i have a recently sparked up a completely new love affair with artichokes. i'm sure you used to eat them growing up like i did, the standard steamed leafy stemmed cousin of the thistle dunked in melted butter; a tasty combination, don’t get me wrong, but recently, i’ve learned they can be both ridiculously delicious as well as healthy. who can argue with 6o calories per choke and a whopping 7 grams of fiber? not i. as for the butter? (in this particular case), not necessary.

i chose these artichokes to start this food journey because they are the perfect example of making a recipe your own. the secret weapon to this dish is all about the grilled char of the chokes, and the sauce—oh the sauce. the sauce calls for a hefty does of mayo, however this is where my good friend, plain non-fat greek yogurt comes into play. you can substitute just about any creamy base with greek yogurt. more on that later. for now, let’s get back to the task at hand and my very first post: grilled artichokes with roasted garlic seasoning and a lemon worcestershire aioli.

GRILLED ARTICHOKES WITH LEMON WORCESTERSHIRE AIOLI

For the chokes:

- 2 medium sized artichokes, trimmed and cleaned

- Olive Oil

- Pepper

- Garlic Seasoning (if you can find this garlic & onion seasoning buy it and never look back!) Or you can do a mix of dried garlic, onion, salt & pepper, oregano, turmeric, cumin and sage)

Lemon worcestershire Aioli:

- Juice of 1 lemon

- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire

- 1 teaspoon garlic powder

- salt & pepper, to taste

- 1 teaspoon hot sauce (whatever your preference, I think Franks delivers the perfect punch)

- 1 cup Greek Yogurt (or Mayo—or combo of both!)

combine all ingredients and mix in salt and pepper to taste. feel free to add or subtract the ingredient amounts based on your personal taste.

to prep the artichokes, trim the stems and the prickly points and cut in half lengthwise. with a paring knife, cut around the center choke or “hairy part” as we kids used to call it, and scoop out with a spoon. meanwhile, prep your grill or grill pan to high heat (around 400-450 degrees).

once the artichokes are halved, place face down in a microwave-safe bowl of water (do not fill higher than the artichokes) and cover with plastic wrap. microwave on high for 9-10 minutes to steam the artichokes before grilling.

place the steamed artichoke halves on a foil-lined baking sheet and give them a good dousing of evoo. sprinkle with s&p and garlic seasoning and they are grill-ready.

place the seasoned chokes face down on the grill and leave them (leave them i say! don’t open the lid in between, no matter how tempting). allow the artichokes to get a good char, about 5 minutes. turn over and grill for another 2-3 minutes.

and viola! serve with lemon Worcestershire aioli and peel till your heart’s desire…because after all, that is the best part of this whole meal.