French Onion Artichoke Dip=032410

French Onion Artichoke Dip

4 oz. cream cheese, at room temp
1 (15.5 oz. container) French onion dip
1 (15.5 oz. can or jar) artichoke hearts, drained, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp. chopped scallions
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 round loaf (about 1 lb.) pumpernickel bread
1/4 c. chopped fresh red bell pepper
1/8 tsp. paprika
Assorted fresh cut veggies and crackers

In large bowl, whisk cream cheese until fluffy. With spoon, stir in onion dip, artichoke hearts, Parmesan, 1/4 cup chopped scallions, parsley, garlic powder and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Using a serrated knife, horizontally cut top third from bread. Cut around inside edge of larger bread piece, pull out bread in large chunks, leaving 1/2" thick shell. Cut pieces into 1" cubes

Spicy Artichoke Spinach Dip=032410

Spicy Artichoke Spinach Dip

1/2 cup spinach (frozen)
1 cup artichoke hearts
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp crushed red peppers
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
dash pepper

Finely chop spinach and artichoke. Boil spinach and artichokes in 1 cup water on medium heat for 10 minutes. Drain well.

In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave the cream cheese for one minute or enough to soften. Add all ingredients together and serve.

May be kept in a slow cooker to keep warm. Recipe may be doubled.

Spicy Dicey Artichoke Dip=032410

Spicy Dicey Artichoke Dip

3 teaspoons butter
1 teaspoon garlic, chopped
3/4 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup slivered blanched almonds
4 cups fresh spinach (stir until wilted)
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1 can artichoke hearts, drained, chopped
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
1/3 cup chopped roasted red peppers drained and chopped
ground black pepper and a few dashes of hot pepper sauce

Melt butter in pan and sauté garlic and onion until soft. Add almonds and cook until lightly browned. Add spinach and stir until wilted.

Remove from heat. In a large mixing bowl, cream together cheeses and mayonnaise. Fold in artichokes, tomatoes and peppers.

Add ground pepper to taste and few dashes of pepper sauce. Fold in spinach mixture.

Turn into oven proof dish. Top with fresh parsley and paprika Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve with crackers.

Spinach Artichoke Spread=032410

Spinach Artichoke Spread

3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup sour cream
1 pkg Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing Mix
pinch of red hot pepper flakes
1 can artichoke hearts, drained
1 10 oz package chopped frozen spinach, thawed
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup blue cheese or blue cheese crumbles
1/4 cup roasted red peppers
paprika

In the bowl of a food processor or blender, puree garlic; add sour cream, Salad Dressing Mix, and red hot pepper flakes. Process until smooth.

Thaw and thoroughly drain spinach; squeeze out any excess moisture. Add remaining ingredients except roasted peppers (these can be found in jars in the Italian section of the supermarket). Process until slightly chunky. Coarsely chop the peppers and stir in.

Italian Style Artichokes=032410

Italian Style Artichokes

4 medium artichokes
1 lemon
3 cups fresh breadcrumbs (or, thick Italian bread, crusts removed and torn into small pieces)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil plus 2 tablespoons additional olive oil
1/2 onion or 2 shallots, minced
1/2 cup diced fresh mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tomato, diced
zest of 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
5 tbsp Caravella Limoncello
1/2 cup water
4 tbsp butter, melted

Trim the artichokes by cutting off the upper 1/3 and removing the tough outer leaves. With a spoon, remove the center leaves and fuzzy chokes, leaving a center cavity.

Squeeze fresh lemon juice into the cavity and cut surfaces to prevent discoloration. Toss breadcrumbs with 1/4 cup olive oil and spread onto a sheet pan.

Bake at 400°F for 10-12 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Remove and let cool.

In a medium skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and sauté onion and mushrooms for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for another minute. Add tomatoes, lemon zest, parsley, Italian seasoning and sauté for another minute. Remove from heat and stir in the cooked breadcrumbs, 2 1/2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, sea salt, pepper and three tablespoons of Caravella Limoncello.

Drain artichokes and fill the center and in between the leaves with stuffing. Place artichokes into a shallow baking dish and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Top with remaining Parmesan cheese.

Pour 1/2 cup water into the pan, cover with foil and bake at 375°F for 45 minutes, or until a knife easily pierces the center of the artichoke.

To serve:

In a small saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and cook until lightly browned. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of Caravella Limoncello and stir. Remove from heat and drizzle over cooked artichokes.

Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Marinated Jerusalem Artichokes

1/4 c. salad oil
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 clove garlic, minced or mashed
2 tbsp. wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. dry mustard

Scrub or peel about 1/2 lb. Jerusalem artichokes, slice thinly and chill several hours or overnight. Will keep indefinitely in refrigerator. Good as relish or in green salad.