spinach artichoke dip

I've been experimenting with "veganizing" some old favorites. I was craving for a cheesy, ooey-gooey spinach artichoke dip one night and my kitchen playtime led to this recipe below....

- olive oil
- about 1/4 of an onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 2 tablespoons Earth Balance -- a non-dairy, non-hydrogenated, non-Crisco (enough said) butter substitute, available at Whole Foods
- 2 tablespoons flour
- about 1/3 cup of Silk soy creamer

- 1 can of artichokes, drained and coarsely chopped
- 1 cup (or more) of chopped frozen spinach
- 1 tub of Tofutti soy cream cheese
- 1/2 cup of nutritional yeast (for the salty cheesy flavor, available at the bulk section of Whole Foods)
- zest of 1 lemon (using a Microplane is GREAT for this -- probably one of my best kitchen tools)
- juice of half a lemon
- chopped fresh thyme

- a handful of fresh breadcrumbs
- a few sprigs of thyme

Heat the olive oil and saute the onions until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes, then transfer this to a bowl.

Using the same saucepan/pot, make a roux with the next three ingredients. For instructions on how to make roux, click here.

Add the rest of the ingredients (except the breadcrumbs and whole springs of thyme) to the roux. Mix until the cream cheese is melted all the way through. Transfer to an ovenproof dish, sprinkle with breadcrumbs on top and add the thyme sprigs on top.

Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly. Enjoy with some good baguette, thinly sliced and toasted.

YUM!

* Please note that all the quantities are just estimates!