You know, I'm just going to say it, trying to eat healthy just plain sucks sometimes. It's not that I don't like healthy food, it's that I really like the stuff that's not so healthy. And I'm not much of a sweets girl, I'm talking big bacon cheeseburgers, greasy cheesy pizza, and salty snack food, oh how I love it! But, I made a goal this year by golly, and even though it's February and I'm supposed to have forgotten about it, I really want to accomplish my goal of getting healthy. Come hell or a high mountain of potato chips!
That's why I'm always grateful for recipes like this. They make the whole healthy process suck just a bit less. I love artichoke dip, it's cheesy and has that fantastic sharp artichoke flavor. But, unlike a lot of dips, this one is not full of fat and calories. In fact, the bulk of this dip is white beans, which gives the dip the creamy illusion that you are indulging and being naughty. It's wonderful for parties, and tastes just as good cold or room temp as it does hot.
Hot Artichoke Dip
Cooking Light
Ingredients
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 (14-ounce) cans artichoke hearts, rinsed and drained, divided
1 (15.5-ounce)can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided (I really like Pecorino Romano, I almost always sub it for Parm)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
3 garlic cloves, minced
Cooking spray
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a food processor; add 1 can of artichokes and beans. Process until smooth. Add remaining can of artichokes, 3/4 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, 1 tablespoon parsley, and garlic. Pulse 20 times or until artichokes are coarsely chopped.
3. Spoon mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray; sprinkle top with remaining 1/4 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and remaining 1 tablespoon parsley. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes or until bubbly.
4. I think this is best served with tortilla chips, sliced baguette, carrots, celery or cauliflower.
Serves 12: Serving size is 1/3 cups
Per Serving: 98cal, 4g fat, 2g fiber, 5g prot, 488mg sod
Points per Serving: 2!!
With the leftover dip, I made an awesome roasted zucchini and mushroom panini (what else!) Roast whatever veggies you have (asparagus would have also been excellent), spread dip on one slice of bread, top with veggies and any cheese if desired and press. Delicious lunch!
So here's my question...what helps you when you're having a particularly hard day staying on that straight and narrow path to healthy eating?
25 comments:
I definitely know how you feel! It is hard sometimes but I think that the more time you spend eating healthy, the more second nature it becomes. And the less you crave unhealthy foods. There are a lot of foods that my stomach just can't take anymore...like Chinese take-out for example.
Recipes like this are a godsend though! This looks absolutely delicious...you would never know that it's low calorie!
Oh, boy I was short changed in the willpower department. :( Kudos to you for fighting the good fight and staying on point.
~ingrid
Thank you for sharing! Staying healthy is soooo hard at times. I try, I really do but, I suck at it 90% of the time. Why didn't I get the awesome fast metabolism gene!! Okay, I feel much better! Could this be PMS?!
I totally hear ya. I want the unhealthy stuff more than the healthy. hahaha... But I'd take some of that dip with a few slices of french bread. I guess if I have my carbs then I'd be ok with *trying* to eat healthy.
I'm definitely the wrong girl to ask about staying on the straight and narrow. But with dips like this I might have a fighting chance. I need to bookmark this and give it a try. Artichoke dip is one of my faves!
Oh wow, what a lovely recipe! Looks great!
Eating healthy is very hard especially when you love sweets! I've seen a similar dip like yours but it didn't have the beans in it. Yours is very interesting and sounds delicious!
I agree with you 110% eating healthy SUCKS!!!
I'm right there with you on eating healthy. I like healthy food, but I also like yummy and bad for you foods too. Plus, I have a huge sweet tooth and would eat sweets all day long if I could.
This dip really does sounds like an awesome way to have that comforting dip that we crave without all the calories of a normal one. Plus, I love beans so I'm really down with this one.
Hang in there!!
Teh dip was way over the top amazing, but using it to make a panini...I could truly be a vegetarian for this sammie! Forget healthy - lol
I am a sweets girl, but I feel your pain....I tell myself NO DESSERT THIS WEEK...and one day later, it's all over :) Oh well, life is short!
This dip looks awesome though, bookmarking it for my next party!
It looks terrific... keep your eye on the prize
You are my favorite person. I LOVE Cheeseburgers and fried chicken and hot dips like this...and I never get to eat them.
I'm making this this weekend.
Great recipe! A long while ago, I made a similar dip that was very good (http://itzyskitchen.blogspot.com/2008/07/random-food-day.html). I always try to think about how I'm going to feel AFTER I eat something....that usually helps me stay away from anything to greasy!
Love the dip! My daughter was just asking about an artichoke dip. White beans are a wonderful and healthy filler.
I have to keep up with hubby's sugar balances, so that keeps me walking a fairly careful line. And my best buddy Deb of Kahakai Kitchen is all about the health food, so she is the angel on my shoulder!
I love that you made panini with the leftovers - yum!
Everyone LOVES!!! hot artichoke dip. THANKS!!! for the recipe. I found your blog via Welcome to Our Krazy Kitchen. I have become a follower, come by and visit maybe you can do the same.
Geri
I know EXACTLY how you feel. I'm not a huge sweets girl either, but anything with cheese, bacon or crusty bread is my weakness.
One easy thing I do to try and stay healthy - I substitute ground turkey for ground beef all the time. With the right seasonings you can't even tell.
That dip looks awesome by the way. Especially on the sandwich!
Chewing gum helps me kick my sweet tooth without binging on treats. The dip looks and sounds amazing and even better on the sandwich the next day.
I love that you turned this traditional dip into a panini! That's awesome; it reminds me of the panini in Panera. My favorite!
The dip looks so good! Love that it's light! And great idea to make a panini. I try to find healthy foods that I love and to indulge in moderation so that it balances itself out.
Eating healthy is definitely a fight sometimes! When I want a snack, I try to remember the clothes in my closet that are snug! Great recipe! Thanks!
I must have missed that recipe in CL! Love everything about it.
Just chew sugar free gum! Kidding! It's hard - I tend to eat bigger meals so I don't snack very often - my doctor in not so many words tells me I 39-49 pounds overweight - I still wear a size 12 but that kind of shocked me a bit!
Why do I have to be so damn short!
The dip looks real good!
Fat free sour cream is not bad, I've learned. Still like sour cream on baked potatoes, so that's what I use. :)
To forget food for a bit, I sit down in front of my sewing machine.
Wonderful addition of the white beans; really amps up the food value of this recipe. I need to make healthier changes, and this would be a terrfic place to start. Thank you for sharing this great find.
Looks super interesting. :)
Post a Comment