Artichokes may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of Valentine's Day, but they 're rumored to be aphrodisiacs!
What is definitely known is that artichokes contain silymarin, a powerful antioxidant that keeps skin smooth by stimulating new cell growth and protecting against skin cancer.
Here's how to make an easy finger food “bouquet” that's just as spectacular to look at as it is to eat it!
To Do:
Stuffed Artichokes
Ingredients
8 medium artichokes
¼ cup of minced garlic (about 12 cloves)
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 cups of fresh bread crumbs
4 oz grated Monterey Jack cheese
½ cup of chopped parsley
Preheat the oven to 375 (degrees) F.
Scoop Out Center
Using scissors, snip ¼” off the outer leaves of artichoke. Twist and pull the tough leaves from center to open up cavity. With a spoon, scrape inside of artichoke to remove prickly choke and inedible leaves.
Preparing the Cheese Stuffing
Saute the garlic in ¼ cup olive oil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in the remaining ingredients.
Stuff With Filling
Pull the artichoke leaves open to widen center cavity.
Spoon ¼ of the cheese stuffing mixture into the center, letting some fall between the large leaves on the outside.
Steam In Flavor
Place the stuffed artichokes close together in a 13” x 9” (or 9” x 13”) baking dish. Fill bottom of dish with ½ “ water. Drizzle the artichokes with oil, cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes, or until tender.
Serve hot or cold.
Makes 8 servings
Work time: 10 min.
Total time: 1 hour, 5 min.
Additional Options
The garlic can be replaced with a ¼ cup of chopped red pepper, chopped shallots, diced yellow onion, chopped scallions or chopped red onion.
Don't care for Monterey Jack cheese? Try crumbled feta, diced Gruyere, crumbled goat cheese, diced Brie, grated Cheddar or diced mozzarella instead.
Substitute cooked orzo, cooked couscous, melba toast crumbs, rye bread crumbs, cooked rice or prepared stuffing mix for the bread crumbs.
Did You Know That.....
Eating artichokes creates a chemical reaction in the mouth that makes other foods or beverages taste sweeter (due to a compound called cynarin or cynarine, which stimulates the tongue's sweetness receptors). Since artichokes have this effect, it's best to serve them on their own or to pair them with neutral-tasting foods such as pasta.
A Cake Tip
To make a heart-shaped cake without a special pan, make one round layer and one square layer. When both are cool, place (or position) the square layer on the serving plate so that it looks like a diamond. Then cut the round layer into two equal halves, and place the two halves on the top two sides of the square layer, forming a heart. Ta da!
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