Roasted Red Pepper and Artichoke Dip

Hi, this is Nikki. I'm an old friend of Jenni's and a new friend of Kurt and Henry's! I'm not vegan myself, but I avoid animal products when I can, and most of the cookbooks on my shelf are vegan. I love cooking, and one of my great joys in life is feeding people. Since Jenni and I started hanging out more, that has included her and Kurt (and Henry, who takes care of the leftovers). We make dinner on the weekends, and my first post for you is a red pepper-artichoke dip we made Friday night.

A lot of people are hesitant about vegan food because of the "weird" ingredients. I'm not going to lie to you: some vegans eat "weird" stuff. I think exploring new flavors is a great adventure, and in the future I'll be introducing you to some of my favorite "weird" foods. But for now, we'll stick with things that might already be in your pantry or are easily found at your regular grocery store. They're "normal" foods that just happen to be vegan (Hooray!).

This is based on the "Roasted Red Pepper Dip" in The Accidental Vegan by Devra Gartenstein. (I changed some of the proportions to suit my tastes.)

1 12-oz. jar roasted red peppers (packed in vinegar, not oil)
1 14-oz. can artichoke hearts (vinegar- or water-packed)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2-3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp lemon juice
3/4 packed cup fresh basil

Whiz everything in a food processor for a minute or two, taste and adjust to your liking. Serve with toasted whole grain baguette slices, cucumber slices, baby carrots, pita chips, use your imagination!