Superfood-Stuffed Artichoke

superfood-stuffed artichoke

This superfood-stuffed artichoke contains six different superfoods; quinoa, black beans, mushrooms, chard, lentils, and barley.  This recipe is a new twist on an old favorite.  Italian-style stuffed artichokes are a family tradition and were made by my grandmother for dinner on all the big holidays.  Instead of the usual bread crumbs, parmesan and olive oil that is used for the stuffing I tried using a more nutritious suite of grains, legumes, and vegetables.  The superfoods included that I haven't previously mentioned our barley, lentils, and chard.  Chard I will include and discuss in a later post.  Barley is a supergrain not because its often used to make beer, but because it is a whole grain that contains good levels of dietary fiber and selenium.  In general, barley helps keep you regular, lowers cholesterol, and promotes heart health.  Lentils, is also a great source of dietary fiber, but additionally contains high levels of molybdenum and folate, and also is a good source of manganese, phosphorus, iron, and protein.  High levels of iron found in lentils are great for women who are more predisposed to iron deficiency and, in general, can help increase energy levels for everyone.

Prep Time:  20 min
Cook Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

2-4 artichokes (depending on the size), stem removed and, if present, clip the spine-tipped leaves tips
1/3 cup lentils
1/3 cup barley
1/3 cup wheat berries (optional, I just had some in the house I wanted to use up)
1-2 veggie bullion cube
5-6 leaves chard, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1 large shallot (or onion)
1-2 cup, mushrooms, finely chopped
1 cup cilantro
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 can black beans

Directions:

• cook lentils, barley, and wheat berries with vegetable bullion cube/s (according to package) takes about 30-40 min
• steam artichokes for 1 hr
• in the meantime, saute garlic and onions in olive oil until soft.  Add in mushrooms and chard.  I added a touch of soy sauce and honey for added flavor.  
• take out artichokes from the steamer and let cool 
• in a large mixing bowl, combine and stir together grains, lentils, mushroom-chard saute, cilantro, tomatoes, and black beans.
• remove the interior leaves and "choke" portion of the artichokes
• fill each artichoke with stuffing
• steam again for about 1 hr or until the leaves are well cooked and easily pull from the base.  
• serve warm and peel off individual leaves, top with stuffing, and eat by dragging teeth along the inner portion of the artichoke leaf.   

Potential Alternatives:

• This dish is extremely versatile and can easily altered.
• I've stuffed with risotto in the past with great results
• add parmesan to stuffing 
• try other grains (couscous, polenta, etc.)

less abstract photo of stuffed artichoke