Baked Artichoke-Jalapeno Parmesan Dip
I’m a sucker for cookware that’s both earthy, like these little clay pots, as well as functional, and they always inspire me to individualize recipes, or simply come up with something new. So, last week, I went to A. Simon, a fabulous store in Les Halles that caters to both the professional and simply obsessed chef, to check out the goods. I actually wanted the black cast-iron Staub pots, but they were 60 euros apiece, so I settled on these little cuties – just 12.50 euros each — by the French company Digoin, who’ve been making clay pots in Burgundy since 1875.
The instructions that came with the pots said that I needed to soak them in water for a few hours before the first usage, to minimize cracking, so I did.
Since we were having soup for dinner, I thought that it would be fun to start with a warm, cheesy dip – in this case, a new recipe for artichoke dip that’s a low-fat version of the mayo-heavy one that I remember from parties years ago, and with a Tex-Mex twist.
This makes enough for a small party – say six to eight people – but I made a half-portion of this for Xavier and me and we ate every bit of it.
Baked Artichoke-Jalapeno Parmesan Dip
1 14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained
4 cloves garlic
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup plain or Greek yogurt
10-12 sliced jalapenos (pickled)
10 sundried tomatoes
¼ teaspoon sea salt (to taste)
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a food processor, puree the garlic until finely chopped. Add sun dried tomatoes and pulse until finely chopped. Add artichoke hearts and jalapeno peppers and pulse one or two times, making sure not to puree the artichoke hearts or peppers. You want this to be chunky.
In a bowl, whisk together the yogurt, Parmesan cheese, sea salt, and cayenne pepper. Fold the artichoke-pepper mixture into the bowl, mix well and pour into a baking dish. Sprinkle more grated Parmesan on top.
Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until heated through and cheese on top starts to brown.
Serve with toasted pita chips, or crispy bread.
A. Simon
48 and 52 rue Montmartre
2nd arrondisement
01-42-33-71-65
Metro: Etienne Marcel
