You know, there are a lot of things I’m intimidated by.
Power tools, hair in the drain, and spiders being the front runners.
And I would be lying if I told you I wasn’t intimidated by the fact that I had to drive the Husband’s baby (aka: truck) for the last two weeks. I would also be lying if I told you I wasn’t intimidated when he came home and promptly inspected his truck after I kindamaybesorta bumped it into the Starbuck’s drive thru lane the other morning. Don’t worry friends – I got out scotch free. In fact, I couldn’t even see the “gouge” in his chrome wheels he claims is there now.
Do you know what else is intimidating? Running today when all day yesterday my shin felt like it was on fire. That’s what 9 miles in really old shoes will do for you. Thankfully that’s nothing a little golf ball massage action and new shoes won’t fix. Now if I could only get that golf ball to get me to shut my mouth every single time I feel like blurting something out – still working on that one.
Mondays. Mondays are intimidating. Especially the “i’ve been looking forward to going to sleep since i got up” kind of Monday. This isn’t making Tuesday look much better people. It’s going to be a long week.
Do you know where this is going? Raise your hand if you’ve ever made an entire artichoke!
::crickets::
That’s what I thought. You’re afraid of artichokes, aren’t you? ::sigh:: It’s okay, I was too. In fact, until today I was a frozen Trader Joe’s or drained canned kind of artichoke girl. I understand. They’re… intimidating.
They’re not the prettiest of vegetables. They have thorns. They have fur on the inside (oh yes they do). And let’s face it – one has to work so hard to get to the heart.
Intimidating.
But I got it into my head this morning after I read about Gabriela’s dinner with her boyfriend’s family last night. They had artichokes, and somehow my brain started to whirl. I couldn’t get my mind off of them. I had to have an artichoke. Nothing was getting in my way of getting an artichoke. Well, nothing after 3:30 PM when I left school.
And then… then, there was one. ONE – only ONE artichoke left! Out of all the days in the world where I actually wanted to buy artichokes, the store only had one left. Apparently not as many people as I had originally thought are intimidated by them. Where are these artichoke hoarding people?
It’s a good thing the Husband would never ever.. did I say ever?… eat a full artichoke. More for me.
Quinoa Stuffed Artichoke (serves 1)
- 1 medium artichoke, thorns trimmed
- 1/2 cup quinoa, dry
- 1/2 can diced tomatoes (~8 oz.)
- 1/4 onion, diced
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 3/4 cup water
- 2 tsp. garlic
- 1 tbsp. basil
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions: Begin by preparing your artichoke. First cut off about a quarter of the artichoke on the top. With your kitchen shears, trim off the top of all of the artichoke leaves. They are prickly thorns and I doubt you want to cut your tongue on them. Next, bring a pot of water to a rapid boil and drop your artichoke in the water. Cover and boil for 30-40 minutes, depending on the size of your artichoke. Once your artichoke leaves pull away easily, it is done. Drain and set aside.
While your artichoke is boiling, prepare your quinoa. First sauté the onion in 1 tbsp. olive oil in a small saucepan over high heat. Once the onion is tender and translucent, add your quinoa, tomatoes, liquid, and spices. Lower heat and cover. Once the liquid has been absorbed (~15-20 minutes), stir and remove from heat.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking dish with foil and spray with cooking spray. Place your artichoke in the baking dish and stuff with quinoa. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!
I had absolutely no idea how to eat an artichoke until today. It’s pretty simple, but takes a looong time. Pull away the leaves one by one (from the outside in), and pull the “meat” from the bottom of the leaves with your teeth. Each leaf has a little bit of artichoke meat. You do NOT want to eat the entire leaf.
Once you get to the center, you will come across a “hairy” portion. This is the choke, and it is inedible. However, if you pull that part away, you are left with the heart of the artichoke – eat that! It is what you have been working towards for the last 20 minutes of your life.
So go on – eat those artichokes with pride and courage. Banish your fears and intimidation one leaf at a time.
Don’t worry, you’re still allowed to call your Husband when you see a spider the size of an ant. I never said I was Super Woman.
