Recipe Swap: Big Grandma's Stuffed Artichokes

Want to see what other Summer Vegetable recipes were made during the swap? Here is the link to the Summer Vegetable Recipe Swap Roundup



This week's recipe swap theme was Summer Vegetables. I lucked out and got Big Grandma's Stuffed Artichokes from my friend Melissa. I love artichokes and was excited to try this recipe.





I only made one artichoke because, as you know, SP isn't a fan. I also left out the raisins because I don't like them. I really wanted to love this recipe but it was a little dry. I'm used to dipping artichoke leaves in butter, so maybe that's why. I've looked at other stuffed artichoke recipes online that call for ricotta cheese or egg in the filling and I think that would help a lot.



Big Grandma's Stuffed Artichokes

I Was Born to Cook



4 large artichokes

2 cups bread crumbs

1 cup grated Parmesan or pecorino romano cheese

1 cup raisins (red or white)

1/2 cup pine nuts

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste



Using a sharp knife, cut the top of the choke to level it. Cut stem off. Peel stem and reserve to put in pot when cooking artichoke. With kitchen scissors, cut the sharp edges off the leaves.



Mix Parmesan cheese, raisins, pine nuts and bread crumbs with some pepper. Spread the leaves on the chokes and stuff with mix. One way to do this: stand the choke in a separate soup bowl and hollow out the center where the thorny leaves are. Put a very generous amount of the mixture on the center cavity, spread the leaves and push the mixture into the leaf area.



Using a pot tall enough to cover the chokes, place the chokes in, fill with water and some olive oil to cover the bottom of the leaves (about a third of the way up the artichoke). Drizzle some additional oil on top of each choke.



Bring water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover the pot and steam the chokes for approximately one hour. Pull a leaf and taste for tenderness. If you like it more tender, steam longer. Serve immediately.

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Spaghetti with Artichoke Hearts and Tomatoes

I love artichokes. I've always liked them but I developed a serious craving for them when I was pregnant that still hasn't gone away. When I saw the Pioneer Woman's recipe for Spaghetti with Artichoke Hearts and Tomatoes I knew I'd love it.


It was easy to make and absolutely delicious. I added 4 large mushrooms, cut into quarters, since SP isn't a big artichoke fan.

Spaghetti with Artichokes Hearts and Tomatoes
Modified from Pioneer Woman

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Butter
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
1/2 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
1 can Artichoke Hearts (14.5 Oz. Quartered Or Whole) Drained
1 can Diced Tomatoes With Juice (14.5 Oz.)
1 cup Heavy Cream
1/2 cup Chicken Broth (More As Needed)
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
Salt And Pepper, to taste
1 pound Thin Spaghetti
1 cup Parmesan Cheese, Freshly Grated
2 Tablespoons Fresh Chives (or Other Herbs) Chopped

Cook spaghetti till al dente. Drain and set aside.

Melt olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add artichoke hearts and tomatoes. Stir and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in cream and chicken broth. Add salt and pepper to taste (do not undersalt!) Cook over low heat until heated through, then turn off heat.

Place drained pasta in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 cup Parmesan. Pour sauce over the top. Add chives. Toss lightly to combine and coat; add a tiny bit of reserved pasta water if sauce seems too thick.

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Rustic Chicken

I originally saw this recipe for Rustic Chicken on my friend Colleen's blog. It sounded great, but I never have luck with crockpot meals so I decided to improvise.





My version of the recipe is below. I loved it and even SP said it was delicious. If I remember correctly (I made this quite awhile ago) it was easy to make and a one-pot meal if you don't count the rice I served it over. Defintely a make-again meal.



Rustic Chicken

Modified from Sweat Tea in Texas




6 slices of bacon, chopped

1 onion, chopped

8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts cut in 1 inch strips

1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained


1 15 ounce can artichoke hearts, quartered


1 packet dry chicken gravy mix


1/4 cup white wine

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/2 cup stuffed green olives



Cook bacon in a large pot over medium heat until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and let drain on paper towels. Turn the heat to medium-high and add the onion. Cook until tender, then add the mushrooms. Push the mushrooms and onions to the side and add the chicken. Cook until the chicken browns, then mix together and add the rest of the ingredients. Cook until the chicken is fully cooked and the ingredients have had a chance to meld. Serve over pasta or rice.

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Creamy Chicken and Artichokes with Mashed Potatoes

Unfortunately I have no idea where I got this recipe for creamy chicken with artichokes, or any recollection of whether we liked it or not. Whoops!





I assume we liked it since it has artichokes and we all know how much I love artichokes. I just wish I knew where I got it so I could link to it. If you read this blog and this is your recipe, please let me know.



