Roasted artichokes

This is such a fun treat to eat. I love love eating with my hands and lickin' my fingers.  Plus, unlike other finger foods like french fries or chips, its healthy! My mom used to steam the artichoke and we would would use some sort of a mayonnaise to dip. I chose to steam then roast it for a smoky flavor and to add some color. And since were eating a vegetable here, I thought a butter sauce for dipping was appropriate, don't you think? I thought so.

Roasted Artichoke

 1 artichoke, trimmed

1 Bay leaf

kosher salt

olive oil

1/2 tablespoon butter

1 Wash artichoke thoroughly and trim the pointy ends off the leaves. Trim the stem off.

2 Place a medium pot with about 2 inches of water and a steam basket inside. Place a bay leaf inside and boil water.

3 Place artichoke on steamer basket and cover for about 25-30 minutes until tender.

4 Slice artichoke in half from tip to end and scoop out the center fuzzy choke. I used a spoon for this.

5 Drizzle artichoke halves with olive oil and kosher salt and place in toaster oven cut side up at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes.

6 Prepare a dipping bowl with melted butter from the microwave. Also, prepare a bowl for the discarded leaves.

7 To eat, pick leaves, dip in butter sauce, and scrape the artichoke meat off the root of the leaf using your teeth. Discard the leaf when done. Once you pick all the leaves, you are left with the artichoke heart and this part is completely edible. And delicious.