Spinach Artichoke Dip and Whole Wheat Flatbread, Two Ways

Spring cleaning= NOT DONE. But the good news is I found two more pennies. I should be done by the end of the week which means I will be able to focus a little more time on this blog and a little less time on my cute little home.

So while I keep scrubbing and organizing I thought I'd bring not one but three delicious recipes to the table today. You are welcome (and yes, I'm sure you'll be thanking me--- they are that delish).

First off, I love Stacy's Pita Chips. I mean I really love them. But at the grocery store here they cost an arm and a leg ($5 for a small-ish size bag), and if you are acquainted with chip bags then you know they are at least half filled with air. That's why I developed this recipe; I can enjoy the pita chip taste for a much smaller price.

Flatbread "Pita"Chips

Recipe Source: © The Taste Tester

3 whole-wheat flatbreads*

1 tablespoon olive oil

coarse sea salt for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Brush a baking sheet with about 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil (it should be a very very thin layer of oil). Brush one side of each flatbread with 1/2 a teaspoon of remaining oil. Using a pizza cutter, cut each flatbread into small squares. Place flatbread pieces olive oil side up on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with desired amount of sea salt. Bake for four minutes and then flip over. Bake for an additional 3-6 minutes watching them very closely so that the chips do not burn!

*I use three flatbreads for this recipe because it is what I find fits best on a standard size baking sheet.

Now, I'm not going to flash a "pita" chip recipe in your face without giving you something incredible to dip them in!

Hot Spinach, Artichoke & Sun-dried Tomato Dip

Recipe Source: © The Taste Tester

1 (5-6 ounce) container plain greek yogurt

1/3 cup mayonnaise

4 ounces cream cheese

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup diced onion

1 (7 oz) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained *You can also use a drained 14 ounce can of artichoke hearts. I like the marinated ones better but either will work.

1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese *I recommend whole milk mozzarella if you can find it. I buy mine at Wal-Mart.

1 cup shredded parmesan cheese, divided

1/4 cup oil packed sun dried tomatoes, finely diced

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease an 8x8" or 9x9" baking dish. Whirl the first nine ingredients together in a food processor until smooth (you can also mix them together using a hand mixer if you do not have a food processor). Fold in 3/4 cup parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and sun dried tomatoes. Spread dip evenly in prepared pan. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly. I like to turn the oven temp up to 375˚F for the last 5 minutes to get the edges a little crispy. Serve warm with flatbread "pita" chips, tortilla chips, sliced baguette, or fresh raw veggies like sliced sweet peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, etc.

Since there are only three of us here at the Jenks home, we often have to get creative with how we eat our leftovers. So here's the third recipe for today! It uses leftover spinach artichoke dip and leftover flatbreads (we just pull our flatbreads out of the freezer for this one). The recipe is written per one flatbread pizza.

Spinach Artichoke Flatbread Pizza

Recipe Source: © The Taste Tester

1 whole wheat flatbread

1/3 cup leftover spinach artichoke dip

1/4 cup cooked sliced chicken (opt.)

3 tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese

1 teaspoon parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375˚F. Spread dip on one side of flatbread. Layer chicken on top of dip and sprinkle with both cheeses. Bake directly on oven rack for 5-7 minutes or until cheese is melty and bubbly and flatbread is crispy.

P.S. Another great way to enjoy leftover spinach artichoke dip is by stirring it into a bowl of whole wheat pasta!

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White Bean and Roasted Garlic Dip

Beans, beans, the magical fruit. The more you eat the more you... well actually... let's not go there. But in all seriousness I am obsessed with beans lately. I may or may not have a few bean posts lined up for this month.

Then again, I am not sure if anyone in the world loves beans as much as I do so I can't promise that those other bean posts will actually show up.

In the meantime, indulge yourself with this hummus-like dip. It makes a great healthy appetizer for any super-bowl party, and it is also great for a healthy snack when paired with veggies.

White Bean and Roasted Garlic Dip

1/2 pound (1 cup) dry white beans*
1/2 large yellow onion 

1 large or 2 medium heads of garlic, roasted (cloves removed from peels)

1 lemon, juiced

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling

Rinse and sort through beans. Soak overnight according to package directions. Cook beans according to package directions, adding the 1/2 onion to the boiling water with the beans. After beans have simmered until they are soft, remove the onion from the water and drain the beans.

Add cooked beans, roasted garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and olive oil to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until pureed, adding more olive oil if a thinner consistency is desired. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with pita chips and fresh veggies.

Recipe Source: The Taste Tester, adapted from The Food Network

*For a faster cook time, replace soaking and cooking the dry beans with 2 drained and rinsed (14.5 ounce) cans of white beans.

Shared here: Totally Tasty Tuesdays @ Mandy's Recipe Box, Inspire Me Wednesday @ MamaBuzz, Show & Share Wednesdays @ Semi Homemade Mom, Showcase Your Talent Thursday @ What's Cooking Love?, Pin Me Friday @ Diana Rambles

*EASY* Restaurant Style Salsa

I have absolutely no idea what to say about this salsa except that it's delicious. It has left me speechless every time we've made it. I've had this recipe for two years now and we've eaten it many times. When David and I were dating, we often bonded through conversation while eating a whole bag of tortilla chips and a giant bowl if this salsa.

Yes, we love it. You will too.

If you like a mild salsa take out the jalapeños altogether. I'd say this recipe as it is written below makes a medium salsa. To make it hot, you could keep the seeds in on one of the two jalapenos (or both if you want something really really spicy--- pronounced 'spy-say' with attitude). But you'll have to make it and be the judge of your desired heat level.

It is a great salsa to make at this time of year because you don't need fresh tomatoes (which we all know are disgusting, mushy, and flavorless during the winter).

Restaurant Style Blender Salsa

1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 bunch cilantro

2 jalapeños, seeded and roughly chopped

1 (8-ounce) can Chile de Fresco sauce (Pato Sauce)*
1 (10-ounce) can Rotel tomatoes (diced tomato with green chiles), undrained
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
the juice of 1 lime
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8-1/4 teaspoon pepper (to taste)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and puree until it reaches your desired consistency. We like ours mostly pureed with little chunks in it. Taste, and add more salt and pepper if necessary. This salsa is best when refrigerated for at least 8 hours before serving. 

*usually located by the tomato sauce in any grocery store

Recipe Source: The Taste Tester, adapted from a recipe given to me by Kayla Jenkins

This week I'm partying at!

MamaBuzz