I must confess I’m a little obsessed with lemongrass right now.
I’m intrigued by its lemon-y flavor without the citrus-y tang. I’m finding it does great things to Glorious One-Pot Meals (see the recipe for Great Grape Scallops, too!)! Here’s a delicious vegetarian recipe I whipped up, inspired this time by a clamshell of baby artichokes on sale for $3.99 at Whole Foods recently.
While my kids love eating large steamed artichokes — scraping the base of the leaves off with your teeth, savoring the delectable heart — the last time I trimmed, halved, and sauteed baby artichokes the reception was lukewarm, at best. This time, they pulled the outer leaves off of the babies and ate the infused flowers as if they were larger chokes, then chowed down on the center hearts with relish, so I think it must have been more acceptable (familiar?) to them. The adults ate the chokes in one scrumptious bite, of course!
The cashews add protein to this vegetarian meal, as well as an addictive flavor and crunch. Besides, it’s something different than the usual ho-hum protein source. 🙂
Here’s the recipe for Baby Artichokes with Cashews and Lemongrass:
1 Tbsp. grapeseed oil or canola oil
3/4 cup quinoa
1 cup broth or water
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1-2 large beets, scrubbed and sliced thinly
2 cups cauliflower florets
10-12 baby artichokes, trimmed and quartered
1/2 cup shelled cashew nuts
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 stalk lemongrass
Preheat the oven to 450F. Wipe the inside and lid of a cast iron Dutch oven with grapeseed oil.
Pour in the quinoa and broth and swirl to settle in an even layer and coat every grain. Sprinkle with shallots.
Arrange the beets in a layer, topped with the cauliflower. Set the artichokes on top and scatter the cashews. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar.
Split the lemongrass stalk and smash with the flat of a knife. Set on top, cover, and bake for about 45 minutes, or until 3 minutes after the aroma of a fully-cooked meal escapes the oven.
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