Baby Artichoke And Chicken Stir Fry

Unlike regular size artichokes,  baby artichokes can be eaten whole with a little prep work. Their flavor is mild, and they make a perfect compliment to chicken in a stir fry.

• 12-16 baby artichokes, cleaned and cut into quarters
• 1 chicken breast, cut into small cubes
• 2 carrots thinly sliced
• 3 green onions chopped
• 1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms sliced
• 1 can baby corn
• 1 tablespoon sherry
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• oil for frying (peanut or olive)

Preparation of ingredients -  Place artichokes in a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Remove the dark green outer leaves of the artichoke until the leaves become pale green . Cut off the stem and the top of the artichoke. Cut the artichoke into quarters and put in a bowl with acidulated water to prevent them turning brown. Acidulated water is water that lemon juice or vinegar has been added to. Below is a picture comparing a whole baby artichoke with a correctly prepped one. 

Slice up the carrots, green onions, and mushrooms and set aside. Mix the corn starch and soy sauce with the water and set aside. Cut up chicken breast into small cubes.

Cooking directions -  Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a hot wok. Wait until oil is hot, put in chicken and stir-fry for a minute. Add sherry and continue stir frying until chicken is almost cooked through and begins to brown. Remove chicken, add a little more oil and reheat the wok. Thoroughly rinse and drain the artichokes, pat dry and add to hot wok. Stir fry for two minutes, add the rest of the vegetables and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the cooked chicken, and add the corn starch mixture. As soon as the wok returns to temperature the corn starch will thicken. If sauce is too thick, add water a teaspoonful at a time until desired consistency is reached.  Serve over rice or noodles, add a few chunks of fresh honeydew and cantaloupe for a complete meal.

Pork and Jalapeno Frittata

A frittata is an open faced omelet with other ingredients added to it. The recipe for my Pork and Jalapeno frittata can be used as an example, as most anything can be used in a frittata. It's an excellent way to use up leftovers.

• 6 oz. raw pork, cut into cubes
• 1 small onion, chopped fine
• 1/2 ripe red pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 small jalapeno pepper cut into rings
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• salt and pepper 
• 3 eggs

I used raw pork in this frittata, so I used a little bit different method to cook it.

Put a few tablespoons of olive oil in a medium sized skillet (10-11 inches in diameter). Let oil heat thoroughly. Add pork, onions, red peppers, garlic and jalapeno, salt and pepper and fry until pork is done. Beat up the eggs in a bowl, slowly pour them over the mixture. Shake the pan to make sure the eggs spread evenly. Reduce the heat to medium and put on a lid to help the center of the frittata set, or you can put the pan in the oven (350 degrees) for a few minutes.  When the center is set and the frittata is golden brown on the bottom, turn it out onto a plate and enjoy!

A frittata can be made out of most anything you've got left over too. If the meat you're using is already cooked, you can add everything to the eggs before putting into the skillet, or add the eggs separately. Experiment with different ingredients and cooking methods. There's really no right or wrong way to do it, as long as the eggs get cooked and it tastes good!

Yogurt, Walnut and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here's a great recipe that uses yogurt and no eggs to make some of the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever tasted.

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
• 2 ounces chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream together sugars, shortening and butter until thoroughly combined. Stir in yogurt and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine salt, flour and baking soda. Stir into creamed mixture until thoroughly combined, mix in chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.  allow to cool for a few minutes on cookie sheet after taking out of oven, remove cookies to a wire rack to cool. Makes about 36 cookies.