Steamed Artichokes with Balsamic Mayo Dipping Sauce

A delicious appetizer or side dish recipe, don’t underestimate the fabulousness of steamed artichoke and dipping sauce. The mayonnaise based dipping sauce in this recipe is flavored with balsamic adding the perfect flavor balance with the sweet and delicate artichoke.

Ingredients
• 2 medium sized artichokes
• 1 lemon
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp reduced fat mayonnaise (I used Veganaise)
• 1/4 cup plain, non-fat Greek yogurt

Instructions
1. Trim artichokes, first by slicing about 3/4 inch to an inch off the tip of the artichoke. Then snip off the thorny ends of each petal and pull off any smaller petals towards the base and on the stem that are brown or loose. Cut excess stem, leaving up to an inch on the artichoke. Rinse artichoke well with cold water.

2. Fill a large pot with a few inches of water. Add in two slices of the lemon, 2 garlic cloves and the bay leaf. Place artichokes in a steamer basket and set in pot over water and cover with lid.
3. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 25 to 40 minutes, or until the outer leaves can easily be pulled off.

4. Meanwhile, prepare dipping sauce by combining mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, 2 remaining cloves of garlic (minced), balsamic vinegar, and juice from remaining lemon. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cover and refrigerate while artichokes are cooking.

5. To eat artichokes, pull off one petal at a time, and then dip the white fleshy end in sauce. Tightly grip the other end of the petal. Place in mouth, dip side down, and pull through teeth to remove soft, pulpy, delicious portion of the petal. Discard remaining petal. Continue until all of the petals are removed. With a knife or spoon, scrape out and discard the inedible fuzzy part (called the “choke”) covering the artichoke heart. The remaining bottom of the artichoke is the heart. Cut into pieces and dip into sauce to eat.