Sometimes, the time spent cooking with loved ones is just as gratifying as eating the final dish. I don’t think there has ever been a time when my “baby” brother hasn’t made me bust a gut laughing so hard, so it’s no wonder this artichoke video turned out to be a bit um….unconventional for a cooking tutorial.
Artichokes are such fun finger food for family parties, family gatherings, and picnics. But where who the heck discovered this odd looking vegetable? Many scholars believe artichokes originated in the Middle East, which doesn’t surprise me as there are numerous Arab dishes paying homage to this vegetable. Artichokes are high in fiber and low in fat and carbohydrates, yet meaty, flavorful, and satisfying. In the following recipe you can use baby artichokes too, but I like to use the large globe varieties and quarter them. These artichokes make a great appetizer as they are beautiful to look at and fun to share with a group of people as an appetizer.
For the cooking tutorial, click on the video below:
ROASTED GARLICKY HERB ARTICHOKES
4 whole artichokes
¼ cup lemon juice
3 tbs olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbs Chopped fresh herbs, like parsley, oregano, thyme, mint or combo of all three
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
First trim the stems of the artichokes to less than 2 inches in length. Slice off the tips of the artichokes with a sharp knife, then slice each artichoke in half lengthwise. Remove and discard the inner “choke” or white fibrous hairs and inner purple leaves.
Toss artichokes in a bowl with the oil, lemon juice garlic, and herbs, salt and pepper to taste. Place on a baking sheet, and wrap the chokes individually with aluminum foil and place face down on a baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes When done, arrange on a plate and serve with either hummus or tzatziki dip.
