Air Fried Artichoke Hearts

 

Trader Joe's has some amazing foods but one of our favorite staples in our freezer are their frozen artichoke hearts. They were the inspiration for this recipe well over a year ago, but it has taken that long to get this recipe down pat! We hope you enjoy them as much as we do. They have become a regular part of our "empty nest dinners".

Ingredients

1 package Trader Joe's artichoke hearts

Flour, seasoned with salt and pepper 

2 eggs and equivalent amount of olive oil, beaten together

2 cups plain Panko

1/2 cup plain bread crumbs

1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning

For the dipping sauce:

1 cup mayo

Juice of one lemon

Aleppo pepper flakes

Directions

1. Thaw artichoke hearts. Dry them as much as possible. Put them between layers of paper towels and place a cutting board on top to press them. 
   
2. Drop all the artichokes in the flour, mix to coat, and shaking them off each one as you add them to the egg mixture. 
3. Mix them in the egg mixture to coat shaking off again as you remove them. 
4. Mix the bread crumbs and Panko in a bowl. 
5. All at once, coat all the  hearts in the Panko mixture
   
6.  Mix the dipping sauce ingredients together. Adjust the lemon and Aleppo to taste. 
7. Serve and enjoy!
   

Note: for lighter breading, use lesser amounts of bread crumbs.For crispier breading use seasoned bread crumbs that includes Romano cheese.

Cream of Artichoke Soup

This soup is the brain child of SP's after combining a few recipes, tweaking it to taste, and was a welcome addition for this year's Mystery Soup at Christmas dinner.

Ingredients

 1 pound frozen artichoke hearts, thawed (we use Trader Joe's)

4 cups chicken broth

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter (add oil if you need more)

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon white pepper, or to your taste

1/4 teaspoon salt

Process

1. In a medium sauce pan, saute the garlic and artichoke in the butter, adding a little oil if necessary, for roughly 3 minutes or until slightly softened. 
2. Add the broth and simmer until all warmed through. 
3. In batches, carefully transfer to blender and blend until very smooth, for at least 2 minutes. 
4. Pass blended mixture through a fine sieve and add back to the original pan.  
5. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. 
6. Once simmering, add the cream slowly. Stir and simmer until heated through. 
7. Add the lemon juice, pepper, and salt. Taste and adjust as you like. 
8. Serve and enjoy!
   

Artichoke Alfredo

Oh me oh my oh - this one is to die for. Seriously. This is not heart or cholesterol friendly - but boy is it GOOD! I got this originally from the Cook's Country magazine (from makers of Cook's Illustrated another favorite of ours). The recipe, a runner up in a contest, was created by Mary Shivers of Ada Oklahoma - so thanks Mary! I tweaked the recipe a bit to add some of our garden bounty, and know the recipe could be tweaked to be friendlier on the waistline! This was a perfect end of summer meal - just as it is - a one bowl wonder! Enjoy!


Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter
1 finely chopped onion
1 minced clove of garlic
2 cans quartered artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup sour cream
1 and 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
a couple tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
a couple tablespoons lemon juice (plus zest if using fresh)
salt and pepper
1/4 cup (or more) milk
2 sweet red peppers, cut into strips of julienne for a raw garnish
1 lb. box of fettuccine

Process

1. Put stock pot of salted water on and bring to a boil. (For cooking pasta)
2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
3. Add onions and cook until soft (5 to 10 minutes)
4. Add garlic and simmer for 2 minutes.
5. Increase heat to medium high.
6. Add artichoke hearts and cook until moisture cooks off and they seem to brown.
7. Remove from heat. (if water is boiling add the fettuccine and cook according to directions)
8. Add sour cream and stir.
9. Add 1 cup of heavy cream and stir.
10. Add cheese and stir.
11. Add herbs and spices and stir.
12. Return over low heat. Add milk to thin sauce a bit if needed.
13. Cook pasta according to directions. Drain pasta and put in large bowl.
14. Pour sauce over pasta and toss to coat and combine.
15. Cover bowl of pasta with sweet pepper strips and toss to combine and serve with a large serving spoon.

Chicken with Artichokes

This was a yummy dinner I cooked this week. I found the recipe in Every Day Food, but made some changes. I added capers and artichokes, and then omitted the angel hair option because I am avoiding starch at night. The link below will take you to the original recipe. Easy, yummy, healthy and Mediterranean - my favorites!

Chicken with Artichokes and Angel Hair
Ingredients

Serves 4

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 8 thin chicken cutlets (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cans (14 ounces) artichoke hearts packed in water, rinsed, drained, and quartered
• 4 tablespoons rinsed and drained capers

Directions

1. Place flour in a shallow dish, and season with salt and pepper. Dredge cutlets, shaking off excess. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Cook chicken in batches, adding remaining oil as needed, until light golden, 1 to 3 minutes per side; transfer to a dish.
   
2. Add broth to skillet, and bring to a boil; cook until reduced by half. Add artichokes, capers, and the chicken with any juices. Gently swirl to combine, and bring just to a boil. Remove skillet from heat. Swirl in butter, and cover to keep warm.
   
3. Plate the chicken, and serve with artichokes over the top. Enjoy!
   

Flower-bud Bruschetta

The artichoke is definitely one of my favorite foods. Thought to be a vegetable it is actually a flower - an edible member of the thistle family. Realizing this, that it was a flower bud just like my another favorite capers , I knew I had to make a dish honoring them both. I use capers all the time, but seldom with artichokes. This recipe is a delicious pairing of two wonderful flowers!

Ingredients
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
One baguette, sliced in half lengthwise
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 12-ounce jar artichoke hearts
1/2 cup pickled capers (another flower bud), rinsed and drained
salt and pepper
1/2 inch of red onion, thinly sliced
1 small log goat cheese
Shaved Parmesan cheese

Process

1. Lay sliced baguette side by side, and spread half olive oil over each piece.
   
2. Then coat each piece with chopped garlic.
   
3. Gently toast slices in broiler under low heat. Remove and preheat oven to 300 degrees.
   
4. In a medium saucepan, gently caramelize red onion slices. Remove from pan.
   
5. In same saucepan, saute capers and artichokes with a little olive oil until golden brown. Remove from heat.
   
6. Gently spread goat cheese over both sides of bread (once cooled)
7. Season with salt and pepper.
   
8. Top with the sauteed onions, then capers and artichokes.
   
9. Lastly top with freshly shaved Parmesan.
   
10. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top and pop in the oven an bake until lightly brown and bubbly.
    

Cut into slices and enjoy. A nice glass of wine rounds out the taste! Yum!

Artichoke Dip

This recipe is very versatile. Feel free to tinker, add, or exchange ingredients!

Artichoke Dip

Ingredients
4 oz diced pimentos
1 14oz can artichokes drained & chopped
1 1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 cans diced green chilies drained
4 oz Jack Cheese shredded
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese


Process

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Add pimentos to medium bowl (save 2 tsp)
3. Add rest of the ingredients, stir.
   
4. Spoon into 1/2 quart shallow dish.
5. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese plus 2 tsp pimentos.
6. Bake uncovered at 325 for 30 min. or until bubbly. Yields 5 cups.
7. Serve with large corn chips