White Bean & Artichoke Spread

Another selection from the Appetizers and Snacks chapter, “White Bean & Artichoke Spread” (page 18) is very easy to make oil free and healthy without sacrificing an ounce of flavor. This is a simple yet satisfying blend of artichoke hearts, white beans, parsley, and lemon juice with just a pinch of cayenne to liven things up. The recipe is not written to be oil free. It calls for marinated artichoke hearts, and a tablespoon of olive oil. I opted for canned artichoke hearts packed in water because I couldn’t find them frozen in my local market (I think frozen artichoke hearts are superior to canned), and I simply omitted the olive oil altogether. The blended spread is topped with a small sprinkle of chopped kalamata olives (which I forgot to do before taking this picture), and is wonderful on crackers, toast, sourdough bread, or as a dip for raw veggies.

Keeping it “McDougall Friendly” checklist:

• Omit the olive oil all together.
• Use frozen artichoke hearts, or canned, packed in water instead of marinated.