The CookingBites Recipe Challenge: Nov 2015-June 2017

morning glory said:
Can you describe how you prepared the artichoke. It looks as if you have whole leaves chopped up. My understanding (and experience) is that unless the artichokes are tiny baby ones the leaves are inedible (tough and stringy) and it is only the fleshy base of each leaf and the heart which is edible.
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Artichokes are whole edible, all leaves, it only depends by manner of cooking:in this case I have take off the external leaves and chopped up the internal leaves more adapt for salad and to eat raw. Then I drizzle them with some lemon juice, add rocket salad with flakes of parmesan, pinch of salt/pepper and evo. And the external leaves? I don't throw anything away. I set aside and I'll cook them for dinner tonight or lunch tomorrow. I'll prepare risotto with them. It's enough to boil the external leaves, add cheese and risotto is ready.
 
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Elawin said:
I went to our local Sainsburys this lunchtime. They didn't have any :whistling:
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Tinned?
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I asked about fresh artichokes in Tesco today and was told that they have been unsuccessful in trying to get them. He then used his gadget whatsit thingy to find out where in the shop I would find the artichokes in oil in a jar ( in the antipasti area) or the ones in water in a tin ( with the other tinned vegetables). I bought the tinned ones.
I'll try them over the weekend........
 
MypinchofItaly said:
Artichokes are whole edible, all leaves, it only depends by manner of cooking:in this case I have take off the external leaves and chopped up the internal leaves more adapt for salad and to eat raw. Then I drizzle them with some lemon juice, add rocket salad with flakes of parmesan, pinch of salt/pepper and evo. And the external leaves? I don't throw anything away. I set aside and I'll cook them for dinner tonight or lunch tomorrow. I'll prepare risotto with them. It's enough to boil the external leaves, add cheese and risotto is ready.
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I mentioned this over on the 'what did you cook today. thread - I think your artichokes are much younger and possibly a different type. The leaves on mine although not poisonous are absolutely inedible. They are very tough and fibrous even after cooking. Only the soft base, heart and and stem are edible after cooking.
 
Elawin said:
Nope, none whatsoever. Our local Sainsburys isn't that small - they took over the Co-op supermarket when the Co-op downsized. I'll have to go to Romford Sainsbury's or order online next time, or go to Tesco's.
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Well, we are getting a bit wanting for entries here so every little bit would help! :)
 
https://www.cookingbites.com/thread...toast-with-cream-cheese-pesto-and-basil.9227/

So my challenge was not only to create a recipe using artichokes but also to try them for the first time.
I did lots of googling to see what kind of foods went well with artichokes and how people were preparing and serving them.
I quite enjoy the freedom of creating different feasts on toast when Mr K is at work, so that was my starting point.
And then I picked the ingredients that I personally like and went shopping. As I previously mentioned, my local Tesco only had preserved artichokes so I chose the tinned ones because they come in water rather than the ones in oil in jars.


I assembled my ingredients and opened the tin, I tried a bit of one straight from the tin and it was ok, I was unable to think what it tasted like, a bit sharp perhaps, I don't know but I realised that I would need to let them drain on kitchen paper and add my favourite flavour of lemon so that's when I decided to marinade a few of the hearts in a lemon and olive oil dressing rather than just add it later. I then made three pieces of toast and, one at a time, spread each one with a layer of cream cheese followed by a layer of pesto. I put some slices of artichoke on the first piece with a few slices of tomato and some basil leaves on the side. On eating this I decided there was not enough basil and tomato. The second slice had a lot more basil and tomato with some of the dressing drizzled over which was delicious. The third was similar but with a lot of the dressing drizzled over which was even better.

First attempt
IMG_20170319_143807088.jpg


Second attempt
IMG_20170319_150529317.jpg


If you're wondering, yes, I ate the lot. I was hungry and had just come back from a 34 mile, wet and windy bike ride!



I enjoyed the challenge and I still have half the tin left. Any suggestions?
I would definitely order a dish that includes artichokes from a restaurant menu in the future.

Have you noticed a lemony theme running through my challenge entries?!
 
