Spinach and Artichoke Dip Pasta w/ Pollock!

What a beautiful Saturday in March! We’ve put a couple of bird feeders up outside on the patio, and its so fun to watch all the different birds come and eat! OK — I know I sound like a crazy bird lady right now…but when you’re stuck on a couch — sick — everyday, you begin to appreciate the little things…even birds:)

such wonderful flavor!

So tonight for dinner, I decided to try my hand at a Spinach and Artichoke Dip Pasta.  Spinach and Artichoke Dip is one of life’s most glorious foods. And it is absolutely NOT vegan. Your average S&AD contains pounds of cheese, mayo, sour cream…all combined to make a decadently delicious dip! So, needless to say, “vegan-izing” the dip would prove to be quite a difficult task.

packed with green nutrition!

Now, they do make vegan mayo and sour cream, but to be honest, I’m not a huge fan of consuming all those processed ingredients. We’re going for happy tummies here.  So, I tried to make this dish fresh, healthy, and as unprocessed as possible.

yum!

Here’s what you need:

3 big handfuls of spinach, chopped
1/2 red onion, diced
1 1/2 cups artichoke hearts, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp white wine
1/4 cup veg stock
1/4 cup plain unsweetened almond milk
1 Tbsp Vegan Cream Cheese
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
Dash of nutmeg

Saute you onions in 1 tsp EVOO, salt and pepper.  After they soften, add in your garlic. Stir in your artichokes and let them cook for a few minutes. Deglaze with your wine. Let it reduce, and then add in your stock, almond milk and nutmeg. Let that cook for a bit, and then stir in your spinach, wilting it. Once it has wilted, stir in your cream cheese and Dijon mustard. Combine with your pasta, and re-season it with salt and pepper. I added considerably more salt at the end. Yum!

Look at that flakey Pollock!

Finally, with this yummy pasta, I served broiled pollock. This was our first time having pollock and my goodness was it fantastic! Lobsta Bakes‘ wild, ocean-caught pollock is so flavorful and delicious! It flakes so beautifully, and is a bit “meatier” than cod, but still just as tender and delicate. We will definitely be having this again! And let me just say, it is a rare and refreshing find when you come across a shop that treats you like family. It’s true. The guys and gals at Lobsta Bakes are so wonderful. They know I am sick, so they always ask my parents how I’m doing that day, or will package our fish up with a smiley face drawn on the butcher paper. Little things that elevate them from an amazing fresh fish supplier, to a genuinely wonderful shop full of friends. :) We need more businesses with the authentic character of Lobsta Bakes!

spinach and artichoke goodness!

This meal was delicious. Although it didn’t *quite* have the Spinach and Artichoke Dip gooey-stringy-molten-cheesiness that we all love; it did have outstanding flavor with fresh and healthy ingredients. You got the spinach and artichoke flavor with the slight creaminess from the cream cheese and the reduced almond milk and stock. The Dijon mustard chimed in with a little *zing,* rounding out the pasta. Truly wonderful.

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Happy Saturday!