Shrimp stuffed Artichokes with Indian spices

The Plot :  38 Power Foods Blog group

Summary : 38 Power Foods blog group will focus on one ingredient each week taking inspiration from the book ; Power Foods: 150 Delicious Recipes with the 38 Healthiest Ingredients from the editors of the whole living magazine. Each week we all will come up with recipes, stories, articles to encourage eating nourishing food.

Co conspirators : 

Jill at Saucy Cooks;

Jeanette at jeanetteshealthyliving ;

Martha at Simply Nourished Living ;

Mireya at Myhealthyeatinghabits ;

Alyce at More time at the table ;

Sarah at everything in the kitchen sink;

Casey at BookCase foodie

Episode #1 – Artichoke. Shrimp stuffed artichokes to be precise.

It was a balmy spring afternoon at the pearl street mall in Boulder, Co. It was my very first spring in the United States. So I made most of it by being a weekend hiking warrior in the mornings and spending afternoons at the Pearl Street. One may question the philosophy behind the act, but I would assume that they never have experienced the charm of the place that is Boulder and the magic of pearl street in spring. It makes you do such leisurely things.

It was on one such balmy spring afternoon, while eating lunch out on the patio of a restaurant, I noticed a couple sitting at another table. Now don’t judge!  Some people are attractive and deserve to get a second look. If they don’t, they get disheartened.  Yus?

But I digress- I was not staring at the couple. It was what they had ordered or rather the guy had. And he very sweetly was explaining to his lady how to eat the dish. So on he went and broke off a pointy leafy thing from the green flower shaped thingy and dipped into something and seemed to be enjoying the bliss.

Curious, I called the server and asked her what the dish was. At first she looked at me like I had just dropped from another planet, then regaining her composure and probably deciding that I was a mere mortal from another country, explained the dish and how it was cooked and the procedure to eat it.

Not wanting to waste an opportunity to try out something absolutely new, I ordered it. To be honest, six years down the lane and I am still in love with artichokes. The eating process of a whole artichoke is sensuous,the taste earthy and buttery with just a twinge of bitterness and the experience quite intimate. I always make them on a date night in spring. I don’t know If they really are aphrodisiacs, but the eating process sure is.

I would eat these for that reason alone. They have the added bonus of being heart healthy ( in more than one way), aiding digestion,boosting liver function,and improving muscle function.

For today’s recipe of shrimp stuffed artichokes, I wanted to incorporate some spice but not completely overwhelm the taste. The use of turmeric and black pepper took the taste to a whole new level. With just a drizzle of home made ghee, it is the perfect beginning to many a wonderful gatherings.

And if you have never bought or cooked an artichoke by yourself – Here is a link you may find very useful.

Print

Shrimp stuffed Artichokes with Indian spices

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 2 large artichokes
• 6 jumbo shrimp deveined, peeled.
• 1 slice of whole wheat bread - made into bread crumbs
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp ghee plus more to drizzle
• 2 tsp black pepper crushed
• 4 tbs finely diced red onions
• 2 tsp chopped cilantro
• Some cheese - optional
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Clean, trim and boil the artichokes ( see the link above for instructions if you have never done this before)
2. If your artichokes have stems, peel the rough layer and cook the remaining stem with the artichokes.
3. Chop the shrimp, mix it with turmeric and salt and set aside for 10 - 15 minutes
4. After boiling, let the artichokes drain on a wire rack while you make the stuffing and chop the stems.
5. Preheat the oven to 400* F
6. Heat the ghee, saute onions until pale in color
7. Add in the shrimp, and cook until pink
8. Now add in the bread crumbs, cilantro, artichoke stems, pepper and cook until everything is mixed well.
9. Fill some of the mixture into the artichoke hearts and some of it between the leaves.
10. Do not over stuff, you need to be able to taste the artichoke too. So less is more in this case.
11. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 5- 6 minutes until the filling is crisp.
12. * I added some cheese on top as well - to have a melty gooey kinda artichoke .
13. Serve with some melty ghee on the side or drizzle it on top as soon as you get them out of the oven