Vegetables for vitality: Artichokes

The giant flower bud of a bushy thistle plant, the globe artichoke is high in fibre. With its buttery, nutty flavour, and the earthy-tasting fleshy part at the base of the meaty outer leaves, the edible parts are the heart. Nutritionally, this plant offers an array of minerals and is a great source of fibre.

Packed into one large steamed artichoke:

• about 60 calories
• high in fibre
• iron, copper and magnesium and other essential minerals
• 20 percent of the daily vitamin C requirement
• 15 percent of the daily B vitamin folate requirement

Season:

 Springtime is peak season for artichokes, but you'll also see them at the supermarket at other times throughout the fall and winter.

What to look for:

 Spring artichokes should be a healthy green.

Artichokes harvested in cooler weather are darker and may have bronze-tipped petals.
Choose meaty-leafed globes that are heavy for their size.

Storage:

 Store unwashed and with stems intact in a sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Preparation:

 Wash well under cold running water.

Basic cooking:

 To steam, place washed and trimmed whole artichokes in a nonreactive steamer over boiling water.

Cover and cook until an outer leaf easily pulls out, about 30 minutes.

Drain upside down in a colander before serving. Or boil in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water with a few drops of lemon juice for 30 to 40 minutes.

Best uses in recipes:

 Artichokes are usually served with a dip as a first course.

Hot artichokes are usually served with melted butter or hollandaise sauce.

The healthier option is to sprinkle them with lemon juice and salt.

Also, serve cold with a simple vinaigrette or a low-fat mayonnaise.

• Eat artichokes with your fingers.
• Pluck a leaf from the side and dip the free end into sauce.
• Bite down on that end and pull the leaf through your teeth, scraping off all the pulp.
• To get to the heart, remove the outer leaves, then pull out the pale centre petals and scrape off the choke (the fuzzy layer that sits on top of the heart).

Classic dip: 

• Pluck the leaves from just-cooked artichokes and arrange on a serving platter.
• Stir equal parts of olive oil and melted butter and a few drops of lemon juice in a small bowl.
• Serve as a dip for the leaves.

Tofu dip: 

• Combine mashed roasted garlic, freshly ground black pepper, soft silken tofu and lemon juice.

Pasta and pizza: 

• Cooked artichoke hearts work well in a pasta sauce and as a pizza topping with fresh tomato sauce, salami and Parmesan.

The versatility of the artichoke leaves you a lot of options and even more reason to grab some and to incorporate them into your meals for a pop of flavour.

--------------------

Discover the smarter way to save time and money

Ready to start saving more on your groceries and pharmacy purchases? Download the FREE YP Grocery app today! It lets you create shareable shopping lists, automatically finds all the best deals and coupons, then delivers them right to you. No more manually scrolling through hundreds of flyers to find what you’re looking for!

Download the YP Grocery app now!