Stuffed Artichoke Hearts by - A Mediterranean Gourmet

Prep time and cook Time 40 min

I like artichokes. They have a unique and subtle taste and I have strong feelings about how they should be cooked and served. At home we eat fresh ones poached as an appetizer. We dip each leaf in a lemon and olive oil dressing and bite off the little soft meaty bits on each leaf one by one till we get to the heart. We then dip that too. It is a process and quite an enjoyable way to while away the time and review the day’s events and in DC there is plenty to talk about these days.

I have tried artichokes in a creamy dip but feel it is a harsh way to treat them. Drowning them into a mushy creamy dip is irreverent.

The other sacrilege is stuffing and overloading them with breadcrumbs and cheese (usually heaps of parmesan). Why bother with the artichoke? Have a cheese sandwich instead.

One of the best ways to enjoy artichokes is to get the hearts of small fresh baby ones from California (if you find any), slice them in half, and grill them on charcoal. A light drizzle of slightly garlicky olive oil and lemon dressing and you have a great side dish.

Another way is this simple recipe that I grew up with In Cairo. Throughout the Middle East and Mediterranean there is long tradition of stuffing things. Cabbage, aubergines, vine leaves, zucchini, tomatoes and off course artichoke bottoms.

Now that they are available frozen (primarily from Egypt) in most Middle East food stores cooking them is easy. Stuffed with juicy aromatic minced meat, topped with toasted pine nuts and you have a delicious meal in just 40 minutes.

Serve with yoghurt on the side and plain rice or a fresh salad.

What you need ( for two, with a couple leftover for a snack the following day)

1 bag of frozen artichoke heart bottoms (about 6-8 pieces)
3/4 pound ground beef
1 yellow onion coarsely chopped
¼ teaspoon each of ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon, ground cardamom, and ground allspice
4 tablespoons of vegetable or canola oil divided
1/2 cup pine nuts
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Cilantro for garnish
A fresh lemon

What to do

Start by cooking the artichokes
Cut the base of the artichokes so that they can stand flat.
Bring water to the boil in a sauce pan add a little salt and simmer the artichokes for about 25 minutes until tender but still firm. (use a small knife for that test).

While they are cooking:

Toast the pine nuts
I dry roast them and to do that simply add half a cup of nuts to a frying pan and over a low heat toast them till they are uniformly colored, stirring continuously for about 3 minutes. Set aside.

Cook the mince
In the same frying pan add a couple of tablespoons of canola oil and over medium heat sauté the onions until soft – about 3 minutes.
Add the nutmeg, ground cinnamon, ground cardamom, ground allspice and cook for about a minute to release the aromas.
Add the mince, mix well and cook until well browned stirring occasionally – about 5 minutes.
Mix in the pine nuts (keep a little for garnish) and set aside in a bowl.

Finish artichokes and assemble
When the artichokes are cooked, drain and pat them dry.
Wipe clean the pan you cooked the mince in add a couple of tablespoons of canola oil and sauté the artichokes for about 3 minutes each side until they are golden brown. Set aside.