Artichokes

Question: artichokes? I looovee artichokes! Anyone have any great recipes using artichokes? Also, how do you make artichoke dip? Thanks everyone!♥

Answer: Warm Artichoke Dip: INGREDIENTS 1 (6.5 ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, chopped 1 cup mayonnaise 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 clove garlic, chopped DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium bowl, mix together artichoke hearts, mayonnaise, Parmesan and garlic. Scoop the mixture into a medium baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven 15 minutes, or until lightly brown on top. **Hot Artichoke Dip** INGREDIENTS 2 (8 ounce) cans artichoke hearts, drained and chopped 2 (4 ounce) cans green chile peppers, drained and chopped 1 (4 ounce) jar pimento peppers, drained and chopped 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise 1/2 (8 ounce) package shredded Monterey Jack cheese 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided DIRECTIONS In an oven safe bowl, combine artichoke hearts, chile peppers, pimento peppers, mayonnaise, Monterey Jack cheese and almost all of the Parmesan cheese; sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese on top. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Question: Can I get a good Italian recipe for artichokes? I'm not that experienced with artichokes, but I'd like to try one. I love the taste of seasoned breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese, and garlic and olive oil. How can I combine these good things with an artichoke so it comes out tender and delicious?

Answer: ITALIAN STEAMED ARTICHOKES 4 artichokes 1 1/2 inches water in bottom of Dutch oven 1/2 tsp. J.D.'s Vegetable Magic 2 tbsp. lemon juice 1 tbsp. Balsamic vinegar 1/2 tsp. salt 4 tbsp. Italian dressing 2 tbsp. olive oil Trim off top of artichokes and cut off stem and clean. Place artichokes in pan. Add water to 1 1/2 inches from bottom of large Dutch oven. Mix remaining ingredients together and pour over artichokes. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and cover. Steam for 45 minutes to one hour or until leaves pull out easily. Be sure to baste the artichokes every 10 to 15 minutes. Serve warm OR ITALIAN ARTICHOKE HEARTS 1 pkg. frozen artichoke hearts 1 egg beaten with a little water 1 c. Italian crumbs 1 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese Salt and pepper to taste Olive oil for frying Partially thaw artichoke hearts. Mix egg in bowl with water. In another bowl mix bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper. Heat a medium skillet. Add olive oil to coat bottom of skillet. Dip artichoke into egg, then coat with bread crumbs. Brown on all sides in oil. Continue until done. Drain on paper towels. Serve cold or warm. (Can be reheated in microwave.) OR ARTICHOKES ITALIAN STYLE 4 artichokes 1 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. pepper 1/4 c. olive oil 1 clove garlic 1 tbsp. chopped parsley 1/2 c. grated Romano cheese Trim stalks and tiny leaves from base of artichokes. Cut one inch slice from top; remove discolored leaves, snip off spike ends. Wash artichokes in cold water and drain. Mix cheese, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper; spread leaves and insert the mixture. Cook in a 3-quart pot. Stand artichokes on base, add water to cover them, put oil over it, and let it simmer about 1 hour or until leaves pull out very easily. OR ITALIAN ARTICHOKE CASSEROLE 1 med. onion, chopped 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped 1 c. snipped parsley 1/2 c. olive oil 1 can green beans (lg. can) 1 can artichoke hearts (chopped) (lg. can) 1 c. seasoned bread crumbs 1 c. grated Parmesan cheese Cayenne pepper Black pepper Saute onions, garlic and parsley in olive oil. Add green beans, cook 5 minutes. Add artichoke hearts and mix. Add bread crumbs and cheese - mix well. Add a pinch of cayenne and black pepper to taste. Bake in greased casserole in 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes. Serves 4-6. JM

Question: How do you prepare artichokes? I love artichoke hearts! I can eat an entire can at of them. And they are catabolic which is a major bonus! I like the kind that are not in a marinade because I like to add balsamic vinaigrette. How do you prepare fresh artichokes? Thank you so much for all the ideas! I'm going to try them all but tonight I'm trying the microwave idea! I've never cooked fresh artichokes before so I don't know how to remove the inedible part.

