Stuffed Artichokes

I think a lot of people don't try to eat or make full artichokes because they can look very intimidating. They are actually fairly easy to make and taste great made with almost any stuffing. Those artichoke hearts that they sell pickled in a grocery store, not even the best part! And spinach artichoke dip is surely mostly spinach everywhere you go. Give them a try. You really can't mess these up unless you let the water boil away too much while they are steaming and burn your pan. 

I learned all about artichokes at a young age from my Auntie Linda. We made them sometimes for Sunday dinners. The only other friend I have known brave enough to make them was my friend Chris and the ones he made us were super deadly! They were oh so good and stuffed with sausage, cheese, and everything but the kitchen sink but, oh did our stomachs take a beating after that! That was quite the interesting night and ride home. So I never tried them that way!

You really can use any seasonings you like but here's what I use:

oregano

basil

parsley

garlic, minced

onion, minced

breadcrumbs

Parmesan cheese

bacon bits

topping of some shredded cheese blend

First, cut the stem off. Cut both ends off that and then stand it up and cut the sides off, squaring on four sides and trim off anything else that is still the outside of the stem. 

Next, cut the artichoke bottom so it will sit flat. Pull off and discard any leaves on the bottom that are looking black or damaged. Then, with kitchen shears, cut the pointy tips off each leaf, working your way around the vegetable. Gently pull the leaves away from the center the higher you get to the top. When you've gone almost to the top and all the leftover leaves are fairly even and tight, lay it on its side and lop off the top. 

Gently pull it out from the center until all the leaves are feathered out. Then, run it under water and fill it up a few times with water and drain. Not only are you cleaning the vegetable, but the water will help the seasonings stick. 

Mix the seasonings to your taste in a small bowl. Spoon it over the artichoke and make sure you get something between all the leaves, paying closer attention to the outsides. 

Lay them in a pot with a lid, standing up and throw in the stems. Fill the pot with about an inch of water (you could also try a broth).

 

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and cover, steaming for about 45 minutes to an hour. Check to make sure water has not boiled away periodically and add more if needed.

When an outside leaf pulls off easily, cover with the shredded cheese and steam 5 minutes more. 

Now to eat them! Basically, you are scraping the "meat" off the leaves with your teeth. I find it's easier to position the inside facing side of a leaf upside down and pull in with my bottom teeth, but you'll figure it out. You can eat all the leaves this way. As you get closer to the inside, they get softer. When you come to a prickly center bottom, STOP! Scoop this out with a spoon and discard, it's pretty nasty. Under that is the heart and it should be very flavorful if you were good at seasoning. You can cut this up and enjoy it along with the stem. 

Once you make and eat these once, you will get the hang of it, I promise.