Recipe Review: Sun-Dried Tomato and Artichoke Dip

Recipe Review: Sun-Dried Tomato and Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:

1 box (9 ounces) frozen artichokes, thawed and chopped

1/2 cup feta, crumbled

1 garlic clove

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (oil-packed), chopped, plus more for garnish

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

1/2 cup basil leaves, torn

Coarse salt and ground pepper

Whole-wheat baguette slices, for serving

Preparation:

1.     Combine in a food processor; 1/2 cup artichokes, 1/4 cup feta, garlic, lemon juice, and 2 teaspoons water. Puree until smooth.

2.     In a medium bowl, combine sun-dried tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, basil, remaining chopped artichokes, remaining 1/4 cup feta, and the artichoke puree from step 1; season with salt and pepper.

3.     Garnish with sun-dried tomatoes, if desired, and serve on baguette slices.

Ease of Preparation: This recipe was quick and took about 30 minutes to prepare and even quicker to devour! The most strenuous part of the recipe was chopping the sun-dried tomatoes, which was a little difficult because of their gummy texture. I suggest using a small food processor rather than the usual large-sized ones. The amount of ingredients that must be blended is so small that if put in a traditional sized processor, the blade can’t reach the ingredients.

Quality of Recipe: This recipe was very good quality. I found it a little bland at first so I added an extra teaspoon of chopped garlic and an extra teaspoon of lemon juice.  That was my personal preference, but I suggest you alter the seasoning to your own taste. I opted to serve the dip with tortilla chips rather than on a baguette, but once again its personal preference.

Taste: This dip was both refreshing and flavorful at the same time. The lemon juice, garlic and feta were a great compliment to the artichokes while the sun-dried tomatoes provided a base flavor for the dip.  Like I stated before, I found the dip to be a bit bland with the seasonings as is, so I would suggest adding a touch more garlic, lemon and salt. The dip had a good consistency, especially served with baked tortilla chips. I did not try it on a baguette, purely for nutritional reasons. 

Overall, I would suggest this recipe to anyone! It is easy to prepare and a fairly impressive appetizer to serve friends or family. This recipe is under 200 calories but tastes just as good as its taste alike and calorie-packed, spinach artichoke dip.