Healthy Low Carb and Low Fat Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Little Man spent his Thanksgiving break from school with his Dad and Grandma. I spent Thanksgiving at Smith & Wollensky's, a fine dining steakhouse, with a bottle of wine and their pre-fixe menu... Butternut squash soup, herb crusted rolls, turkey, stuffing, gravy!!, roasted brussels sprouts and root veggies, and au gratin potatoes, ending the meal with pumpkin pie and cinnamon whipped cream. Not only did I overeat there I took home leftovers and heated them up for breakfast the next morning and overate again. 

Before Little Man left for vacation we made a plan to celebrate our Thanksgiving on Sunday when I'd get him back. As usual, I made a plan for the menu... a cheese platter, spinach and artichoke dip, spinach salad, beef stew, turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, and green bean casserole... I was over ambitious. Thankfully I know better than telling Little Man what we're having to avoid overpromising and under delivering. We had the cheese platter (cashews, brie, colby jack cheese cubes, applewood smoked salame, and crackers), spinach and artichoke dip with tortilla chips, turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, and rolls. It was delicious, we overate, and there are leftovers so we can do it again tomorrow.

If you are looking for a warm healthy appetizer for an upcoming Christmas party or Game Day then look no further. This dip is low carb and low fat. Using cauliflower instead of cream cheese or a fat-laden alternative reduces the fat grams drastically. While my version turned out chunky yours will be smooth and creamy with help from your food processor. I was too lazy to pull out the food processor with a mound of dishes already in the sink and figured I could mash the shit out of the ingredients to get them smooth enough... WRONG! If you go the route I took be sure to have thick chips sturdy enough for dipping. Either way, it'll be a crowd pleaser. 

Healthy Low Carb and Low Fat Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Oatmeal with a Fork

Makes 4 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 2 cups steamed cauliflower
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp spicy brown mustard
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup artichokes, chopped - I used the precooked packaged artichoke hearts found in the produce section. Could use frozen (make sure to thaw them). 
• 1/4 cup fresh spinach, packed and chopped

And Action:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Process the cauliflower, parmesan cheese, sea salt, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, mustard, and olive oil until smooth and creamy.

Pulse in the chopped artichokes and spinach.

Pour the mixture into a small baking dish.

Lightly sprinkle parmesan cheese on top for a golden crust. 

Bake for 10 minutes until heated through. Serve with tortilla or pita chips...veggies if you really want to be good and enjoy!

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

Calories: 59 

Fat: 3 g 

Saturated fat: 1.2 g 

Unsaturated fat: 1.8 g 

Trans fat: 0 g 

Carbohydrates: 5.3 g 

Sugar: 1.5 g 

Sodium: 304 mg 

Fiber: 2.4 g 

Protein: 4.2 g

Cholesterol: 5 mg