That’s what they say, if at first you don’t succeed.
Sorry to post this again, but it seems just this one previous post from earlier today may have been corrupted so that you couldn’t comment on that version. Let’s see if you can comment now on this second posting. And if you can, I shall remove the original post from the record once it’s been diagnosed. For sure, I’d never close my comments to you…I do really love hearing from you, it’s part of what makes blogging so fun! Technology is great when it works correctly. Thanks for your patience.
The weekend is upon us, and it’s time for a savory little nibble to go with that happy hour cocktail. Enter these delectable Artichoke Squares.
This is one of those throwback recipes, circa 1960 or so. I’ve updated it with some fresh ingredients, really tasty extra sharp cheddar cheese, herbs, spices and plain panko breadcrumbs instead of the canned, seasoned, Italian type.
And because I always try to use as few, or as minimally, processed foods and ingredients as I possibly can in my cooking, I decided to make my own marinade for the artichoke hearts instead of using the jarred marinated version. The result was wonderful. Fresh and clean-tasting marinated artichoke, and a commitment to marinate my own from now on for every recipe that calls for them.
But I digress. These Mad Men-worthy bites of deliciousness are the perfect companion for most any cocktail—from martinis to sweeter concoctions, with a glass of wine or a beer…and they make for some darn good eating without an adult beverage, as well. They’re rich and have a marvelous texture, so I like to cut them into small squares where I can eat more than one…or two…or three.
Since these Artichoke Squares can be made ahead and they freeze perfectly, they’re just right for that busy day when you need an appetizer you can pull together quickly and have ready for guests—or for yourself—pronto. Just take out what you need from the freezer, warm them in the oven on a cookie sheet and they’re ready to plate and eat. And they look pretty, too.
Cheers to the weekend!
Artichoke Squares Redux
Makes 54, some to eat now and some to freeze for later!
For the marinade:
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup rice vinegar, unseasoned
1/4 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon dried and crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Remaining ingredients:
1-14 oz can of artichoke hearts packed in water, drained, rinsed in water, drained again
1 large sweet onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
2 Tablespoons fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, finely chopped
2 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated (I use Cabot)
1/3 cup plain panko (Japanese style) breadcrumbs
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried and crushed red pepper flakes
4 eggs, beaten
In a small bowl, whisk together all of the marinade ingredients. Finely chop the artichoke hearts and add them to the marinade, stirring to coat them well. Allow them to marinate while you prepare your other ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and lightly grease a 7 inch by 11 inch glass baking dish with olive oil and set aside. Drain the chopped artichoke through a fine meshed sieve, pressing on the artichoke, and reserving the marinade by allowing it to drain directly into a large, non-stick skillet. Set aside the artichoke hearts. Heat the marinade over medium heat, then add the onion and garlic and sauté in the marinade for about 5 minutes, until the onion is softened. Remove from heat.
In a large bowl, combine the artichoke hearts, the sautéed onion and garlic mixture with the marinade, and all of the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine well. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and smooth the surface, spreading evenly. Bake the mixture at 325 degrees F for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan. Cut into small squares with a very sharp knife. Serve at room temperature or freeze the squares on a cookie sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag. When ready to use, remove what you need, warm them on a cookie sheet in a 300 degree oven, and serve slightly warm or at room temperature. These should keep a couple of months in the freezer, if they aren’t eaten first.
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That’s better! I couldn’t comment and went up and down your blog trying to work out if I was blind to the comment section! I just had to hit the ‘like’ button. I love the look of these squares and yes, they’re absolutely perfect for ‘after fives’ xx
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I did the same thing Charlie! It was really strange and makes no sense as I didn’t touch a thing and subsequent posts had comments enabled again. Weird, but thanks for hanging in there with me! 🙂 I love that term “after fives.”
