A fun summer recipe that reminds me of vacationing at a beach house, this recipe is a great appetizer for any occasion. The creamy, tangy cream cheese along with the texture of the artichokes and the spicy kick of horseradish is a winning combination. The hot sauce adds a lot more kick but it’s not overly hot and is very reminiscent of a traditional smoked fish spread. You can use store bought vegan cream cheese; but I really like making vegan cream cheese from scratch with cashews. You just want to be careful not to over process in your food processor when blending since you want to have some texture in this spread. Serve cold or at room temperature with crackers, toasted baguette slices or veggies.
Makes about 2 cups with homemade vegan cream cheese. Might make a little less with store bought vegan cream cheese.
Directions
Add the cashews and the rest of the cream cheese ingredients to a food processor. Blend until smooth, periodically scraping down the sides of the food processor bowl to keep mixture consistent. Pulse the thawed artichoke hearts in the processor, keeping some texture. Next add the horseradish, worchestershire sauce, lemon juice, Old Bay Seasoning and smoked salt and blend for a few seconds until combined. Taste to see if it needs anything else. Sprinkle with pepper and drizzle with some hot sauce. Place in a container and refrigerate for about an hour.
In a 350F oven, place the baguette slices on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake for about 12 minutes until they become lightly toasted.
Arrange the baguette slices on a serving dish with a bowl or dish of the vegan smoked fish spread.
This spread can be made a day in advance and kept in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
