For those who opened my freezer, you’d instantly wish to shut it. Not as a result of there’s one thing horrifying in there, however as a result of it’s loaded. I’ve acquired it crammed to max capability with all of my favourite meals that assist me whip up meals at a second’s discover. One such important is frozen greens and I’ve acquired loads of selection, however the artichoke hearts are my favourite. In contrast to corn or inexperienced peas, which don’t elicit a lot pleasure from my diners, artichoke hearts add sophistication and simply “stage up” even essentially the most fundamental meals.
The one time I ever had artichoke hearts rising up was after we ordered spinach-artichoke dip at an area neighborhood restaurant. I didn’t even know what an precise artichoke was on the time, however what I did know was that I liked that dip. It wasn’t till I used to be learning vitamin in school that I turned really acquainted with the vegetable. I came upon that it was a nourishing meals that could possibly be loved in additional methods than simply dip. Culinary college solidified my appreciation, and I’ve been discovering methods to cook dinner with artichoke hearts ever since.
Sally Vargas
My Favourite Methods To Use Frozen Artichoke Hearts
Weeknight dinners are sometimes a rotation of acquainted recipes at my home. There’s normally some sort of pasta, a sort of casserole, soup or stew, and all the time pizza. The rotation presents loads of alternatives so as to add my favourite frozen vegetable. For a lot of pasta dishes, I embrace frozen artichoke hearts proper to no matter sauce I’m making, no must even thaw. If I feel the artichoke hearts are higher as a last-minute addition to the pasta, I’ll cook dinner them following package deal instructions in my microwave and stir them in simply earlier than serving.
The identical factor goes for casseroles, soups, and stews. Relating to pizza, I’ll all the time defrost, then switch the artichokes to a mesh strainer to take away any extra moisture, then I’ll pat them dry earlier than including them to my pizza. I exploit frozen artichoke hearts to make easy sides, too. You possibly can simply roast them from frozen, tossing them with oil, salt, pepper, and different seasonings simply earlier than serving.
Listed below are extra methods to make use of frozen artichoke hearts:
Use as a toast topper. Cook dinner frozen artichoke hearts then chop and mix with some cottage cheese, dill, lemon juice, and garlic as a scrumptious topping for toast. Stir in some chopped roasted crimson pepper or capers for much more taste.
Create a dip. Discover your favourite dip recipe and as a substitute of utilizing canned or jarred artichoke hearts, swap in thawed, frozen artichoke hearts. Make sure you drain them earlier than including.
Get pleasure from as a fast saute. Preserve issues easy and add your frozen artichoke hearts to a skillet with some olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and garlic or shallots and even some child spinach or different hearty inexperienced and end with a sprinkle of crushed crimson pepper.
Suggestions for Cooking With Frozen Artichoke Hearts
Determine if thawing first is sensible. For soups and different liquid-based dishes with longer cook dinner instances, including frozen artichoke hearts with out thawing works. For different dishes the place the liquid from thawing would have an effect on the dish (like pizza or spreads), cook dinner them first and drain earlier than including.
Don’t cook dinner in iron or aluminum cookware. For those who’ve ever ready artichoke hearts in iron or aluminum, you may’ve been shocked by the outcomes. Your yellow-hued hearts most likely got here out gray due to a response between an acid current in artichoke hearts and the steel. To maintain their shade, use a ceramic, nonstick, or chrome steel pan for cooking.
Label and use. There’s a superb probability you’ll purchase a bag and solely use half. Be certain you add the date you opened them earlier than re-storing and maintain them seen. Opened baggage are likely to get freezer burn extra readily than unopened baggage, so that you’ll wish to use them up sooner, fairly than later.
