rosemary Archives - Ari's Menu

Lemon Rosemary Grilled Artichokes

August 14, 2013 · by Ari · 15 Comments

I took 5 pictures of artichokes and they all look the same. Forgive me?

Actually, I took more like 20 pictures of artichokes which is surprisingly low for me. Usually I take close to 40 photos per shoot until I’m either 100% positive I got the shot I wanted, or I give in to frustration and call it quits, decide I hate photography and I am going to delete my blog. Sometimes I’m a little dramatic.

And actually, they don’t all look exactly the same. I moved, like, an inch to the right which obviously makes it a completely different photo. Then I just really liked them all, and I couldn’t choose. Usually I show them all to Steve over and over and over until he tells me which one(s) to delete, but he was boycotting. So that’s what you get. Five pictures of artichokes that all look extremely similar.

Grilled artichokes. Uuugghh…you guys. They are THE BEST. I could eat a whole grilled artichoke for dinner and be totally content. They are huge, filling, healthy, and they force you to eat slow and enjoy the experience. They are not an impatient food, which makes it a little strange that I enjoy them so much, because we all know I am an impatient person. They are a process. The cooking part is a piece of cake. Boil, remove the weird hairs (I know…I wish they made hairless artichokes, like pitted dates or hairless cats…), grill, voila! Then you get to take your time. One leaf at a time, until you get to where all the action is–the heart!

Once your artichoke has been cooked, you scrape the inside of each leaf with your teeth, then discard the leaf into a side dish. Repeat with all of the leaves until you get to the heart, then pick that baby up and chow down! If you’ve never tried a whole artichoke, seriously, you must! And the lemon and rosemary?? To die for. A totally impressive meal that is more time consuming to eat than it is to cook!

Lemon Rosemary Grilled Artichokes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Serving Size: 1/2 artichoke

Lemon Rosemary Grilled Artichokes

Ingredients

2 large lemons
2 large artichokes
1 sprig rosemary, finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Instructions

Cut off the stems of each artichoke leaving about 1" of stem remaining. Slice off the top quarter of each artichoke to create a flat top. Fill a very large pan or dutch oven with water and juice from one lemon. Add a pinch of salt if desired. Bring water to a boil, and add artichokes. Boil for about 15 minutes, until softened. Remove, and let stand for 5-10 minutes until they have slightly cooled.
Slice each artichoke in half, and use a spoon to remove the choke (the part in the center just about the heart that looks like little hairs--they will scoop right out). Drizzle each half with 1/2 tbsp olive oil, then zest remaining lemon over the artichokes (I used about a tablespoon of zest). Season with rosemary, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.
Grill artichokes over medium heat until browned and softened, about 5 minutes per side. Serve immediately.

Notes

Some people wish to trim the spiky leaves on the outside of the artichoke before cooking. You may do this, but I find it to be a waste of time. I find that they soften when cooked, and if they don't I simply discard them after cooking.

Often the first layer or two of the artichoke won't have any of the good stuff. You may with to discard the first several leaves. When you get to the good ones, the "meat" will scrape off easily.

http://www.arismenu.com/lemon-rosemary-grilled-artichokes/

Sugar-free Rosemary Lemonade

July 11, 2013 · by Ari · 17 Comments

Is there anything more refreshing in the summer than an ice cold lemonade? Okay, maybe those frozen ones at Disneyland (ahhh Disneyland–WANT TO BE THERE NOW!), but even those can be so syrupy sweet that I end up thirstier than when I started.

I’m not usually into the artificial sweeteners. I used to use a lot of Splenda, then as I began to care about actually health, and not just caloric values, I began to steer myself away from fake sweeteners. Minus my coffee and sometimes a diet coke. Let’s just say it’s a work in progress. 😉

Anyway, they say that stevia won’t kill you, so I decided to give it a shot. I know, I’m totally late to the party. If you’ve decided that “they” are liars and have it all wrong, you could totally sub in some agave nectar for a nice natural sweetness.

When I first started thinking about creating a rosemary lemonade, I thought it was this new, unique idea that most people would find crazy, until they tried it and discovered my visionary genius qualities. Then they started popping up all over the internet. Womp womp. Still, it’s delicious, fresh, summery, and totally not as weird as it sounds. I make mine on the tart end because I want that more natural taste, but feel free to add a little extra sweetness if you prefer. Either way, you will love this lemonade!

Sugar-free Rosemary Lemonade

Yield: 7 cups

Serving Size: 1 cup

Sugar-free Rosemary Lemonade

Ingredients

6 cups filtered water
3-4 sprigs rosemary
Juice from 6 large lemons (or about 1 cup fresh lemon juice)
20 drops stevia (or 2/3 cup agave nectar)

Instructions

Bring one cup water to a boil Add rosemary, remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Add 5 cups cold water, lemon juice and stevia. You may discard rosemary sprigs or allow to stay in for some extra rosemary flavor.
Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to one week. Serve over ice with extra rosemary and lemon slices if desired.

http://www.arismenu.com/sugar-free-rosemary-lemonade/

Turkey Club with Creamy Rosemary Spread

September 4, 2012 · by Ari · 11 Comments

Almost every summer of my life, I’ve spent at theatre camp. You never know what type of food you’re going to get at summer camp, and some years have been better than others, but I’ll never forget the summer we ate sandwiches for lunch for about 2 weeks straight. I think we might have even had sandwiches for dinner some nights too? I do remember thinking that I never wanted to eat an other sandwich again.

