Quinoa Salad with Artichokes

If you are looking for a vegetarian migraine-friendly recipe...this may be what you need.  My 5 year old daughter loves these artichokes, which is evidence that an adult palette is not required for this meal.

Quinoa Pilaf
Enough quinoa to yield 3 cups of cooked quinoa
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
4 green onions thinly sliced
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 pear diced
1 diced green bell pepper
1 diced red bell pepper
4 stalks of diced celery
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
3 tsp. agave nectar
1 tsp. of salt (or to taste)

Artichokes
2 whole artichokes
Minced garlic
black pepper
salt

I prepared the quinoa per the package instructions... making enough to yield 3 cooked cups of quinoa.  Basically I brought it to a boil and then let it sit there.

To prep the artichokes I cut off the pointed end with a serrated knife and placed them in a pan to boil.  I made sure they cooked at a boil for 15 minutes.  At the same time I preheated the oven to 400 degrees (I will put the artichokes in the oven once they are seasoned later in recipe).

I chopped up the produce:
1. Sliced the green onion thin
2. Diced the green and red bell pepper
3. Chopped the pear into bite size or smaller pieces
4. Diced the celery into thin pieces

I added all of these wonderful things into the cooked quinoa.  Then I added the 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds, 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, 3 tsp. agave nectar, and 1 tsp. of salt (I usually add more salt) and mixed it all together.  This quinoa pilaf is ready to eat!

Back to the Artichokes:
Once the artichokes are finished boiling, I removed them from the water and placed them on a cutting board. I cut them in half with a serrated knife.  Then I put them on sheet pan with their hearts exposed.   While exposed I misted them with olive oil with my "Misto" then I seasoned them by sprinkling minced garlic, fresh ground black pepper, and sea salt on them (If you don't have a "Misto" just brush them in olive oil).  Then I placed them in the preheated oven (400 degrees) for 15 minutes.  I left my oven light on to make sure they didn't get too crispy.

If you thought I was done grooming this four little "chokes" you were wrong.  I removed them from the oven and then gave them all a cute little hair cut.  If you have never prepared or eaten an artichoke this is how I do it.  I take a regular spoon from my cutlery drawer and spoon out/off all of their hair being very careful not to take a piece of their sweet little hearts off with their hair.  Then I remove all the "crispier" leaves leaving only the yummy ones with a little heart on them (pictured). 

If you have never eaten an artichoke prepared this way, you pull each leaf off and eat the tender white heart off each leaf (as in the one pictured) one at a time until you have no leaves left.  At this time it will be just you and the heart--the best
part.  You can eat all the heart you want.  It's a very sad ending for the artichoke but a wonderful experience for the eater.  And to quote my now seven year old son, who was 3 at the time of the quote, "Lehman's aren't quitters, we are eaters"! 

I served these artichokes on top of the pilaf for a vegetarian and migraine-friendly dinner. 

**This pilaf goes great with both fish and meats as well.