Grilled Artichokes

If you'd asked me 5 years ago if I liked artichokes I would have probably said no.  Or something more like "Ew."  Since then, I've had artichoke hearts a few times on pizza and in pasta...to thankfully realize that I do like artichokes.  And last spring when we took a trip to San Francisco we took a risk and ordered an appetizer of grilled artichokes.  Jason and both liked it and since then I've bought artichokes a few times to grill ourselves.  They're usually pretty expensive, so I wait until they go on sale for $1 each.  They can also be a little intimidating, but with a little help from Google, I figured out how to cook them properly.

Grilled Artichokes from myrecipes.com

2 artichokes
1 lemon
Olive oil

Salt & Pepper

Plunge the artichokes in cold water repeatedly to clean them.  Trim the stem and cut about 1" off of the top of the artichoke.  Slice off the bottom loose layer of leaves.  Using kitchen shears, trim about 1/4" off of the top of the remaining outer leaves.  Slice the artichokes in half.

Slice the lemon and drop into a pot of water to boil.  Using a steamer basket, steam the artichokes for 15-20 minutes, until the stem is tender.  Remove from the basket and let the cool slightly.  Use a spoon to remove the "choke."  Brush with olive oil and season with salt & pepper before grilling them.  Grill for 5-7 min on medium heat.

Garlic Lemon Mayo adapted from myrecipes.com

1/2 cup mayo

Lemon zest

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 clove garlic, pressed

crushed red pepper, to taste

Combine all of the ingredients and chill for 15-20 minutes before serving with the artichokes.