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Artichoke Spinach Dip with Roasted Red Bell Peppers

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Get Artichoke Spinach Dip with Roasted Red Bell Peppers Recipe from Food Network

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This is how I usually prepare artichokes for our family. It's the easiest, most straightforward way to make them. Give me a steamed artichoke and a dish of good-quality mayonnaise (or hollandaise!) and I'm a very happy camper.

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Rinse your artichoke under cold water. Pat dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel. Remove any stray leaves from the stem of the artichoke.

With kitchen shears, or sharp scissors, remove the thorny tips from the leaves.

With a sharp chef's knife or serrated knife, cut about an inch off of the top of the artichoke.

Keep a lemon handy to rub onto the exposed areas so that they do not oxidize and turn brown.

Remove the bitter, fibrous end of the stem with your knife, leaving about an inch left on the artichoke. Be sure to rub a lemon onto the exposed end of the stem.

Peel the outer skin from the remaining stem. The stem can has a more bitter taste than the rest of the artichoke and removing the skin helps to take away some of the bitterness. Rub exposed peeled stem with lemon.

Run the artichoke under cold water, pulling apart the leaves to carefully rinse out the vegetable and remove any impurities. Immediately submerge the prepared artichoke in a bowl of cold water with lemon juice. Keep prepared artichokes in this lemon water till ready to steam.

When ready to steam, fill the bottom of your pan with a few inches of water. Place a steaming basket in the bottom and the artichokes on top, cover the pan with a lid. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer.

The artichoke is done steaming when you can easily insert a knife into the stem or heart (bottom) area. Cooking time will vary based on the size of your artichokes. Start with 30 minutes and go from there. I like my artichokes quite tender, but not so soft that they fall apart. This usually takes 1 hour or longer.

Once your artichokes are cooked, you can eat them leaf-by-leaf, or go straight to the heart of the veggie, which contains the most edible flesh.

To eat the artichoke, remove the outer leaves by hand. They will come off very easily. For each leaf, place the edible meaty area at the base of the leaf between your teeth, then scrape off the soft edible flesh. Discard the uneaten leaf. Artichoke leaves taste great dipped in hollandaise, mayonnaise or herb sauce.

One you get to the center of the artichoke, you'll see some very thin spiny leaves and a fuzzy "choke" area with small, tender spines. Pull off the thin leaves and discard. The fuzzy spines of the choke are also inedible, so you'll need to remove them with a spoon or melon baller-- simply scrape them gently off the heart, they should fall off easily.

With a paring knife, carefully trim off any tough remaining bits of leaves from the outside edges of the heart.

Voila! A cleaned artichoke heart. This is truly the most delicious part of the artichoke. Of course, you could just skip eating all of the leaves and go straight to the cooked heart... but where's the fun in that? I always liked eating the leaves and working my way towards the center of the artichoke; it's like earning a prize when you get to the center. Dip it in sauce as you would the leaves, eat and enjoy!

Note: Strictly kosher Jews have their own guidelines for cleaning and consuming artichokes, which differ from the tutorials that appear on my site. If you're concerned, you can learn more on the OK website.

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Cleaning and Steaming Artichokes - The Ultimate Tutorial

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This is how I usually prepare artichokes for our family. It's the easiest, most straightforward way to make them. Give me a steamed artichoke and a dish of good-quality mayonnaise (or hollandaise!) and I'm a very happy camper.

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It's peak artichoke season from March to May, so don't let this intimidating vegetable scare you away! It's delicious, fun to eat, and high in antioxidants. ¹ Most recipes call for baking, boiling or steaming, but which is the BEST way? I tried all three to find out!

But before we jump into cooking, let's get a little background on the vegetable itself. Much like broccoli, cauliflower and capers, artichokes are actually flowers! Specifically, the artichoke is the flower bud of a plant in the thistle family. It is thought to have originated along the Mediterranean, and it's been a part of the cuisine of that region for over a thousand years!

