Serves 4
THIS IS one of the simplest recipes in this book, celebrating the beautiful creature that is the artichoke. Not all good things in life need to be hard. Not feeling up to cooking? Here’s your answer: Artichokes, garlic, olive oil, lemon, and salt—what could be better? I simply steam the artichokes and then pour the garlic water over them for extra flavor. Artichokes are more than a pretty face. They are also packed with fiber and iron.
I make this recipe an entire meal by serving with a freshly made, crunchy loaf of bread for dipping in the leftover broth (like the one here). Although I don’t recommend drinking alcohol when you are eating Pure, I have been known, on special occasions, to pair the artichokes and bread with a bold red wine, when I am feeling up to it. Put on some Frank Sinatra and you will swear you are in Italy (or at my house).
4 artichokes
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
¼ cup olive oil, plus more for serving
Juice of ½ lemon
Himalayan salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Clean the artichokes by cutting off the pointy tips and bottom stem. Cut so that the artichokes stand upright.
Fill a large saucepan with about 1 inch of water and place the artichokes in a steamer tray (or directly in the water is also fine). Place the garlic around the artichokes and drizzle the olive oil over everything. Squeeze the lemon over the top and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Cover and steam over medium heat until a leaf comes off easily, about 30 minutes.
Transfer to a platter to serve. You can pour the remaining steaming water over the artichokes, then drizzle with olive oil and more salt and pepper to taste.
And, in case you’ve never eaten artichokes before and are staring at this gorgeous dish wondering what to do, just pull off the tender leaves one at a time. Draw your teeth over the meaty part to scrape it off and devour it, then discard the stripped leaf. It’s like heaven on a plate.