Minotti-Chokes

My coworker Stephanie Minotti sometimes surprises me and brings me in lunch, and last week she made me Artichokes this new way that I fell in love with! Although I think plain old chokes & butter is always going to be my favorite way to prepare them, her method was a fresh new twist that was very easy to make! Plus for my weight watchers followers Artichokes are ZERO points! Just count points for however many tablespoons of Oil you use and that's it! They are VERY filling, I ate 2 for dinner and that was enough for me!

If you are unfamiliar with this vegetable, see more detailed information on the basics of Artichokes on my earlier post here: http://kitchenmittens.blogspot.com/2011/12/artichokes.html

Preparation:

• Trim the stem off the bottom each artichoke & remove a few of the outer leaves. Take a large knife and chop the tip of the top off
• Spread apart the leaves stuffing minced or slices of garlic in between them, and sprinkle Crushed red Pepper flakes inside also (more or less to suit your spice tolerance)
• Drizzle Olive Oil (about 1 tablespoon each artichoke- more/less to taste) and a splash of White Balsamic Vinegar.
• Bring a large pot of Salted water to boil on High heat.  Using just enough water so that when they are standing it will cover about half way up the side of the artichoke *do not cover them completely with the water.  I placed a mug in the center and wedged the artichokes around so they would remain standing upright. 
• Cover, reduce to a rolling boil on medium heat.  Cook for about 35-40 minutes.  *depending on the size.  They are done when you can easily pull a leaf out of the center.  Remove carefully with tongs and serve immediately!