Question: What are you intimidated by? Have you ever made/eaten an entire artichoke?
{ 102 comments… read them below or add one }
You will be impressed. I have actually made full artichokes many times. I know. Me?! LOL
Impressive! I have only eaten artichokes at salad bars, from a jar, or on pizza, or in a dip. Looks good, girl!
I am intimidated by a very long to-do list. Not like that has anything to do with my life right now….
This looks awesome. Good on you tackling a whole artichoke! I never have…but maybe I should try it soon. I admit it does intimidate me, scary looking veggie.
I think you just un-intimidated me.
Great.. now I have this undeniable desire to cook an artichoke. I never even thought about making one before. Thanks a lot!
(BTW, I made your ravioli filling in some non-gluten free ravioli the other day and it was SO good. I had some left over so I put it in a wrap… seriously amazing. Thanks for the recipe!)
I wouldn’t even know where to begin with a whole artichoke. They’re definitely intimidating. I’m glad you were able to show us how it’s done, but I’m still a little afraid of them…and spiders. I hate spiders. But not more than I am afraid of snakes. I’d scream and cry like a baby if I ever had one in my house.
Ew, snakes are gross. I’m not a snakes fan!
oh my gosh I love artichoke. This is such a clever recipe Chelsey. Actually, its HEAVENLY!
I’m in the intimidated-by-artichokes camp, too. Sounds like a lot of work to eat, but with that quinoa it looks amazing!
It made dinner fun!
I do not think I have ever eaten an artichoke. I need to add this to the list since I always here good things about them. Your dish does look good
“You do NOT want to eat the entire leaf.” Unless you’re me and have no idea how to eat an artichoke…in which case, go ahead. eat the whole leaf. and wonder why it’s so darn unpleasant and TOUGH!
Unfortunately, they aren’t as inviting to your wonderful looking quinoa filling! Way better than a b utter dip if you ask me!
Yeah, I guess I have a history with the ‘choke. First there was that incident. Then there was the time I went to grab one at the store and didn’t realize the thorns were so…thorny…and jumped back about a foot when it stung me.
…now I prefer the ones out of jars
You know I have never really liked “real” artichokes. I think this is one case where the canned version is not only 10000 x easier but just tastes better. But you make me rethink this with that recipe!!
Nope, I have never made or cooked with artichokes but I want to. This recipe looks really good and great presentation too – I should try this out to impress dinner guests sometime
You totally should – but beware, it’s kind of messy!
I’m scared of artichokes in general – frozen, canned, you name it. But you make them look so beautiful! I might need to try them (fresh) soon!
Start canned – they’re delicious!
Artichokes (not canned) are my all-time favorite food. My husband and I eat 3-6 artichokes each week between the two of us. I’m not intimidated by them and I’m one of those hoarders you were looking for. Haha
Our artichoke plant in our backyard has tons of artichokes growing on it this year, but I think it’ll still be another year before they’re ready to eat. So, until then, I’ll keep hoarding.
I’m intimidated by really confident people. I am trying to be more self-confident, but it doesn’t always work out! I am jealous of those who have a great deal of confidence.
I am too – great comment!
That looks so, so good. I recently overcame my fear of the artichoke but not nearly as creatively.
I have tried to make artichokes before but I have failed miserably. Artichokes and eggplants…I am horrible at! I cant get them tender…either that or they turn to total mush. I really need help…then again, TJ’s has just PLAIN artichoke hearts, frozen, no salt, by the bag, and i can use a handful at a time. Clearly not the same as making my own but it’s my crutch
I love TJ’s frozen ones!
I love artichokes! They take a while, but they aren’t too difficult once you get the hang of it.
this post was perfect timing because I have had a major artichoke craving lately , but I had no clue how to even go about preparing one!
Mondays really are the worst aren’t they! Ugggh they are just such downers.
Nice job on making your first artichoke!!! I love them steamed with a little garlic and olive oil…..yummy! I’ve never though out stuffing them before though…can’t wait to try that!
