Artichoke Pesto Dip or Spread

This is an extremely easy dip to make. It goes well with cucumber or jicama slices -- or any other vegetables to dip in to it -- or as a spread for low-carb crackers. It's also nice as a stuffing for mushroom caps and then broiled. For the South Beach Diet, or to reduce calories, use low-fat or fat-free cream cheese.

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Ingredients:

• 6 oz. cream cheese at room temperature (2 small packages or 3/4 of a large one)
• 1 can artichoke hearts (about 13 oz. to 15 oz.) or 1 package frozen artichoke hearts (no breading), about 9 oz. , thawed
• 1 container of fresh pesto sauce, 7 oz. (usually found near the fresh pasta refrigerated section)

Preparation:

Put all of the ingredients in to the food processor and combine (or blend with a stick blender).

Nutritional Information: Actual amounts depend on which pesto you buy, as each is made from a different recipe. I did an average of several brands for this analysis. Each whole recipe has 17 grams effective carbohydrate, plus 17 grams fiber, 35 grams protein and 1,602 calories. To reduce calories, use low-fat or fat-free cream cheese.

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