ArcaMax

Editor's Note: We hope you enjoy this previously published Zola classic.

I have to tell you I am reluctant to have this discussion. In the years I’ve worked to develop Plan Z, I didn't really bring up the subject of bread and baked goods. I felt like if I ignored the subject it would not come up. Instead, I spent a lot of time laying down the framework for the fact that you don’t need bread, donuts or cupcakes in your life. Or any of the rest of it. And it’s true. You can get used to not eating it.

But I know the subject of bread comes up in your home and your offices. It’s like the elephant in the room that will make you feel like an elephant if you eat too much of it.

So before we embark on the subject of bread (and the good versus the evil things about it) I want to define what bread is.

If I hammer home anything today this is all I want you to know...

Read the full column at PlanZDiet.com

Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip

Talk about comfort food. This is the pure definition. Thankfully fat doesn’t make you fat so you can eat this at parties and not feel the guilt.

Ingredients:

10 oz package of frozen, chopped spinach – thawed
18 oz of artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
½ cup of mayonnaise
¾ cup of sour cream
1 cup of pepper jack cheese
6 oz of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
cayenne to taste

Instructions:

Remove the thawed spinach from the box. Spread it across a few paper towels and put another layer of paper towels on top. Squeeze out the excess liquid. Then transfer the spinach to a bowl.

In a food processor, chop up the artichoke hearts. You can leave them as chunky or as smooth as you like. I cut mine to the size of large dice. I like a few chunks.

Add the artichoke hearts to the spinach. Now add the mayo, sour cream, Parmesan and stir. Season with salt and pepper and stir again. I like some extra zip so I put a light dusting of cayenne in too.

Pour this mixture into a 9-by-13-inch oven-proof pan. Put the pepper jack cheese on top. If you don’t like pepper jack you can use mozzarella or even cheddar. Again, I like the zip.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbling hot. I keep mine in there until the cheese starts to brown. I like that extra crispy bit.

Serve on plates with a spoon or you can use a low carb dipper like carrots, celery sticks or Melba toast.

If you decide to use pita bread, cut it into triangles. Brush the pita bread with butter or ghee and then sprinkle on some Italian herbs. Bake for 7 minutes or until the pitas are crispy on the bottom. Butter will slow down the glycemic intake, and your blood sugar won’t spike as much.

Also when I eat pita chips like these (or any cracker) I mound my dip on the chip and then only take a bite of a third of it. That way I can “recycle” the chip. I don’t dip it back in the bowl. Instead I remove the dip from the bowl with a spoon and put it on my plate. Then I use the spoon to mound more on my chip or I can scoop now since the dip is on my plate. It keeps the carbs down. I get three dips of dip from each chip. Works the same with guacamole or other dips.

Enjoy!
Cheers,
Zola