Roasted Artichokes with Garlic Almond Sauce
From the article: Greek Vegan Menu
When in a hurry I cut my artichokes in half so that they cook faster. And if I have a lot of things cooking on top of the stove, where I am limited to four burners, the artichokes get roasted in the oven. It’s a very easy way to cook them and baking them slightly browns them, caramelizing them a bit. Of course, you can enjoy them with a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon, but I wanted something with a bit more flavor, so I combined salted almonds, garlic and lemon for a dipping sauce.
Photo by Don Doblados
For the Artichokes:
1 T olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
4 large artichokes, stems trimmed, cut in half lengthwise, choke removed
2 cloves garlic, cut into 8 pieces total
1/3 C water
Heat the oven to 400°. Line a cookie sheet with sides with foil. Spread the foil with the 1 T of olive oil and season the pan (yes the pan) with salt and pepper. Place the artichokes cut side down on the prepared pan, tucking a chunk of garlic under each artichoke half.
Pour the 1/3 C water over the chokes and cover with foil. Place in the oven and bake 30-40 minutes or until the artichokes are tender. Remove from the oven and either serve warm, or room temperature with the dipping sauce on the side.
For the Garlic Almond Sauce:
½ C roasted salted almonds
1 garlic clove
½ C olive oil
zest of one lemon
freshly ground pepper to taste
¼ C water
Place the almonds in the bowl of a food processor and process until the almonds are very finely ground. Add the garlic, olive oil, lemon zest, and ground pepper. Process until smooth. With the machine running, add the water, this will make the sauce even smoother. Spoon into a serving dish and serve.
