Recipes this week were taken from:
MinimalistBaker.Com Simple Recipes That Make You Feel Good
Meal #1
Appetizer
Cheesy Vegan Spinach and Artichoke Dip
A vegan version of classic spinach and artichoke dip! Just 10 ingredients required, creamy, cheesy, packed with veggies, and SO delicious!
Author Minimalist Baker
Servings 17 (1/4-cup servings)
Course Appetizer, Dip
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Vegan
Freezer Friendly No
Does it keep? 4-5 Days
Ingredients
DIP
1 1/4 cups raw cashews
2 Tbsp olive oil (sub water if avoiding oil)
5 cloves garlic
3/4 cup chopped shallot
1 1/2 cups unsweetened plain almond milk (or unsweetened rice milk)
5 Tbsp nutritional yeast (adds cheesy flavor)
1/2 tsp each sea salt and black pepper (plus more for spinach and artichokes)
4 cups loosely packed chopped fresh spinach (organic when possible)
1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts (rinsed, drained, dried, and roughly chopped)
2 Tbsp vegan parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)
FOR TOPPING / SERVING (optional)
2 Tbsp gluten-free vegan bread crumbs (we like Ian's brand)
1/4 tsp red pepper flake
Baguette, Pita Chips, or Vegetables
Instructions
Soak cashews for 1 hour in very hot water (uncovered) or in cool water overnight. Then drain and set aside.
In the meantime, heat a large oven-safe metal or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add oil, garlic, and shallot. Sauté for 1-2 minutes. Then lower heat to medium/low and sauté for 2-3 minutes more or until just golden brown and slightly caramelized. Set off the heat to cool.
Once cashews are soaked and drained, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C). To a blender, add soaked and drained cashews, half of the sautéed garlic and shallot, almond milk, nutritional yeast, sea salt, and pepper and blend into a creamy purée, scraping down sides as needed.
Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Dip should be cheesy in flavor and well salted, so consider adding more nutritional yeast for cheesiness or another pinch sea salt for saltiness. Set aside.
Heat the skillet with