Butterfly Pea Flower Tea Recipe
Butterfly Pea Flower Tea isn’t just beautiful, it’s also packed full of anthocyanins which are great for you.
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Chunky Shrimp Dip and Salad
This chunky shrimp dip doubles as shrimp salad. It’s a breeze to make and fresh dill really makes it pop.
Marinated Whole Artichoke Recipe
I started making artichokes this way when I was just a teenager and first discovered them. Honestly, the first time I made them this way I did it by accident; I’d been steaming them and dipping them in garlic butter for maybe a year or so and was looking for a different way to make them so I simmered the artichokes in water with some Italian dressing poured over them. I refrigerated the one I didn’t eat and voila! My own whole marinated artichokes were born.
Are these messy to eat? Yes, a little bit but they’re so good that they’re worth a couple of napkins. The bonus is that they’re very easy to make this way and you get the benefit of eating the whole artichoke, not just the heart. Score!
What I do here is really just make my own simplified version of Italian dressing but if you want to use that bottle of dressing you’ve got on hand, feel free. And yes, I use a lot of garlic, onion, and bell pepper here but that’s because I like all that good stuff to enjoy when eating all the leaves; you can adjust these to your own taste.
Whole Marinated Artichokes Recipe
- 2 large artichokes
- 1 large lemon, cut into quarters
- 6-8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small bell pepper, minced
- 1/2 medium onion, minced
- 3/4 cup red or white vinegar
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
- Remove the first two layers of bottom leaves of the each of the artichokes and discard
- Trim 1/4 inch off the bottom of the stem of each artichoke and discard
- Use a vegetable peeler or a small knife to peel the outer layer of the stem and trim off any remaining leaf bases from the leaves you removed from each artichoke
- Use the lemon quarters and rub it along the cut portions of the artichokes to prevent them from turning brown but do not discard the lemons; you’re going to add them to the artichoke marinade
- Cut off 1/2 inch of the top of each of the artichokes and rub with lemon
- Cut each artichoke in half lengthwise and rub the exposed areas with lemon
- Using a small spoon, such as an iced-tea spoon (my go-to choice) or a paring knife, scoop or cut out the furry choke and sharp inner leaves from the center of the heart, rubbing each cut side with lemon as you go
- Place prepared artichokes cut side down in a large pan and fill with the remaining ingredients
- Add your used lemon wedges
- Bring the artichokes and marinade to a boil and then cover, reduce heat, and simmer for about 1 hour, ladling the marinade over the artichokes every 15 minutes or so
- Remove from heat and leave covered
- Let cool for about an hour
- Transfer to a large dish cut-side up, ladle marinade over, cover and refrigerate for 1-2 days.
Now, this actually works just as well if you don’t want to cut and clean the artichokes first. You can just trim the stem and cut off the top 1/2 inch of each artichoke, place in the marinade, and cook for an hour. Making them this way just means you’ll need to scoop out the fuzzy choke when you’re eating the artichoke but hey, I’ve done it this way plenty of times and don’t really mind.
Even better, if you want to add a bit of smokiness to these, pop the cooked artichoke halves under the broiler or on the grill for a few minutes before chilling…delicious!
So there you go! Whole marinated artichokes without wasting all of those beautiful leaves which are so delicious. Enjoy!
Homemade Hibiscus Tea
If you’re looking for a slightly tart but refreshing treat, you need to be making hibiscus tea at home. I typically make it as iced tea but it’s pretty darned delicious hot, too. If you were to ask me what hibiscus tea tastes like, the …
Farro with Roasted Asparagus, Peppers, and Tomatoes
There’s nothing not to love about farro. It’s nutty and delicious, it cooks quickly, it’s versatile, and it’s high in fiber, B-vitamins, and is a good source of antioxidants.
Previously, I’ve shared with you my Easy Farro with Mushrooms recipe and my Farro Salad with Tomatoes and Roasted Broccolini Recipe to show you just how versatile farro really is.
This farro recipe plays double duty because you can serve it warm or cold, as a side dish or a salad. Better yet, you can easily make this a meatless Monday dish. You can make it with or without vinegar and you can customize it with your choice of veggies.
Also, this might seem like a lot of veggies when you start but it’s a perfect amount once they’re roasted. You can even add more veggies if you’d like.
This is such an easy farro recipe that you’ll quickly discover just how many ways you can make it.
Farro with Roasted Asparagus, Peppers, and Tomatoes Recipe
- 1 cup pearled farro
- 3 large cloves of garlic, smashed
- 4 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 6 scallions, diced
- 1 lb. asparagus, diced
- 10 small sweet peppers, preferably a mix of yellow, red, and orange, diced
- 1/4 teaspoon each kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, keeping the tablespoon separate
- 1 tablespoon black vinegar (optional, you can omit vinegar altogether or substitute your favorite)
Directions
Preheat oven to 425°
- Put farro in a medium size saucepan, cover with a few inches of water, bring to a boil, reduce to a healthy simmer, and cook for 12-15 minutes, just until tender
- Drain, rinse well, drain well again, spoon into a large bowl, and set aside
- Place diced veggies on a baking sheet (I like to line mine with foil for easy cleanup)
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper
- Drizzle with olive oil
- Use your hands or a spoon to toss the veggies around to coat well
- Spread the veggies out into a single layer on the pan and place in preheated oven
- Roast for 15 minutes, toss well and then roast for approximately 15-18 minutes more until the veggies begin to char a bit
- Remove from oven
- Add veggies to farro, add 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon of black vinegar, toss well and taste. Add additional olive oil and/or vinegar as needed. I prefer this dish lightly dressed but you may prefer a little more.
Again, you can serve this warm or, if you prefer, refrigerate for a few hours and serve cold; it’s delicious both ways.
Some other veggies that are delicious in this are eggplant, leeks, and zucchini.
Like cheese? Try tossing in some crumbled feta or goat cheese, or freshly grated Parmesan.
If you’ve been searching for a way to use black vinegar hopefully, this gives you some inspiration. I love black vinegar in this because it pairs well with the smokey veggies but sometimes I make it without any vinegar at all; it really depends on my mood and what I’m planning on serving it with. Never be afraid to play with your food.
Thanks for stopping by!
Oven Roasted Garlic and Lemon Artichokes
I love a good artichoke recipe, don’t you? And if you’ve been following me here on my journey, then you might remember how excited I was to finally learn how to grow them myself here in zone 5. I’ve also shared with you some basic …