Lemon-Herb Artichoke Hearts
Contributed by: News Canada
Gourmet fare for the home cook
(NC) - Having a stash of easy and impressive recipes allows a home cook to be creative and extraordinary any night of the week. This restaurant-inspired recipe from the Almond Board of California was created for the experimental home cook who wants an ultimate taste and culinary experience at home, but doesn't want the expense of eating out.
Try this fun, flavourful dish, which is versatile as a warm salad or a side dish. Use fresh artichoke hearts for their unparalleled fresh flavour, or save time by using artichoke hearts from a jar. Either way, the almonds, lemon and herbs beautifully enhance the tender artichoke hearts and bright red bell pepper.
For more almond-inspired recipes, visit www.AlmondsAreIn.com.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced thinly
- 5 fresh artichoke hearts, cooked*, cleaned* and halved
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup roasted almonds, roughly chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup chopped, fresh flat-leaf parsley
Directions:
Heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, add garlic and red bell pepper and sauté for 1 minute. Add artichokes and lemon juice. Stir in almonds, salt and pepper and sauté for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and top with parsley. Serve immediately.
*To prepare artichokes, trim outer bottom leaves and stem. Blanch in salted, boiling water with lemon juice for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Remove from the water and cool. Remove leaves and reserve for another use. With a spoon, scoop out the hairy choke and reserve the hearts. This may seem like a hassle, but you'll find that in terms of flavour and texture, using fresh artichoke hearts instead of canned makes a big difference. If you're in a hurry, though, you can use artichoke bottoms from a can, drained and rinsed.
Serving Size: Makes 6 Servings
Nutritional Information: Per Serving: Calories 175; Cholesterol 10 mg; Total Fat 11 g; Fibre 8 g; Saturated Fat 3 g; Calcium 94 mg; Monounsaturated Fat 6 g; Magnesium 105 mg; Polyunsaturated Fat 2 g; Potassium 566 mg; Carbohydrate 16 g; Sodium 200 mg; Protein 7 g; Vitamin E 4.2 mg* * Total Alpha-Tocopherol Equivalents
