Looking for a unique snack? Try Artichokes



Choose Artichokes that are firm, and well rounded.

Artichokes are a great, healthy snack or side-dish. Cooking them can be intimidating if you didn't grow up with them. Here are the simple steps to enjoying this awesome vegetable.

You can serve them whole and allow everyone to pull the leaves themselves, or you can serve them pulled, with the heart already prepared.






Remove most of the stem and lowest leaves.




Put in a large pot filled with water, over high heat.














Bring to a boil, Cover and cook 20-25 minutes until leaves pull off easily.



Remove from pot with tongs, hold over the pot to drain a bit,
or set in a colander in the sink.



















Pull leaves and arrange on a plate.





Almost done, but we need to get rid of the "choke"
to get to the heart. (Just the way my mamma did it.)



Using a spoon, gently remove the fibers that cover the heart.
They scrape away easily.




Cut the heart into bite-sized pieces. Serve with a low fat dip.





To eat the leaves...Hold the top of the leaf. Scrape the inside
along your bottom teeth. Discard the parts of the leaves that are
too hard or stringy to chew and swallow easily.

  **Note. The dog in the picture is a trained food model. Please do NOT give artichokes to your pets. This dog did NOT actually eat it, and was not harmed during his photo shoot for this blog.


For a quick dipping sauce mix 2 Tbsp of spicey brown mustard with 1 Tbsp of fat free Miracle Whip and 1 Tbsp lemon juice. It makes a rich and spicey addition to your artichoke. I also like to mix a little greek yogurt with lemon and dill...as much as you like...then let it sit for an hour in the fridge so the dill really permiates the yogurt.

Pan-Grilled Pheasant with artichoke

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This is one my favorite meals, and it's super good for you. Pheasant is extremely high in protein and it tastes wonderful. Be careful not to overcook it because Pheasant is low in fat and can dry out easily.

For each serving you will need:
4-6 Pheasant breast tenders. (from the part of the breast closest to the bone. You can see them when you cut or pull the outer part of the breast off the bone)
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning or sage
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 Tbsp olive oil.

Place tenders in a large zip log bag and sprinkle with garlic, poultry seasoning and pepper. Seal bag, squeezing out the air as you close it. With the flat side of a kitchen mallet, pound the tenders almost flat. In a non stick skillet, heat olive oil just until it's hot enough to sizzle a drop of water. Place tenders in skillet, cook for about 2 minutes, turn and cook for 1-2 more minutes. Remove from skillet. Serve with cooked artichoke leaves.

To cook an artichoke, remove small random leaves at base, trim stem to within 1/2 inch of the bottom of the artichoke. Place in a pan of boiling water, deep enough to cover. Place lid on pan, reduce heat to low and simmer approximately 20 - 30 minutes depending on the size of the artichoke. When it's done the leaves will come off easily and will have a bit of "meat" at the bottom of each one.

To eat it, remove the leaves. Put a leaf in your mouth, soft side down. Scrape it against your bottom teeth to pull the edible part off the leaf. If you like you can dip it in mustard or another sauce of your choice.