It’s funny because now I am ALL ABOUT sandwiches. If you ask me where I want to go to lunch, I will always reply with Dilly’s Deli, Great Harvest Bread Co, or Sacks. I could literally eat sandwiches for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

It can’t be just any sandwich. It has to be special. If you throw me deli meat and a slice of cheese with a packet of mayo, I will not be a fan. I like my sandwiches overflowing with super fresh and flavorful ingredients. Lots of veggies are a must, and so are unique and bold flavors!

And of course the right bread. I rarely buy anything that isn’t 1 million grain, but for the right rye bread, I’ll occasionally make the exception. However, this sandwich would also be fantastic with a seedy multi grain.

With the creamy rosemary spread, smooth avocado, crunchy bacon, soft bread and crisp fresh veggies, this sandwich has the perfect combination of textures, and doesn’t give even a little bit of that sandwich mush that comes from too few ingredients. You know, when it’s just bread and cheese and you think it would be a good idea to throw greasy potato chips on your sandwich because for the love of all things holy, it feels like you might possibly be eating baby food? Just me? Not that chips on a sandwich aren’t delicious….

I just prefer bacon. Story of my life.

I ate this monster sandwich for dinner, and I didn’t need a single thing on the side. It completely filled me up, and fulfilled all of my flavor/texture cravings in one perfect, easy dish. It’s the perfect meal for those nights when all you want to do is run through the Chipotle because you’re hungry enough to eat your arm, and you’d rather lick dirt off the floor than stand in the kitchen and cook. Please tell me that sometimes you feel that way too.

Turkey Club with Creamy Rosemary Spread

yield 1 sandwich

For the sandwich:

2 slices fresh rye bread, lightly toasted (or gluten-free bread)
1.5 oz sliced turkey
1 slice reduced fat muenster cheese
2 slices cooked center cut bacon
1 roma tomato, sliced
1/4 avocado, sliced
small handful fresh greens (or sprouts, or both!)
1-2 tsp stone ground spicy mustard

For the creamy rosemary spread:

2 tbs nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1/2 sprig rosemary, stem removed and very finely chopped

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine Greek yogurt and rosemary.
Top 1 slice of toasted rye with creamy rosemary spread, and the other slice with spicy mustard. Layer remaining ingredients as desired, and enjoy!

Caramelized Onion Rosemary Biscuits

May 17, 2012 · by Ari · 6 Comments

Soft and fluffy whole grain biscuits stuffed with caramelized onions and fresh rosemary.

I remember when I was living with Heather in Moscow, and she made roasted garlic and rosemary bread. It was pretty amazing. So amazing that when I was deciding what type of bread to make for Mother’s Day to go along side my Skinnified Fettucine Alfredo, it was the first thing that came to mind.

Let’s talk about these biscuits, because I really cannot get enough of them. You would expect a 100% whole wheat biscuit to be dense and heavy, right? Well these babies were fluffy while still full of hearty wheat flavor.

Aren’t they pretty with butter? Honestly though, they don’t need any.

I would eat them in a boat. I would eat them with a goat.

I will eat them here or there. I will eat them anywhere! Yes, I just quoted Dr. Seuss. Don’t judge. Okay, but seriously, carmelized onions, sauteed garlic, and fresh rosemary? You can’t go wrong. These biscuits are full of flavor, and taste like the bread basket from a fancy Italian restaurant. My mom was super impressed. She kept calling them professional. Thanks mom! 😉

Caramelized Onion Rosemary Biscuits

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 4 hours

Yield: 1 dozen

Serving Size: 1 biscuit

Caramelized Onion Rosemary Biscuits

Soft and fluffy whole grain biscuits stuffed with caramelized onions and fresh rosemary.

Ingredients

1 large sweet onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs light whipped butter
1 1/2 cup warm water
3 tsp active dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for coating bowl
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 cup white whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons sea salt
leaves from 2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
1 egg white, lightly beaten

Instructions

Sauté onions and minced garlic in the butter over medium heat. Cook until brown and caramelized, about 15 to 20 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes.
Pour warm water into a bowl. Sprinkle yeast on top. Add the honey and olive oil. Stir gently with a fork until combined. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine flours and salt. Add cooked and cooled onions, rosemary, and water mixture, stirring gently until dough is combined.
Knead in stand mixer using hook attachment (or by hand 15-20 times on a floured surface) until bread sticks together on the hook when lifted.
Spray a separate bowl generously with nonstick spray, then add your ball of dough, turning to coat. Cover with a towel and place in a warm spot for 1 1/2 to 2 hours (I put it outside--it's 105 in Phoenix).
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Divide dough into twelve round biscuits. Place on a baking mat or parchment paper, then cover with a towel and allow to rise for 15 to 20 minutes. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until brown. Brush with beaten egg white halfway through.

http://www.arismenu.com/caramelized-onion-rosemary-biscuits/