Hearty Stuffed Artichokes

Note from Cheri: This recipe is reprinted with permission from A Trim & Terrific Louisiana Kitchen by Holly Berkowitz Clegg. If you enjoy traditional Southern cuisine, but are trying to eat healthy, your wishes have just come true. Holly Clegg's innovative recipes let you literally have your cake (and etouffé and pasta and gumbo and hundreds of other favorite foods) and eat them too. Click here for more information about this book and more sample recipes. For Holly's healthy spring cooking article: Artichokes, Asparagus & Strawberries, follow this link.

1 onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 lb. ground turkey 1/2 lb. extra lean ground beef 1 1/2 C Italian breadcrumbs 1/3 C grated Romano cheese 2 teaspoons dried basil 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/3 C olive oil 3 whole artichokes 3 tablespoons olive oil

Makes 3 Artichokes, 3 Servings per Artichoke In a large pan, sauté onion, garlic, turkey, and beef until onion is tender and meat is done. Remove from heat. Drain any excess fat. Add remaining ingredients except 3 tablespoons olive oil. Mix well. Trim the stems off the artichokes with a sharp knife. Snip off the pointed tops of the leaves with kitchen scissors. Holding the artichokes firmly in one hand, turn them leaves down and pound on a flat surface to open leaves. Turn leaves up again and rinse quickly under cold running water. Shake to remove excess moisture. With fingers, open the leaves to make more room for the stuffing, removing small center leaves and the hairy "choke." Stuff the reserved mixture into the spaces inside the open leaves. Sprinkle each artichoke with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Place artichokes in a pot with 1 inch lightly salted water. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and cook about 1 hour or until leaves pull off easily and are tender on the inside. Watch to make sure there is always water in the pot and, if necessary, add more water. Per 1/3 Artichoke: 287 Calories; 33 mg cholesterol; 16.2 g fat; 50.8% calories from fat.