Three Cheese and Tuscan Kale Artichoke Dip
When I say dip, you ask “Is it easy?” Then I say… hell yeah! Because who can be bothered with anything day-long-cooking complicated or involving specific ingredients that take weeks to get your hands on. So no matter if you have access to fresh produce or you can only get frozen or jarred, keep following the recipe - nothing changes. Be merging into autumn from summer or winter to spring, this is a universally adaptable recipe fit for any climate.
Those complicated recipes do have a time and place - maybe once a week, first thing on a Monday morning when that start-of-the-week energy is high and the chefs hat sits tight and sets you off an adrenaline cooking frenzy. But this one screams “Invite all my friends” and “bring out those bottles of wine” which is unquestionably staple weekend vibes. But we do what we can based on these times so if you cannot invite all the friends over as an excuse to make this, you can share with… yourself and maybe your isolation sharing flatmates. Let’s be honest, you don’t need an excuse because you can keep to one thing - bring out those bottles of wine regardless of who/ how many people can accompany you.
Using artichokes are great because they work well no matter how you get your hands on them - fresh, frozen or jarred. They require a little more work when you buy them fresh as you will need to blanch them and remove the outer leaves to get to the core of the vegetable (this is the part that is most tender and delicious to use). You can also eat the flesh from the bottom part of the outer leaves but these are most commonly extracted by sucking/ using your teeth to extract the edible part. Frozen or jarred, however, normally offer the inner part of the artichoke on a silver platter ie. the hard part has been done for you and the flesh that you need for this recipe is ready to use and enjoy. What ever you can get those hungry hands on, go with it.
Artichokes have a rather subtle or not overly pronounced taste. This means adding flavours and textures that are bold but also fairly adaptable allowing the artichoke to really be powerful and beautiful to taste. Most cheeses have a rather dominant aroma and taste which is rather complimenting to the subtle artichoke taste. The Tuscan kale really adds the health benefit (see bellow) and colouring to this dish. The nuttiness of the kale, especially when using the Tuscan kale as this one has a more hearty and rigid structure, forms a really powerful trio. Baked and served with hot or charred bread pops that little cherry on top.
If you are after extra nutrients, add extra kale. Kale is one of the most nutrient dense vegetables meaning in one cup of kale, it has proven to hold;
Vitamin A
Vitamin K
Vitamin C
Vitamin B6
Manganese
Calcium
Copper
Potassium
Magnesium
B1, B2, B3
Kale is also;
low in calories
high in fibre
high in omega3 fatty acid (alpha linolenic-acid)
an anti-inflammatory
fights high blood pressure
lowers cholesterol (great for the heart)
helps with blood clotting
important for bone health
great to protect the eyes
helps with weight loss
Hello - even when bringing in those weekend vibes, you can still be adding nutrients to yo’ bodayyy.
Place one of these in front of me, and watch it disappear (although it is quite rich from the cheese). Best shared with those in the apartment or your partner. If you do not live with anyone, simply bake what you think you will want at the time, refrigerate the remaining and then bake the left over at a later date. This is better than baking all and warming a large amount up later.
Three Cheese and Tuscan Kale Artichoke Dip
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, diced
2 handfuls tuscan kale, stems removed and roughly chopped
200 grams artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
50 grams soft cheddar, grated
1/2 cup parmesan, grated
1 1/2 sour cream
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup mozzarella, grated
Salt and pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. You will need an oven proof cast iron pan or baking dish.
In a large pan, sauté the onion with oil for 4-5 minutes on medium heat to avoid burning.
Meanwhile, mix together the sour cream, mayonnaise, mozzarella, cheddar and Parmesan along with a good pinch of salt and pepper.
Add the garlic and artichokes to the onions and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Add the kale and wilt. Add this to the cheese mixture in the bowl. Mix well and add into the baking dishes. Sprinkle with extra parmesan and bake for 10 minutes or until blubbering and golden.
Serve hot with charred bread.
