How to Cook and Eat an Artichoke

I use a small steamer in a large pot and steam about 6 at a time.



Fresh whole artichokes

This is artichoke season and those big beautiful globes are in all of the supermarkets. You may have looked at them and wondered how you cook and eat them. Since, my husband's family is Mediterranean and artichokes are a big part of their diet, the family has the method down pat. Last night we ate dinner at my mother in laws house, and we had a simple, but delicious treat--- Her whole artichokes and lemon.

Now, I can't say its really a recipe, but it is an experience. My mother in law brought a bowl of steamed artichokes to the table whole . Each person took one and put it on his/her plate, and then the fun began.

Steamed artichokes ready to eat!

We all sat for about a full 5-10 minutes peeling and eating layer after layer of our artichoke. Artichokes have about 20 or more layers! You have to peel each petal, leaf by leaf , and only eat the tip after its been dipped in fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice! I shouldn't have made these pretty petal arrangements because in reality we just eat each petal tip, on by one, and toss it onto a plate and then discard. The pretty arrangement is just for affect. When it comes to eating an artichoke , each eater is on their own.

                            

When you are all finished taking off the layers, you get to the artichoke heart which is the prize. ( first you have to dig out the little hairs from the center ( don;t eat the hair, you won't like it) A fresh artichoke heart  is so delicious and nutritious , it is worth all the peeling and trouble to get to it!

Yum! The middle is the best part; it's the heart of the artichoke

A whole unpeeled steamed artichoke is fun to eat, tastes good, and is nutritious too. 

I like them because they are very low in calories, very low in fat, high in fiber, and nutrient dense.
They are the perfect diet food. They take a long time to eat, taste great, and help you not overeat.

What could be faster to make and more fun to eat?
Just steam up a batch and everyone is on their own to dissect and eat their own artichoke. Even kids love them!
It's Fast, simple, fun, delicious nutritious, and low calorie! Now, we are talking!

How to steam the artichokes.
Place artichokes on a simple vegetable steamer rack ( available in  any kitchenware dept of stores lke TJ Max, Homegoods, maybe even the dollar store.) Put water in a pot , place steamer at the bottom fill with artichokes and add about 2 cups of water. Cover with lid, bring to a boil, simmer for about 20 minutes( check that water doesn't evaporate) until artichokes feel limp. Test by pulling out 1 or 1 petals which should come out without tugging.
 
To see the many other healthy gluten free recipes, healthy living tips, kitchen and blogging ideas that I pin each day, follow me on Pinterest Gluten Free A-Z  and Twitter .