Artichokes are high in phenolic compounds, which give them their antioxidant power and contribute to rapid enzymatic browning when cut surfaces are exposed to air. ² To stop this reaction, I rubbed a half lemon over the exposed areas to keep them from browning too quickly. If you prefer your artichoke lemon-free, a good rinse with water will slow the browning too, albeit a bit less effectively than lemon.

These are proportions to make a single artichoke, so converting this recipe to any number of artichokes is easy. I recommend cooking two at a time because this recipe calls for half a lemon and half a head of garlic. With the leftovers from making one, you can easily make a second, assuming you have 20 or so leaves of basil on hand.Now let's get cooking!

Ingredients:
1 medium-sized artichoke
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 a lemon
1/2 head of garlic (5-6 cloves), each peeled and chopped in half
10-12 basil leaves (one per garlic chunk)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Wash and trim your artichoke. For a guide on how to trim (and eat) an artichoke, check out this post on Simply Recipes: How to Cook and Eat an Artichoke.

2. Rub your 1/2 lemon all over any cut surfaces of the artichoke (and stem) to prevent browning. Then, starting with the outside and working in, gently loosen and spread out the leaves of the artichoke. Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil and the juice of your 1/2 lemon over the artichoke (watch out for runaway seeds!), reserve rind for later step, if boiling. Now wrap each half garlic clove with a basil leaf and tuck it into a leaf. Make sure to get at least one big one in the center! Add salt and pepper to taste.

Now we're ready to cook! But which is better-bake, boil, or steam?

Bake

Preheat your oven to 425F. Wrap your prepped and seasoned artichoke in two layers of heavy duty tin foil and pinch any seams tightly closed. The intention is that the artichoke will steam in its own juices, but it won't work if you spring a leak! Set the artichoke in a baking dish and bake for about an hour. When it's done, a knife should go through the base of the artichoke with no resistance, much like a baked potato.

Boil

Since many of our seasonings are going to disperse into the water (like salt, pepper and lemon juice), I decided it was only fair to supplement the water with a few of our seasonings to level the playing field. Seasoning the water is typical in boiled artichoke recipes. Here's what I did:

Fill a large pot with enough water to cover the artichoke. Add 2 Tbsp salt and a sachet containing 1 Tbsp whole black peppercorns to the water. (I used a teabag to make mine, but a coffee filter or cheesecloth would work as well, just tie or staple it closed.) Also add the rind from the 1/2 lemon you squeezed over the artichoke earlier (if you're cooking more than one artichoke add a lemon rind for each one). Add the artichoke to the water and weigh it down by using a heatproof lid, dish or bowl (artichokes float). Cover the pot and bring to a medium boil. Boil gently for about 20 minutes. The artichoke is done when a knife inserted into the base meets no resistance, much like a baked potato. Drain upside-down for a few minutes before serving.

Steam

In a large pot, bring several inches of water to a boil. Put artichoke in a steamer basket and suspend over the boiling water. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Steam for about 25 minutes. The artichoke is done when a knife inserted into the base meets no resistance, much like a baked potato. Avoid checking too early or often for doneness. Each time the lid is removed, steam and heat escape and have to slowly build up again, which can significantly increase your cooking time.

The analysis.

There are four key elements in determining which cooking method produced the best quality artichoke:

1. Texture. Dehydration is the enemy of the artichoke! Even a small loss of moisture can cause what should be a delicious leaf base to become leathery and inedible (or largely so). If you've ever dug into an artichoke and found that the first few layers of leaves have little or no meat, that artichoke was victim to dehydration. Even when shopping for a raw artichoke, you look for one that seems heavy for its size; that means that you're looking for one still plump with its own juices and not dried out!

2. Flavor. I looked specifically at how well the flavor of the seasoning came through, as well as the natural flavor of the artichoke.

