Artichokes

I love vegetables.  When I am just cooking for myself, I often choose to simply have vegetables for dinner.  One of my favorites is artichokes.  They are a bit of work to eat, but easy enough to prepare.  You can simply steam the artichokes, but I find that the few minutes of extra time that this method takes is worth the effort.  You can eat the artichokes plain or with either of the two dipping sauces below.

Artichokes

This recipe is enough for a full dinner for 1 person or as an appetizer or side dish for 2 - 4 people.  The sauce recipes that follow make more than enough for the two artichokes.

• 2 small artichokes
• olive oil
• sea salt
• pepper

Directions:

Use scissors to snip off the sharp bits at the ends of the leaves of the artichokes and a sharp knife to cut off the top.  Cut off the stem of the artichoke.  (The stem is still edible though you probably want to peal off the tough outer skin.  I generally cut the browning end of the stem off, peel it, and toss it in the pots while the artichoke is cooking.  It makes a great snack while the rest of the artichoke is under the broiler.)

To steam the artichokes,  place it in about 1/2 - 1 inch of boiling water. Cook for about 20 minutes or until the bottom leaves pull away easily.  Remove the artichokes from the boiling water and place on cutting board. With a sharp knife, cut the artichokes in half.  (I've found this is easiest when you start near the bottom leaves.)  Brush each half with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place halves in a baking dish cut side up.  Place under the broiler for about 5 minutes or until the artichokes are slightly charred.

Lemon Butter Sauce:
Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in the microwave.  Squeeze in juice of 1/2 of a lemon and add a bit of pepper.  Mix until combined.

Mayonnaise Sauce:
Wrap 1 clove of garlic in foil and roast it in the oven until soft.  Once the garlic is roasted,  smash the clove, mix with 1/4 cup mayonnaise, juice of 1/2 of a lemon, and a bit of salt and pepper.