Artichokes have been a long time favorite vegetable of mine and there’s no better way to enjoy them than steamed with a great side sauce. Growing up, when most kids begged their mom for mac and cheese for dinner, I would beg mine for steamed artichokes.
It was definitely the sauce she’s always served with it that made me an addict (parents, take note: this might be one way to get your kids to eat vegetables – it worked for me when I was a kid). For dinner tonight, I decided to make the mayo-free healthier version of this sauce by substituting greek yogurt. It may not have been exactly like my mom’s, but for a healthy dip, it came pretty close and definitely hit the spot! Artichokes also pack a long list of health benefits. They rank high on anti-oxidant count and have been found to help in curing liver diseases. Apparently they’re good for hangovers and make your skin glow too. You can read more about the benefits of artichokes in this great article on The Epicurean Table.
They’re also one of the most beautiful foods…even after they’ve been devoured…
Here’s how to prepare the artichokes and sauce….
To prepare the artichoke, cut the bottom stalk off and cut about an inch off the top of the artichoke (this helps to remove the prickly leaves at the top and opens the artichoke up to allow for better steaming). Using a scissor, trim the pointy tops of the remaining leaves on the artichoke so that the top of each leaf has a flat edge. Trimming these is important so you don’t prick yourself when removing and eating the leaves. Place the whole artichoke(s) on top of steamer in a pot of boiling water (water should come up just over steamer). Place lid on pot allowing for some steam to get out and let steam for about 45 minutes. Using a pair of tongs, try removing a leaf from the outside and inside of the artichoke. If both come off easily, the artichoke is ready.
Sauce:
2 large spoonfuls of 0% greek yogurt
1 large spoonful of dijon mustard
1/2 small shallot minced
Juice of 1 lemon
sprinkle of adobo or seasoning of choice
dash of tabasco sauceCombine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well together. This makes enough sauce for about 2 to 3 artichokes depending upon size.
thanks very much for your healthy sauce recipe! i used it tonight with steamed artichokes. my friends, who had never tried them fresh before, absolutely loved it. let’s see ‘em use artichokes out of the can NOW.
So glad you and your friends enjoyed the sauce!
Thank you for stopping by and trying it out!
Good work getting them to eat fresh steamed artichokes
You can find some pretty cool greek recipes here , if you want to take a look.
You can find some pretty cool greek recipes here , if you want to take a look.
So glad you put this up – I LOVE your mom’s dip as well and is going to try yours now too… now just to find some good artichokes around here – that will be our problem.
So glad you put this up – I LOVE your mom’s dip as well and is going to try yours now too… now just to find some good artichokes around here – that will be our problem.
I havnt had artichoke in ages but this has inspired me to make it again : ) thanks for the post!