Grilled Artichokes with Easy Aioli

organic artichokes....such a treat

Did I mention before how much I love the Cheesecake Factory? It is my all time favorite "junk" food source. But, not everything they have on the menu is all that bad in terms of health. CF has a way of making good stuff taste like it's bad for us! Love it!  I had their grilled artichokes a few months ago and have been craving them ever since. Well, thanks to some researching and deducting, I think I have found what makes them taste so amazingly decadent. We rarely find organic artichokes, so when we do, we buy them up. Pricey? Yes! Worth it? Yes!

The artichoke's meat is at the base of it's leaves, but don't forget the heart! It's the best part!

You will need your BBQ for this one. But if you are living where it's too cold to BBQ, you could try roasting them in your oven instead. I haven't tried roasting them, so if you do, please tell me how it goes! Just make sure to follow the same directions up until the BBQ part if you decide to roast yours.

Need:

2-4 artichokes (how much do you LOVE them?)
1 1/2 lemons, juiced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves fresh, minced garlic
1 tsp. sea salt
freshly cracked black pepper

Put a large pot of water on high heat to boil, meanwhile: fill a LARGE bowl with cold water and juice from ONE of the lemons (save lemon rind). Halve the artichokes (carefully!) and submerge into the bowl of lemon water. When water on stove is boiling, carefully place artichokes into pot (with long tongs) and add the lemon rinds. Boil for 20 minutes uncovered.

Boil, uncovered for about 20 minutes, taking care not to boil too much or the leaves will start to fall off

Heat Grill on high (or oven at 450 degrees F).

Empty the lemon water from the bowl to use for tossing drained artichokes with the last HALF of lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.  

Toss boiled artichokes with olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper, then grill

Turn grill down to medium heat. (If using oven, roast in middle of oven, keeping an eye on them, turning once and basting every few minutes until charred)  Grill artichokes,  turning once and basting every 5 minutes until artichokes start to char. Remove from heat and serve with amazing aioli dipping sauce (recipe below).

The charring you see adds a layer of amazing flavor!

Easy Aioli:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 cloves fresh, minced garlic
juice from one lemon
1 tsp. sea salt
cracked black pepper

Mix together and enjoy with artichokes

Tastes great with any meal or all alone!

Apricot Glazed Pork Kebabs

Although these are best on the BBQ (sorry to those Northerners  whom we love dearly and do not have the BBQ out all year long), the meat chunks could be pan fried (wok style if you have one) and finished in the oven. Here is an easy recipe that can be made in just 15 min. (allow 30 min. for marinating first).

Need: *see note about skewer sticks below


1 jar (8-10 oz.) of organic apricot preserves or jam
2 Tbsp Tamari (wheat-free soy sauce) or soy sauce for those who can eat wheat
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 lbs. pork tenderloins, trimmed well and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper


*While preparing above ingredients, soak bamboo skewer sticks (for kebabs) in water. This avoids the stick burning on the BBQ. I find that the sticks fit best in an oblong baking dish.

Simple, whole ingredients yielding a slightly sweet and tasty end result

I prefer to marinate everything in glass, it is best for flavor and for health (as opposed to plastic baggies or containers)

Thread meat onto skewers carefully

Heat preserves on stove in small sauce pan until warmed through. Stir in Tamari (or soy sauce), lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Set aside about 1/3 cup of sauce. Dump remainder of sauce into small glass container or bowl with pork to marinate at room temp. for about 30 min. Thread pork evenly onto skewers. Grill for about 4 minutes on each side while basting with the set aside apricot marinade, until desired cook temp. is achieved for your pork. If you cannot grill, heat large, heavy pan on stove to medium. Add your favorite healthy oil, brown pork (not on skewers) and baste again before finishing in an oven at 375 degrees F. for about 5 min, or until meat is cooked to your liking.

A delicious, light centerpiece to your meal