Healthy [artichoke] Heart

Like most greens, artichokes are packed with nutrients and fiber and are naturally fat-free; unfortunately one of my favorite ways to eat them is in spinach and artichoke dip, which is naturally fat-full. So, I’ve come up with a spinach and artichoke dip recipe that is as creamy and delicious as the traditional version, but significantly lower in fat and calories. Enjoy!

Low-fat Spinach and Artichoke Dip

What you’ll need:

8 ounces of part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 ounce of fresh parmesan cheese, grated

3 cloves of garlic, minced

14 ounces of canned artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

10 ounces of frozen spinach, thawed, chopped, and squeezed dry (or fresh spinach, wilted and chopped)

1/4  cup  fat-free sour cream

1/2 cup of fat-free buttermilk

4 ounces of fat-free cream cheese, softened

4 ounces of 1/3 less-fat cream cheese, softened

whole wheat bagette, sliced vertically

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a large bowl, combine 6 ounces of the mozzarella, 1 tablespoon of the parmesan, garlic, artichoke hearts, spinach, sour cream, buttermilk, and both varieties of cream cheese.
3. Transfer the mixture into a bread pan or 1.5 quart baking dish.
4. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese on top of the mixture.
5. Place on the middle rack and bake for approximately 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the middle is thoroughly warm.
6. Serve warm with slices of bread.

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