Artichoke Onion Skewers With A Lemon Vinaigrette & Aioli

Total Time: 25 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• 2 (9 ounce) boxes artichoke hearts, frozen
• 1 (7 ounce) box pearl onions, frozen
• wooden skewer
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (1 lemon, approximately)
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• salt
• pepper
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (no miracle whip)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped fine
• 1 pinch sugar
• salt
• pepper

Recipe

• 1 aioli -- in a small container or bowl, add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, zest, thyme, sugar, salt and pepper and refrigerate until ready to serve. this can be made the day ahead.
• 2 vinaigrette -- in a 13x9" glass (no metal) pan, add the olive oil, lemon juice, dijon mustard, garlic, salt and pepper and mix well and set to the side.
• 3 artichokes and onions -- these should be thawed, more room temp vs cold where there could be additional liquid in the them. make sure to dry them off with a paper towel. cut the artichokes in half, end to end; and skewer 1-3 of the halves alternating with 1-2 of the whole onions, depending on the size of your skewer.
• 4 marinate -- add the artichoke and onion skewers in the 13x9" pan with the marinade. when you first put them in the pan, i take a brush and make sure to coat all sides of the skewers. cover with plastic wrap for 1-8 hours. more time -- more flavor. if you can, half way through marinating, brush them again and roll them over in the pan to cover all the surface of the vegetables.
• 5 grill -- about 5-6 minutes on each side, on medium heat (a bit off to the side). i brush with the leftover marinade during cooking and grill until golden brown.
• 6 serve -- plate along side a bowl of the aioli and a few lemon wedges for a great side dish. they are absolutely delish!
• 7 marinating time is not included in total prep time. also note -- i did not soak the skewers. since these are cooked pretty quickly, i don't find the need to soak them, and they do have some moisture from the marinade. but be careful of flare ups. make sure to cook off to the side a bit where they don't get any flames.