The Globe Artichoke or Cynara cardunculus is a thistle, which grows throughout the year and there are a number of delicious artichokes recipe ideas to use in your daily or occasional cooking.

The fleshy lower part of the bud and the base are the edible parts of the thistle. The artichoke is a diuretic vegetable which is of immense nutritional value. It aids digestion, strengthens functioning of gall bladder and liver while increasing the HDL/LDL ratio in our blood. Besides, artichokes also reduce the risk of arteriosclerosis and coronary heart disease by checking the cholesterol levels.

Artichokes come in various sizes and shapes and we bring you today some delicious artichokes recipe ideas:

1) Shrimp and Artichoke Stuffed Fish: This recipe has artichokes, shrimps, tomatoes coming together in a flavorful bread stuffing used to fill a milk white fish, which is then baked. It is an easy recipe, which takes about half an hour to bake. Although, one can experiment with the ingredients depending upon personal tastes, the basic ingredients for this recipe remain artichoke hearts, shrimp, herbs, dry sherry, olive oil, stuffing mix.

2) Turkey Artichoke Pie: Brown rice and spinach make a crisp pie crust, which is then filled with turkey, mushrooms, artichokes, cheese and spices. In some variations, turkey is replaced with chicken to suit individual tastes. This artichoke recipe serves as a snack as well as a meal in itself.

3) Artichoke Fritters: This recipe serves as a good appetizer or a side dish with a meal. Artichokes have to be cleaned down to the heart after being cooked thoroughly. These are then dipped into a batter and deep-fried. The main ingredients of this recipe are artichokes, lemon juice, all-purpose flour, egg whites, club soda, etc.

4) Spinach and Artichokes in puff pastry: Artichokes, spinach and parmesan cheese are mixed together to make a delicious filling, which is then stuffed into frozen pastry rolls and baked. These artichoke appetizers are easy and simple to make and can be kept frozen even upto three months.

5) Artichoke Cream Cheese Spread: This delicious spread is made up of artichoke hearts, cream cheese, scallions, garlic, thyme and sour cream. You can also add some nuts to the spread, to make it crunchier. This recipe can be prepared in a jiffy and requires very little preparation.

6) Braised Artichokes with Tomatoes and Thyme Pasta: In this recipe, the most time-consuming part is to trim down the artichokes, rest is very easy. After being trimmed down, artichokes are sauteed with onions, tomatoes, thyme and garlic. After this mix is ready, it is poured over the plain cooked pasta with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.
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