I bought an artichoke-NOW WHAT??
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I bought an artichoke-NOW WHAT??
| Sat, 04-17-2004 - 12:24pm |
LOL I have no idea what to do with it. Any GOOD ideas will be greatly appreciated. LOL
Thanks in advance
Tammie

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Glad you asked; I'll have to try a fresh one. Thanks Tammie & Cathy!
Susan
Interesting fact- artichokes have something in them that makes everything else taste better!
Here it is:
How to Cook an Artichoke
1. Rinse the artichokes in running cold water.
2. If the artichokes have little thorns on the end of the leaves, take a kitchen scissors and cut of the thorned tips of all of the leaves. This step is mostly for aesthetics as the thorns soften with cooking and pose no threat to the person eating the artichoke.
3. Slice about 3/4 inch to an inch off the tip of the artichoke.
4. Pull off any smaller leaves towards the base and on the stem.
5. Cut excess stem, leaving up to an inch on the artichoke. The stems tend to be more bitter than the rest of the artichoke, but some people like to eat them. Alternatively you can cut off the stems and peel the outside layers which is more fibrous and bitter and cook the stems along with the artichokes.
6. In a large pot, put a couple inches of water, a clove of garlic, and a slice of lemon (this adds wonderful flavor to the artichokes). Insert a steaming basket. Add the artichokes. Cover. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 35 to 45 minutes or until the outer leaves can easily be pulled off. Note: artichokes can also be cooked in a pressure cooker.
How to Eat an Artichoke
Artichokes may be eaten cold or hot, but I think they are much better hot. They are served with a dip, either melted butter or mayonaise. My favorite dip is mayo with a little bit of balsamic vinegar mixed in.
1. Pull off outer petals, one at a time.
2. Dip white fleshy end in melted butter or sauce. Tightly grip the other end of the petal. Place in mouth, dip side down, and pull through teeth to remove soft, pulpy, delicious portion of the petal. Discard remaining petal. Continue until all of the petals are removed.
3. With a knife or spoon, scrape out and discard the fuzzy part covering the artichoke heart. The remaining bottom of the artichoke is the heart. Cut into pieces and dip into sauce to eat.
Oh, that is important...to know how to cook and eat them...thanks! Butter is good, too (real butter is loads better than margarine on this one!).
I never cut off the tops, either. You just have to be careful when you eat them.
I always notice everything eaten after an artichoke tastes different--better, too! If you're on Phase 2 or 3, you can eat an artichoke as the main course and a little WW spaghetti with tomato sauce as the side dish. It tastes very YUMMY!!!
Thanks Catherine.
Wow these are complicated little things aren't they.
Oh, they're really not THAT complicated. Simple instructions:
Throw a couple of artichokes in a pot big enough to hold them. Cover them with water. Bring water to a full boil, then cook on a low fire for 30-60 minutes, depending on size. The artichokes are done when you stick a fork near the choke (bottom part) and it is soft.
Really, they are one of my favorite veggies (I just bought some today, in fact). A fresh one is worth the trouble!! The only times I've eaten canned artichoke hearts are in restaurant dishes.
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