Stuffed Artichokes

I have to confess, I've never eaten an actual artichoke until last month.  I've had marinated artichoke hearts, but that's about it.  Artichokes are fun to eat, but they are certainly not a quick meal.  It takes a long time to eat, but I enjoy that aspect.  Just don't expect to wolf down your artichoke...  Remove one leave at a time, starting from the outside in.  Use your teeth to scrape off the tender part from the inside of the leaf, leaving the very fibrous leaf behind.  

I've had to do some work with this recipe.  Earlier versions resulted in very dry stuffing.  This version gives a moister result, but it is a little harder to stuff in between the leaves.  The end result is worth it, though!

Ingredients
2 artichokes
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated romano cheese
1 egg white
2 cloves garlic, chopped
olive oil
1/4 crushed tomatoes (or tomato sauce)
1/4 cup white wine
vegetable broth (can use chicken, too)

Preheat oven to 350.  Using a sharp, serrated knife, cut the bottoms and tops of the artichokes by about a 1/2 inch.  With kitchen shears, trim ends of the remaining leaves.

Untrimmed leaves have pointy ends, you don't want those!

Safe edges all around!

Fill a pot with about 2 inches of water, add in artichokes upside down and bring to a boil for about 15 minutes, covered.

Meanwhile, sauté chopped garlic in a small amount of olive oil until softened and just starting to brown.  In a bowl, combine garlic, breadcrumbs, cheese, egg white and tomatoes.  Mix well to combine.  It will be clumpy.

Remove artichokes from pot and allow to cool until you can comfortable handle them.  Gently spread apart the leaves without breaking them off.  Remove the innermost, smallest leaves and the hairy choke and discard.  It's easiest to do this with a small spoon, but take care not to remove the actual heart- that's the best part!!!

Artichoke innards- pretty to look at, not so pretty to pick out of your mouth!

Stuff the artichokes with the breadcrumb mixture, try to get in between as many of the leaves as you can, with the majority going in the center where the small leaves used to be.  Place in a baking dish.  Fill baking dish about an inch high with wine and stock.

Spray tops with olive oil and cover pan tightly with foil.  Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes.  Serve with a nice salad.  Enjoy!

Grilled Pineapple Salsa

Seriously, you need to make this.  It goes with EVERYTHING!!!  

Eat it with chips, or use it as a topping for some blackened fish, chicken, or mushrooms!

And it's also pretty!

This recipe makes a lot of salsa, but I like having it around!  You can always cut it in half!

Ingredients

1 pineapple, peeled and sliced into rings (with cores still intact)

2 red bell peppers, diced
1 small red onion, diced

1 jalapeño pepper, seeds removed, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup cilantro, chopped

Juice from 2 fresh limes

Salt

Pepper

Olive Oil

Spread out pineapple slices.  Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.  Mist with olive oil (I LOVE my Misto- and love that I found it at Marshalls!) so it doesn't stick.  Cook on a grill or griddle pan (my preference), turning every few minutes.  You want it to start to caramelize, not burn.

Remove from heat once it is softened and browning, allow to cool.  Remove flesh from core, and dice flesh, discarding the cores.  Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Season with salt if needed.

Mushroom, Onion, Spinach and Couscous Stuffed Poblano Peppers

I've been hearing about stuffed poblano peppers for years, but I've never found them in the grocery store…until now!

I wanted to keep the recipe healthy and vegetarian, and the results were fantastic!  

  Ingredients

4 poblano peppers

2 portobello mushroom caps, diced

1 white onion, diced

3 cups baby spinach leaves

2 cups cooked couscous

2 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp grated romano cheese, separated

Salt

Pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400.

Hold each pepper with a long set of tongs and char over a flame.  You want the skin to get blistered and black, you won't taste a burnt flavor, I promise!  

Once they are charred on all sides, put right into a plastic bag and seal.  This will allow steam to loosen up the skins.

While the peppers are in the bag, heat the olive oil in a large pan over high heat.  Saute onions and mushrooms until they are soft and just beginning to brown, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the baby spinach.  Turn heat to medium and continue to cook until the spinach has wilted.   Add the couscous and cheese, stir to combine.  

Remove from heat.

Take peppers out of bag and carefully remove the skin.  It should be easy to peel it off.

Cut a "T" shape in each pepper and remove the seeds.

Stuff  each pepper with couscous mixture, and place in baking dish.  Sprinkle all with remaining 1 tbsp cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until couscous just begins to brown.

So delicious!!!!!