Creamy Chicken with Artichokes

Slightly Adapted from Pleasure Cooker



4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 can chicken broth

2 cans artichoke hearts, drained

4 oz. cream cheese

1 1/2 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice



Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle chicken breasts evenly with salt and freshly ground black pepper.



Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place flour in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in flour. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Add wine, broth, garlic and artichokes to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; cook 2 minutes. Add cream cheese and stir until melted. If sauce needs to thicken, mix 2 tablespoons of broth with 1 1/2 tablespoons flour and add to sauce. Remove from heat; stir in juice. Serve sauce over chicken.

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Chicken and Artichoke Saute

One of SP's coworkers gave him this recipe for me when he told her I was really into artichokes these days. I can't believe I waited so long to make it. This was outstanding, a perfect dish in every way. I can't wait to make it again.





I served the saute with mashed potatoes. I don't know why but lately my mashed potatoes have tasted amazing. SP always comments that they're very potato-y, which sounds funny but when you can really taste the potato in the mash it makes you realize how many times you haven't tasted it. Just look at this pan of deliciousness:





The printout I have doesn't say where the recipe is from, but when I Googled it I found an identical recipe posted on the UK version of Allrecipes that says it's from Readers Digest, so I'm going with that. I made a few modifications, the big one being using chicken breasts instead of thighs because I prefer white meat.



Chicken and Artichoke Saute

Slightly adapted from Readers Digest



4 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon dried thyme

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

2 cans artichokes (canned in water), drained and halved

2 red peppers, seeded and thinly sliced

1/2 cup kalamata olives, halved

4 tablespoons dry white wine

1/2 cup chicken stock

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Salt and pepper



Place the flour, thyme, salt and pepper in a large plastic bag and shake well. Add the chicken to the bag and shake until they are lightly and evenly coated. Remove the chicken to a plate, shaking off any excess flour.



Heat the oil in a large pan over moderate heat. Add the chicken and saute for about 5 minutes on each side, moving around occasionally, until golden brown. Continuing cooking for 10 minutes or until the juices run clear when they are pierced. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.



Pour off any excess oil from the pan, leaving just a film, then add the garlic and cook for 10 seconds, stirring. Add the artichokes and red peppers, and saute for 3–5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the peppers are tender. Stir in the black olives. Add the wine and allow to bubble, stirring, until it has evaporated. Stir in the stock, lemon juice and lemon zest, bring to the boil and cook until reduced by about half. Season with salt and pepper.



Add the chicken back to the pan to heat through in the sauce. Serve with mashed potatoes or rice to sop up the delicious sauce.

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Artichoke Alfredo Pasta

I've been craving artichokes lately and this recipe for Artichoke Alfredo Pasta is always so satisfying to me.


SP isn't a huge fan so I don't make it often but he's being nice to me lately. :) I love the big chunks of artichoke and the flavors of the cream and lemon juice. Such a delicious, if indulgent, meal.

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Shrimp Boil

We had my parents over for dinner on a recent Sunday and I wanted to do something different. When I was a kid my mom would make artichokes and the three of us would sit around the table peeling off the leaves and dipping them in melted butter. Since I've been on an artichoke crazy I thought it would be a fun trip down memory lame (and a chance for SP to experience a real artichoke).


These were a little small, which ended up working perfectly as an appetizer before dinner. I started by cutting the end off the stems and then peeling the outer layer off so we could eat them later. I cut the very top off the artichokes and then trimmed the top off each leaf. Once they were trimmed I put them in a pot with a steamer basket and cooked them for about 45 minutes.

For the shrimp I left them in the shell and used the recipe on the back of the Old Bay seasoning - water, vinegar, Old Bay and shrimp boiled together for about 5 minutes.


I also cooked 4 ears of corn that SP asked me to cut in half to more closely resemble a true shrimp boil. We layered newspaper on top of the table to keep with the same theme. It was a ton of fun!


My plate with some shrimp, corn and a baked potato:


I baked the potatoes at 450 degrees for about an hour.

My stepdad made dessert:


... brownies with ice cream topped with a raspberry. I was so full by the time we got to dessert that I couldn't finish my entire serving, but it was delicious.

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Artichoke Alfredo Sauce

Remember the artichoke alfredo sauce I last made over a year ago? I loved this stuff, which tastes like hot artichoke dip, but SP wasn't a huge fan. I actually bought the canned artichoke hearts for this dish a few weeks ago and they've been sitting on the counter ever since. Every time I put it on the menu SP would find a way to stop me from making it. I finally decided to make it tonight and hope for the best.


And, surprisingly, he liked it. Now granted it isn't his favorite dish and won't be on the regular rotation, but his biggest complaint - the tough, papery leaves on the artichoke hearts I used last time - wasn't an issue this time. I think I bought an off brand that time because all the hearts were soft and tender in this batch. If you like artichokes you'll love this sauce.

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