May 1, 2017

Stuffed Artichokes

Yesterday I made stuffed artichokes and went live on instagram to share! We had wonderful feedback and many people saying that this dish reminded them of their mother or grandmother! We love to hear when food brings up memories of our loved ones! This dish is nostalgic for us as well and was always a favorite in our family! Theres something comforting about food that you eat with your hands!

I modified this dish slightly because I wanted to try something new and also to accommodate for my newly walking, very busy one year old !

Lets get started! Wash your artichokes and cut off the stem. As you can see from my pictures, I did not trim the leaves of the artichokes which is typically done to remove the thorny ends of the leaves. However, the leaves soften quick a bit during cooking so it is not necessary. But if you are looking for a cleaner look and you have the time, snip away! Now you will want to cut off the top of the artichoke so that you can reach the center. Take a spoon or melon baller and remove the hairy bits. I used 2 large artichokes

Filling:

Sauté one medium onion and 3 small cloves of garlic until softened

1-1 1/2 cups of Italian style bread crumbs

a handful of flat leaf Italian parsley- chopped finely

a couple tablespoons of parmesan cheese

a handful of shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)

2 heeping tablespoons of ricotta cheese (optional)

salt & pepper to taste

1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

2 Large artichokes or 3-4 small articokes

Mix all your ingredients together. Don’t get hung up on measurements just make sure to taste your filling. Reserve one tablespoon of olive oil to drizzle over your stuffed artichokes.

Now pull the leaves away and start filling. I suggest starting from the outside and work your way in.

Preheat your oven to 375F. Typically you will see most recipes (or your grandmother) steam them in a pot over the stove. Feel free to cook them this way if you prefer. Since my attention was needed elsewhere, que toddler getting into everything, I decided to steam them in the oven using my Lodge cast iron dutch oven (thanks Aunt Franny!) . Simply fill the bottom of it with about an inch or so of chicken broth or water and cover. Cook for about an hour and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Then get comfortable and dig in 🙂