Garlic & Thyme Oven Braised Artichokes

Artichokes are a delicious vegetable, and well worth the small effort required to prepare them fresh. Purchased in a jar, they are usually soaked in oil, so you end up taking in many unnecessary extra calories. Just one medium sized fresh artichoke provides a whopping 7g of fiber – one of the few foods that competes with my all time favorite source of fiber, All Bran Buds! They seem daunting in their fresh form (pictured above) to prepare, but it’s actually pretty easy.

I have modified this delicious recipe from its original form to cut back on the calories from the oil, and have added a little water to compensate for the fluid volume.

Ingredients:

1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/8 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice
peel from one of the lemons
1/4 cup white wine
a few sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
3 small garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
4 large artichokes
2 tbsp chopped parsley

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.

2. Combine all the ingredients except for the artichokes and parsley in a roasting pan.

3. Remove the thick outer leaves of the artichokes by bending them back and pulling them down toward the stem (remove leaves that are dark green, but do not remove leaves that are green at the top and yellow on the bottom).

4. Snip off the tops of the leaves (at the point where the green and yellow come together) and trim around the base of the artichoke heart to smooth the sides and peel the stem.

5. Cut in half and scoop out the fuzzy choke with a small spoon. As each artichoke heart half is completed, add to the pan with the braising liquid, turning them to coat completely and prevent browning.

6. Cover the pan with a lid and cook until the hearts are tender when pierced with a knife, 30 to 40 minutes.

7. Remove the pan from the oven, uncover, and let the artichokes cool in the braising liquid.

8. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Makes 4 servings. Per serving (approximate):