Easy dinner recipes: Four perfect ideas for artichoke lovers

Love artichokes? Whether deep-fried, stewed, used as a flavoring in a larger dish or cooked with bacon, have we got some tempting ideas for you.

Roast chicken with fried artichokes and lemons: Tender roast chicken is served with crisp fried artichoke and lemon “chips.” The whole meal comes together in only an hour.

Artichoke, bacon and new potato stew: Doesn’t everything taste better with bacon? Here, artichokes are paired with bacon and new potatoes in a rich and hearty stew that comes together in less than an hour.

Artichoke and sun-dried tomato frittata: The flavors of artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes are combined with cheddar and Parmesan cheeses and fresh basil, parsley and chives in this colorful frittata.

Hog’s Breath Inn’s artichoke soup: Artichoke lovers, rejoice! We loved this rich, creamy soup from Carmel’s own Hog’s Breath Inn, which touts its “Old West ambience” with scenic fireplace murals, mounted hog heads and paintings of Clint Eastwood. A simple ingredient list nicely brings the artichoke to the forefront, the flavors nicely rounded out with a touch of sherry.

You can find the recipes below.

For more ideas, click through our easy dinner recipes gallery and check out our Dinner Tonight! page, devoted to recipes that can be made in an hour or less. Looking for a particular type of recipe? Comment below or email me at noelle.carter@latimes.com.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH FRIED ARTICHOKES AND LEMONS

Total time: 1 hour | Serves 4

Note: From test kitchen director Donna Deane.

1/4 cup olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons butter, plus 1 teaspoon cold butter cut into small pieces, divided
2 cloves garlic, mashed or pressed through a garlic press
4 chicken legs with thighs attached (about 12 ounces each)
Salt
3 Meyer lemons, divided
8 baby artichokes
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons white wine
Chervil leaves for garnish

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Place 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter with the garlic in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat until the butter is melted. Cook for about a minute more until the garlic is fragrant, then remove from the heat.

2. Wash the chicken under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Brush the chicken with the garlic mixture. Season each chicken leg with one-fourth teaspoon salt and allow to stand at room temperature while you prepare the lemons and artichokes for frying.

3. Fill a large bowl with cold water and halve one of the lemons, squeezing the juice from one half into the water. Trim the artichokes down to the hearts: Using a sharp knife, cut away the tough outer leaves until you see only light green at the base. Cut away about the top half-inch of the artichoke tip. Trim the end of the stem, then peel the stem and base of the artichoke; there should be no dark green tough spots left, only pale green and ivory. Place the peeled artichokes into the bowl of lemon water.

4. When all of the artichokes are trimmed, slice them lengthwise no thicker than one-fourth inch, using a mandoline or by hand with a sharp knife. As you slice them, return them to the bowl of lemon water.

5. Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, slice two of the lemons crosswise into slices no thicker than one-fourth of an inch. Set aside.

6. Drain the artichokes well and pat them dry. Place the cream and flour into separate medium bowls and one by one dip the artichoke and lemon slices into the cream. Let any excess cream drain off, then dip the slices into the flour to coat, shaking off any excess flour. Set them on a wire rack until you are ready to fry them.

7. Heat a large heavy skillet with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat until hot. Add the chicken pieces in batches and cook until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Adjust the heat as necessary. Put the browned chicken in a large shallow baking pan. Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel and set aside for the pan sauce.

8. Roast the chicken until tender and a thermometer inserted into the meatiest part of the thigh (not touching the bone) reaches 165 to 170 degrees, about 30 to 35 minutes.

9. While the chicken is roasting, fill a large, heavy stock pot with enough oil for deep-frying (the oil should come about 3 inches up the sides of the pan). Heat the oil until a thermometer inserted reads 350 degrees. Add the lemon slices in batches to the deep fryer and cook until the slices are golden brown and puffed on both sides, about 1 1/2 minutes total. Fry the artichokes until lightly browned on both sides, about 1 minute total. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle lightly with salt. Set aside in a warm place until ready to serve.

10. Remove the cooked chicken from the oven and drizzle the pieces with the juice from the remaining half of the lemon. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside in a warm place. Pour the chicken broth over the baking pan to loosen the juices and browned bits. Stir in the wine, then pour all of the liquid back into the saute pan. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, until slightly reduced. Swirl the remaining teaspoon of butter into the sauce, bit by bit, to thicken. Remove from the heat and strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer. Set aside in a warm place.

11. To serve, place one chicken leg on each of four plates and spoon some sauce over it. Divide the lemons and artichokes evenly among the servings. Sprinkle each chicken piece with a few chervil leaves and serve immediately.