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Yay commenting once more 😀
Your squares look 100% delicious, I want to take them as my uni lunch 🙂
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
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Thanks for bearing with me Uru, and again for your heads up on FB for me. Yes, I didn’t change a thing and the comments came back on the next post. Totally weird. The squares are pretty delish and I’m so glad you like them! 🙂
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I’ve never heard of artichoke squares before, but now I have I need to try them out
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I know, Claire, they are truly an old recipe from the 50’s and 60’s. I’ve never seen them in a cookbook, but an old friend of my mom’s, now long gone, used to make these when I was a kid. I copied the original recipe at some point long ago, then when I looked at it I really wanted to update it. I’ll be making them more often, now! 😉
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I know I’m going to love these – sort of sophisticated artichoke tortilla! lovely 🙂 Glad you got the comment sorted, what a pain…
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These are like a bit like a tortilla or frittata in a way, but more vegetable dense…not really exactly like anything else I’ve tasted. The comments thing had me rather undone there for a while. Not at all the mood I was trying to set initially with this post! 😉
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Thanks for circling back with me to comment, BTW. 🙂
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There’s just so much to love about these!! The recipe makes A LOT of simply delicious looking appetizers. I’m hungry right now – I wish I had several of these to eat!
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They’re addictive, so I freeze some so I’ll keep my paws off of eating them all! Wish I could send you some to try, Cecile! 🙂
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Wouldn’t that be nice – if we could all send each other samples!!
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It would be awesome, wouldn’t it? Maybe some day! 🙂
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Love it! I am all about being able to make tasty nibbles in advance of a gathering and this looks like the perfect solution. A glass of wine in one hand and an artichoke square int he other. Its a portable tapas. Take Care, BAM
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Portable tapas…I love that! I’m keeping that one, BAM, thanks. These squares freeze so well, you really cannot tell the difference between the freshly baked and the frozen and reheated. I have a few in the freezer right now, waiting for their appropriate time. 🙂 Have a great week!
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Goodness, these sound so good. I’ve not cooked with artichokes lately and I really love them. These would be perfect for a gathering, especially if I could make them in advance. I’m hosting some friends next week for book club and these sound perfect for that evening. Thank you for the recipe (I’ll let you know how they turn out)!
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Lovely! Please do let me know how you like them, Allison, and thanks for your comment. I love getting feedback, because even if you make something many times in your own kitchen, the true test is in someone else’s! 🙂 Hope you enjoy these if you make them and that you have a great book club session.
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Betsy: I did not get an iPad for Christmas! I am willingly going to get a sore hand and write down this artichoke recipe! Looks so good!!!! I make stuffed artichokes, but these with vodka straight up would be fabulous ! 🙂
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Hey Hollis! I’m so glad you like the recipe. You could just highlight the recipe text, copy and paste it into a text file and print it out, saving you all that handwriting! 🙂 Let me know if you try it and like it.
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I will, but most importantly, thanks for the techy advice!:)
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Happy to help! 🙂
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I too was wondering what I was doing wrong why I could not leave a comment, glad all is now well.
This artichoke recipe is for keeps and loving the fact that these squares freeze well.
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It was a strange thing, the no commenting. We’ll never know what happened for sure, but at least now it’s working! 🙂 Glad you like the squares, and I’m glad I still have some in my freezer, too! 😉
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I’m glad you re-posted this one! I love the story behind the recipe so enjoyed reading this! The idea of “mad men” and a cocktail has me yearning for Friday night so I can make a batch of these:)xx
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We’re having cocktails tonight and will pull out some of these…we have ice and snow here today and tomorrow, so it’s a snow/ice day here….until we lose power! So glad you like these and hope you try some with your Friday cocktail! 🙂
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It is hard figuring out the glitches that happen sometimes. I’m glad you didn’t let that stop you and that you reposted a nice nibble to have with cocktails.
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Thanks Karen. A few moments of panic and frustration to be sure. I’m glad you like these nibbles…they’re really tasty! 🙂
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I was just thinking about buying some artichokes today. This looks fantastic, I definitely need to try this sometime!
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I think you’ll love these squares. The only problem with them is that it’s hard not to eat ALL of them! 🙂 Thanks so much for your comment.
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