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Artichoke egg casserole recipe
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- 3 large or 6 medium-size fresh artichokes (about 500 g - 1lb and 1 1/2oz)
- 30 g (1 1/4oz) shallot, finely sliced
- Little bunch fresh chives, finely chopped
- Little bunch fresh flat-leaf parlsey, finely chopped
- 3 eggs
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Time:
preparation: 30 minutes
cooking: about 50 minutes
total time: 80 minutes - Difficulty:
easy recipe - Nutrition Facts (amount per serving):
Calories: 223 (kCal) 12 % GDA (*) - 933 (kJ)
Protein: 13.1 (g) 27 % GDA
Total fat: 17.6 (g) 26 % GDA
Total carbohydrate: 3.3 (g) 2 % GDA
Sugars: 2.8 (g) 4 % GDA
Combining artichokes and eggs in the same recipe is a tradition in Italy. We can make a simple omelette or more elaborate recipe but in every case this way of cooking artichokes tastes fantastic!
This is a simple-to-do, artichoke-and-egg recipe for many occasions.
You'll need few ingredients: artichokes, eggs, aromatic herbs (parsley and chives), shallot and good-quality olive oil.
Here's the recipe of artichoke egg casserole!
Prepare the artichokes. Snap off the stalk close to the base, pulling out any fibres which would extend into the bottom. Cut off the pointed top and, using kitchen scissors, trim the leaves to remove spines and any brown edges. Cut every artichoke in thin slices lengthways and plunge them in lemon water. The artichokes are ready to be cooked. You can find step-by-step simple instructions with a lot of images to clean the artichokes in the members-only area.
Cook the artichokes. Sauté the shallot in the olive oil on very low heat. Add the artichokes and let all the ingredients flavor, stirring now and then, on medium heat. At this point add half the chives and parsley, cover scarcely with hot water or vegetable stock if you prefer and keep on cooking for about ten minutes. The artichokes must be al dente stage (in other words some minutes or so from being done) and the cooking juice well reduced. So you have to increase the flame if necessary. Switch off the gas, season to taste with salt and stir.
The final step. Preheat oven to 350 °F (180°C). Spoon the artichokes on the bottom of a little baking pan.
Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt and the remaining chives and parsley.
Spread equally the egg mixture on the artichoke surface and bake, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until the surface is golden or a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
Wait for some minutes before seeving.
Note
- - Choose artichokes with thorns (Spined variety) for the best result.
- - For a quicker recipe use dried aromatic herbs but the recipe tastes less intense.
- - You can cook the artichokes ahead and complete the recipe just before serving.
- - You can add 1 to 2 tablespoons of grated cheese (Parmesan or Pecorino) to the beaten eggs but the nutrition facts become greater ...
- - Serve artichoke egg casserole as main dish with a seasonal side-dish or in a buffet with other warm or cold recipes or choose it as brunch or drunch course. In fact you can eat it standing for it is soft and you can cut every piece with your fork easily.
Healthy eating
- - As you can see reading the nutrition facts, this is a typical one-plate meal if you choose it for your family weekly menu. Accompany it with a green seasonal salad and 50 g (1 3/4oz) wholemeal bread.
- - Please note the artichoke high amount of fiber that can easily give a sense of satiety. Precious for people pn a diet. Besides the artichokes are rich in water too.
- - The artichokes have a lot of cynarin too. It is located especially in the pulp of the leaves but also in dried leaves and stems. Cynarin increases the bile production, makes easy the digestion, helps the liver function, lowers HDL/LDL ratio. This reduces cholesterol levels which diminishes the risk for arteriosclerosis and coronary heart disease.
What's the right wine ?
Please, don't match wine with artichokes. This combination often gives bad results. What about a beer?
The author Loretta Sebastiani lives in Italy (IT)
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