Pork Chops with Artichokes & Capers

Spring is here!

I always know for sure that spring has finally chased away the winter when I start seeing big piles of beautiful artichokes in the produce section. I absolutely love artichokes prepared in almost any fashion but I am especially partial to baby artichokes because they are so tender and delicately flavored. After you strip away a couple layers of the tough outer leaves you’re left with the heart, which is entirely edible and has none of that fuzzy, prickly stuff you’d find at the heart of a regular artichoke. Baby artichokes aren’t really any younger than mature artichokes but they’re called babies due to their much smaller size, which is the result of growing closer to the ground. The higher up the stalk, the bigger the artichoke. Bigger artichokes taste wonderful too but I enjoy the elegance of smaller sized artichokes when I want to use whole artichokes as part of a sauce.

The artichoke and caper sauce in this recipe tastes great with different kinds of meat. I used pork chops because that’s what I had in the fridge but you can substitute chicken breasts, veal chops or even lamb chops. Just make sure that whatever pieces of meat you choose are all about the same size to ensure even cooking.

PORK CHOPS WITH ARTICHOKES & CAPERS

4 bone-in pork chops, about 1 1/2 pounds total weight
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
2 lemons
9 baby artichokes
4 big garlic cloves, sliced thinly
8 ounce jar of capers, drained
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon cold butter
1/3 cup chopped chives

Fill a large bowl with cold water and add the juice of one of the lemons.

Clean the artichokes by peeling away the outer layers of the leaves until you reach the more tender, greenish-yellow leaves right outside the heart. Cut off the top third of each artichoke. Trim the stem end. Slice in half. Place the artichoke halves in the bowl of water until ready to use.

Season the chops with salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Brown chops well on both sides and cook through, about 5-7 minutes per side. Turn them a couple of times to avoid burning. Remove to a platter and cover tightly with foil to keep warm.

Deglaze the pan with the white wine.

Add the artichokes, garlic, broth and juice of the other lemon.

Turn up the heat a little bit. Cover and steam until the artichokes are very tender, about 10 minutes.

Lower heat back to medium.

Add the capers and heat through until warmed.

Swirl in the cold butter and chives.

Spoon the sauce over the chops and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Sausage and Artichoke Hearts

Spaghetti squash is a lovely alternative to pasta and an easy way to sneak in another serving of vegetables to your daily diet. When paired with savory turkey sausage and artichoke hearts, spaghetti squash retains the healthy qualities that keep your heart healthy and figure trim but is exciting enough that your family will be happy too. If you’ve never tried spaghetti squash then you’re in for a real treat. It doesn’t taste like traditional pasta even though it looks similar. The taste is very mild and somewhat sweet, although less sweet than butternut or acorn squash.

SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH TURKEY SAUSAGE AND ARTICHOKE HEARTS

1 spaghetti squash, about 4 pounds
1/2 pound hot or mild turkey sausage, casings removed
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup white wine
15 ounce can diced tomatoes, reserve juice
14 ounce can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
1 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

To prepare the spaghetti squash:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Split squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds. Place squash cut side down in a baking pan.

Bake squash for 60 minutes then turn over in pan and bake for another 35 to 45 minutes, or until flesh is very soft and separates easily into strands.

When the squash is done, steady one half with one hand (wear an oven mitt to avoid burning your hand). Using a large fork, gently scrape down the flesh to separate into strands. Place strands into a colander set over a bowl. Repeat with other half.

Press down firmly upon the spaghetti squash to release any extra liquid.

Pour the spaghetti squash into a large serving dish and cover to keep warm if the sauce is not finished.

To prepare the turkey sausage and artichoke sauce:

About 20 minutes before squash is done baking, heat oil in large saute pan with high sides over medium heat.

Add onions and saute for five minutes.

Add salt.

Continue cooking onions until they become translucent, about five more minutes.

Add turkey sausage and garlic. As you brown the turkey sausage, break it up into bite size pieces. Cook through completely, until the turkey sausage is no longer pink but well browned.

Add the wine and deglaze the pan.

Add tomatoes, artichokes and sage. Stir thoroughly and heat through.

Add some of the reserved tomato juice if the sauce looks too dry for your liking. I usually add about 1/2 cup of juice.

Remove sauce from heat. Stir in parsley.

Pour over the spaghetti squash and serve immediately while very hot.

Serves 4.

Bucatini Rigati with Artichokes & Prosciutto

This is another one of my recipes that was published previously on World Wide Webers.

There are a few universal truths in which I whole-heartedly believe: all babies are precious, what goes up must come down, and everybody likes pasta. So, because I already have all the babies I want and because I can’t control gravity (although that would be an awesome superpower to have), I present to you:

BUCATINI RIGATI WITH ARTICHOKES AND PROSCIUTTO

1 pound bucatini rigati (ridged, hollow spaghetti)

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon flour

1 cup chicken broth (reduced sodium) (I like Better Than Bouillon- find it in the soup aisle)

3-4 large garlic cloves, chopped

4 tablespoons chopped Italian flat leaf parsley

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 14 ounce can artichoke hearts packed in water, drained & sliced (NOT the marinated kind) (feel free to use thawed and drained frozen artichoke hearts)

4 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

8 ounces prosciutto, chopped (if you don’t have prosciutto, try Virginia ham or pancetta)

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Put a large pot of water on high heat and bring to a boil. Feel free to season the water with a big pinch of salt.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Bucatini rigati usually takes about 6 minutes to cook until al dente.

Meanwhile, melt butter and oil in small saucepan over medium low heat. Stir until well combined.

Add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook for two minutes until thickened slightly.

Add chicken broth, stirring until fully incorporated.

Add garlic, parsley, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring once or twice. Do not allow to boil.

Blend in cheese, stirring until smooth.

Fold in artichoke hearts. Cook for 3 more minutes. Stir a few times. Again, do not allow to boil.

Add prosciutto and stir carefully to avoid clumping up the prosciutto. If it does clump, no worries. Separate the clumps with a fork or just leave them. It will still taste good.

Lower heat and continue to cook until prosciutto is warmed through, about 5 minutes. If the pasta isn’t done yet, reduce heat to the lowest setting and cover the pot to keep the sauce warm. Stir every once in a while to prevent the proscuitto from sticking to the bottom.

Drain pasta thoroughly (do not rinse) and transfer to serving dish. Pour over sauce. Toss gently to spread sauce throughout the pasta. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 generously.

COOKING TIPS: You probably looked at the ingredients list and thought, “Holy crap! That’s a lot of stuff.” It’s not–I promise that this is a manageable recipe if you follow a few suggestions:

1. Put out your colander for draining the pasta and your bowl for serving before you begin cooking.

2. Measure and chop all of your ingredients before you begin cooking.

3. Start preparing the sauce as soon as you put the water on to boil.

4. If you forget to add an ingredient at the proper time, so what? Add it when you remember. If you forgot the garlic, I suggest adding a few extra minutes of cooking time to allow the garlic to cook through completely.