough filled with caramel apples dusted in cinnamon and sugar while still hot.

"Deviled Eggs"
12 small yukon golds, peeled and halved
1 heaping tbl black salt**
1/2 cup veganaise
2 tbl olive oil
1 tbl turmeric
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 scallions, minced, green parts only
1/4 tsp dried dill
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
paprika for dusting

Combine the potatoes, black salt and cold water in a small pot and bring to a boil. Cook until tender but not falling apart. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
Combine the remaining ingredients except the paprika in a food processor and puree until smooth.
Scoop out a small hole in each potato and add that potato to the food processor. Puree until smooth.
Pipe each potato with filling and dust with paprika.

**Black salt can be found at specialty food stores like Whole Foods. It has a very sulfuric quality and actually sort of smells like rotten eggs. I have had a container of it in my cabinet for months now and never knew what the heck to use it with. Once I decided to try to make deviled eggs, it only made sense to try to impart some of that flavor into the potatoes. I really believe that these would definitely not taste as true to the taste without this secret ingredient.


Apple Empanadas
Dough-
3 cups ap flour
4 tsp organic sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbl baking powder
1 1/2 tsp ener-g egg replacer
pinch of salt
1/2 cup vegetable shortening, cold and cubed
3/4 cup cold water

Combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, egg replacer and salt in a food processor. Pulse until combined. Add the shortening and pulse until the shortening is in pea shaped pieces. Add the water, a little at a time until the dough just comes together. Toss out on the counter and lightly knead the dough together into a cohesive ball. Flatten into a disc, wrap and freeze for 30 minutes.

Filling-
3 large fuji apples, peeled and thinly diced
1/2 cup water
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 cup sugar
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
canola oil for frying
1/2 cup organic sugar
1 tbl cinnamon

In a shallow pan, bring the apples and water to a simmer. Cook until just tender. Add the cinnamon, salt and sugar and saute over medium heat until caramelized, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and set the mixture aside to cool.

Assembly-
Preheat a pot of oil to 360.
Roll out the dough very thinly. Cut out 5-6" circles. Brush the edges of the circles with water and put a small spoonful of filling in the center. Bring the circle together and press until completely closed. Use a fork to crimp the edges shut.
Fry for 6 minutes until golden brown. Transfer from the oil to the cinnamon sugar without draining the oil off first. Toss in the sugar then transfer to a paper towel to drain. Serve hot or at room temperature.