Artichokes

I didn't quite finish making dinner tonight. The kids asked for spaghetti, and I had some artichokes, but I never got to the sauce or anything else. (One of those days...) So we had plain spaghetti and artichokes. Pretty pathetic. Not really worth posting, except my kids ate SO much that I figured I wanted to remember this.

Artichokes are not difficult to cook or eat, but they are definitely unique to both cook and eat. To cook them, cut off the top half inch or so, and the bottom stem. Then snip off the top of each leaf. (You don't have to, but there is a little pokey barb on the tip of the leaf, so it is just a little friendlier to eat if they have been snipped.) Steam for about 30 minutes, until the leaves come off easily. (Once recipe I read said steam them stem side down, another said stem side up. I did it stem side down.) I put mine in the rice cooker with a steaming rack in the bottom and about an inch of water.

To eat, pull off each leaf, dip in melted butter, then scrape off the bottom "meaty" part of the leaf with your teeth. When all the leaves are gone, scrape out the middle "choke" part and discard--you'll recognize it when you see it, you won't want to eat it-- then eat the rest of the heart.

The artichokes came with a label that said "loaded with antioxidants." With a word so scientific and specific as "loaded," I don't really know how they measure up nutritionally, but they are a vegetable and my kids did eat them. If someone can school me about artichoke nutrition, let me know.

Ratings:

Me: So obviously major holes in this dinner, but I love artichokes so I just enjoyed them.

Hubby: He found something else for dinner, can I blame him? (I should also mention that he was late coming home from work so it was not in front of the kids. Thanks honey.)

5YO: He ate an artichoke and a half. Except for the heart, but I'm not complaining since he gave it to me. I had to remind him to chew while he ate his spaghetti he was inhaling it so fast.

4YO: She enjoyed the idea of dipping in butter, so she tried a few leaves, and then realized she preferred spaghetti dipped in butter. Lots of spaghetti dipped in butter. She ended up with butter all over her arms, face, and hair.

1YO: He ate some spaghetti, but this shape of pasta is a little challenging for him. Rotini or penne is much easier to pick up and keep from getting stuck in his throat. He also ate my artichoke heart, so good thing his brother shared his with me.