Roasted Hazelnut Artichoke Spread
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
 
Ingredients
  • 2 cups hazelnuts, to roast (you will only need a scant 1 c. of roasted hazelnuts for the dip but you won't regret the leftovers)
  • 1½ cups jarred artichoke hearts (packed in water) or 10 oz.
  • ¼ cup water from jar of artichokes
  • 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ tsp. salt (or to taste)
  • 1 Tbsp. sun-dried tomato (optional)
Instructions
For the hazelnuts:
  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Put hazelnuts on baking sheet, roast for 15 minutes.
  3. Remove from oven and cool.
  4. Rub the hazelnuts between your fingers, or using a kitchen towel and your hands to rub them. The skin will come easily off of some, but not all, of the hazelnuts. Don't work too hard, it's not a big deal for some of the skin to be on them. Use the hazelnuts with more of the skin off for the dip, save the rest for other uses.
To make the dip:
  1. Blend a scant 1 cup of hazelnuts plus the other ingredients in a high-powered blender. Adjust salt to taste.
  2. If you use the optional sun-dried tomato, the spread will have a sharper, livelier taste. But without them the flavor of the roasted hazelnuts will stand out more.
Recipe by Fit and Fed at http://fitandfed.net/2015/03/28/artichoke-roasted-hazelnut-dip/