3. Ease of cooking. I compared cooking methods and gave preference to the easier, faster, and more foolproof.

4. Preventing oil smoke. Extra virgin olive oil has a relatively low smoke point compared to other oils. It's commonly used to season artichokes because of its flavor and Italian flare, but it poses a problem at higher temperatures. An obvious alternative might be to use more durable oil, like canola, or no oil at all, but it's such a ubiquitous seasoning tool in artichoke recipes-baked, boiled, or steamed-that I thought it was important to include it as part of the test. Will it hold up under all three cooking methods, or will it smoke and add off-flavors and smoky color to the artichokes? Can you guess which artichoke heart suffered smoke damage? Yeah. The black one.

The winner!

To sum up, the best artichoke is one that retains its moisture, has great flavor, is easy to cook, and doesn't succumb to smoky off-notes from overheated olive oil. In this contest, the winner is clear: boiling wins!!
Here's why:
1. Boiling did the best job of preventing dehydration. The creamy texture of the boiled artichoke heart was sheer bliss, and the amount of soft edible meat was the highest of the three.

2. When it came to flavor, the boiled artichoke did not disappoint, though the flavor of the seasonings did not come through as strongly as they did in the other two versions. I enjoyed that the natural artichoke was the star of the show, and I thought my seasonings, though light, added a nice touch of savory garlic and lemony brightness. This loss of flavor is the boiling method's biggest weakness, but it still tasted great, and a more aggressive seasoning method could easily compensate.

3. Boiling was the clear winner in ease of cooking. Its cooking time was short and low maintenance. The large volume of water kept the temperature constant, so it was no big deal if I opened the lid to check on their progress from time to time. The hardest part was finding something to keep the artichoke submerged!

4. There were no issues from smoking olive oil, nor would there ever be with this cooking method. Boiling water has a maximum temperature of 212F, which is well below the smoke point of extra virgin olive oil. That's good insurance.

The losers.

Steaming takes a comfortable second place. The steamed artichoke lost a bit more moisture than the boiled version, which meant there were a few more leathery leaves, and the heart was slightly less plump and creamy. The steamed version did have slightly more flavor from the seasonings, although the natural artichoke flavor was still the star of the show. Although steaming takes about the same amount of time as boiling, it's not as foolproof. If the lid is removed during cooking (for example, to check for doneness), heat and steam escape. Once you replace the lid, it takes a long time for them to rebuild, which can significantly increase your cooking time. The worst part is that it's almost impossible to guess by how much, so you're likely to open the lid too early again and have to wait for the steam and heat to rebuild again. As far as smoke goes, you're not in the clear by steaming. Unlike boiling water, steam's temperature doesn't cap off. In fact, steam can get hot enough to cause oil to smoke. In one of my earlier trials, I tried steaming directly in a few inches of water, without a steamer basket. The artichoke looked fine on the outside, but once I got to the inner leaves and heart, they were all dark and smoky from the overheated oil. So it is possible to smoke your oil using steam. However, if you use a steamer basket and reduce your heat to a simmer as I recommend, smoke shouldn't be an issue.

Baking comes in at a distant third place. The baked artichoke lost significant moisture; most of the outer leaves were leathery and the heart was small in comparison to the steamed and boiled versions. The flavor was really interesting though! My seasonings came through concentrated and zesty. The punch of acidity from the lemon was fun, but the seasonings really overpowered the natural artichoke flavor. Cooking them this way was low-maintenance, but it took about twice as long as the other methods. Now for the nail in the coffin, here is the baking method's greatest flaw: the high temperatures of the oven cause serious smoking damage. The artichoke came out dark and had noticeable off-notes from the oil that were difficult to overlook.

So don't be embarrassed to admit you boil your artichokes! I know boiling isn't always the "coolest" way to cook your vegetables, but when it comes time to eat your artichokes, you'll be glad you did.

N otes

1. Richard Smith, Aziz Baameur, Mohammad Bari, Michael Cahn, Deborah Giraud, Eric Natwick, Eta Takele, "Artichoke Production in California," UC Vegetable Research & Information Center (2008): 4, accessed April 23, 2013, Publication 7221, http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/7221.pdf.

