Catching Up

Gheese...I've been making things but not posting them! It takes so much time to prep and cook something that I'm not familiar with that when it's done and tasted I'm ready to hit the sack. What I'll share tonight is something I made at least a month ago I'd say. It wasn't a hit for me but I think someone might enjoy it.

This is a slow cooker recipe that I took from the book
"Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker"
Cheesy Garlic-Stuffed Artichokes

Here's what you'll need:
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz soy sausage(you can use the real stuff sausage too)
3 cups dry bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese, I used the stuff out of the shaker but by all means use the fresh stuff too.
1 tablespoon dried parsley
a dash of cayenne pepper
4 large artichokes
about 2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cups water

What to do:
1.) Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Stir in sausage and cook for 5 minutes stirring to blend. Remove from heat, stir in bread crumbs, cheese and parsley. Dash with cayenne, pepper and salt. Mix and set aside.

2.)Slice the stem off each artichoke so that they may sit upright-This may take a little elbow grease. Cut about an inch off the top of each artichoke and with kitchen scissors, snip off any sharp tips of the artichoke leaves. In a bowl, combine half of the lemon juice with the water and dip the cut artichokes into the lemon water to prevent browning. Spread the leaves apart as much as possible, this is where your stuffing mixture will go. Press the mixture in between the leaves. Using a small spoon and good old fingers are the easiest way.

3.)Stand the stuffed artichokes in the slow cooker, this should be a single layer, hopefully yours is big enough for this. Pour about an inch of water in the bottom of the cooker. Drizzle each artichoke with remaining olive oil and lemon juice. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or until the leaves pull off and are tender. Serve hot.

Good luck! I hope you like them more than me!