I’ve actually always made artichokes. When I was a kid I liked really weird veggies and artichokes were my favorite. My mom always just steamed them and served them with butter.. my favorite way to this day to eat them. They are delicious!
I get easily intimidated at work. I work in IT because my original position at my company was eliminated but they liked that I was a quick learner and offered me the IT position. I can’t even tell you what it’s like to work in such a difficult field with no background or experience, surrounded by people who are definitely supposed to be there. Every day I wonder how many people think I’m the dumbest girl alive
Just one thing to say… “You rock Chelsey!” Pat yourself on the back! ….Go on, do it. You know you want to.
And another thing, I’m pretty sure our husbands would be friends.
I’m pretty sure WE would be friends – where in the world do you live?
In a small Kansas town that no one knows of, Hanston…. Nothing fancy…… Except the sunsets and open spaces of corse!
Most bugs intimidate me…eek! And I’ve never even attempted to prepare a real artichoke. Great job, Chelsey!
I am totally intimidated my artichoke’s and have always sticked to the vegetables sans thorns. However in the future, I may decide to tackle one, in which case I am glad you pointed out that the hairy choke in the centre is inedible… I may have tried to eat that.
haha! If I hadn’t had read up on how to prepare them, I would have never known!
OH MY GOSH! Looks incredible! I’ve always been a bit terrified of artichoke but this makes me want to get over my fear. I love quinoa stuffed veggies…I think this will be on my weekend menu. Great post and pictures!
I also have a great recipe for a tomato stuffed with quinoa – it’s cold and GREAT for summer!
I am totally intimidated by artichokes too. I should tackle that fear.
I’m with you on the spider and hair in the drain fears/intimidation too. I will add centipedes and public speaking to that list.
I’ve only ever had super plain artichokes, just boiled… and then dipped into whatever suits my fancy at the time. This looks fantastic, though!!
I’m yet to make an entire artichoke, too… gah! One of these days… because I DO love them…
I almost bought an artichoke at the store last week, but I decided against it because I had no clue how to prep it or cook it. I love artichokes though – well, on pizza and in artichoke dip – but I’ve never had a “real” one like you made.
I’ve honestly never known what to do with artichokes. They are so weird. But I like them and I like quinoa so I’ll have to give this a whirl.
YUM. I was just thinking about what I could do with artichokes in a baked healthy way. Thanks for sharing!
They intimidate me too, but one day I just bought one so I could attack it. And then I forgot about it and it rotted in my fridge. True story.
haha! I love it
Artichokes were a staple growing up, but so was mango and rice (yes, together), I was an odd child. Once you get the hang of them, they are super easy. Steaming them until tender and drizzling EVOO, adding garlic and often pine nuts is how I have enjoyed countless artichokes. I have seen many people dip them in something creamy, but I am not really a dip girl myself. Your recipe looks really delsih tho, I have to to try that one out!
This is so funny, I just ate an artichoke for dinner tonight! I make them all the time – my mom loves them so I learned how to make them over the years. I always steam mine for 30-45 minutes and then dip the leaves in a yogurt-lemon juice-garlic sauce that I whip up while it’s cooking. YUM!
I didn’t know you could stuff an artichoke. Huh… cool! I’ve been cooking up these babies for years. Then I tear off the leaves and dip them in coconut oil + garlic. Delicious!
That combo sounds delicious!
I cooked some artichokes in my slow cooker, and I was so frustrated when they turned out gross!! I threw them away and vowed never to make artichokes again. Turns out I was eating the wrong part of the leaf…woops! Now I feel bad for those poor little artichokes that I wasted
Creative spin on stuffing the artichoke!
Lately we have been enjoying whole artichokes quartered (quickly boiled) & bRoiled with balsamic, olive oil & garlic.
I love cooking & think I do a pretty decent job most of the time, but cooking for others intimidates me. Spiders get me too.
That sounds great too! I’ll have to try it!
