Dijon Artichoke Toast Pockets

You’ve never been sure about artichokes. A vegetable with “choke” in its name makes you wary.

But, ever the ravenous problem-solver, you reduce the chance of choking by pureeing the artichokes with freshly squeezed lemon juice and Dijon mustard, a dash of black pepper, a lilt of lemon zest. And before you know it, you’ve eaten the whole batch…and are blending another.

Ingredients

¾-1 cup of protein crumbles 12 oz jar of marinated artichokes (mostly drained) ¼ cup nutritional yeast (what I used) 2-3 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1 lemon (washed) Soft bread (I used a very soft, whole wheat sandwich bread.) Sea salt Cooking spray (what I used) Optional: tender lettuce (e.g., bibb or butterhead), diced avocado

Method

Preheat oven to 415 degrees.

In a blender, puree artichokes with the juice of one lemon, 2-3 tablespoons Dijon mustard, and black pepper to taste. (Start with ½ teaspoon of black pepper…then follow your taste buds.)

Pour protein crumbles into a bowl and stir in ½ cup of the artichoke puree. Adjust the amount of puree until you reach the consistency of a chicken/tuna/potato salad.

Place one piece of bread on a cutting board. Spoon the artichoke protein mixture into a circle in the center of the bread. Layer another piece of bread on top. Use the rim of a glass like a cookie cutter: Invert the glass and press it through both pieces of bread to punch out a circular sandwich—a “pocket.” If the edges of the pocket didn’t seal, you can pinch them together with your fingers. (Damp fingers will work better than dry.) Save the crusts. You can make croutons now or later.

Spray the top and bottom of the pocket with cooking spray, or brush on avocado/olive oil. Place the pocket onto a baking sheet. Bake for 3 minutes; flip over the pocket; bake for another 3 minutes. Six minutes works for me, but keep flipping and baking until both sides are toasted to your liking.

Want a salad with your pocket? Cut the crusts into cubes. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Add the cubed crusts to the baking sheet, and now spray the cubes themselves with cooking spray. Sprinkle the cubes with salt (and, if it’s an extra kind of day, garlic powder or smoked paprika.) Then bake for 6-12 minutes, stirring every three minutes until you’ve reached your desired crunch. Toss the croutons over a tender lettuce and diced avocado. Use the artichoke puree on its own as a salad dressing. Or, if the salad is the main part of the meal, add scoops of protein crumbles mixed with artichoke puree.

The links provided above are intended as resources, not advertisements. I’m linking to products that I used but am not sponsored by other companies. I’m trying to sell LAFFkitchen protein crumbles, of course, but do not make money or receive discounts/products from other food businesses.

It’s not a question of sandwich OR salad. It’s a statement: sandwich AND salad.

S.C.R.U.M.P.T.I.O.U.S.

Note

This “recipe” has ample wiggle room for adjustments. The thickness and type of bread will affect baking time of the pockets and croutons, while the spices in the jar of marinated artichokes may change the need for pepper and salt. Enjoy experimenting!