2. Harold McGee, On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen (New York: Scribner, 2004), 327-328.

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Artichokes: Bake, Boil or Steam? - Decoding Delicious

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It's peak artichoke season from March to May, so don't let this intimidating vegetable scare you away! It's delicious, fun to eat, and high in antioxidants.1 Most recipes call for baking, boiling or steaming, but which is the BEST way? I tried all three to find out!

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Globe artichoke is an heirloom vegetable grown for its tender, edible flower buds. With their large, silvery-green leaves and thick stems topped with pinecone-like flower buds, artichoke plants add a strong architectural element to vegetable garden plantings.

Thomas Jefferson reportedly raised artichokes at Monticello, his Virginia home, as early as 1767. Today the majority of commercial artichoke production is along coastal sections of Central California, where the weather suits them perfectly.

Here are some things you need to know about growing artichokes. Artichoke plants thrive best where mild winters and cool, foggy summers prevail. In such growing conditions, they are perennials, yielding harvests for up to 5 years. Where winters dish up only a few frosty nights, plants will sometimes overwinter when pruned and mulched (zones 8 and 9). In colder regions, you have to treat artichokes as annuals planted in spring. They are best planted in fall in the humid, subtropical, frost-free areas of zones 10 and 11.

Soil, Planting, and Care

In zones where artichokes are perennial, select your site considering that plants will be in place for up to 5 years. Give plants room to spread, since mature plants can reach 3 to 4 feet tall and up to 4 feet wide. Artichokes thrive in full sun to partial shade. They also need light, fertile, well-drained soil-sandy or loam is ideal. Prepare the soil by working 5 inches of compost into a trench 8 inches deep and equally wide. Two reasons artichoke plants fail are summer drought and winter soil that's waterlogged. Adding compost improves soil's ability to retain water in summer and drain in winter.

Plant artichoke seedlings atop the amended soil, spacing plants 4 feet apart. In zones 6 and colder, you can plant artichokes more closely, 2 to 3 feet apart, because frost will prevent the plant from reaching its mature, established size.

After artichokes are established and unfurling new growth, fertilize plants once a month with a liquid fertilizer such as Bonnie Herb & Vegetable Plant Food. Keep soil moist throughout the growing season. You can apply a liquid high-potassium fertilizer (often called a potash fertilizer) every 2 weeks during periods of active growth to encourage flower buds to form.

Keep weeds out of artichoke beds. Give plants a thick mulch, especially in northern growing areas. Mulch with an organic material, such as dry grass clippings, straw, aged manure, or a mixture of these. As buds begin to form, remove mulch, and apply a 4-inch-thick layer of compost around each plant, extending from the base of the plant outward 12 inches.

Troubleshooting

Artichoke has few problems. Slugs may attack young foliage, and botrytis blight can coat older leaves. Beat slugs with slug bait or slug traps. If only a few leaves are infected by botrytris blight, remove and destroy them. Treat the plant with a fungicide such as neem oil.

Harvest and Storage

Flower buds form in early summer atop tall stems that soar out of the center of the plant. Each stem forms several flower buds, with the top bud ripening first. Harvest buds while they're tight and firm and hopefully at least 3 inches in diameter; if buds begin to open, they lose their tenderness. Fully open buds are inedible but produce striking, large, lavender flowers. Cut a 1- to 3-inch section of stem with each bud to make it easier to handle. The lower buds that develop later won't grow as large as the top bud. When you have harvested all buds on a stem, cut the stem to the ground. For large, established plants, prune the entire plant back by a third to spur a fall harvest.

Artichokes keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Uses

Because harvest increases with plant age, it's best to try to overwinter artichoke plants. Some gardeners have reported success at overwintering plants as far north as zone 5 using the techniques described below for zones 6 and 7.

For zones 8 and warmer: Following fall harvest, cut plants back to ground level or slightly below ground level. Cover with 3 to 4 inches of an organic mulch such as straw or shredded leaves.

For zones 6 and 7: Cut plants back to roughly 12 inches tall. Mound organic mulch over the plants, then cover plants and mulch with an inverted bushel basket. Feel free to use compost as this first mulch layer. Add a layer of mulch (straw is great at this point) over and around the bushel basket. Drape a rainproof cover over the mound, taking care to anchor the edges.

