Divine Warm Basil, Spinach and Artichoke Dip.

Baked dip? Yes please! I love a baked dip – it’s perfect for a chilly night touch of elegance to begin a meal. Recently, to celebrate Easter I had my tribe around and made this for everyone, served with Rosemary and sea salt crunchy grissini bread sticks and it was a HIT! Everyone loved the creamy, cheesiness combined with the freshness of basil, delicacy of artichoke and hint of chili. I pared it with the Truffle Mushroom Pate on the evening, and they greatly complimented each other whilst having different flavor profiles.
 

Warm Basil, Spinach and Artichoke Dip.

Recipe Type: Vegan starter or dip
Prep Time:  15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total time: One hour
Serves 4-6 people.
 
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of olive Oil
½ onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or minced
½ teaspoon of dried red chili flakes
150 grams of Spinach
2 tablespoons of nut mylk (soy, almond, etc).
250 grams of Tofu, silken if possible
1 bunch of fresh basil, you can reserve some for garnish.
280 grams marinated artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed.
½ cup nutritional yeast
½ lemon squeezed
Salt and pepper to taste (1 – 2 teaspoons).
Optional garnish
Lemon Zest
1 Tablespoon of fresh basil, finely chopped.
 
Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Lightly grease baking dish or ramekins.
 
In your favorite skillet, add oil, onions and garlic and sauté until soft, I prefer a medium – medium-low heat so that the garlic doesn’t turn crispy and all the flavors are slowly released.  Add dried chili flakes and spinach, stirring gently until the spinach is wilted.
 
In a food processor or blender, add nut mylk, tofu, basil, artichokes, yeast, lemon, salt and pepper and blend until relatively smooth. If you need to you can add extra olive oil (for richness) or nut mylk (for creaminess) to help the mixture blend.  Add spinach mixture and process to you personal preference of smoothness versus texture. Transfer to baking dish or dishes.
 
Bake for 30 minutes, until it brown on top. For extra wow points from your friends, you can zest some lemon rind on top and garnish with some freshly chopped basil leaves. Serve with crunchy bread, tortilla chips, or grissini breadsticks and enjoy! 

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