Call me a little late to the party, but it was only recently that I took the plunge and bought a Costco membership. There were several reasons for that. First and foremost, I live in Soddy-Daisy, so it's a long drive to North Georgia. So, between the price of gas and the time it takes out of my day to make a shopping trip there, the cost adds up - in addition to the annual $60 membership fee.
Many cities have more than one Costco, and I think the Chattanooga area warrants another one, preferably - and I know this sounds self-serving - in the Hixson area.
But have you tried Costco's spinach-artichoke-parmesan dip? On my first shopping experience there, I brought home a large tub of the popular dip. Amazing stuff, as the reviews called it. I couldn't agree more for a store-bought dip. And there was so much of it, I had enough left over to make a delicious quiche.
There are several variations of this recipe you'll find online, but none with sauteed onion, which takes the flavor and texture up a notch.
And for all of you who don't have a Costco membership, no problem. Friday's makes a pretty good spinach-artichoke-parmesan dip that you can find in the frozen-foods section at Food City and Walmart, among other places. And one more thing: If you have a few minutes to spare, make your own pastry crust. It makes all the difference.
Spinach-Artichoke Dip Quiche
1 medium onion, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 eggs
1 cup spinach-artichoke dip
3/4 cup half-and-half
1/2-3/4 cup shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese
1 teaspoon each salt and pepper
1 (9-inch) store-bought or homemade pie crust
Saute onion in olive oil for 4-5 minutes or until translucent. Set aside. Whisk eggs in a large bowl until smooth. Add the spinach dip, half-and-half, cheese, onions, salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture into the pie crust, and bake till golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.
PLANT-BASED BURGERS
Have you tried any of the new plant-based burgers offered at fast-food restaurants, such as Burger King's Impossible Whopper or Hardee's new Beyond Thickburger? I rarely dine at fast-food restaurants in an all-out effort to better my diet, but after hearing so many positive, and a few negative, reviews, I took a spin through both fast-food drive-throughs in Soddy-Daisy and placed my orders. A friend suggested getting them with cheese which, he felt, would give it better taste and texture. But I decided to order it minus the cheese in order to taste the "meat" without a lot of added toppings.
Putting them side by side, it was hard to pick which one was better. Honestly, they tasted much the same, though I'll give Hardee's Thickburger a slight edge due to a tad better charbroiled flavor.
I really found both to be remarkable products that tasted so much like a traditional fast-food burger, it was hard to believe I was eating something that had a bit more healthful properties to it than a burger made with 100% beef.
Keep in mind, though, that both "burgers" have about the same number of fat and calories as their traditional counterparts and far more grams of carbs. What you are getting, though, is a vegetarian option, unless it's cooked on the same grill as the beef burgers and grilled chicken sandwiches and some of those juices find their way into the burger, which is possible for both. Those of you who are strict vegetarians will need to check.
Anne BralyEmail Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com.