These stuffed and steamed artichokes are delicate and soft, and brimming with the slight crunch of Panko and salty feta cheese.
Yes, it’s been a hot minute since I’ve posted anything. If you’ve been keeping up with my Instagram account, you’ll know that I was suffering from a slight case of “cook’s block” (an equivalent of writer’s block for us creative kitchen types). Then, I strolled through the market eyeing the beautifully fresh vegetables without any excitement until I came upon one perfect, unbroken artichoke. And suddenly, I wasn’t lost in a jumble of ideas. The perfect “petals” of the artichoke looked like something I just had to photograph. An hour of Pinterest exploration later, I found some brilliant recipes that I couldn’t wait to start on!
I finally started rooting through the cabinets and rediscovering the spices that for me excited about cooking again. With renewed enthusiasm, I started scribbling down ideas, and I’m happy to say: there’s more to come after today!
Up until now, I was too afraid to work with a fresh artichoke, and had only bought canned artichoke hearts. But they’re surprisingly easy to clean and prepare for steaming/baking.
CLEANING AND PREPARING AN ARTICHOKE FOR A RECIPE
Step One: Using a large, sharp knife, cut an inch off the head of the artichoke
Step Two: Cut off the stem of the artichoke so it can stand on its own
Step Three: Place in a warm bath of water, salt, and lemon juice
Step Four: Pat dry and use kitchen scissors to trim the pointy leaves of the artichoke
Step Five: Use in your recipe!
From this point, you can use the artichokes in everything from spinach and artichoke dip, to deliciously crispy artichoke cakes. My favorite recipe, it just the plain and simple steamed and stuffed artichokes!
If you’ve tried this recipe and love it, use our hashtag on Instagram: #randmcooks or tag our handle: @randmcooks.
For a unique vegetarian side, stuff beautiful and fresh artichokes with a deliciously crispy and savory filling, and steam to tenderness.
Ingredients
- 2 fresh artichokes
- juice of half a lemon
- 1/2 cup Panko
- 1/4 cup crumbled Feta cheese
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tablespoons chives, chopped
- salt and cayenne pepper, to taste
- olive oil
Instructions
- Prepare the artichokes for cooking according to the instructions mentioned in the blog post (above) and pat them dry with a clean tea towel.
- Combine the ingredients for the stuffing in a bowl: Panko, Feta, garlic, chives, salt, and cayenne pepper.
- Stuff the crevices of the artichokes with the Panko mixture and spray or drizzle each artichoke with olive oil.
- In a large pot, add about an inch of water, placing each artichoke inside carefully. Add the pot lid and steam for 35 minutes until the leaves of the artichoke are tender.
Notes
Adapted from http://withfoodandlove.com
