ARTICHOKE WITH TOASTED CHERRY TOMATOES

 

4 large Artichokes (washed & trimmed)

1 8 oz box of organic Cherry Tomatoes 

2 Lemons

Olive Oil

Sea Salt & Pepper

 

This recipe is a definite FAV of mine because it is super healthy and delicious and also is simple to prepare.  Artichokes are loaded 

with fiber & they have more antioxidants than any other vegetable.  They are a natural diuretic & aid in digestion.  They are good for the liver, help prevent cancer and did you know that artichokes are known to fight hangovers???  (Sounds like the perfect food to me!) For more info on all of the benefits of the artichoke, click on the link above :)  And I think we all know that tomatoes are one of the top cancer-fighting foods & are one of the healthiest of all of the fruits & veggies.  So this is the perfect way to start off your meal or enjoy as an anytime-snack… :)  (For more info on the amazing benefits of tomatoes, click on the link above).

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 

Boil a large pot of water filled about half way up.  Meanwhile wash and trim the spiky tops off of the artichokes with kitchen scissors.

Wash & dry the tomatoes and cut them in half.  Place them in a roasting pan and drizzle generously with olive oil.  Season with salt & pepper.  When water is boiling sprinkle a half of a cup of salt into it.  Cut the lemons into quarters and squeeze them into the water, dropping the squeezed lemon pieces into the water as well.  Carefully place the artichokes into the water top side up.  Lower the heat to simmer and cover artichokes.  Cook the for approximately 40 minutes (or until the artichoke leaf pulls of easily).  Place the tomatoes into the oven to roast for 30 minutes.  To serve, place artichokes on individual plates and spread open the leaves allowing room for the tomatoes to go in between them.  Sprinkle the tomatoes in between the leaves and drizzle with a little more olive oil.  ENJOY!!

 

Here is a recipe that I love, love, love because it is super quick to make and it's loaded with protein, fiber and antioxidents.  White beans are amazing because they are full of antioxidents and protein and they have MAJOR DETOXIFYING PROPERTIES!  :)

(Check out all of the health benefits of white beans on the link above!) 

This dish not only tastes great, but will make you feel great too! Win-Win! 

 

TIP:  Look for Tongol tuna (Trader Joe's carries it), it has much lower mercury levels than regular tuna.  If you can't find Tongol, I recommend buying Chunk Light Tuna rather than Albacore. Chunk Light Tuna has an average of 1/3 less mercury levels than Albacore  (For more info on this see the link above) 

 

TUNA CANNELLINI RIGATONI 

 

1 lb Rigatoni Pasta

3 6oz cans Light Tuna (drained)

1 can Cannellini Beans (drained)

1 Yellow Onion (thinly sliced)

1 can Organic Diced Tomatoes (drain the juice out)

1 cup grated Romano or Parmesan

2 cups (or more to taste) Olive Oil

1 lemon (juiced)

Salt & Pepper

 

Prepare Rigatone  al dente (a few minutes shorter than cooking time on package).  As the water is coming to a boil, sauté onion in a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat for 10 minutes.  Sprinkle onions with a little salt & pepper.  Add diced tomatoes to onions and continue to cook for 10 more minutes (or until pasta is ready).  Meanwhile mix tuna together in a large bowl with 1 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon of salt, & lemon juice.  Add Cannellini Beans to tomato and onion mixture.  Drain pasta (do not rinse with water) then pour the pasta back into the pasta bowl it was boiled in.  Add 1 cup romano cheese directly to the freshly drained pasta & stir together.  Add tuna mixture to the pasta.  Add tomato mixture to the pasta & stir together.  Add more cheese & black pepper if needed to taste.

I LOVE this recipe because it is perfect to warm the bones on a cold winter's day, yet you do not miss the meat in this hearty vegetarian meal.  I use "meaty" Shitake & Cremini mushrooms, and zucchini and potatoes so you have the same textures as you would have in a traditional meat stew… but you can feel really good about every bite!  This stew is LOADED with fiber, vitamins & antioxidants to nourish 

your body (& your soul)!  I always love a meal that can make you feel as good as it tastes!  I also love this dish because you can literally cook as you chop.  While one veggie cooks down, you are chopping the next and then voila!  Finito!  

