This is a very easy, but really tasty dip for everything. You can also use it as a sandwich filler, or to fill canapes. I serve mine with little tortilla chips or, straight on a toasted slice of sourdough. This can be calorific, I get around by using light mayo and fat free soft cheese. Philadelphia Cream Cheese is good, as is Hellman's Light Mayo. You can vary by using different flavours of Philly or replacing veggies with different ones. Leave out the crab, if you wish, to make a veggie version [or make it cheaper :-)] You can either used tinned artichoke hearts or the marinated ones, it won't make a massive difference.The basis of this recipe is from my 'Best of the Best' Cookbook, which was given to me by MIL as a 'Welcome to Canada' present. I have made several recipes out of it and I will blog them soon, especially as they have almost all turned out exceptionally well.
Here's the recipe:
Around 300 g fat free cream cheese (plain or flavoured)
Around 100 ml light mayo
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp or to taste of lemon juice
About 200 g of artichoke hearts, chopped roughly
1 250 g tub or can of white crabmeat (Marks and Spencer's do a good tub, but its expensive, so you may want to save this for something special!)
1 stalk spring onion, finely sliced
2 stalks celery, chopped fine
1 red/ yellow/ orange pepper, chopped fine
Whisk the cream cheese and mayonnaise until nice and smooth. Add the salt/ pepper/ Worcester sauce and mix well. Add the lemon juice, taste and adjust seasoning to your taste. Stir in the artichokes, veggies and the crabmeat, folding until well mixed. Taste again and adjust seasoning.
Serve with crisps, tortilla chips, toasted bread, or pretty much anything that takes your fancy :-)
