Whining and Dining

Grilled Artichokes: The Houston's / Gulfstream Way

Every time I leave Gulfstream / Houston's / Bandera's, I find myself dying to know the secret behind their grilled artichoke appetizer. If you haven't ordered this before, you MUST the next time you grace one of the Houston's restaurants. We've tried to replicate the appetizer at home, but we cannot seem to get the artichokes tender enough. My husband basically gave up on trying out of sheer frustration.

After a spectacular lunch at Gulfstream yesterday, I asked our server if she could shed some light on how they make the artichokes so delicious. Here's a similiar recipe (original source AllRecipes.com & FoodTV) plus a few tips that she gave me....

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large artichokes
• 1 lemon, quartered
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Fill a large bowl with cold water. Squeeze the juice from one lemon wedge into the water. Trim the tops from the artichokes, then cut in half lenghwise, and place halves into the bowl of lemon water to prevent them from turning brown.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat.
3. Add artichokes to boiling water, and cook for about 15 minutes. Drain. Squeeze the remaining lemon wedges into a medium bowl. Stir in the olive oil and garlic, and season with salt and pepper.
4. Chill artichokes for 1 hour.
5. Brush the artichokes with a coating of the garlic dip, and place them on the preheated grill. Grill the artichokes for 5 to 10 minutes, basting with dip and turning frequently, until the tips are a little charred. Serve immediately with remoulade (see recipe below).

Remoulade Sauce:
2 cups mayonnaise
3 tablespoons green sweet relish
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons capers
1 tablespoon anchovy paste (optional)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. It is best to refrigerate for several hours to allow the flavors to meld.

Grapes: A Suprising Substitute for Tomatoes

To celebrate grape season, I thought I'd write a little diddy on this favorite fruit....

I don't know about you, but we have a lot of grapes kickin' around our fridge these days. Before we had our daughter, I think consumed far more grapes via vino than on the vine. With a grape surplus in our midst, I decided to experiment with using our purple and green friends for other, unconventional uses. My investigation revealed that grapes are a nice substitute for tomatoes. Here's what I am talking about....

1) Arugula, grape & goat cheese salad - Arugula, sliced grapes, goat cheese bits, toasted pine nuts, roasted chicken with a basic viniagerette.

2) Brie & grape quesadilla - Two flour tortillas, sliced brie, sliced grapes, spray with cooking spray and cook in a skillet (or George Foreman grill) for approximately 4 minutes a side or until slightly browned.

Me gusta la salsa verde

Salsa verde or as we call it in Texas "green sauce" is muy delicioso on chips, enchiladas, grilled fish / meat and eggs, to name a few. We've always wanted to make it ourselves, but have been a tad intimidated with handling tomatillos. Today, we mustered up the courage and bought a bunch of the little green, tomato-like fruit at the Hollywood Farmers' Market. Did our research and discovered an easy salsa verde recipe on Simply Recipes. So easy that I feel so foolish for avoiding an attempt at it for so long....think of all of the enchiladas I've missed out on.

We ate this salsa verde on grilled flank steak and sauteed polenta (from TJ's), and everyone was asking for more sauce. My husband shouted to me from the table, "Sweets, I think we found  a new condiment!" You're thinking we are total nerds, aren't you?? Or maybe you just have condiment envy?