Hi, I’m Sara and I have a fear of artichokes. You’re brave for attempting to tackle the task of figuring out how to prepare/cook/eat an artichoke
I’ll have to try this recipe when I’m feeling ballsy 
I’m glad you grabbed artichoke intimidation by the horns! When I moved to California I learned that steaming artichokes is as common as me making oatmeal out here (okay that was a bit of a stretch) but really I had always loved ordering them as appetizers but never made one until a couple of years ago. It’s NOT hard you just have to make sure not to undercook them. Your end result looks SO delicious, I love the idea of stuffing one!
ps. I started a gluten-free week and am so excited to see how I feel. Your recipes will definitely be used throughout my week!
I’m excited to hear about how your week goes!
Your artsy artichoke looks amazing! They’ve always looked frightening to me. I mean, I’m the girl who’s afraid of the inside of bell peppers, so an artichoke…now that’s something scary. But I might be able to brave the arti-fur to make this yummy recipe!
I’m not going to lie, artichokes scare me too!
Same with beets. Actually anything that takes a long time to cook, has multiple steps, and involves using a very sharp knife.
I’ve starred this for when I’m feeling brave!
Beets are so easy! Honestly, the most intimidating part about them is the way they dye everything red. Try them roasted!
I am definitely intimidated by artichokes. In fact, they downright scare me. I am also scared to roast a whole chicken. I have one in my freezer, and I haven’t been braze enough to defrost the stupid thing!
I feel like I’m the biggest wimp in the kitchen ever – there are so many things I’m intimidated by! Artichokes, whole coconuts, rutabega, pie crusts, making my own almond milk, making my own nut butter… the list goes on and on.
Most of the time I buy a can of them but since they are in season and I see them EVERYWHERE I really want to buy a whole one.
Bookmarking this recipe
I’m definitely intimidated by the idea of artichokes – and they sound like a lot of work to eat, too!
I might stick with the marinated, canned variety – but this recipe looks delicious if I ever build up the nerve to try it!
Eaten an artichoke, yes. Made one, no and I’m pretty sure someone has to walk me through the part where you find and eat the heart every time. I’ve actually had stuffed artichokes on my mind for a while but yes, I was intimidated!
Haha! I’m definitely intimidated by artichoke. Not only making it, but eating it in general. My mom made stuffed artichoke last summer and I refused to touch it. I’m all about trying new foods, but that’s just a little too much for me.
That’s so funny! Have you had the hearts in a can?
What a gorgeous recipe–I’m intimidated by them, but you’ve inspired me!
I had artichoke as a little kid at a friends house but never knew how to cook it. Looks like I have another fantastic recipe to add to my “to-make” list!!
1. Hair in the drain absolutely intimidates me. Glad you’re with me on that.
2. These photos are beautiful.
3. I’ve only worked with canned or frozen artichoke hearts and now, you’ve inspired me.
4. Faaaaabulous recipe, love
Why thank you – and I love the numbered list. You’re just too organized.
I love that you serve it in the artichoke – pretty and rustic. I think I can get past the intimidation, with your quinoa recipe. Here’s a dessert that isn’t intimidating at all – Raw Berry Tartlets. Enjoy!
http://bread-n-chocolate.blogspot.com/2011/05/strawberry-tartlets.html
This looks so good! What a clever idea!
http://www.birdietobe.blogspot.com
haha, I’ve got a similar husband : )
I just bought a bag of 4 artichokes at Costco and I had no idea what to do with them! How did you know?! I was thinking of steaming them – but this sounds delicious!
Don’t you remember? I’m psychic, not to be confused with psychotic.
I love artichokes, but have sadly never cooked a whole one! I’m also intimidated by squash, we have good knives yet I always seem to mangle them when I cut them up!
Oh you must try roasted squash!!!!
Thanks for the post and recipe! They intimidate the crud outta me, but I’m just going to have to go for it.
I cooked an entire artichoke once before. I had no idea how to eat it either. It was a pain to eat, but your version looks so delicious, I might need to give it a go again!
Coolest meal ever!! I want to make this! I love artichokes but have never attempted to prepare them/cook with them myself. Awesome idea.
I hope your shins feel better soon – definitely get yourself some new sneakers!!
Wow, this is sooo awesome! I’ve stuffed peppers, but never an artichoke. That is next on my list fo sho.
