Stuffed Artichoke Bottoms- With Falafel and Creamy Tahini Sauce

Have you ever tasted falafel?  It looks like a meatball, but is plant-based and made with chickpeas.

These falafel-stuffed artichoke bottoms with a creamy tahini dressing were the star appetizer of my last dinner party. 

Totally unexpected because I just threw together two things I had in the freezer. I didn't really have a recipe. I had a bag of frozen artichoke bottoms and a bag of frozen falafel.

This interesting looking appetizer was fun to make, easy to assemble, and enjoyed by all.

You are probably most familiar with artichoke hearts. Let me introduce you to artichoke bottoms, if you are not already acquainted. 

There was a time when artichoke bottoms felt a bit exotic and hard to track down, perhaps found only in Middle Eastern ethnic markets. It's no longer the case. Now you can easily find them at places such as Trader Joe’s, making them a fun and versatile ingredient to keep on hand.

My initial introduction to recipes using artichoke bottoms goes back many years, rooted in the Middle Eastern cuisine of my husband's family. My mother-in-law, Toni, would prepare stuffed artichoke bottoms with meat or vegetables for holidays, and I always loved the vegetarian ones. 

This particular recipe is my own creation, and it came together spontaneously one evening when I was looking for a way to use up two frozen items I had lingering in my freezer: artichoke bottoms and falafel balls.                                 

Instant Pot Cooks Artichoke Bottoms Quickly

I cooked the artichoke bottoms in a small amount of water, salt and lemon in my Instant Pot for 6 minutes until tender. Once done, I arranged them in a baking dish. Each bottom was filled with a crispy falafel ball (that I heated in my air-fryer) that I placed in the center of the artichoke bottom. Just before serving, I generously drizzled everything with a homemade creamy delicious tahini dressing.

They artichoke bottoms were large, so before serving I cut them in half. 

It’s an easy appetizer that looks impressive and tastes incredible. I just love the artichoke taste. It's something really different and unique. 

The creamy dressing is so good, I could drink it  - but of course I won't. 

What kind of things are in your freezer that you could use in a recipe? 

Ingredients: 

1 package of frozen artichoke bottoms (about 9 bottoms) 

2 cups water

1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

9 frozen falafel balls heated in the air fryer

Ingredients for the Creamy Sauce

3 heaping tablespoons of tahini 

1 cup of juice from cooking the artichokes 

1/4 cup of lemon juice

Salt and cumin.   

Directions to Cook the Artichoke Bottoms.

Add the water, lemon juice, and salt to the liner of the Instant Pot. Add 9 artichoke bottoms. Secure lid and set to pressure cook for 6 minutes. When done, allow to sit for another 5 minutes before releasing pressure. After 5 or more minutes, release the pressure according to the manufacturers instructions. When all steam is released, carefully remove the lid. Using tongs, remove the artichoke bottoms one by one and place in a Pyrex baking pan ( save the water for the sauce). 

Creamy Sauce:

Combine the tahini, water from the artichokes, lemon juice, salt and cumin. Whiz until creamy. If too thick add a tad more water from the artichokes. If not thick enough, add more tahini and re-blend.

Falafel: 

Remove 9 frozen falafel balls from the bag. Air-fry for about 5 minutes until crispy. Remove and place a falafel ball in the center of each artichoke bottom.

Drizzle the artichoke and falafel appetizer with creamy sauce.