Mad Caterpillar

I love making stuffed artichokes. You can get as creative as you like with the filling and spices, and they are always a big hit with everyone in my house. Here's the basic recipe, but it's also good when you add a little cooked shrimp, or maybe some ground beef or sausage, or maybe add some apples or raisins if you like that sort of thing...

• 2 whole artichokes
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 medium carrots, finely chopped
• 1 small zucchini, finely chopped
• 8-10 crimini mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1 portobello mushroom, finely chopped
• 2 cups breadcrumbs
• 2TBS olive oil or butter
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper

1: Cut the tips off the artichoke leaves wtih a pair of scissors to remove the nasty little sticky points at the top of the leaves. Then cut the bottom stem off the artichoke, and make an "x" shape in the bottom with a knife. Steam the artichokes for about 35 - 40 mins over medium heat. The goal here is to get the artichokes mostly cooked but to make sure they don't fall apart when they are removed from the steamer.

2: While the artichokes are steaming, saute the onions in the olive oil or butter (or a mixture of both) over medium heat. After about 5 minutes, add the carrots. After another 10 minutes or so, add the zucchini and mushrooms. Once everything is cooked and softened (probably another 10-15 minutes) remove from heat. Add breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese -- mix well and add salt and pepper to taste. If the stuffing is too dry, add a little more olive oil. Or for added flavor you could add a little chicken or vegetable stock. My favorite trick is to dissolve a teaspoon of this in a tiny amount of boiling water and add that in for a bit of moisture and flavor. The stuffing should now look something like this.

3: Make a couple of rings out of aluminum foil. You will be placing the artichokes in these rings to stabilize them during stuffing and to elevate them from the water in the final baking stage. The rings should look something like this.

4. When the artichokes are done, let them cool a little then place them in the aluminum rings. Gently spread the artichoke leaves and add some stuffing inside each leaf. Be sure to pack some stuffing into the middle of the artichoke. At this point they should look something like this.

5: Place the artichokes on their rings into a pan, and add a little water to the pan. Cover the entire pan with aluminum foil and bake in a 350-degree preheated oven for about half an hour. Serves two as a main dish, or cut in half for four side-dish servings.

Enjoy!