Grilled Artichokes with Caesar Dressing

["Recipe from: The Conscious Cook<\/a>, (Willam Morrow, 2009), by Tal Ronnen<\/a>\nReprint permission from William Morrow\/HarperCollins, Copyright Tal Ronnen 2009<\/em>","Recipe from:

Ingredients

For the artichokes:

2 fresh whole artichokes, trimmed
4 tsp. California Olive Ranch extra virgin olive oil
½ cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
1 large garlic clove
Zest of ½ lemon
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
Caesar dressing (recipe follows)

For the Caesar Dressing:

1 garlic clove
1 tsp. capers, drained
½ cup vegan mayonnaise
1 tsp. white miso paste
1-1/2 tsp. nutritional yeast flakes
½ tsp. light agave nectar
½ cup California Olive Ranch extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

Pour 1 inch of water into a steamer pot and bring to a boil. Place the artichokes in the steamer with the tips facing up, cover and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, or until an inside leaf can be pulled out easily. Let cool.
Cut the artichokes in half from top to bottom (a very sharp serrated knife works best for this) and drizzle the insides with the California Olive Ranch extra virgin olive oil.
Finely mince the parsley, garlic and lemon zest together, add the red pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste, then sprinkle the mixture over the cut halves of the artichokes.
Preheat a charcoal grill to high, or heat a gill pan over medium-high heat. Grill the artichokes cut side down until lightly blackened, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve with Caesar dressing for dipping.

For the Caesar Dressing:

Put the garlic, capers, mayonnaise, miso paste, nutritional yeast, agave nectar, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons water in a food processor and pulse to combine.
With the motor running, slow add the California Olive Ranch extra virgin olive oil in a thin stream. Continue to blend for one minute.