Steamed Artichoke

Tonight's dinner was Tilapia, Roasted Vegetables, Quinoa and (drum roll, please....) Steamed Artichoke.
I have never in my life made Artichoke, but one recent night at dinner my husband was reminiscing about meals with his grandmother. She would steam artichoke, then they would peel the leaves off, dip them in butter and eat the meat from the leaves. No doubt this was over delightful conversation and coupled with a perfectly prepared meal, and well dressed table. This woman was something else - elegant in all that she did and said, and a true delight to be around.
I wanted to try to recreate one of those special nights for my hubby, so on this particular evening at home with our children, I took a stab at my first ever steamed artichoke. Let me be clear about something - this dinner was far from a replica of dinners with my husband's sweet grandmother. I burned my hand on a pot of chocolate fondue I was planning for dessert. All my fingertips were burned, so I sat through dinner with ice on my hands. The artichoke took a lot longer than I expected, so I ended up serving the appetizer after our meal. And then there were the three children... that's all I'm going to say about that - but it was true to our family's nightly imperfections, so for us, it was just fine.

How To Prepare Artichoke
Start by cutting off the bottom stem, and all of the prickly thorny parts of the artichoke leaves. 
I pulled the leaves back slightly and put in small slivers of butter and minced garlic.

Boil water in a pot and place artichoke in a steamer basket. place the basket down inside the pot and cover with a lid. I steamed the artichoke for about 45 min.
We pulled off the leaves starting with the bottom, and dipped them in melted butter. To eat the meat of the artichoke, you scrape the leaf with your teeth while you pull it from your mouth. The kids thought that it was fun, but it definitely took some practice and getting used to.
When you have pulled all of the leaves away, you will get down to the heart, which is the tastiest part of the artichoke. You'll have to first pull aside the bristly part that protects the artichoke heart. Please don't eat that. It's not enjoyable. One of my kids said it tasted like a toothbrush. Yeah... not recommended.




And there you have, it folks. Steamed Artichoke. I loved that my kids were willing to try it, and that we shared a "first." We'll definitely make it again for a fun appetizer.

*note- this is NOT the correct way to eat artichoke leaves. :)