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Stuffed artichokes, Moroccan style

Our chef likes to 'stuff stuff,' and this recipe is just one example.
Artichokes stuffed Moroccan style. (Photo: Miriam Kresh/Unpacked)

In my house, “stuffed stuff” means a plate of colorful vegetables stuffed with rice and ground meat, or sometimes a vegetarian version made of rice, honey and herbs. We like to eat stuffed eggplants, bell peppers, zucchini, squash and artichokes. Then there are leaves good for stuffing: vine, chard, and the big, flat leaves of a wild mallow.

Meantime, I was cruising around the supermarket yesterday, sizing up the frozen section and not finding anything very interesting in it. Then I saw frozen artichoke bottoms. I really love fresh artichokes. Frozen ones don’t compare. But I broke down and bought those bottoms because I also know how easy it is to stuff them.

This recipe looks like a lot of work because of the long list of ingredients, but just assemble everything ahead of time and it will go quickly.

Stuffed artichokes, Moroccan style

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Prep15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 14 frozen artichoke bottoms – the whole package: or 6 large, fresh ones, raw
  • 2 tbsp white rice
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • cup minced onion
  • 8 oz (1 cup) ground beef
  • 2 large, minced garlic cloves
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro
  • ¼ tsp sweet paprika
  • ¼ tsp ground cumin
  • tsp ground cinnamon
  • tsp ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp ground black pepper
  • 4 fresh, chopped tomatoes
  • 2 sliced garlic cloves
  • tsp turmeric

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.

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