14frozen artichoke bottoms – the whole package: or 6 large, fresh ones, raw
2tbspwhite rice
2tbspolive oil
⅓cupminced onion
8oz(1 cup) ground beef
2large, minced garlic cloves
¼cupchopped cilantro
¼tspsweet paprika
¼tspground cumin
⅛tspground cinnamon
⅛tspground ginger
¼tspsalt
¼tspground black pepper
4fresh, chopped tomatoes
2sliced garlic cloves
⅛tspturmeric
Instructions
Boil the rice, uncovered, in 1 cup of boiling salted water, for 10 minutes. Rinse with cold water and drain. Put in a medium-sized bowl.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet, add onion and cook over medium-low heat for 4 or 5 minutes.
Add ground beef and sauté about 4 minutes or until all the meat has changed color. Take the skillet off the flame.
To the meat, add the minced garlic, cilantro, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and pepper. Mix well and add to rice. Mix the rice and meat well.
Sprinkle the artichoke bottoms with additional salt and pepper. Spoon stuffing into them. Spoon the remaining 1 tablespoon oil into a heavy pan or casserole and add the artichokes.
Add the chopped tomatoes, sliced garlic, turmeric, and a little salt, plus more pepper to taste.
Add 1 cup of water or stock or half water, half white wine to the pan. Bring to a simmer. Cover the pan and cook over low heat for half an hour or until artichoke bottoms are tender. Serve this dish hot, with a little of the sauce and chopped tomatoes spooned over each artichoke.
There was about a half cup of stuffing left over. I had some fresh, brined vine leaves in the fridge – supermarkets sell them next to the olives and pickles. So I decided to stuff ten of them. When the artichokes were done, I lifted them out of the pan and put them away. To the sauce in the pan, I added a sprig of mint and the juice of 1/2 lemon, plus a tablespoon or so of good olive oil. I let that simmer and thicken while I stuffed the leaves. (Place 1 tablespoon filling at the stem end, shiny side of the leaf down, and roll the leaf up. Secure with a toothpick if needed.) They took another 40 minutes to cook, over medium-low heat. You can see the assembled result in the photo at the top of this recipe.