Stuffed Artichokes

I had been served artichoke leaves once or twice growing up, but just didn't get it. It wasn't until I had my first stuffed artichoke that I fell in love with them. Now I use artichokes all the time, in dips, salads, pasta dishes, you name it! Stuffed artichokes are more fun though. ;)

For additional photos/info/instructions on how to eat, check out my blog at: http://hyethymecafe.blogspot.com

Ingredients

• 2 fresh artichokes
• 1 can artichoke hearts - diced
• 1/2 small onion - minced
• dry herb stuffing mix
• fresh bread crumbs
• Italian seasoning
• Grated Romano or Parmesan Cheese
• Beef broth
• 2 Tablespoons melted butter
• Lemon Zest
• Lemon Juice
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper
• Fresh chopped parsley for garnish

Details

Adapted from hyethymecafe.blogspot.com

Preparation

Step 1

Start by giving your artichokes a quick wash

Using a sharp knife, cut the stem off the bottom so the artichokes will stand up straight on their own

Starting at the bottom, use a small pair of scissors to snip the tips off the leaves

When you get to the top where the leaves are tighter together, pick up the artichoke by the bottom and bang the top on the counter to open it up more

Steam until tender

While steaming, mix your filling together - amounts/ingredients aren't particularly important, you just don't want it to be dry, as it will dry more in the oven

When the artichokes are cool enough to handle, set them on your work surface and, starting again from the bottom, pull back each leaf and press in some of the filling, working your way around in circles until you reach the top

When it's full, shave a little lemon zest over the top, then sprinkle some more cheese and give it a drizzle of olive oil

Bake at 350 until the filling starts to brown, then sprinkle a little fresh chopped parsley or other herb of choice over the top for garnish