lemony shrimp stuffed artichoke bottoms

Who doesn't like a good bottom? Artichoke bottoms that is!

Artichoke bottoms are definitely not as well-known as artichoke hearts but there is no reason they shouldn't be! In many Mediterranean countries, they are regularly served as a delicious appetizer or succulent main.

Here is one of our favourite ways to prepare our ILIOS Artichoke Bottoms:

There are so many creative ways to use ILIOS artichoke bottoms

Lemony Shrimp Artichoke Bottoms

Ingredients:

• ILIOS Artichoke bottoms (rinsed and drained)

• Small shrimp (peeled and deveined)

• ILIOS Extra virgin olive oil

• 1/8 tsp. Cayenne

• 6 tbsp. Unsalted butter

• 3 tbsp. Parsley (chopped)

• 2 tbsp. Lemon juice

• Salt and pepper (to taste)

Recipe:

1. In a large bowl, toss shrimp with 1 tbsp. of EVOO, cayenne and salt and pepper to taste. Cook in large frying pan over medium-high heat until shrimp is no longer translucent. (approx. 2 mins per side). Once cooked, transfer shrimp to clean bowl.

2. In a small saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Once melted, add parsley. Let cook for 1-2 minutes and then whisk in the lemon juice. Remove from heat and add butter mixture into the bowl with the shrimp and toss.

3. On a greased baking sheet, place artichoke bottoms (stem side down). Season with salt and pepper and pile 5-6 shrimp in the center of each artichoke, reserving most of the butter. Top with breadcrumbs and drizzle with butter. Bake for approx. 10 mins., until hot. Serve immediately.

ILIOS Oils: What is the difference?

For those of us who are seasoned cooks, we probably have our favourite type of cooking oil or know which type to use for different applications. However many of us may not realize the different uses and characteristics of the five different oils ILIOS offers: Olive oil, Grapeseed oil, Sunflower oil, Vegetable oil and Canola oil. We are here to help you understand a little bit more about all the different oils in the ILIOS family.

ILIOS offers 5 different types of oils

Extra Virgin Olive Oil:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil, or EVOO, is extremely popular in Mediterranean cuisine and is enjoyed both as a cooking oil and can be used cold (or room temperature) in a salad dressing, to dip bread, as a marinade, etc...

EVOO, as opposed to refined Olive Oil, has a lower smoke point that makes it less favourable to use in high heat cooking such as deep frying. If EVOO is heated above 410–421 °F, it will burn and its taste will deteriorate. It can be used for sautéing since this type of cooking rarely reached above 350 °F.

Spain produces almost half of the world's olive oil. (including our ILIOS EVOO!) The taste of the oil varies greatly between different EVOOs and can be affected by the ripeness of the olives when they are harvested, how and what the oil is being served with and how old it is.

Check out this article to see how you can use ILIOS EVOO to pamper and spoil yourself outside of the kitchen:

SPOIL YOURSELF WITH ILIOS EVOO

Cooking oils can also be used as part of your beauty regimen

Grapeseed Oil

Grapeseed Oil is high in polyunsaturated fatty acids and contains a variety of disease-fighting compounds and antioxidants. It is also high in Vitamin E which means it is great for your skin and hair and can be used as a natural moisturizer.

Grapeseed oil has a pretty high smoke point and is often advertised as a good choice for frying but because of the high polyunsaturated fat content, Grapeseed Oil is probably the worst oil you can use for high temperature cooking. At high heats, these fats react poorly with oxygen and can form harmful compounds and free radicals.

Grapeseed oil is best used in salad dressings, as an ingredient in different food staples like mayo, in baking, or as part of your beauty regimen.

Sunflower Oil

Sunflower oil has many health benefits because it is low in saturated fat and high in two types of fatty acids: polyunsaturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids.

There are a few different types of sunflower oil you can choose from. It can be high in oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid, or it can be high in linoleic acid, a polyunsaturated fatty acid, or it can be somewhere in between. ILIOS Sunflower oil is a high oleic oil which is more stable for cooking.

Sunflower oil, like all plant-based oils, are healthier choices over using animal fats while cooking

Vegetable Oil

Vegetable Oil is an oil that can be made from the seeds of many different types of vegetables and rarely has an identical composition from one batch to another. The manufacturers use whichever seeds are available at the time of production. ILIOS Vegetable Oil is made with canola and/or soybean oil.

Vegetable Oil is refined and processed to remove colour and taste in order to keep the product as consistent as possible one batch to the next. Although it does contain healthy polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, the quantities vary depending on what oils have been included in the blend so you won’t have as much control over the types of fats you’re eating.

Vegetable Oil has a high smoke point (450 °F), is inexpensive and has a neutral taste, making it the popular choice for commercial cooking.

Canola Oil

Canola Oil comes from the seeds of the canola plant, one of the most widely grown crops in Canada. It contains a good amount of monounsaturated fats and a decent amount of polyunsaturated fats. It has a high smoke point so can be used for frying but it is pretty highly processed which means it is void of most nutrients.

Canola Oil can pretty much be used interchangeably with Vegetable Oil. It too has a neutral taste making it a popular choice in commercial kitchens.

jazz up your rice cake

Rice and corn cakes are amazing snacks that can be used to make more complex sweet or salty treats. Eaten alone they're a little plain, but with just a few ingredients you can really make your taste buds do a little dance!

Jazz up your ILIOS rice cakes with creative toppings!

Fruits, veggies, nuts, meat or spreads - there is no limit to what you can use to dress up your rice cake. Here are some of our FAVOURITE toppings to use with our ILIOS rice and corn cakes:

Chocolate spread and berries.

Our chocolate-covered rice cakes are only available seasonally. So if you've got a craving, satisfy it by using chocolate spread, like Nutella, and topping it off with fresh berries. Sprinkle some chia seeds on top for a nutritious boost.

Cream cheese and smoked salmon.

In love with bagels and lox but not so in love with all the carbs? We have the perfect solution! Top your rice cake with cream cheese, smoked salmon and a sliver of cucumber for a little CRUNCH!

Cottage cheese and jam.

For another BERRY delicious snack, spread cottage cheese onto your rice cake and top with strawberry jam. Sprinkle some nuts on top for protein and some coconut shavings for a little tropical touch.

Nut butter and bananas.

The perfect breakfast does exist! Put a spin on your everyday peanut butter sandwich and top you rice cake with peanut butter (or, our favourite, almond butter!) and sliced bananas. Feeling a little naughty? Drizzle melted chocolate over it! YUM!