Artichoke season is here, and we can’t wait to steam up
these green meanies and munch away. They might look tough, but artichokes are
really good for you. They are low-calorie and naturally fat
free, plus they are packed with antioxidants, potassium, vitamin C and fiber.
Try this recipe for a delish take on this Mediterranean staple.
Ingredients:
Garlic Oil
1 head garlic
½ cup plus 1 tbsp olive oil, divided
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Artichokes
2 large artichokes
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
To make the garlic oil:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Peel away the papery outer layers of the garlic bulb, but
leave the individual garlic skins intact. Slice off the pointy end of the head
of garlic, so that the tops of all the cloves are exposed. Place the head of
garlic on foil, cut side up, drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil, and season with
salt and pepper. Loosely fold up the ends of the foil pouch and pinch to seal.
Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the garlic cloves are fork tender. Remove
them from the oven and let cool. Once cooled, squeeze the head of garlic and
the soft clove will pop out. In a small bowl, mash the roasted garlic with the
remaining ½ cup olive oil and ¼ teaspoon salt. Set aside.
To make the artichokes:
Cut off the stem end of each artichoke and pull off the
tough outer leaves. With a sharp knife, cut ¾ inch to 1 inch off the top of
each artichoke. Using kitchen shears, cut off the sharp tips of the remaining
leaves.
Fill a large pot with enough water to reach the bottom of a
steamer basket. Place artichokes in the basket, cover and steam for 30 to 45
minutes, or until the bases are fork tender. Check the pot occasionally and add
more water of necessary. Remove from the steam basket and let cool.
Cut each artichoke into halves or quarters. Using a spoon,
remove the fuzzy choke. Drizzle with oil and vinegar, and season with salt and
pepper.
Preheat a grill of stovetop grill pan. Place each artichoke
piece on the grill, cut-side down. Grill for 5 minutes, or until each piece is
nicely browned. Remove from grill and serve with garlic oil.
Note: Drizzling
the artichoke with balsamic vinegar before grilling adds a tangy, smoky flavor
to the vegetable. Plus, dipping the leaves in the garlic oil afterward makes
them even tastier.
Many thanks to Chloe Coscarelli for sharing this recipe with us! You can find this delish dish and more in her new book, Chloe's Kitchen: 125 Easy, Delicious Recipes for Making the Food You Love the Vegan Way.
BY CHLOE COSCARELLI ON 3/13/2012 12:00:00 AM
POSTED IN vegetable, snack, healthy recipes, spring recipes, gluten-free recipes, vegan recipes, vegetarian recipes, health, produce, recipes, artichokes