Amazing Artichoke Week: Stuffed & Grilled Artichoke

Note:  Before I begin tonight, if you have not yet, be sure to check out Cafe' Cheapo.  It's my new online cookbook featuring healthy and budget-friendly meals.  Each week for 52 weeks, I will post one brand new recipe (not seen here), and I will price out the ingredient list to help you figure out if it's a recipe that you can make at home.  See you there!

Visit http://cafecheapo.blogspot.com

This week, it's all about artichokes.  I will post recipes using both canned and frozen hearts.  Tonight it's all about fresh artichokes.

I am almost 50 and I've never eaten a fresh whole artichoke until today.  I do not know why.  I guess it's one of those foods that kind of intimidated me when I would see it at the market.  Oh, I love artichoke hearts.  I use those often but today was truly a culinary adventure.  But fresh I had never tried.

I found out after I purchased these two artichokes at the farmer's market yesterday that they probably were not the best of the best.  There was a little too much "brown" on the leaves, yet they trimmed up nicely and they tasted great. 

I decided to stuff them, but it was in the 90's here today and even with AC on, I didn't want to heat up the house with the oven.  I decided to make this dish in a tin foil roasting pan on a gas grill and it turned out great!  Since tonight was our "big salad" night - we often eat a big salad for dinner in the summer - an appetizer was just what the home cook ordered.

This recipe serves two if you are having a light dinner, our four if it's a starter for heavier meal.

Ingredients:

2 medium fresh artichokes
2 medium lemons
1/4 cup olive oil, divided, plus more to drizzle
2 cloves minced garlic
1/8 cup minced onion
Pinch or two of crushed red pepper (to taste)
1 cup plain bread crumbs (regular or whole wheat)
2 tablespoons Parmesan and Romano cheese, grated
1/4 tablespoon coriander seeds


Note:  To make this recipe, you will need a tin foil roasting pan and tin foil.  You will need two cups of cold water for the first steaming process, and an additional cup to continue the steam in the tin foil pan. 

Directions:

Wash artichokes in cold running water.   Trim away stems so that the artichokes will set upright in a pan.  Cut the top part off the the top quarter (at least 2/3 inch).  Trim the pointed edges of the leaves.

 

Steamed artichoke, before I peeled it back
and removed the fuzzy choke.

Place artichokes in a steamer basket with about 2 cups water in the bottom and 1/2 lemon.  Steam, covered, for 20 minutes.  Let cool.

Carefully peel back leaves.  Remove the center "fuzzy" part called the choke with a spoon. 

When you are ready to grill the artichokes -

Preheat grill to 400 degrees F.

In a saute' pan, add one tablespoon of olive oil.  Add the garlic, onion and crushed red pepper.  Cook for three minutes until onion is softened.

Add the bread crumbs and the cheese.  Add remaining olive oil and cook until the bread crumbs are coated.  Add the juice of 1/2 lemon into the pan. 

Stuff the center of each artichoke and add a little of the bread stuffing in between the leaves.  Place upright in tin foil roasting pan.  Add one cup of water to the bottom of the pan, 1/2 lemon, sliced, and the coriander seeds.  Cover tightly with tin foil.  Place on grill and lower the lid.  Watch so that the temperature doesn't go beyond 450 degrees F.  Lift the grill lid as needed to reduce heat.  Grill in pan for 30 minutes.

Serve with lemon wedges.

Enjoy!  I'll see soon with more artichoke recipes.