Stuffed Artichokes

Stuffed artichokes were a regular on our table growing up; my mother, grandmother, great grandmother and probably all the Italian grandmothers before them, made a version of this yummy artichoke stuffed with breadcrumbs and cheese. Thankfully, there are some amazing gluten free Italian bread crumb and vegan parmesan cheese options out there because I have spent many years missing one of my childhood favorites. The smell of these artichokes steaming on the stove brings back memories of many Saturdays and holidays spent in the kitchen with my mom, grandmother, aunts and sisters trying to steal a crumb of anything they were cooking up for our family gatherings.

This recipe is for 2 large artichokes; adjust according to how many you want to make. By far, the best gluten free breadcrumbs that I have found is Aleia’s Gluten free. They make plain and Italian Style. You will want to get the Italian style bread crumbs for this recipe and you can find them at Whole Foods or order through Amazon.

Ingredients:

• 2 Large artichokes
• 1 Cup Aleia’s Gluten Free bread crumbs
• 1 Cup vegan parmesan cheese (favorite brand is Follow Your Heart)
• Olive oil to drizzle on top
• 1 carton of vegetable stock (optional – you can use water)

Instructions:

First, prepare the artichokes by trimming off the top 5th; that will get rid of most of the sharp tops of the artichoke leaves. Using a kitchen scissor, trim the remaining leaves that have the sharp edges. Trim the bottom stem of the artichoke, making sure it is level so that is can stand upright on its own. Once the artichokes have been trimmed, rinse the artichoke and then pat dry.

Once the artichokes have been trimmed and rinsed, pull on the leaves of the artichoke from the center and then outward to loosen the leaves. This step will make stuffing the artichoke easier – so make sure you get it well loosened.

In a medium bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs and the cheese.

Sprinkle the breadcrumb and cheese mixture into the artichoke, making sure to pull the leaves to make room for the mixture to make its way under each leaf. Depending on the size of your artichokes, you may need more breadcrumb mixture.

Using a medium to large pot, add enough water or broth to the point where it covers the stem and 1/2 of the first row of leaves on the artichoke.

Drizzle the top of the artichokes with some extra virgin olive oil.

Simmer on low/medium heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour (or more) depending on size of the artichoke. You want to cook until the leaves come out easily and start to fall ever so slightly outward. You may need to add water or stock as you cook; making sure that there is always liquid in the pan during the steaming/cooking process.

These taste amazing hot, room temperature and even cold out of the refrigerator.