Artichokes

[Pea-n-Me]

I like these marinated but I've never bought and cooked one.

I've looked up the How To but not sure I want to go that route.

Can anyone recommend a brand of really good already prepared marinated artichokes? Also, how do you usually serve them?

 

[NMAmy]

My family loves artichokes but I don't really care for the marinated ones. It can seem daunting to cook one but it's really quite simple.

 

[katesorad]

I wish I would've saved the jar of what I just served, but I didn't! They were a big hit, along with a homemade aioli. To make the aioli, I put 2 large egg yolks, 3 chopped garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of parsley, and 1 tablespoon of unseasoned breadcrumbs in my food processor. I pulsed it until it was blended.. and then I slowly added 1/2 cup of regular olive oil (not extra virgin). And when I was done pulsing that, I threw it in the microwave for 1 minute and it firmed up really nicely. It was a big hit!

 

[Swalphin]

I love artichokes, I do not make marintated ones though. I prepare mine by trimming the base, place them in boiling water and cook for about 45 minutes until they are a drab green. I let them cool and serve them with a creamy vinaigrette. Pulling each leaf of dipping the meaty end in the dressing. When I get to the heart make sure to remove the hairy choke and dip the yummy meaty part in the dressing.

 

[MulanUSAF]

I love artichokes! In the summer, we grill them with this recipe http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/grilled-garlic-artichokes/Detail.aspx

In the winter, we boil or steam instead of grilling. I usually get the big jar from Costco for the marinated ones.

 

[Minnesota!]

I love artichokes, I do not make marintated ones though. I prepare mine by trimming the base, place them in boiling water and cook for about 45 minutes until they are a drab green. I let them cool and serve them with a creamy vinaigrette. Pulling each leaf of dipping the meaty end in the dressing. When I get to the heart make sure to remove the hairy choke and dip the yummy meaty part in the dressing.

Yep! I make a "dip" of butter, lemon juice, and worchestershire. Mmmm.

I love artichokes! In the summer, we grill them with this recipe http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/grilled-garlic-artichokes/Detail.aspx

In the winter, we boil or steam instead of grilling. I usually get the big jar from Costco for the marinated ones.

Costco's artichokes are amazing!!!

 

[Pakey]

We steam ours; much preferred over boiling. We place them leaf tip down in the steamer.

The old brand of marinated ones I have ever purchased are Cara Mia. I have a recipe that calls for them; that's the only time I use the marinated ones. I believe that's the brand that is carried at Costco out here.

 

[Cindy's Mom]

I do bread artichoke hearts. I peel down the artichoke, get to the heart, quarter it, do a egg bath with a bit of flour and fry them in a frying pan!

To die for !!

Also, I hate the marinated ones, I simply do not care for the flavors they use. I buy the canned one, then make my own marinade. Olive Oil, salt pepper oregano, red pepper flakes, garlic (powder or fresh, depends on my mood).

 

[tvguy]

Cooking them is really simple.

Never cared for the marinated ones because the vinegar overcomes the delicate flavor.

 

[Pooh Crew]

We don't really do the marinated ones...fresh ones are easy to prepare. If I ever had to choose my last meal, my mom's stuffed artichokes would definitely be part of it! Mmmmm...she mixes bread crumbs with romano cheese, onion, celery, and some other stuff, drizzles with olive oil and stuffs all the leaves of the artichoke after cutting off the pointy tips. Then she steams them. Oh, man! I can just taste them now! She's coming for Christmas, so I might just have to buy the ingredients and see if she takes the bait! I love the stuffed ones, but just melted butter with crushed garlic added makes a great dip for the plain ones.

 

[sndral]

You can buy frozen artichokes that are already good do go for use in recipes. There are some yummy artichoke dip and soup recipes.
Fresh artichokes take less skill than peeling & coring a vegetable/fruit and are easier than crabs, lobsters, shrimp, etc.. Do try fresh artichokes - they are wonderful. Assuming you have a batch of medium or large sized artichokes - slice off the bottom of the stem and the top 1/2 inch or so of the choke, use 1/2 lemon to rub the cut tops and bottoms so they don't turn dark (not essential.) Then w/ scissors nip off the little thorny tip of each leaf. I personally boil mine in water w/ the 1/2 lemon I rubbed the tops/bottoms with, a dash of olive oil and a smashed whole garlic clove. When they turn olive green and give to pressure they're done. My approach to eating them is to pull off each leaf and dip it's base into mayo and then rake the good stuff off the inside w/ my teeth till all the leaves are eaten and then remove the fuzzy stuff and eat the whole heart.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Thank you for all of your suggestions.

I do not have a Costco near me or a membership. Does BJ's carry the same ones does anyone know?

Well I did pick up some marinated artichokes in a jar to try. I think I might have some for lunch today. If they're any good, I'll report back.

I think I'll try cooking some after the holidays as well. (I dunno, something about cutting off the thorny part has me a little lol.)

 

[shortbun]

Our nearby cafe serves them grilled with herbs. They are so yummy, I order two and make it my dinner!