In the past, whenever I would go out to eat, and Spinach Artichoke Dip was on the appetizer menu, I’d always order it! I loved all of that creamy, cheesy, goodness. Sometimes, I’d just make a meal out of it. However, I’d often leave the restaurant feeling overly stuffed, heavy, greasy, and just not so good. All of that cream and cheese can wreak havoc on one’s tummy – especially the dairy allergic or lactose intolerant tummies! Don’t get me wrong, the dip was always amazing…ALWAYS, but once I began paying more attention to my body and what I put into it, I really began noticing the effects food had on it. I consciously began asking myself, “Is it really worth it?” Now, I’m not saying to never order the spin-dip again. Just…maybe…try passing on it the next time, and going home and making this recipe the next day! (I know, it’s more work and definitely isn’t instantly gratifying. I promise though, it’s worth it!)
This version is packed with protein from the cashews and tons of flavor from onions and garlic – you won’t miss the cheese! (that much 😉 haha) If you’re someone that is lactose intolerant or has a dairy allergy, this is a great substitute to give you that fix!
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Spinach Artichoke Dip (dairy-free with vegan option)
In a sauce pan, saute onions in butter for 5 minutes or until they've become translucent and started browning.
While the onions are cooking, drain water off soaked cashews. In a food processor or high powered blender, combine cashews, broth, and coconut milk. Blend until the mixture has lightened and is very creamy. If the mixture is too thick to blend, add a couple tablespoons more of broth until it begins to blend completely.
If your spinach is frozen, follow the cooking directions until it has thawed enough to squeeze the moisture out. You want VERY LITTLE moisture left. If your spinach is thawed, simply wring out the liquid using cheesecloth. You will be surprised with how little spinach you're left with!
Once you've completely pureed the cashews, add the mixture, drained spinach, and remaining ingredients to the cooked onions. Cook the dip over medium low heat for about 10 minutes.
Taste and adjust the seasonings! If you want a cheesier flavor, you can add more nutritional yeast. If you want more garlic, (I ALWAYS WANT MORE GARLIC) add more chopped garlic or some garlic powder. I've found that when I add more nutritional yeast, I also have to add more salt amount as well. Use your own discretion! 🙂
Serve hot with tortilla (I like Siete brand chips! They're grain free and made with minimal ingredients!) or try some plantain chips! YUM!
Leftovers of this don't go to waste either. It's delicious when mixed with shredded chicken and cauliflower rice!
Chicken Alfredo is my lactose-intolerant husband’s favorite dish. It’s pretty much always a goal of mine to give him something that reminds him of that…however, it always seems impossible to compare to the original. This recipe comes close despite it’s lack of dairy.
If you have the resources to get the products involved, it’s SO WORTH IT! However, if you do not have some of the ingredients, there are substitutes for a few ingredients that will still yield a delicious and creamy alfredo sauce.
After one taste of this, my husband said, “you’ll be making this often!”
Over medium heat, sauté garlic in ghee for 30 seconds to a minute.
Whisk in cream cheese until it melts completely.
Add the remaining ingredients* and whisk together. Let the sauce simmer for 5-10 minutes to thicken.
*I also add 1-2 TBSP of Italian seasoning - like Primal Palates Amore Seasoning (YUM!) to the sauce. It gives it a nice herby-kick!
You can adjust the salt and pepper now. I like mine on the saltier side - so I add 1/2-1 tsp or so.
If you want a thinner sauce, add more coconut milk. I like mine pretty thick, so I stick with about 1/2 cup.
IT'S THAT EASY! Now go and pour this over whatever pasta (or pizza!) you please!
I’m always amazed at how evenly and quickly my Instant Pot cooks meals. It is one gadget that I seriously can’t say enough good things about! It’s been a year with my IP, I should just get used to it…
If you don’t have an IP, you could still cook this on your stove top. Just bake your spaghetti squash separately (it’ll probably take at least 30-40 min, depending on the size) or microwave it , for a quicker cook…then add it to your chicken taco sauce. Still easy, it will just take a bit more time and you’ll have to keep an eye on that pot. That’s probably my favorite part of the Instant Pot, I can set it and not pay any attention to it until the timer goes off and it’s basically ready! I can’t complain about that aspect a bit!
This “pasta” is made with spaghetti squash – so it’s totally guilt-free! If you’re a taco lover, this is a nice change from your typical tortillas, meat, and veggies. I use my jalapeño crema on top of this too! Love the bright, spiciness it adds!
Switch things up on your next Taco Tuesday …or Taco Thursday, Friday, or Saturday, and whip up this guilt-free “pasta”!
To your Instant Pot, add your onions, chicken, seasonings, coconut milk*, tomato sauce, and lime juice.
*(if you don't have coconut milk, use 1 1/2 cups of whatever milk you want!)
Wash and cut spaghetti squash in half - I do it the short ways, around the middle section - so you're left with two "cups."
Line the pot with a double layer of tinfoil. You can use your trivet, if it fits. For the spaghetti squash I used, the handles of the trivet wouldn't allow the lid to close. If you can fit it all in there with the trivet, by all means, use it. It'd work the same.
Place your halved squash on top of the tinfoil layer. Close the lid, seal the valve, press the "Manual" button*, then press the "+" button until the screen reads 8. The pot will switch to "On" while it preheats.
*Make sure it's on High Pressure (if it is on Low Pressure, just press the "pressure" button to get it to High)
Your pot will take about 15 minutes to come to pressure. If you want to speed this up, you could sauté the onions and chicken for a few minutes before adding the other ingredients. For me, this cuts the preheat time in half or more, also you could reduce the cooking time as well. However, then you have to stir and watch the pot more than before. So, do whatever YOU feel like doing. Experiment! When it comes to such a quick cooking time, if something isn't done enough to your liking, it's easy to add a couple extra minutes!
When the timer goes off, do a QR (quick release), and open the lid. Remove your squash and divider.
Make a slurry with the arrowroot powder and almond milk or water and add that to your sauce and stir. Your sauce should thicken in seconds. Personally, we like our pasta saucyyyy. If you want a thicken sauce, you can always make more slurry and add it. Once it's thickened, turn the pot off by pressing "Keep Warm/Cancel."
Remove the inside of your squash, shred, and squeeze excess water out of it. If you don't do this, you will have a VERY saucy pasta - not necessarily bad - but definitely on the "wet" side.
Add your squash to your pot and stir.
Serve it up!
