Artichoke Aioli

Artichoke Aioli

adapted from Allrecipes

This is a tangy aioli with a little bit of heat which is great on a chicken sandwich.

Makes about 1/2 cup                                                               1 WW pt. / Tbsp.

3.25 oz. marinated artichoke hearts

1 Tbsp. reduced fat mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. lemon zest

1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes

Kosher salt and Freshly ground pepper

1. Place the artichokes hearts, mayonnaise, Parmesan, lemon juice, lemon zest and red pepper flakes in the bowl of a mini food processor.
2. Puree until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

Enjoy!

Creamy Tuscan Chicken

 Creamy Tuscan Chicken

adapted from Julia's album

Makes 2 servings                2 WW Blue points

4 thin small boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

Cooking spray

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (not packed in oil - rehydrated if dry)

1/2 cup artichoke hearts, chopped

1 Tbsp capers

3 ounces fresh spinach

1/4 tsp paprika

3/4 cup fat free evaporated milk

salt to taste

1. Mix together the kosher salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, Italian seasoning until well combined.
2. Season both sides of the chicken breasts with the seasoning mix.
3. Cook the chicken in a hot skillet coated with cooking spray, about 4 minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove from pan and keep warm.
4. In the same pan, saute the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes and capers for about 1 minute.
5. Add the spinach and cook until it wilts.
6. Add the evaporated milk to the skillet with the paprika. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 1 minute, stirring. Season to taste with salt and paprika.
7. Add the cooked chicken to the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and cook until the chicken is heated through.

Enjoy !

Artichokes with Lemon Dipping Sauce

Not only had I never cooked fresh artichokes, I had never eaten one until last night. So much for only using food that is in the house. I justified it as needing fresh fruit and vegetables.

My first step was to look at some instructional videos such as:

How to Cook an Artichoke

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-sCrvQpWNo

How to Eat an Artichoke

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWVAOIrWe70

I was ready to go! So besides making the garlic butter from the video I also made a creamy lemon sauce which we much preferred. There was a lot leftover which we think will be great with fried calamari later this week.

Artichokes with Lemon Sauce
2  artichokes, stems trimmed
2 Tbsp + 2 tsp light mayonnaise
2 Tbsp + 2 tsp fat free sour cream

2 Tbsp snipped fresh chives
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp water
1 1/2 tsp Gulden's spicy brown mustard
1/8 tsp salt
Fill  a medium pot with 1 inch water and steamer insert. Heat to boiling on high; reduce heat to medium. Place artichokes stem side up on the rack. Cover and steam 35 minutes or until knife pierces easily through base.
Meanwhile stir together mayonnaise, sour cream, chives, lemon juice, water, mustard, and salt. Serve artichokes with sauce.