basil artichoke spread

I adore basil.  If I could put it in just about everything and get away with it I would.  If I could wear it as a perfume I would.  It smells unbelievably amazing this time of year.  It is in full abundance during the summer as well.  


So I say bring on the recipes full of basil.  I just made fresh pesto yesterday and froze a little in ice cube trays for later use.  I had enough basil to have dinner that night and now have about 3 cups of pesto frozen in my freezer.  


This spread is good enough in a sandwich with cheese and veggies.  Or you can use it as dip for fresh veggies.  It is good enough to eat with a spoon. 


Get your food processor out and add in the following items: 

• 1 can of artichokes 
• 1/4 cup of fresh basil ( I think I used 1/2 cup because I love it so much) 
• 2 tbs of reduced fat mayo 
• 1 tbs of lemon juice 
• 1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes
• salt 
• pepper 

Pulse it until you can't pulse it any longer and it looks like a thickened spread or dip. 

Enjoy !!!