Kake Lover said:
https://www.cookingbites.com/thread...toast-with-cream-cheese-pesto-and-basil.9227/

So my challenge was not only to create a recipe using artichokes but also to try them for the first time.
I did lots of googling to see what kind of foods went well with artichokes and how people were preparing and serving them.
I quite enjoy the freedom of creating different feasts on toast when Mr K is at work, so that was my starting point.
And then I picked the ingredients that I personally like and went shopping. As I previously mentioned, my local Tesco only had preserved artichokes so I chose the tinned ones because they come in water rather than the ones in oil in jars.


I assembled my ingredients and opened the tin, I tried a bit of one straight from the tin and it was ok, I was unable to think what it tasted like, a bit sharp perhaps, I don't know but I realised that I would need to let them drain on kitchen paper and add my favourite flavour of lemon so that's when I decided to marinade a few of the hearts in a lemon and olive oil dressing rather than just add it later. I then made three pieces of toast and, one at a time, spread each one with a layer of cream cheese followed by a layer of pesto. I put some slices of artichoke on the first piece with a few slices of tomato and some basil leaves on the side. On eating this I decided there was not enough basil and tomato. The second slice had a lot more basil and tomato with some of the dressing drizzled over which was delicious. The third was similar but with a lot of the dressing drizzled over which was even better.

First attempt
View attachment 5820

Second attempt
View attachment 5821

If you're wondering, yes, I ate the lot. I was hungry and had just come back from a 34 mile, wet and windy bike ride!



I enjoyed the challenge and I still have half the tin left. Any suggestions?
I would definitely order a dish that includes artichokes from a restaurant menu in the future.

Have you noticed a lemony theme running through my challenge entries?!
Click to expand...

I like your sandwiches! And I like you taste for the first time Artichokes! I love them also in a tin olive oil..try to put the rest of artichokes in a mixer with their oil and you will have a delicious paté (artichokes cream) to fill toasted slices bread..
 
Kake Lover said:
I enjoyed the challenge and I still have half the tin left. Any suggestions?
I would definitely order a dish that includes artichokes from a restaurant menu in the future.
Click to expand...
One thing to know is that the tinned ones are rather different from the fresh ones that we can buy in the UK. They are whole small baby hearts in water with citric acid added - that is why they tasted sharp. Its best to rinse them thoroughly unless you want the sharp taste - but you won't entirely rid them of it.

The fresh kind (in UK) are fat older artichokes and you eat the base of the leaves by scraping them on your bottom teeth! Then you remove the 'choke' which is a hairy bit and eat the base. The taste of the base is indescribable and to my mind, quite divine. I like the tinned type too - but they aren't the same. If you get a chance, do try the fresh ones.

I've got a recipe coming up tomorrow using the bases of fresh artichokes.:)
 
MypinchofItaly said:
I like your sandwiches! And I like you taste for the first time Artichokes! I love them also in a tin olive oil..try to put the rest of artichokes in a mixer with their oil and you will have a delicious paté (artichokes cream) to fill toasted slices bread..
Click to expand...

The artichokes @Kake Lover used were not in oil. They are in a can with water. But it would certainly be possible to put them in a mixer and blend with oil to make artichoke cream. :okay:
 
morning glory said:
One thing to know is that the tinned ones are rather different from the fresh ones that we can buy in the UK. They are whole small baby hearts in water with citric acid added - that is why they tasted sharp. Its best to rinse them thoroughly unless you want the sharp taste - but you won't entirely rid them of it.

The fresh kind (in UK) are fat older artichokes and you eat the base of the leaves by scraping them on your bottom teeth! Then you remove the 'choke' which is a hairy bit and eat the base. The taste of the base is indescribable and to my mind, quite divine. I like the tinned type too - but they aren't the same. If you get a chance, do try the fresh ones.

I've got a recipe coming up tomorrow using the bases of fresh artichokes.:)
Click to expand...

Thank you. I'll rinse the rest of the ones that I have left. I'll keep looking for the fresh ones and also maybe try the ones in oil too.
 
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