Baked Mediterranean Artichoke Hearts with Goat Cheese

When someone says, “artichokes”, what’s the one dish that comes to mind?  Spinach artichoke dip, right?  Yummy, but definitely not something you should be serving as your vegetable side for dinner.  Artichoke hearts are one of those vegetables that seems to get lost in the vegetable shuffle mainly because most of us don’t know what to do with them.  So if you’re looking for a side that’s a little “outside the box”, give this recipe a try!    

Note:  I always keep bags of frozen artichoke hearts on hand.  They are so convenient and I will randomly toss them in a dish for something unexpected.

Ingredients:

• 2 – 12 oz bags frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
• 1 Tbsp olive oil, for sautéing
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 3-5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (packed in olive oil)
• 1-1½ cup sliced baby bella mushrooms
• 1/3 cup sliced green or Kalamata olives (I used a combination)
• 4 oz goat, feta or parmesan cheese
• 1/4-1/3 cup hemp seeds
• 1-2 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1½ tsp oregano
• 1 tsp basil
• 2 tsp dried parsley

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. In a cast iron skillet or oven-proof skillet, add the olive oil for sautéing.  When oil is hot, add the onions and sauté for several minutes until translucent.
3. Over medium heat, stir in the spices, garlic, mushrooms and artichoke hearts. Sauté for several minutes while stirring continuously.  Remove from heat and add the sun-dried tomatoes and the olives.  Stir to combine.
4. In a small bowl, toss hemp seeds with the other portion of olive oil.
5. Crumble the goat cheese over the top of the skillet mixture and sprinkle the hemp seed crumble over the top.
6. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes.