Baked Artichoke Crostini

Baked Artichoke Crostini

We won the appetizer cooking challenge at the Webster Bistro and Bar last night with our wonderful new friends and team mates with this quick and fun dish. It was inspired by my grandfather's recipe for stuffed artichokes, reserved for holidays like Christmas and Easter. They are a lot of work and good whole fresh artichokes are often hard to find in our region. So canned ones had to do.  We sometimes eat the leftovers with pasta. Don't be shy with the olive oil. 

10 servings

45 minutes prep time

Artichoke Topping

2 cans artichoke hearts, chopped but not too finely

1.5 cups bread crumbs from Italian bread or panko bread crumbs

2 tablespoons fresh garlic finely chopped

½ cup grated pecorino romano cheese

½ cup grated parmigiano reggiano

OR one full cup of one of the above cheeses

2 teaspoons black pepper

Juice of half of a lemon

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

3 cups spring mix or 1 cup frozen, chopped spinach, thawed

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Mix bread crumbs, garlic and pepper together in a large bowl and set aside. 
3. Quarter the artichokes and drain in colander for 10 minutes. 
4. Drizzle a tablespoon of the olive oil in a 91/2 by 13 inch pan and spread it around to cover the bottom and sides of the pan. 
5. Add all remaining ingredients, except olive oil to the bread crumb mixture and mix thoroughly. 
6. Add artichoke mixture to the pan and spread evenly. 
7. Drizzle remaining olive oil over the top and put in the oven for 25 minutes or until the mixture starts to brown slightly. 

Crostini with olive oil

1 baguette loaf thinly sliced

½ cup olive oil

1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

1. Set up a half sheet baking pan next to the bread slices.
2. MIx olive oil and remaining ingredients in a shallow bowl. 
3. Dip each piece of bread in the olive oil mixture on both sides and place on the baking pan. 
4. Bake on top shelf of oven as artichoke mixture bakes. (at 400 F)
5. Set a separate timer for 7 minutes and flip bread slices over.
6. Reset timer for another 7 minutes or until slices start to brown slightly and become crispy and hard like a cracker. 
7. Remove from pan and place in a basket or platter. 

Plain Crostini

1 baguette thinly sliced

1. Place on half sheet baking pan and toast in oven for 7 minutes, flipping once or until lightly toasted and crispy and hard like a cracker. 
2. Serve the artichoke mixture in the baking pan or transfer to a shallow serving dish alongside the crostini. 

Spicy Funky Tomato Sauce

½ of a medium white onion finely diced

2 tablespoons of butter

1 large can of good chopped tomatoes with basil or add 3 large chopped basil leaves if canned tomatoes have no basil

¼ extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

2 big squirts of siracha sauce

1. Saute onions and butter in a medium sized stainless steel frying pan until onions are translucent, but don’t brown. 
2. Add garlic and olive oil and stir to cook garlic for just a minute or two.
3. Add tomatoes, salt and siracha. 
4. Simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. 
5. Serve in large bowl along with artichoke mixture and crostini.