Recipes

I love artichokes, but sometimes am not willing to wait the 45-60 minutes they take to cook. However, this simple twist on a traditional artichoke recipe cuts the cooking time in half which means it can be served alongside any quick 20-30 minute meal. And although I love eating an artichoke dipped in butter, I thought better of it and made a simple yogurt, garlic, dill dip.

Weight Watchers Braised Artichokes with Yogurt Dill Dip
Points: 2 Weight Watchers PointsPlus for artichoke, 1 point for 1/4 cup of dip
Servings: 4 artichokes
Serving Size: 1/2 artichoke with 1/4 cup dip
Nutritional Info for artichokes: 81.1 calories, 5.9 g of fat, 6.7 g of carbohydrates, 3.5 g of fiber, 2.2 g of protein; for dip: 38.4 calories, 0 g of fat, 3.3 g of carbohydrates, 0 g of fiber, 5.9 g of protein

Ingredients for Braised Artichokes
2 tbsp butter
4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 artichokes
1 quart of chicken stock
juice of 1 lemon

Ingredients for Yogurt Dill Dip
1 cup non fat Greek yogurt
2-3 garlic cloves
2 tbsp fresh dill
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
1. Prepare your artichokes by trimming off any sharp tips on the leaves (I use scissors) and removing the small leaves on the base of the artichoke. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. Over medium heat, melt the butter and add the garlic until it becomes fragrant. Then add the artichokes, cut side down, and let braise over medium heat for 5 minutes.

3. Add the chicken or vegetable stock and lemon juice to the artichokes until they are covered just over half way. Cover and let steam for 20 minutes, flipping after ten minutes.

4. To make the yogurt dip, mix everything together in a food processor and serve with the artichoke.