Prickly Pear

 So I am sorry but this weeks is going to be shorter then normal. So the prickly pear is also know as the cactus pear. It has little spikes all over it so be careful if you use it. It is most commonly used in desserts, salads, or drinks (after being made into a syrup). I made it into a sauce with some blackberries we had in the freezer and marinated some chicken in it then I cooked the chicken on a skillet on the stove and make some rice with cumin in it to give it a more savory flavor because the prickly pear is sweet tasting.  Sorry it is so brief next weeks will be longer I promise. 

 

Okie Dokie Artichokie

The artichoke is one of the oldest know vegetables. It has been used as a source of food for centuries. It originated in the Mediterranean area. Being so old the artichoke comes with a long list of tales and stories. Some of the interesting ones are... in the 1500's women were not allowed to eat artichokes because artichokes were thought to be and strong aphrodisiac, artichokes grown in the United States were first grown in Louisiana but today 100% of artichokes commercially grown in the US are from California, artichokes were outlawed in New York for a total of one week because the mafia had taken over the industry. There are many more there are many more, seeing as the vegetable has been around for so long, but those were some of the best.
So now that we have had our history lesson a little bit about me and my history with the artichoke. I have had artichoke before, artichoke hearts from a can, but the real artichoke is nothing like that! Fortunately I bought two artichokes because the first one was definitely an experience. When you are picking an artichoke you want one that is deep green with a tight leaf formation. Also you should check for freshness, squeeze the leaves together and if they squeak it means it fresh, and just like the chayote you want the artichoke to feel heavy for its size. Once you get home with your artichoke you are suppose to sprinkle it with water and refrigerate in an air tight bag. Then use within a week.
First attempt:
There were a lot of different recipes for stuffed artichoke so I thought I would give that a try. I prepared my artichoke (a timely process of washing, sniping, and de-choking) and stuffed with spinach, an onion soup packet, and olive oil. Then, as bar the recipe, I wrapped it in foil and baked for about an hour. (Tip #1 only use glass and stainless steel pans and utensils other stuff will change the color of the artichoke to an ugly brownish black color, and never use foil). It smelled relatively good after baking so I grabbed my fork and knife and dug in. I was sure to get some spinach and an artichoke petal in my first big bite. ( Tip #2 to properly eat an artichoke hold the petal from the top place in mouth, bite down and scrape along your teeth, you don't actually eat the petal just the "meat" on the inside) It was terrible! The taste was disgusting the texture was chewy and gross. It was a FAIL! I threw it away and tried to figure out what in the world I was going to do with another artichoke.

Second try:
I told my mom I felt like I was David and the artichoke was the giant. I didn't want to prepare, cook, or eat another artichoke but I did it for you guys. This time I boiled it in lime and garlic water for about 25 minutes. Then I cut of the bottom and peeled of the leaves; I coated the bottom disk and the leaves with a mixture of flour, salt, cumin, and garlic powder and fried them in a pan of oil. I made a honey ginger sauce with some butter honey and ground ginger, salt and pepper. And I made a chicken and pear filling (this part wasn't the best).
This dish turned out a lot better then the first the petals were actually pretty good and it is something I would definitely eat again; but all in all I think the artichoke is a lot of work for not a lot of food. The whole artichoke is something that won't, any time soon, become a regular in my diet. But go try it for yourself!