Artichoke, anyone?

I adore artichokes, have adored them since I was a child and my mother first introduced us to the most hands-on of vegetables. I loved that they were like flowers you could take apart petal by petal, and loved the mayonnaise or melted butter my mother put out on the table for dipping purposes.

Once I came to my senses, nutrition-wise, I stopped with these full-fat condiments and devised another dip that is even more delicious. It's creamy like mayo, but not artery-clogging, and is redolent of garlic. What could be better?

Here's what to do.

1) Put about 2 inches of water on to boil in a large pot that has a tight-fitting lid. Into the water, plop about 4 cloves of garlic (unpeeled), 2 bay leaves, and half a fresh lemon, with the juice squeezed out into the water. Place a steaming tray into the pot.

2) Use a very sharp knife (I use my serrated bread knife) to cut straight across the leaves about 2 inches from the pointy tip of the artichoke. Discard the leave tips. Trim off about one inch of the stem (more if the stem is shriveled or discolored). Peel off and discard the tiny leaves that cling to the stem at the base of the bud. If the artichoke is a large one, you may want to peel the stem with a sharp paring knife.

3) Set the trimmed artichokes upsidedown in the steaming tray, with stems sticking up. Put on a lid and steam over medium-high heat for 15-30 minutes, depending on their size. They are done when the tip of a sharp paring knife can be inserted into the base of the artichoke (its hidden heart) without meeting any serious resistance. Tender but not mushy is the consistency you're shooting for. When they're done, remove the artichokes to a plate to cool off a bit.

4) Remove the garlic cloves from the cooking water and squeeze the garlic out of the skins into a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise (organic please) and 3 tablespoons nonfat yogurt, plus a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Whip together with a fork until well combined.

5) Serve the artichokes with the dipping sauce and enjoy!