Italian Stuffed Artichokes

My friends in Los Angeles asked me to join their Thanksgiving dinner. All the food that we had that day was amazing but there was one italian appetizer – made by one of our italian friend – was amazing. I got the recipe from her and was cooking it from time to time. A traditional Italian comfort dish, stuffed artichokes are a staple around the holidays in most Italian homes. What makes it so tasty was the Progresso Breadcrumbs. The combination of flavours on their Italian Style one is brilliant. When I moved from Los Angeles, It was hard for me to find that product so I tried homemade recipes and other products but none of them tasted close to Progresso Bread Crumbs Italian Style. I normally don’t use processed food, never make any advertisement and always try to do everything homemade but this time I’ll go with ready made breadcrumbs. 

Whether you’re hosting a family gathering for the holidays this year or attending a party at someone else’s house, I am confident this italian recipe for Italian stuffed artichokes will be a huge hit.  

Drizzled with lemon juice before steaming until tender, the end result is cheesy, garlicky and full of flavor.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 whole artichokes
• 2 cups Progresso Bread Crumbs Italian Style
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese – grated
• 1/4 cup parsley – minced
• 4 cloves garlic – minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 6 tablespoons olive oil 

METHOD

1. Soak artichokes in cold water for 30 minutes.
2. To prepare the artichokes: Cut off stems of the artichokes with a sharp knife. Make sure the cut is straight so artichoke will stand flat. 
3. Slice off ¼ inch straight from the top of each artichoke (the prickly part).
4. Stand the artichoke upside down and push firmly on the stem side to slightly open the leaves making room to catch the stuffing. Using scissors, cut the tip of each leaf straight across. 
5. Squeeze half of the lemon juice inside the artichoke. 
6. In a large bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, grated cheese, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper. Fill each leaf with the stuffing until artichokes are well packed.
7. Drizzle with olive oil, then squeeze more lemon juice over the artichokes. Sprinkle with a little salt over the top and sides.
8. Put artichokes standing up into a wide pot large enough to hold the artichokes. Add enough water to cover just to the top of the bottom row of leaves of the artichokes. 
9. Add 1 tablespoon of salt in the pot. Cover and let the water come to a boil. Lower the heat and let the artichokes simmer for 45 minutes or until leaves are tender. Serve warm.

NOTES

You can also finely chop the stems and use them in the stuffing.

HOW DO YOU EAT STUFFED ARTICHOKES?

You eat the petals. They can be either dipped in a sauce or butter. The pulp portion of the petal is what you eat.