 

HEARTY VEGETABLE STEW

 

6 Russet Potatoes (largely diced, skin on)

1 large Sweet Potato (largely diced, skin on)

2 Brown Onions (largely diced)

1 Red Pepper (largely diced & seeds removed)

4 Celery Stalks (diced)

10 Carrots (largely diced)

1 Jalepeno Pepper (diced)

8 oz Cremini Mushrooms 

6 medium or 2 large Shitake Mushrooms (cut into large cubes)

6 Zucchini (largely diced)

5 cloves Garlic (sliced)

1 can Diced Tomatoes

1 tbs Tomato Paste

3 bay leaves 

1/2 bottle Red Wine

1/2 can Guiness Beer

2 tbs lemon juice

3 tbs Ground Turmeric

1 tbs Garlic Powder

4 cups Water

1/4 cup water mixed with 3 tbs Flour

Olive oil

1 tbs Butter

Sea Salt & Pepper to taste

 

 

1 lb Mezze Rigatoni (1/2 Rigatoni can be found in pasta section of market)

1 large Eggplant (peeled and diced into large cubes)

1 10 oz package Organic Cherry Tomatoes (slice larger ones in 1/2)

2 cups grated Parmesan Romano Cheese

1 head of Garlic

Olive Oil

course Sea Salt or Kosher Salt & Pepper to taste

fresh Basil for garnish

 

This week is ROASTING WEEK!  I absolutely LOVE to roast everything because it makes my life SO much easier!  You just place your food directly onto a roasting pan, drizzle it with a little oil, salt & pepper, and the oven does all of the work for you!  No messy pots & pans to clean up afterward, and everything comes out super delish!  So this week I'm roasting EVERYTHING!  The oven is our FRIEND :)  Lol.  

I'm starting off with this beautiful, fresh & healthy farm-to-table, VEGETARIAN Pasta that is not only going to treat your body well, but it is so simple to make you'll want to make it all of the time… I know I do! 

 

Cooking time 1 hour.  Cleaning time 5 minutes! ;)

 

Pre-Heat oven to 375 degrees.

 

Cut the top off of the garlic head using a serrated knife.  Remove 2 cloves of garlic and set aside.  Place the whole garlic head onto a small sheet of aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil & sprinkle with salt & pepper.  Cover the garlic with the foil tightly and place on bottom rack of oven for 15 minutes. (Garlic will cook for 1 hour total).  Meanwhile drizzle olive oil over 2 separate roasting pans (or cookie sheets that have a rim).  TIP:  For easy clean-up use disposable roasting pans OR line your roasting pans with foil and drizzle foil generously with oil.  When finished roasting, simple fold up the foil & toss… NO messy pans to clean up!  Place the eggplant cubes in one layer onto one roasting pan.  Place the tomatoes onto the other roasting pan.  Sprinkle both with about 2 teaspoons of salt & 1 tsp of pepper.  Drizzle both with more olive oil & toss to evenly coat.  After the garlic has been in the oven for 15 minutes, place the eggplant into the oven on the top rack for 15 minutes (leaving the garlic in the oven).  After 15 minutes, place the tomatoes into the oven along with the eggplant and garlic and roast everything together for another 25-30 minutes, tossing the tomatoes and the eggplant once about half-way through.  While everything finishes roasting in oven, boil a large pot of water and salt generously.  Cook the pasta about 2 minutes less than the package instructions.  (you want the pasta to be al dente- having a little bit of crunch left in the center).  Drain pasta, (do not rinse with water or add oil to the pasta) & return pasta to the pot you cooked it in.  Pour 2 cups of Parmesan Romano onto pasta and stir until mixed thoroughly and cheese gets slightly melty.  Pull the garlic out of the foil.  Carefully squeeze the garlic from the bottom, (the garlic will squeeze out and be very soft & butter-like) and squeeze it directly into the pasta.  Pour the tomatoes & the eggplant into the pasta & stir everything together until well incorporated.  Serve with fresh sliced basil on top. Mangia!