Artichokes are a beautifully colored olive green and purple ball like vegetable that always stands out among other vegetables in stores.
This vegetable is a perennial thorn that is a member of the sunflower family. Although the artichoke is commonly thought of as a vegetable, the part of the artichoke you eat is actually a flower bud before it blooms.
Artichokes contain many nutrients that are good for the health such as fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, calcium, iron and potassium.
The vegetable is often designated as a superfood because of the high levels of antioxidants it contains.
How to cook artichokes
To cook a whole artichoke, the first thing you need to do is cut off the outer leaves. The tops can be prickly like thorns, so first you need to cut a few rows from the top to expose the inside of the vegetable. Use kitchen scissors to cut off the very tips of each leaf. All the edible flesh is on the underside of the leaves attached to the base.
Artichokes can be prepared by boiling, roasting and pressure cooking.
Boiled artichoke
Boil the artichokes in a pot of salted water. Reduce the heat once the water boils and cover them. Check for doneness by carefully transferring the cooked artichoke into a plate and then pulling off one of the large outer leaves. If it comes off the base easily, your artichoke is cooked.
The cooking time is between 20 and 35 minutes depending on the size of the vegetable. Strain and cool it slightly before serving.
See all delicious artichoke recipes.
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