Italian Artichokes Recipe

I absolutely love Italy!  Which is still surprising to me, as I had never had a desire to travel there most of my life.  A few years ago, a friend invited me to crash at her hotel, while she attended a retreat in Rome.  I have a hard time saying no to a free place to stay, especially somewhere I've never been.. so I went! 

​Well, I simply fell in love with Italy during those few days in Rome and vowed I would return again.  So I did.  The next year that same friend and I took a 2 week road trip adventure around Southern Italy!  All that did was make me want more! haha... One day, we will return and do a road trip of Northern Italy, too!

This Italian Artichokes dish is inspired by a recipe that same friend shared with me recently. Mine is served as a juicy and flavorful side dish.


Italian Artichokes Recipe
4 servings, 66 calories per serving

1 bag of spinach
1 can of artichoke hearts
1 can of diced tomatoes
Garlic
Oregano
Basil

+ Saute half of the bag of spinach in a spritz of olive oil.
+ Add in the cans of artichokes and tomatoes, a heaping spoon of chopped garlic, a sprinkle of oregano, and a bigger sprinkle of basil.
+ Add the other half of the bag of spinach on top, lower the flame to low, and cover the pan.
+ Let the spinach steam on top, then give it a stir once the spinach is wilted.

There are a lot of wonderful ways you can enjoy this side dish.  Here are a few I have tried:

+ Serve over rice with grilled or baked chicken breast.
+ Serve with white fish and cannellini beans (white kidney beans).
+ Serve with my Moroccan-inspired turkey and chickpeas dish for a Mediterranean adventure meal.


I would count one serving of this dish as 1 serving of vegetables on my nutrition plan.
​

Please let me know how you have served this easy to make side dish in the comments below!  xo-d