I trust Alton because he's all science-y and stuff, so I figure he knows the right combinations for deliciousness. Wow I just made up hella words. Well, I guess I question Alton a little bit, because I read somewhere that he lost a lot of weight by going on a diet of Avocado and Sardine sandwiches. Doesn't sound appetizing to me, but maybe its awesome.
Anyway, I decided to make his warm artichoke dip for the Superbowl. I served it alongside Tostitos scoops and Saltines. Which, by the way, have you heard of the Saltine challenge? You have to eat 6 Saltine crackers in 60 seconds... apparently its one of those impossible things because the Saltines dry up your saliva and its hard to swallow without saliva.
Also, another bit of trivia that I read on wikipedia, is that Peyton Manning has such a competitive spirit that after failing the Saltine challenge, he did it again by stacking all 6 crackers and stuffing them in his mouth at once... and succeeded! I thought it would be a fun mini-game to play during the Superbowl but we all ate so much and were into the game as it is. Plus, we were drinking beer, so I'm sure we were all dehydrated and had less saliva as it is haha
The Ingredients
* 1 cup thawed, chopped frozen spinach
* 1 small jar of artichokes
* 6 ounces cream cheese
* 1/4 cup sour cream
* 1/4 cup mayonnaise
* 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
* 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Alton's recipe called for 1 cup of frozen spinach, but I kind of eyed it. I bought a package of frozen spinach and just poured it into boiling water... my guess is that I had more like 1/2 - 3/4 cup of spinach in the end, but I think it was ok. His recipe also called for 1 1/2 cup of frozen artichokes, but I only bought like a small jar of artichokes in a chili brine. I think it still worked out ok.
So I drained my spinach and added my artichokes. Kinda swiped it a little with a knife to break them down a little.
I microwaved the cream cheese in a bowl for about 45 seconds to soften it and make it really creamy.
To the cream cheese, I added the mayo. I got one of those squeeze top bottles, so I'm not sure how accurate it is, but hey, this isn't baking so its not a big deal if I'm off a little. I also got the low fat mayo... oh and I should also mention that I used the neufchatel cream cheese, which is like 1/3 less fat I think.
I looked it up on wiki and neufchatel != cream cheese! I thought it was the same just lower in fat! eh, close enough I guess. On wikipedia, it says american cream cheese was created when a man tried to make neufchatel. Neufchatel is less in fat and softer than regular cream cheese, so I guess it works well for our dip. Yay less in fat, still good. :)
Next I added the sour cream... couldn't shake it out of my cup, hence the spoon :)
Then, just add the artichokes and spinach to the bowl.
I mixed it all together and it kinda looks like I should have put more spinach. Honestly, I should have paid more attention when I was pouring the spinach into the boiling water... but I was playing Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 2 at the same time, so I was rushing to not be AFK for too long. haha kinda embarrassing to admit, but its the truth.
Next the seasonings! I added 1/4 tsp of garlic powder
I was supposed to had 1/2 teaspoon of red chili flakes, but I kinda just sprinkled it liberally because I like red chili flakes :9 I probably should have added more now in hindsight, the chili flakes kind of get lost in the cream cheese.
Next, the 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese goes in. I've never used parmesan cheese in cooking until this week! I'm expanding my horizons! haha
Next goes the 1/4 tsp of salt. I think I should have added a little bit more.. maybe some garlic salt so you get both garlic and salt? It takes a lot of seasoning to be noticed with all the cream cheese and sour cream.
After everything gets mixed in well, I reheated the bowl for a minute to warm everything up, then time to munch!
I actually liked it. I think the cream cheese and sour cream overpower a little, so I would add a little bit more salt, parmesan cheese, and chili flakes. However, I think it was good with the chips and Saltines, because the chips and crackers are salty as is, so it was a nice smooth balance.
I would definitely make this again, and Alton suggests putting it in a slow cooker to keep it constantly warm. I did find it a pain to have to keep reheating in the microwave and stirring, so I would try the slow cooker next time or maybe my fondue pot! :)
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