How to Cook Artichokes the Easy Way! (52 New Foods, Wk 19) May 15 2012, 3 Comments

Teach your kids how to cook artichokes for a fun and tasty family treat.

Standing at attention, peaks pointing to the sun, a beautiful bounty of artichokes lined the tables of our local farmers’ market. Their prickly appearance was a little off-putting to my budding new food adventurers. “How do you eat those spike-y leaves?” pondered my five year old. Whispering, I replied, “Hidden inside is a delicious, secret treasure. Would you like to find it?” With that, we were off on our food adventure of the week: learning how to cook artichokes!

Feature Recipe: Steamed Artichokes with Lemon Butter Sauce

The beauty of artichokes is that they are so simple to make, they look glamorous when they’re done, and eating them is a tasty, fun adventure in itself! At our local market we found everything from teeny tiny purple bundles to glorious green giants, so we decided to try a variety to compare tastes and textures.

How to Cook Artichokes the Easy Way!

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:
4 large artichokes
3 Tbsp butter
1 lemon

Directions:
1)    Let the kids trim the sharp ends of the leaves with a pair of kitchen scissors.

2)    Using a large knife, cut off the top two rows of the artichoke, then the stem. This part of the recipe is better suited to a parent.

3)    Add about two inches of water to a double boiler. Bring to a boil.

4)    Place the artichoke in the basket of the double boiler and cover.

5)    Steam for about 30 minutes, or until the leaves can be easily removed. Check the pot occasionally to make sure the water hasn’t boiled away.

6)    Once cooked, remove the artichokes and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes.

7)    While the artichokes are cooling, slowly melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Mix in the juice from one lemon.

8)    Serve the sauce in individual dipping bowls alongside your freshly steamed artichokes for a fun family treat.

Crunch a Color Kids Vote: We heart the heart!

What we liked: Learning how to cook artichokes is easy and fun! The kids loved helping to prepare the recipe by snipping the pointy ends off the leaves. They enjoyed peeling back the layers and noting how the texture changed as we got closer to the hidden treasure. Naturally, the heart was the best part!  

Do you have a favorite way to prepare artichokes? Share your tips!

Next up: We’re off to the market to find what’s fresh and in season. Tune in next week for another fun and easy food adventure!

Craving more new recipes to try? Catch up on last week’s recipe: Healthy Lettuce Wraps.

About the author: Jennifer Tyler Lee is a mom of two children and the creator of Crunch a Color™ -- the award-winning game that makes healthy eating fun. Like most parents, she struggled to get her kids to eat healthy, balanced meals, so she decided to make it into a healthy eating game and she’s giving back to support non-profit children’s nutrition programs including Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution and FoodCorps. Watch her picky eaters tell the story of how they turned into healthy eaters playing the game. Follow @crunchacolor on Facebook and Twitter to tune into Crunch a Color's healthy eating adventure and Jennifer’s tips and kid-friendly, easy recipes.