What to Cook this Week

Artichokes are strange-looking things and are in fact, thistles. Spiky, thorny plants, actually. They are not well-known in Germany and so I didn’t grow up with them. It wasn’t until I was introduced to them through my husband that I really started eating them. One of his family’s favorite appetizers is an artichoke dip that we’d see every year at Thanksgiving. There was MAJOR disappointment in fact if it didn’t appear on the table at every family gathering! Although I found them rather weird in the beginning, I took to them and have loved them ever since.

The artichoke is mentioned as a garden plant in the 8th Century by Homer and Hesiod. In fact, the naturally occurring variant for the artichoke, the cardoon, is native to the Mediterranean area. In its wild state it can also be found in Northern Africa. Improvements in the cultivated form appear to have taken place in the Medieval period in Spain, France, Italy, Holland and England. From Europe they were taken to the United States in the 19th Century; to Louisiana by French immigrants and to California by the Spanish.

There are several cultivars that consist of either green, purple, white and spined varieties. In the U.S., large globe artichokes are typically boiled or steamed. Each country prepares them differently: some in stews, some eaten as appetizers, as we typically do, by pulling off a leaf and dipping it into mayonnaise, butter or hollandaise sauce. In many countries, artichokes are served stuffed with fillings. In Northern Africa, the Middle East, Turkey and Armenia a favorite filling is made of lamb, spices, onions and raisins, each leaf acting as a scoop to get to the filling. I’ve never tried making them this way but am intrigued and have to give that a try some time. You just have to pry them open a little after lightly steaming them, I imagine, to get all that stuffing goodness in there.

If you do steam them plain, as most people typically do, here’s trick to keeping them green. Due to oxidation, artichokes can turn brown once cooked. To avoid this, place them in slightly acidified water with vinegar or lemon juice added to prevent discoloration. This helps them maintain that bright green color. Brown artichokes are not very pretty!

So, today I have an artichoke recipe I’d like you to try. This makes a great weeknight dinner that you can get on the table fairly quickly.

Chicken with Artichokes and Olives

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 tsp olive oil
2/3 cup chicken broth
1 can artichoke hearts, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup pitted nicoise olives*
2 Tbsp drained capers
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp dried organo
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
Lemon wedges

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place each breast half between sheets of plastic wrap and with a flat mallet or rolling pin, gently and evenly pound chicken to 1/4” thick. Peel off plastic wrap.

Pour oil into an 11-12” non-stick fry pan over high heat, and when oil is hot, add chicken in a single layer, without crowding. When edges begin to turn white, turn pieces and cook until no longer pink in the center, 3-4 minutes total. As chicken is cooked, transfer to a platter and keep warm. If you’re working in batches, cook the next batch.

Add broth, artichoke hearts, olives, capers, lemon juice and oregano to the pan; stir, scraping browned bits free, until mixture boils. Stir in parsley, and then spoon sauce evenly over chicken. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with lemon wedges.

If you eat noodles, this works over hot cooked capellini (angel hair pasta), otherwise lightly cooked zucchini “noodles”. Serve with a green salad with slivers of fennel.

I would serve this with a chilled Sauvignon Blanc or Fume Blanc.

* You can use kalamata olives, but they are a bit too strong for this dish. The Nicoise olives are a bit more subtle.