Warm Kale and artichoke Dip

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 large artichoke hearts or two 15-ounce cans artichoke hearts in water

• 2 tablespoons Earth Balance butter sticks

• 2 shallots, minced

• 6 garlic cloves, minced

• 1/2 cup dry white wine

• 1/2 cup dry sherry

• 1 cup cashew cream (see notes)

• 1 cup vegetable stock

• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes

• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

• 6 cups baby kale, coarsely chopped

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• Smoked paprika, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. If using fresh artichoke hearts, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the artichoke hearts and blanch for 10 minutes, or until slightly tender; a paring knife should slide in easily. Drain the hearts and plunge into an ice bath to "shock" them---i.e., stop the cooking and cool them quickly. Drain and coarsely chop. If using canned artichokes, simple drain and chop.

2. Put a large deep sauté pan over medium heat and add the butter substitute. When it has melted, add the shallots, garlic and artichoke hearts and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft, 6 to 8 minutes.

3. Add the wine and sherry and cook for 1 minute to evaporate some of the alcohol. Add the cashew cream, stock, nutritional yeast flakes, and thyme, reduce the heat to medium-low, and gently simmer until thick, 35 to 40 minutes; stir occasionally to make sure the cream mixture doesn't stick and burn on the bottom of the pan.

4. Fold in the kale a few handfuls at a time and continue to simmer until the kale is soft and the artichokes have broken down slightly, about 10 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper. (The sip will keep for up to 3 days covered in the refrigerator. To serve, reheat over medium-low heat, stirring often.)

5. If the dip appears too thick, add a couple of tablespoons of stock water.

6. Spoon the dip into the serving bowl, dust with smokes paprika, and serve with the potato chips, crackers, or slice raw vegetables.

To make the cashew cream:

1. Put 2 cups cashews in a bowl and pour in enough cold filtered water to cover. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, or up to 1 day.

2. Drain the cashews in a colander and rinse with cold water. Transfer the cashews to a blender, preferable a Vitamix, and pour in enough cold filtered water to cover them by 1 inch, about 3 cups. Blend on high for 2 to 3 minutes, until very thick and creamy without any trace of graininess. The cashew cream should be smooth on the palate; add more water if necessary. If you're not using a heavy duty blender, you may need to strain the cashew cream through a fine-mesh sieve to get rid of any grittiness.

3. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. It will thicken as it sits, so blend with 1/2 cup or so filtered water if needed to reach the desired consistency. It can also be frozen.

NOTES:

ATTRIBUTION: A Dash of Compassion website

WEBSITE: https://www.adashofcompassion.com/2016/01/tal-ronnens-warm-kale-and-artichoke-dip/

SUBMITTED BY: Nicole