Each serving: 720 calories; 52 grams protein; 30 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams fiber; 43 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 200 mg. cholesterol; 893 mg. sodium.

ARTICHOKE, BACON AND NEW POTATO STEW

Total time: 50 minutes | Serves 4 to 6

1 pound new potatoes
2 strips thick bacon, cut into 1/2-inch crosswise strips
1 tablespoon minced shallots
4 medium artichokes, trimmed to hearts and stems, quartered lengthwise and stored in acidulated water
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup cream
Salt
2 tablespoons minced chives

1. Steam the potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes, and set aside. When cool enough to handle, cut into bite-sized pieces.

2. Fry cut-up bacon in a dry skillet over medium heat until brown, about 10 minutes. Discard all but about 1 to 2 teaspoons of fat and add the shallots. Cook until the shallots are fragrant and tender, about 3 minutes.

3. Add the artichokes and the water, cover tightly, and cook until the artichokes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

4. Remove the lid, increase the heat to high and cook, stirring, until the liquid has reduced to traces of syrup, about 5 minutes.

5. Add the cut-up potatoes and stir to coat with juices. Add the cream and salt to taste and continue cooking over high heat until the cream has thickened and reduced enough to coat the potatoes and artichokes lightly, about 5 minutes.

6. Remove from heat and stir in the minced chives before turning into a serving bowl.

Each serving: 194 calories; 5 grams protein; 23 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams fiber; 10 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 31 mg cholesterol; 2 grams sugar; 125 mg sodium.

ARTICHOKE AND SUN-DRIED TOMATO FRITTATA

Total time: About 1 hour, plus cooling time | Serves 12

Note: Adapted from Gayle’s Bakery & Rosticceria.

3 cups drained, coarsely chopped canned artichoke hearts (canned in water)
1 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/3 cup chopped fresh chives
1 cup julienned basil
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
15 eggs
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 12-by-9-inch casserole dish.

2. In a bowl, toss the artichokes, tomatoes, chives, basil and parsley, and cheddar and parmesan cheeses together gently. Spread evenly in the dish.

3. Whisk together the eggs, cream, salt and pepper. Pour over vegetable mixture.

4. Put the frittata in a larger pan, and add enough hot water to reach halfway up the side of the frittata dish.

5. Bake until the top is lightly golden, then cover with foil and continue baking until the frittata is set (a knife inserted should come out clean), 40 to 50 minutes. Cool slightly before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Each serving: Calories 388; Protein 19 grams; Carbohydrates 8 grams; Fiber 1 gram; Fat 31 grams; Saturated fat 18 grams; Cholesterol 320 mg; Sugar 2 grams; Sodium 538 mg.

HOG’S BREATH INN’S ARTICHOKE SOUP

Total time: 1 hour | Serves 2 to 4

Note: Adapted from the Hog’s Breath Inn in Carmel by the Sea, Calif. We tested the recipe using artichoke hearts canned in water.

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) butter, divided
1/2 onion, diced (about 1 1/4 cups diced)
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
3 tablespoons sherry
2 pounds drained artichoke hearts
1 1/3 cups chicken broth, more as desired
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
Salt
1/4 cup flour
1 cup cream

1. In a medium, heavy-bottomed pot heated over medium-high heat until hot, melt 6 tablespoons butter. Add the onions and saute until they begin to brown, 6 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the garlic and peppers, and continue to cook until the garlic is aromatic, 1 to 2 minutes.

2. Add the sherry and stir, scraping any bits of flavoring from the base of the pot. Stir in the artichoke hearts, chicken broth and sugar. Season with one-fourth teaspoon salt, or to taste.

3. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer, loosely covered, for 30 minutes.

4. While the soup is simmering, make a roux: In a small saucepan, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Slowly rain in the flour and stir to form a roux. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the roux turns a light brown color, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. This makes about one-fourth cup roux, more than is needed for the remainder of the recipe. The roux will keep, up to 2 weeks, covered and refrigerated.

5. When the soup has simmered for 30 minutes, uncover and slowly whisk in the cream. Thicken as desired with roux, whisking in 1 tablespoon at a time; you may not use all the roux.

6. Blend the soup using a stand or immersion blender, and strain if desired. Return the soup to the pot, adjust the thickness with additional roux (to thicken) or broth (to thin), and taste once more for seasoning. This makes a scant quart of soup.

Each of 4 servings: 591 calories; 10 grams protein; 40 grams carbohydrates; 21 grams fiber; 46 grams fat; 29 grams saturated fat; 143 mg cholesterol; 6 grams sugar; 597 mg sodium.