Healthy Spinach & Artichoke Dip

Okay, so this spinach and artichoke dip is SO delicious.. but it took SO long to make! I opted out of using canned goods and bought some beautiful fresh artichokes. The entire process is tedious but honestly so worth it. I made this for a huge get together with friends and family & we all enjoyed it so much. Everyone loved it but nobody knew how healthy it was ;) 

The chips were very easy to make and didn't take long at all. Just cut up your favorite tortilla wraps, spray both sides lightly with olive oil, spread them out evenly on  a lined baking pan, and pop them in the oven to bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes, or until crispy and gold brown. I bought Tumaro's whole wheat tortilla wraps for the chips, but you can use any brand you like, just try to stay away from pure white flour tortillas (they're not that nutritious and definitely not healthy). 

Ingredients:

3 artichokes

1 cup wilted baby spinach (about 4 cups fresh spinach makes 1 cup wilted)

3 cloves garlic

1/2 cup Light Kefir Cheese

1 cup part skim shredded mozzarella

1/2 cup shaved parmesan

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

Remove outer layer of artichoke leaves and chop off the stem. Slice the artichokes in half and remove the inner fuzzy hairs. Place all the halved artichokes into a large pot and cover with water. Boil for 30 minutes, covered, and then let cool to room temperature. Transfer the cooled artichokes to a colander and drain. The leaves of the artichoke have softened meat on the inside of them and I scooped it out using a flat headed wooden spatula. I held each leaf by the tip, hard part facing down, and just dragged the spatula across the leaf removing the meat. This is the tedious part of the recipe. It takes a long time to scoop every leaf but boy oh boy is it delicious. In a food processor, add the artichoke meat along with the hearts, wilted spinach, garlic, red pepper, black pepper, & salt. Let everything process until the garlic is fully crushed and evenly spread throughout. Add the mixture to a bowl and fold in the light kefir cheese, parmesan, and mozzarella. Spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and evenly spread the dip into the baking dish. Sprinkle with more mozzarella (optional) and place in the oven to bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until the cheese is fully melted and the edges start to brown. Serve with your homemade baked chips.