Answer: I used to either boil or steam mine too until I was in a rush one day and decided to try to microwave it. I found that I MUCH preferred how it turned out, as it was both fully cooked but stayed firmer/fresher. It's really simple to do. Trim the tips just as you would for any way of cooking. I use a scissor to cut off the spikey parts and then take a knife and cut the stem so it's a flat bottom. I rinse it well with lukewarm water to clean it. Then I take a deep glass bowl (found I have one that fits just about perfectly so there's not much extra room--it's a small, side dish bowl). I add about 1/3 a cup of water, pouring it in so it goes all over the artichoke, with water going between the petals. Then cover the top with plastic wrap (Saran type). I like to use a bowl that's a little taller than the veggie so the wrap doesn't touch. Tastes fine but I've read it may release unhealthy chemicals if it touchs (there's lot's of debate but my theory is why risk it?!). Then nuke on high 12-15 min for a large artichoke. You don't want to overcook (and remember it will continue cooking for 1-2 min when removed since it's that hot). You want it so the petals pluck out easily with no resistance. While it's cooking I take I Can't Believe it's Not Butter (feel free to use the real thing if your cholesterol is better than mine lol), and warm some up in a small metal dipping dish (or use a small pot and put in dish of your choice). Super easy...but excellent outcome. And of course if you'd rather prepare it differently you can then cut it up and prepare to your liking. But I always seem to come back to just eating it petal by petal, then the heart, as it's SO yummy that way! Plus you get to eat all of it, not just the heart. Hope this helps. And if you've never tried to microwave it, give it a shot once. Bet you'll be like me and never go back to any other cooking methods. It really does come out the best IMHO. Plus if you are only eating the prepared ones out of the can, you are missing the nice soft part at the end of each petal that you get by dipping them in butter then scraping it with your teeth and eating. YUM! BTW have you ever made a fresh artichoke? If not just ask if you need instructions to remove the furry, inedible part that covers the artichoke heart. There are a few simple ways I'd be glad to share if you need to know how to do it. ETA: I'm sure you'll love it! And be sure to put in some water! If you just put on a plate and microwave it won't cook!!! Here are the basics on how to remove the furry part. After you peel and eat the petals you are then left with the small core that contains the oh so yummy artichoke heart. As you get to the center you'll see petals that are not yet developed but are first hard then furry. That's what you need to get rid of. There are several ways. The easiest (but be careful or you'll cut through the heart), is to take a knife, a serrated butter knife is the best and scrape away the top. When you get rid of the petals/furry stuff and hit artichoke that's the heart. The problem is no matter how careful you are you will lose some of that precious part. A more time consuming way, but it leaves most all the good stuff, is if you have one of those little pinchers that remove the strawberry husks (think that's what it's called). I had one just cause I took my Grandmothers. I never use it on strawberries, but it does a great job of plucking out this stuff in artichokes! They are cheap if you think to pick one up at a kitchen store. Last is a combo of holding the knife sideways and pulling up the furry part and getting what you can out this way, then gently scraping at the rest. This is what I usually do, except when I'm short on patience then I just scrape lolol, as that only takes a few seconds. Then just cut into pieces usually quarters except when the heart is super large, dip in butter and enjoy!! Hope it comes out perfectly. Remember, unless a petal from the middle easily pulls out, it isn't done. So nuke for a couple more minutes until one comes out easily. Also, it will be VERY hot when you take it out of the microwave so use a potholder, and peel off the plastic away from you so the steam won't burn!!! Enjoy....let me know how it worked out for you!

Question: How do I know when my artichokes are ready to be eaten? My artichoke plants has been producing some nice looking artichokes over the last few weeks but how do I know when they are ready to be picked off the plant? I planted back in March and bought the plant from Home Depot so it was already started when I bought it. Only one of the artichokes are really nice size the others are still small.

Answer: Hey Raiders Fan 1978, Harvest artichokes before the buds start to open and they're still green and tight. The central bud usually ripens first, followed by the smaller ones that form on side shoots.

Question: How do I know if my artichokes are ready for harvest? I planted artichokes this year. I don't know the type but the leaves are grey/blue and similar to a thistle. It's September in Toronto and I see no flowers or buds. Should I be worried? Suggestions? Thanks.

Answer: http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=artichoke+growing&ygmasrchbtn=web+search&fr=ush-ans The part you eat is the bud...inedible if it's gone to flower. http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=image&fr=ush-ans&va=artichoke+plant&sz=all (Third and fourth image are ready for picking.)

Question: Artichokes!! Am cooking them for the first time? Any recipes for a dipping sauce? I have never cooked artichokes before and think I know what to do. I would like suggestions for an interesting sauce that I can use as a dipping sauce. Also, if you have any tips for this first time artichoke cook, would appreciate them. Thanks! How lovely of all of you to help me out this way. Thank you so very much for responding; all have been a big help; just wish I could invite you all over here for dinner!! Many thanks!

Answer: first you must steam or boil the artichoke until it is easy to bite the meat of the leaves. for a dipping sauce i usually use butter. but another way to make them really tasty is to cook them and let them cool for a little bit. separate the center leaves a little bit and dig out the tops of the hearts. that is the bottom and fleshiest part of the artichoke. you are only taking out the spiny needle like stuff on top of the heart. while the artichokes are cooling mix breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic, basil and any other spices you like. add some flavored oil to the dry mixture. may favorite is garlic oil. stuff the center of the artichoke and some of the surrounding leaves with the mixture. you can add a little bit more oil on top and some cheese and bake. this is one of my favorite ways to eat it. its a little messy but very worth it.

