Artichokes! 

Either you love them or you hate them!  I love them! 

I like them both Stuffed or Unstuffed, but more often I make them unstuffed so I don’t get so full from the stuffing and can have more leaves! I love the leaves as much as the heart! 

Here are two recipes, one for the Unstuffed and one for the Stuffed version.

I have made artichokes for years by feel rather than by a written recipe. It took me a while to measure and write down the seasonings I use! I am glad I finally did that.

You will see a big difference in the calories of the stuffed version, but they are so good, and worth a treat! The unstuffed version is really low in calories, fat, and carbs. The sodium is high. If that is an issue for you, maybe a salt substitute would be the way to go.

Remember to taste a leaf at the half-way mark of the cooking time to adjust the salt. Artichokes need more salt than you might think!

My mom always made sure artichokes were on the table at Easter and I continue that tradition.   But we have them at other times too. 

An OPTION for you: My mom would lightly sprinkle some olive oil on top of each artichoke while they are cooking. You can if you’d like that. I do not add oil, I think because I want to keep the calories lower. I do not miss the oil.

Don’t be surprised if not everyone likes artichokes! Those that do are the lucky ones! They are a real treat! 

I think they are a lot of fun to eat and so delicious!  That artichoke broth is tasty too!

To change the number of servings, Use the RECIPE ADJUSTER CALCULATOR before you print to easily scale the ingredients up or down to adjust the servings you want.

See some pictures how I make them in the slideshow below. There are pictures of the unstuffed version using a teaspoon to get the GARLIC in between the leaves. For the stuffed artichokes, also use a teaspoon to easily get the STUFFING in between the leaves!

Enjoy!

Artichokes~ UNSTUFFED

angiesopenrecipebox.com
ARTICHOKES – Unstuffed! If you really love eating the leaves , then unstuffed is the way to go! The seasoning is delicious, and when they are unstuffed, you don't get so full as the stuffed version!
No ratings yet
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 3
Calories: 184

Ingredients

  • 3 artichokes large
  • water
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste
  • parsley fresh
  • garlic minced

Instructions

  • Turn the artichokes upside down and bang them quite a few times on the countertop or on a cutting board to open up the leaves a bit.
  • With your fingers, spread the leaves apart a little more.
  • Put a parsley leaf and about 1/4 teaspoon of minced garlic in between the leaves. Do this to about every other leaf.
  • Place the artichokes base side down in a tall pan. Fill the pan with water half-way up the artichokes.
  • Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of salt over each artichoke! Then just lightly sprinkle each one with pepper. The water absorbs the salt, and without enough salt the artichokes will be very bland.
  • Drizzle about a heaping tablespoon of olive oil over each artichoke.
  • Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and let them simmer about 40-60 minutes., depending on the size of your artichokes. Check the water level after about 20 minutes. Add more water if necessary.
  • Half-way through, taste an artichoke leaf to be sure it has enough salt. Artichokes need a lot of salt!
  • Before removing them from the stove, taste one leaf to check if the leaves are tender and the salt is right. Use a large spoon or tongs to remove the artichokes to a serving plate. Reserve some broth for reheating.
  • Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate them to serve later. Reheat them in the artichoke broth in the microwave for a few minutes.

EXTRA TIP:

TRIM?   I do not trim the leaves on unstuffed artichokes!  I don’t want to waste any part of the leaves, so I use the pointed tips to grab them.  I get more of the leaf that way!  I do trim stuffed artichokes.  
BANGING OPEN :  I have better success opening the artichokes by banging them on a countertop rather than a cutting board.  With very large artichokes I will bang them about 10 times until I see they have opened a bit!
OPTION:  Lightly sprinkle some olive oil on top of each artichoke while it is cooking.
MAKE AHEAD:   You can make these a few days ahead of serving. After they are cooked, cover and refrigerate them with some broth.
REHEAT ON STOVETOP:  Put them in a pan with the reserved artichoke broth going up about ¼ to 1/2 of the way up the artichokes over medium high heat for about 10 minutes. 
REHEAT IN THE OVEN:  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the artichokes in a baking pan. Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil. Add some reserved artichoke broth  ( or water)going about ¼ of the way up the artichokes. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until heated through. 
Nutrition
Calories: 184kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 896mg | Potassium: 474mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 17IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 2mg

Artichokes~STUFFED

angiesopenrecipebox.com
Stuffed Artichokes! This uses a delicious bread crumb stuffing that is not too heavy. It is delicious with lots of parsley, poultry seasoning, and grated cheese. Either people love artichokes or hate them! I love them! And they are fun to eat!
No ratings yet
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 3
Calories: 685

Ingredients

  • 3 artichokes large
  • water
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil to drizzle over the artichokes

STUFFING INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 cups breadcrumbs homemade or bought, (I prefer homemade breadcrumbs. See my Notes below.)
  • ½ cup Romano cheese grated, or Parmesan cheese
  • ¾ cup parsley fresh, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning I use Bell’s Poultry Seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ cup water

Instructions

  • Use a sharp knife to cut off about a half inch of the top of each artichoke.
  • Turn the artichokes upside down and bang them quite a few times on the counter or on a cutting board to open up the leaves a bit.
  • With your fingers, spread the leaves apart a little more.
  • Use a scissors to trim just the points off each leaf, then bang the artichokes once again to open up even more.
  • Put apiece of parsley and garlic in between the leaves. Sprinkle each artichoke with salt and pepper. Set aside.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, Romano cheese, parsley, poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, and water until the breadcrumbs appear moist.
  • Use a teaspoon and your fingers to place some stuffing in between each leaf. Try to have some stuffing on each one, but if you miss a few, no big deal! Put some stuffing over the center of the artichoke, and push it down firmly.
  • Place the artichokes in a tall pan and drizzle about a heaping tablespoon of olive oil over each artichoke.
  • Fill the pan with water halfway up the artichokes.
  • Add salt to the water, start with about 2 teaspoons, and place the pan on the stove over high heat.
  • Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and let them simmer about an hour.
  • Half-way through, taste an artichoke leaf to be sure it has enough salt. Artichokes need a lot of salt!
  • Use a very large spoon or tongs to remove the artichokes to a serving dish. Save the broth in case you want to reheat them. Serve immediately or refrigerate them covered and then reheat them with some broth in the microwave for a few minutes.

EXTRA TIP:

BREADCRUMBS: Use any breadcrumbs you want, but I use homemade breadcrumbs. I put about 6 slices of white bread or any bread I happen to have in a food processor.  With a few pulses you have delicious fresh breadcrumbs.
MAKE AHEAD: You can make these artichokes a few days ahead of time. After they are cooked, cover and refrigerate them with the broth.
REHEAT IN THE MICROWAVE:     It takes just a few minutes.
REHEAT ON THE STOVETOP: Put them in a pan with the reserved artichoke broth over medium high heat for about 10 minutes.
REHEAT IN THE OVEN: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Put the artichokes in a baking pan. Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil. Add some reserved juice (or water) going about ¼ of the way up the artichokes. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until heated through.
Nutrition
Calories: 685kcal | Carbohydrates: 94g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 1896mg | Potassium: 797mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1386IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 468mg | Iron: 9mg

Leave a Reply