Awesome Blossoms for Earth Day!

In honor of Earth Day (tomorrow!) we're thrilled to introduce Ruby Roth, author of The Help Yourself Cookbook for Kids. Ruby is on a mission to share easy, plant-based recipes kids can make to stay healthy and save the world. Her recipes are written in a way that kids will understand and hand-illustrated for an added layer of fun.

Anyone that likes to play with their food will love these Awesome Blossoms. Fun fact for kids that are first-timers: the part of the artichoke that you eat is actually a flower! (So this recipe is extra fitting for Earth Day)

Awesome Blossoms

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

2 large artichokes

Sauce

Makes ½ cup (¼ cup per artichoke)

½ cup olive oil

1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 small clove garlic (or a big one cut in half)

¼ teaspoon sea salt

a big splash of Bragg Liquid Aminos

Optional: a few pinches of a dried herb mix

Instructions

1. ADULT ALERT! Have an adult help you chop each artichoke in half (from the tip to the stem), then rinse.
2. Blend the sauce until creamy, then taste. If it’s too strong, add a teaspoon or 2 of water; if it’s not strong enough, add more lemon, garlic, or a little more saltiness.  Blend again, then divide into little bowls to share.
3. Place the ‘chokes in a huge pot, then add water until they’re fully covered.  ADULT ALERT! Bring to a BIG boil, then let it bubble on medium-high, covered, for about 40 to 45 minutes or until you can very easily pull a leaf from the middle of an artichoke (HOT! Use tongs!). Turn off the heat and use tongs to lift the artichokes, gently shaking off the water.
4. Before you chow down, spoon out the hairy, spiky pointies from the center of each artichoke. The rest of the soft center is good to eat—it’s called the artichoke’s heart.
5. Peel off a leaf, dip it in the sauce, and scrape off the soft “meat” with your teeth, tossing the rest of the leaf away. Be sure to have napkins!
6. If you don’t have sauce dribbling down your chin, you’re doing it wrong. Use any leftover sauce as salad dressing.

~Ruby Roth, The Help Yourself Cookbook for Kids

The Help Yourself Cookbook for Kids includes straightforward, fun-to-prepare recipes for everything from after-school snacks to desserts to soups to salads to grain bowls. It is a full-color photo and hand-illustrated cookbook and the recipes are inspiring and engaging. Ruby’s hope is that it will get kids cooking as well as thinking about the bigger questions of where our food comes from.

Like what you see? Be sure to check back next month for more kid-friendly cooking with Ruby Roth!