Question: How long do you need to cook artichokes in the microwave? I need to cook 5 artichokes in the microwave and I don't know how long to cook them.

Answer: MICROWAVED ARTICHOKES Select tender artichokes. Use scissors to cut off the pointed tips of all leaves. Set in deep dish with points up. Add 1/2 inch water to dish. Cover. Microwave on high for approximately 4 minutes per artichoke. Remove from oven and let set in covered dish for 5 minutes. Serve with herb butter and lemon juice.

Question: What are some good way to make artichokes? I only know how to cook them in the microwave, but I would love a few recipes for stuffed artichokes. And how do you make them? Thanks!

Answer: Artichoke & Crab Dip Serves 6 1 (1 oz packet) Ranch Flavored Dip Mix 1 (16 oz container) Sour Cream 1 (14 oz can) Artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained, chopped 3/4 CupImitation Crabmeat, rinsed, drained 2 TbspPimiento, chopped Instructions: Combine dips mix with sour cream. Stir in artichoke hearts, crabmeat, and pimientos. Chill 30 minutes. Serve with assorted vegetable dippers. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Artichoke Squares Serves 6 (4 per serving) 2 (6 oz cans) Artichoke Hearts 2 TbspFresh Parsley, chopped 1 White Onion, Minced 1/4 TspSalt 1 Cup Eggbeaters 1/4 TspPepper 8 oz Mozzarella Cheese, shredded 1/4 CupItalian Style Dried Bread Crumbs 3 Seconds Nonstick Cooking Spray Instructions: Preheat the oven to 325ºF Drain the liquid from 1 jar of artichokes into 1-quart saucepan. Drain liquid from second jar of artichokes and discard. Finely chop all artichokes; set aside. Coat a 12x8 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In the artichoke liquid, over medium heat, cook minced onion until tender. In a medium bowl add eggs, cooked onion and chopped artichokes, cheese, bread crumbs, parsley, salt and pepper. Spread mixture evenly in baking dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes until set and lightly browned. Allow to cool for 15 minutes in dish on wire rack. With knife, cut lengthwise into 4 strips then cut each strip crosswise into 6 pieces. Arrange appetizer on platter and serve. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Baked Stuffed Artichoke Serving Size : 2 2 Artichokes 1 cup Bread crumbs 1/4 cup Grated Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons Assorted fresh chopped herbs (such as parsley, basil and oregano) 2 tablespoons Olive oil 1/2 Tsp Salt 1/4 Tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper Trim the artichokes and boil until tender. Remove the chokes and set aside. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Combine bread crumbs, cheese, herbs and oil; season to taste with salt and pepper. Carefully spread apart leaves of artichokes, leaving them attached. Pack bread crumb mixture into all available spaces. Place on a baking dish and bake 25 minutes or until golden. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Stuffed Artichokes Serving Size : 4 2 cups Fine dried bread crumbs 1 cup Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup Olive oil 1/4 cup Chopped fresh mild herbs (basil, parsley, oregano, etc.) 4 Artichokes, boiled until tender and cleaned free of the choke 1 cup Garlic aioli (see recipe below) 2 Lemons, cut in half Preheat oven to 375ºF. In a mixing bowl, combine the bread crumbs, cheese, olive oil and herbs. Mix thoroughly. Season the mixture with Bayou Blast. Carefully pack the bread crumb mixture into all available spaces in the artichoke. Place the artichokes on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve the artichokes with a drizzle of garlic aioli and a squeeze of lemon juice. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Garlic Aioli Serving Size : 3/4 Cup 3 Cloves Garlic, chopped 1 Large Egg 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice 1 Tbsp Fresh Parsley, chopped 1/2 Tsp Salt 14 Tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper 1/2 Cup Olive Oil Combine the garlic, egg, lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper in a food processor or blender and puree. Add the oil in a slow stream and continue to process until the mixture has formed a thick emulsion.

Question: How long do cooked artichokes stay good in the fridge? I cooked artichokes on the 2nd and then I put one in a ziplock bag and put it in the fridge. So I was wondering if it is still good? How long do they stay good after cooked in the fridge? Thanks and God bless you.

Answer: usually you shouldn't keep cooked vegetables more than a few days in the fridge, so today you can still eat them (still taste a small piece to check they are still good)

Question: How Do I Prep Jerusalem Artichokes to Ferment into Ethanol? Ok, suppose I have a lot of Jerusalem Artichokes and I would like to turn them into fuel alcohol for farm use. What needs to happen between having the tuber in hand and throwing in yeast to begin the fermenting process? What prepping is needed?

Answer: To make ethanol, you need to ferment sugars under anaerobic conditions using brewer's yeast. The main challenge you will face trying to ferment Jerusalem Artichokes, is that they are mostly starch (right?). You are basically trying to make potato vodka. The magic step in there is using conversion enzymes to turn the starch into sugar. I've never done this before, but you can buy the enzymes or you can make your own with a malted grain starter with enough enzyme to convert your extra tuber starch into sugar. You basically cook the starch with the enzymes at various temperatures and cycles to break down into simple sugars. Directions are shown in the posted link below. Note that the conversion process takes a lot of energy, so you have to do it on a large enough scale to get more energy out of your final fuel than you spend trying to make it. After you have successfully fermented your tuber sugar into ethanol, you will likely need a fractional distiller. Throw out the old family 'still because it won't get you the 95% ethanol that you'll need for fuel. Only a fractional still can get you there. Look it up on the internet and you can figure out how to build your own. That step also takes a lot of cooking, so make sure you don't use more energy than you create. For the most truthful results, after your first batch, you should use only ethanol to cook and distill your next batch (as well as harvest your tubers). You'll probably find out that you barely break even, but hey, good luck and have fun! And if you don't give a darn about whether you break even or not, you'll have lots of jerusalem everclear to soothe your soul.

Question: How do you prepare and cook artichokes? How do you prepare and cook artichokes?

Answer: PARTY ARTICHOKES WITH THREE DIPS 4 Large California Artichokes Selection of Dips (recipes follow) Wash artichokes under cold running water. Cut off stems at base and remove small bottom leaves. Stand artichokes upright in deep saucepan large enough to hold snugly. Add 1 teaspoon salt and two to three inches boiling water. (Lemon juice, herbs, garlic powder or onion powder may be added, if desired.) Cover and boil gently 35 to 45 minutes or until base can be pierced easily with fork. (Add a little more boiling water, if needed.) Turn artichokes upside down to drain. Cool completely; cover and refrigerate to chill. Makes 4 artichokes. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CREAMY THAI DIP ¼ cup creamy peanut butter ¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 teaspoon sesame oil 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger Combine all ingredients; mix well. Makes ¾ cup. Variation: For "Oriental Dip," omit peanut butter. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HONEY MUSTARD DIP ¼ cup prepared mustard 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons honey Combine all ingredients; mix well. Makes about 3/4 cup. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "SHIP AHOY!" DIP 1 can (6-1/2 ounces) minced clams 2 tablespoons reserved clam juice 3 ounces cream cheese softened 1 teaspoon lemon juice ¼ teaspoon garlic salt Drain clams, reserving 2 tablespoons clam juice. Blend cream cheese with lemon juice and garlic salt. Stir in clams and reserved clam juice. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes about 3/4 cup.

Question: How many carbs are in artichokes? I made a hot artichoke dip with mayo and cheese. I cannot find out how many carbs are in artichokes. I thought I did see 15 or so. If there are carbs in these I have to throw the whole thing out.

Answer: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Carbs » Artichokes - Cooked - (1 medium artichoke) 13 » Artichokes - Frozen - (1 9 oz package) 20 » Artichokes - Raw - (1 medium artichoke) 13 * Source: National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference from the USDA

Question: What is a good recipe that uses artichokes and spinach? I really like spinach and artichokes together. Does anyone know of a good dish that uses both of these?

Answer: veggie lasagna with bechamel sauce-I just made spinach lasagna(I would have added artichokes but they are not available in my area).

Question: Which ingredient should I use to sautee my artichokes? I have extra virgin olive oil, stir fry garlic oil, and butter. Which one of these should I use to sautee my artichokes?

Answer: EVOO. Add a little garlic towards the end and a pinch of salt. Besides this being a traditional Italian preparation, the butter will burn and the stir-fry oil should be saved for the wok. Good luck!

Question: When will my artichokes be ready to harvest on Farmville? I forget when I planted my artichokes, and I do not want them to wither. Currently my artichokes are 79% ready. They take a total of 4 days. How many hours will it take for my artichokes to be ready to harvest?

Answer: well i don't really know how to count them, but you can tell it with the % if you see that the % moving fast then it'll be ready in a few minutes.

Question: How long can artichokes stay in the fridge, stuffed before they are bad? I stuffed some artichokes on Friday or Saturday and put them in the fridge with foil. I forgot about them yesterday. Will they be ok if I put them in the oven tonight?

Answer: they will be ok..make sure you eat them tonight.