Savory Artichokes and Cannellini Beans

Pssst. You may have already suspected it, I have a secret love … and it is …. artichokes!

You name it, simply boiled with mayonnaise, stuffed, marinated, on crostini, in salads, in sauces for chicken or pasta, antipasto trays, in quiche, fritattas, tarts, oh and battered and deep fried. I have been known to buy the giant jar of marinated hearts at Costco “just so I’ll have some.” You can see the addiction is quite pervasive. But I have never, ever used just plain old canned hearts packed in water, until now.

Recently, while at Trader Joe’s I was drawn to their fresh ‘chokes. They were huge globes, pretty to look at but offered no fresh squeak and cost a dollar apiece. My Dad told me, “If it doesn’t talk to you, don’t buy it.” So I didn’t. But my hunger for this prickly treasure was only heightened. Round the corner was a display of canned chokes for .99 cents. Well, why not?

Like my many “one off” foodie items, it sat on the pantry shelf waiting it’s turn. I needed some time to marinate an idea, and honestly, I don’t always know where they come from. The result, tasting of buttery and savory Mediterranean goodness we’ll want to enjoy again and again. As usual there is an ingredient you might not suspect, but you’ll have to check out the full recipe to find it. What do you think it could be?

Savory Artichokes and Cannellini Beans with Roasted Chicken

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Savory Artichokes and Cannellini Beans
Prep 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
4 Servings

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup chopped Vidalia Onion
½ cup chopped red and yellow bell pepper
¼ cup chopped celery
1 small zucchini cut in small pieces
1 ½ cups fresh sweet corn kernels (cut from cob, 1 ear)
1 ½ cups chicken stock (Better than Bullion – Chicken)
1 15 oz can Trader Joe’s Artichoke Hearts
1 15 oz can Cannellini Beans
¼ teaspoon anchovy paste
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1-2 small dried bay leaves
¼ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sweet marjoram
1 teaspoon chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Grated Romano or Parmesan Cheese

Prep
Remove kernels from corn, chop onion, peppers, zucchini and celery.
Pour 1 ½ cups of boiling water over 1 ½ teaspoons Better than Bullion –  Chicken and ¼ teaspoon of anchovy paste and stir until dissolved.
Drain and rinse canned beans (this removes excess salt and the gooey liquid from the beans.)
Drain liquid from canned artichokes.

Directions
Heat olive oil in bottom of 6 quart pot, add onion, peppers and garlic. Saute about 5-7 minutes until soft but not browned. Add the corn, zucchini, artichokes and beans, stir to combine and cook 3 minutes then add chicken stock, bay leaves, dried oregano and red pepper flakes. Bring to a low boil, then turn down heat to simmer gently for 25 minutes. To finish remove bay leaves and add chopped fresh herbs and ground black pepper to taste. I didn’t need to add any additional salt, but suit your tastes. When serving, sprinkle a little grated Romano or Parmesan cheese.