It’s Artichoke heart season and I’m pumped. I love the little buggers. Why? Well honestly – I love dips – hummus, tzatziki, roasted red pepper, garlic sauce .. But in order to eat dips you kinda need a pita or a chip to dip it in ! And these are things I generally don’t eat! When the Artichokes start appearing in my grocery store – that’s when the dips (low fat / in moderation of course) come out as appetizers in my house.

Here is how you turn your Artichoke Heart into a pita replacement!

1. Wash your Artichoke Heart
2. Cut the base stem off and the pointy tips on all the leaves. This is best done with scissors.
3. Place your Artichoke In a boiling pot of water, and let it boil for 30 – 40 minutes.
4. Remove and cool.
5. Serve along side any dip!
6. Pick a leaf off! Use the bottom of the leave (the meat) to scoop the dip and then with your teeth you scrap the leaf so that you get the meat from the plant and a little dip too!

* You can also scoop out the top few leaves and put your dip inside the middle of the Artichoke for a fancied up version!

P.S- The ‘heart’ is the BEST part. it’s hidden under all the leaves at the very bottom of the plant! YUMM!

Now, here is the scoop on the Artichoke:

1. 25 calories in a medium artichoke with no fat or cholesterol!
2. 16 essential nutrients!
3. 12% recommended daily Intake (RDI) of Fiber
4. 10% RDI of Folate
5. 10% RDI Vitamin C
6. Not to mention Iron, potassium, magnesium and calcium to name a few!
7. All these vitamins and minerals can help reduce the risk of certain types of heart disease, cancers and birth defects.