In spring, after the ground is no longer frozen and before growth begins, remove the winter covering. When new growth begins, fertilize plants again with Bonnie Herb, Vegetable & Flower Plant Food and add a 1-inch layer of compost or well-rotted manure around the plant.
Get gardening info on the go with our free app, HOMEGROWN with Bonnie Plants. Find out more, or download it now for iPhone or Android.
FAQs

How do I water artichokes?

Artichokes need watering about once a week, but that can vary. If your soil is heavy and holds moisture well, water less often. For hot regions, water more frequently. Don't allow artichokes to stand in water; plants won't survive. Too little water results in loose buds with poor taste.

Should I remove the shoots that have appeared at the base of my artichoke plants?

If you garden in Zones 4 to 6, where artichokes are treated as annuals, remove suckers as soon as they appear, snapping or clipping them from plants. In warmer regions, where artichokes are perennials, if you allow stems to develop, you'll have a few transplants you can use to enlarge your artichoke patch or share with friends. In this case, remove only the weakest shoots, permitting heartier ones to grow. If you don't want transplants, remove all the shoots.

How do I know when to harvest artichokes?

As soon as flower buds begin to form, check plants daily. You want to pick buds just before the petals begin to open. If you wait too long, the buds become fibrous and stringy - impossible to eat. If your plants have experienced ideal conditions, buds may be as large as 3 inches across. The center bud ripens first. Once you harvest that, check plants daily as the side shoots develop. Side shoot buds don't grow as large as the center bud. Remember to cut buds with 1 to 2 inches of stem below the base. Handle buds carefully; they bruise easily.

Can I do anything to improve my artichoke harvest?

The area in California where artichokes grow best experiences those famous fogs that roll in off the ocean. You can mimic those growing conditions in two ways. First, plant artichokes where they'll receive some afternoon shade. It also helps to mulch roots as summer temperatures soar. Aim for a 4-inch-thick layer of mulch. Second, install an auto mister programmed to create a fog around plants in early morning. It's wise to give plants as ideal growing conditions as possible. Artichokes raised in hot, dry conditions mature buds so quickly that they easily become over-ripe and tough.

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Globe artichoke is an heirloom vegetable grown for its tender, edible flower buds. With their large, silvery-green leaves and thick stems topped with pinecone-like flower buds, artichoke plants add a strong architectural element to vegetable garden plantings. Thomas Jefferson reportedly raised artichokes at Monticello, his Virginia home, as early as 1767.

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Selection and storage

Harvest when their buds are still immature and pick just before their petals begin to open. Fresh globes can be readily available in the market all around the season, although they are at their best during the spring.

In the store, choose fresh artichokes that feel heavy for their size and without any cuts or bruise. Its leaves should be compact (appose tightly together), should feature dark green and squeak when squeezed. Avoid large, overmature globes as they are unappetizing.

The globes best used while they are fresh. However, they can keep well if stored in the refrigerator in a sealed plastic bag for up to a week.

Preparation and serving methods

Artichokes are a popular winter season vegetables across Europe. Small or baby artichokes can be eaten completely without removing spiny choke lying inside.

To prepare bigger globes, rinse them under cold running water. Trim away the stem, leaving about 1 inch from the base. Remove the lower layers of scales as they do not contain any flesh. Using a pair of scissors, trim away thorny scale ends. Trim its top end using a paring knife up to an inch. Spread out the scales with fingertips and then scrape off its central choke. Rub a lemon slice over a cut portion to prevent it from turning brown (discoloration). Then, the globe is boiled in the water upside down with some added salt and lemon juice until it gets soft.

To eat artichokes, take off one leaf at a time, dip in your favorite sauce, and scrape off the fleshy base with your teeth. Center and base portions of the scale, close to its attachment to the heart, in fact, holds a lot of edible flesh.

Be sure to provide a side plate to pile discarded leaves, and a soft towel/finger bowl to wash hands for the guests!

