Roasted Artichoke and Baked Mahi Mahi

Growing up in South America meant we had fresh produce all the time. I remember spending numerous Saturday mornings at the feria (farmer’s market), picking out our favorite fruits and veggies for the week. And at stop lights, we would buy flowers and produce from vendors walking up and down the street.
One of my favorite veggies my mom would buy was artichoke. I loved it, because the act of eating it was such a process, and the melted butter we dipped the artichoke leaves in didn’t hurt either! My mom would boil the artichoke until tender on the inside, and then we would work from the outside in, peeling off the leaves and dipping the meaty part into the butter. It was fun and so different from any other vegetable I ever had.

So the other day while I was grocery shopping, I saw some artichoke on display and I instantly started craving it. When I got home, I decided to try a different way of cooking it than boiling like my mom used to do. One of my favorite ways to cook vegetables is roasting them, so I said “why not?”. I’m SO glad I did this, because it was some of the best artichoke I’ve ever had.
The meat was tender and juicy, and the roasting added lots of flavor. The artichoke went well with the baked mahi mahi… I felt so fancy eating dinner that night!

Have you ever tried artichoke? Did you like it?

Roasted Artichoke

Ingredients:
2 whole artichokes
2 tsp olive oil
2 Tbsp Briannas Real French Vinaigrette dressing
Pinch of salt

Pre-heat oven to 425F.
Cut the artichoke in half and drizzle the olive oil and dressing on each half. Spread the oil and dressing with a spoon or brush, making sure it gets in between the leaves and the artichoke hearts. Sprinkle the halves with the salt.
Place the halves in an oven safe dish and bake until the center is tender, about 30-45 minutes.
Remove and enjoy while warm!

Baked Mahi Mahi

Ingredients:
8 oz mahi mahi
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp paprika
3 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 Tbsp olive oil

Pre-heat oven to 350.
Drizzle the olive oil on the fish filet and spread with a spoon or brush. Evenly sprinkle the salt, pepper and paprika on the filet.  Place the basil and sprigs of thyme on the fish.
Bake in oven for 15-17 minutes, or until the fish is white and flaky.
Remove and enjoy while warm!