Lemon Pepper Roasted Artichokes

Artichokes are great! But did you know that while most everyone loves the heart of the artichoke, the leaves actually contain the majority of its health benefits? In fact, artichoke leaf extract has proven to be an extremely beneficial food with a host of illness-fighting, age-extending properties. Artichokes are known as being cholesterol-fighters, great for digestive health and liver function, and even potentially helpful with cancer prevention. “In research done at Comenius University in Slovakia, artichoke leaf extract was studied for its ability to inhibit growth of leukemia cells. Over a 24-hour period, leukemia cells were treated with a variety of concentrations of artichoke leaf extract, with results suggesting that it exerts an antiproliferative activity on leukemia cells while inducing apoptosis of these cells as well.” {Source}

I’ve always just boiled artichokes. But one day I wondered what would happen if I roasted them instead for something different. And thus, these Roasted Lemon Pepper Artichokes were born! 

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Here’s what you need:

3-4 artichokes

2 lemons

butter or olive oil

salt/pepper

Here’s what you do: 

First, cut off the stem so that the artichoke can stand flat on its own. Then, slice off the top to make it a straight edge:

Next, gently pull the leaves apart a bit and place some butter on top. If you’re dairy-free, drizzle with olive oil. Then, sprinkle with salt and cracked black pepper, squeeze a lemon over them, and make sure you get in the crevices!

Finally, wrap them in foil, place on a baking sheet, and bake for about an hour and 20 minutes at 400 degrees. To test to see if they are done, gently pull back the foil and pull a leaf off. If it comes off easily, they’re done! Please note: Because these are roasted, they can get crispy on the bottom. Even if the leaf doesn’t come off easily, still taste one after an hour and 20 minutes to see if it’s tender. 

Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before eating!

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