Here are some serving tips:

Artichokes can be enjoyed mixed with vegetables, beans, meat, or stuffed with seafood.

The globes, in general, are cooked by deep-frying, sauteed in oil or barbecued. The "heart" is the favorite part of artichoke appreciators!.

Its stem, which often discarded unwantedly, can also be enjoyed. The stem is delicious and tastes like that of hearts.

Safety profile

Allergic reactions to artichoke are uncommon. (Medical disclaimer).

<<-Back to Vegetable Nutrition from Artichoke. Visit here for an impressive list of vegetables with complete illustrations of their nutrition facts and health benefits.
Further resources:

1. Inhibition of Cholesterol Biosynthesis in Primary Cultured Rat Hepatocytes by Artichoke: http://jpet.aspetjournals.org.

2. USDA National Nutrient Database.

3. Virginia Cooperative Extension- PDF.

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Artichoke nutrition facts and health benefits

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Selection and storage Harvest when their buds are still immature and pick just before their petals begin to open. Fresh globes can be readily available in the market all around the season, although they are at their best during the spring. In the store, choose fresh artichokes that feel heavy for their size and without any cuts or bruise.

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How to Cook an Artichoke

1 Cut of the tips of the petals: If the artichokes have little thorns on the end of the petals, take a kitchen scissors and cut of the thorned tips of all of the petals. This step is mostly for aesthetics as the thorns soften with cooking and pose no threat to the person eating the artichoke.

2 Slice off the top of the artichoke: Slice about 3/4 inch to an inch off the tip of the artichoke. A serrated bread knife works great for this.

3 Remove small petals at the base: Pull off any smaller petals towards the base and on the stem.

4 Cut off excess stem: Cut off excess stem, leaving up to an inch on the artichoke. The stems tend to be more bitter than the rest of the artichoke, but some people like to eat them.

Alternatively you can leave the whole long stem on the artichoke, just cut off the very end of the stem, and peel the tough outside layer of the stem with a vegetable peeler.

5 Rinse the artichokes: Rinse the artichokes in running cold water. While you rinse them, open up the petals a little so that the water does get inside more easily. (This is where it helps to have cut off the thorny tips, it makes the artichoke easier to open without getting poked!)

6 Set up a pot with some water, aromatics, and a steaming basket: In a large pot, put a couple inches of water, a clove of garlic, a slice of lemon, and a bay leaf (this adds wonderful flavor to the artichokes). Insert a steaming basket.

7 Steam the artichokes: Place artichokes on top of the steaming basket. Cover the pot. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer.

Cook for 25 to 45 minutes or until the outer leaves can easily be pulled off.

Note: artichokes can also be cooked in a pressure cooker (about 15-20 minutes cooking time). Cooking time depends on how large the artichoke is, the larger, the longer it takes to cook.

How to Eat an Artichoke

Artichokes may be eaten cold or hot, but I think they are much better hot. They are served with a dip, either melted butter or mayonnaise. My favorite dip is mayo with a little bit of balsamic vinegar mixed in.

1 Pull off outer petals, one at a time. Dip white fleshy end in melted butter or sauce.

2 Tightly grip the other end of the petal. Place in mouth, dip side down, and pull through teeth to remove soft, pulpy, delicious portion of the petal. Discard remaining petal.

Continue until all of the petals are removed.

3 With a knife or spoon, scrape out and discard the inedible fuzzy part (called the "choke") covering the artichoke heart. The remaining bottom of the artichoke is the heart. Cut into pieces and dip into sauce to eat.

My favorite artichoke dipping sauce? Some mayonnaise with a little balsamic vinegar stirred in. Some people like dipping artichoke leaves and the heart into melted butter or a vinaigrette.

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How to Cook and Eat an Artichoke | SimplyRecipes.com

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1 Cut of the tips of the petals: If the artichokes have little thorns on the end of the petals, take a kitchen scissors and cut of the thorned tips of all of the petals. This step is mostly for aesthetics as the thorns soften with cooking and pose no threat to the person eating the artichoke.