It has been almost a month since my last post. Oye! I have cooked but have been lazy about taking the time to take pictures and actually sit in front of my computer to type. I sit in front of a computer all day at work and sometimes the last thing I want to do when I get home is more sitting in front of the computer. And with the weather finally starting to warm up...forget about it. I figured I would share my lunch today as it is delicious, healthy and different from the boring salad I have. Last night I boiled some artichokes to have this week. These little suckers can be oh so intimidating but they are well worth the work.
Artichokes are spiny and rough. Your first step is to remove the first couple of layers of leaves. These are tough and don't have much "meat" in them.
You next step is to trim the stem. I typically trim the end and then use a veggie peeler to get rid of some of the stringiness of the stem. Next I chop off the top part with the sharp tips. Throw the whole choke into boiling water. Make sure there is enough water to cover them and then place something heavy on top of them. They like to float. My favorite method is a plate with a canned good on top :) I also add about 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar to the water to give them a little extra flavor. Boil them for for about an hour and let them cool. Once they are cooled chop them in half. In the middle there are purple leaves and a hairy portion at the bottom. THIS IS NOT EDIBLE. Remove all the purple leaves and scrape off the hairy portion. The portion below the hairy portion is what is called the heart. This is edible and in my opinion the most delicious part!
I made a little dipping sauce for mine as I like to eat them mostly plain. Today my sauce is simply olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mango on the side and lunch is served :)
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