I usually just eat them plain, but I do loved a stuffed artichoke. Your idea of using quinoa is brilliant!
I’ve never made a full artichoke, but I think about it every time I got the farmers market and they look awesome!!! I will have to pick one up soon, you made it sound so easy!
SO SO AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS LOOKING!!! I NEED TO TRY THAT!!!! Billy might think I am crazy but I am doing it. LOVE your red nails!!! I am intimidated of making anything that requires more than 10 ingredients ha!
Thanks! And the husbands are required to think we’re crazy. It’s in the handbook!
I’ve been dying to conquer a real live artichoke forever! You make it look easy. And delicious.
I have always been SO intimidated by artichokes. I think I might be able to handle it now! Quinoa stuffing sounds like the perfect pairing with these.
I love this post! I was very intimated by artichokes – thanks for making it look easy!
I do love artichokes but it’s true they require a lot of work so I don’t usually cook them. My husband actually bought a bunch last week, steamed them and then painstakingly scraped the meat from each leaf so that he could make artichoke hummus. It was quite the ridiculous sight!
I actually had an artichoke for the first time the other night!! And they’re GOOD, especially dipped in Earth Balance. Try it, seriously. And I’m totally intimidated by making them, too- good thing Mike’s mom isn’t
That sounds really good!
Ive always wanted to make stuffed artichokes, but as you say, they are kind of intimidating. This recipe made me want to try it tho. I love artichokes soo much, and it would be lovely to make it on my own!
My mom used to make whole artichokes growing up. I’ve always been scared to try it myself, but you’ve inspired me! Seems like a lovely summer recipe to enjoy out in the backyard, definitely giving it a try
I’m totally intimidated by them, but this does clear up a few issues. They just look so complicated…
I have never purchased or eaten a fresh artichoke! But I strangely feel compelled to buy one and make it now! Thanks for the tips! Your quinoa recipe looks fabulous!
Ugh, I have always been so intimidated by artichokes! I got up the courage once to buy one but then chickened out and let it go bad in the fridge…whoops!
Right now I am intimidated by the thought of hanging blinds in the double windows in the front of my house. I watched my dad do the single windows about a month ago, but I’m so scared I’ll end up messing up the window frame and I can’t help but picture myself ending up stuck inside the blinds once they fall off the window onto my head! Hmm, I think I need to go buy a six-pack and call my dad. What? Am I the only one who pays her handy dandy daddy with beer? Oh!
This looks amazing! I honestly just made artichokes for the first time last week and steamed them and ate them..they were amazing and now I’m a bit obsessed…they’re so fun to eat and I love how you added this gluten-free grain inside….very fun and creative. Love it!
I cooked an artichoke for the first time last week. Didn’t like it. Not one bit. But I still see the piles of them at the store and wish that I liked them. And then I remember that my artichoke poked me and I actually bled. And that’s when I high-tail it to the Brussels sprouts section.
artichokes are totally intimidating…i have no idea why? my mom used to make them all the time they’re so good! ill have to try one out one of these days..
GET OUT OF TOWN!!!! I JUST had a spider-freak-out incident the other night!!! I nearly peed my pants (luckily i was already on the toilet, TMI??probably…) and screeeeeeeamed at the sight of the spider on the wall RIGHT in front of my face!! Luckily I was able to get my pants back up before Ryan came running in… and of course, he killed that big guy. And laughed at me. As I was hyperventilating. What a loving boyfriend…
Oh, and your artichoke looks soooo good (i mean, that is what this post is about, right??)
I make artichokes at least once a week when they are in season. I’m completely obsessed. Have been since I was a little girl. Fortunately, my husband loves them too.
I never vary though. Never stuff them with anything. Need to try this.
Heeeeyyyy! I’m going through your recipes to find new food inspiration. I’m trying this whole new thing where I actually eat enough calories in real meals, rather than ending up snacking like a madwoman at night. Aaaanyway, I’m so making this for my parents when I go to colorado in march! My mom has been making us artichokes since I can remember, but we always had them plain and just dipped the leaves in a lemon butter sauce. This looks amazing.
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