Garlic Stuffed Roasted Artichoke

I
love the artichoke roots that have taken hold in my food garden! Every year,
a glorious new artichoke plant pops out and produces delicious artichokes
right on schedule. They have become one of the highlights of spring in at our
house. Artichoke roots go dormant in late summer early fall, but then wake up
in early winter to start producing the plant, and spring is usually harvest
time for artichokes. Many people scratch their heads at artichokes, either
because they only know how to boil them, or maybe they just don’t
think its worth the work required to finally get to the delicious heart
of the artichoke. To me it is all worth the work, but just in case, here is a
super easy way to prepare fresh artichokes, that incorporates roasted garlic.
I recommend trying this accompanied by something you can spread the
edible meat of the artichoke, along with the roasted garlic onto, like a
baguette or a toasted flatbread. Don’t let spring pass without trying this
once! It is a nice alternative to the traditional boiling method. I like to
leave two or three artichokes on the plant each year because they eventually
blossom into a beautiful flower. And they look as beautiful as they taste!
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Bumper Crop Salad with Magenta Spreen & Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Did
you get an awesome bumper crop of tomatoes this year? Did you go crazy at the
Farmers Market and buy too many different, fabulous seasonal foods? Don’t
worry! This recipe is like the best “kitchen sink” concoction you
will ever sink your teeth into. Who knew that plums, tomatoes and cucumbers
would love hanging out in a salad together?


bumper crop salad with magenta spreen & pomegranate vinaigrette

Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Appetizer, Lunch
Cuisine California
Servings 4 servings
Calories 302 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5 cups fresh garden tomatoes cut into manageable pieces
  • 1 large garden cucumber cut into manageable pieces- I used a Japanese variety
  • 2 fruit fresh plums cut into manageable pieses- NOTE- you can also substitute and-or add cut up melon to this mixture
  • 1/4 cup julienned fresh basil
  • 4 sprigs magenta spreen (or substitute fresh basil sprigs, micro greens, sprouts or baby spinach- whatever you have on hand)
  • 1/4 cup pomegranate white balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1 dash sea salt to taste
  • 2 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1 dash sea salt to taste

Instructions
 

  • Place the tomatoes, cucumbers & plums in a mixing bowl and set aside in the refrigerator.
  • To make the dressing, whisk together all the dressing ingredients until it becomes emulsified.
  • When the dressing is ready, pour it over the tomato mixture, and gently mix it into the salad. Be careful not to smash or pulverize the tomatoes, especially if they are extremely ripe.
  • Place in the refrigerator and let the flavors from the dressing marinate the salad for about 30 minutes.
  • Remove from the refrigerator, toss in the basil, and taste for salt and pepper. Separate into four serving bowls or salad plates, and distribute the magenta spreen leaves, sprinkling them over the top of each salad.

Notes

This salad is an extremely simple way to use your abundance of stone fruit, melon, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Plums in particular go great with this salad. You can also experiment with honeydew melon, cantaloupe, and fresh peaches. My favorite way to eat this is with a pasta spoon so that I can get some of the delicious pomegranate infused dressing with each bite. Yum! This salad will keep in the refrigerator for a few days, and also makes a great topping for grilled chicken, seared tofu, or grilled salmon.
 
Nutrition Facts
bumper crop salad with magenta spreen & pomegranate vinaigrette
Amount per Serving
Calories
302
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
28
g
43
%
Saturated Fat
 
4
g
25
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
3
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
20
g
Sodium
 
491
mg
21
%
Potassium
 
437
mg
12
%
Carbohydrates
 
15
g
5
%
Fiber
 
3
g
13
%
Sugar
 
11
g
12
%
Protein
 
2
g
4
%
Vitamin A
 
1750
IU
35
%
Vitamin C
 
28.9
mg
35
%
Calcium
 
50
mg
5
%
Iron
 
1.1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition

Calories: 302kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 2gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 20gSodium: 491mgPotassium: 437mgFiber: 3gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 1750IUVitamin C: 28.9mgCalcium: 50mgIron: 1.1mg
Keyword heirloom tomato, magenta spreen, raw, vegan
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!


Tofu & Spinach Mashed Potatoes with Porcini Mushroom Gravy

These tofu & spinach mashed potatoes are practically a meal on their own- with 19 grams of plant based protein, spinach, and nutrient-dense porcini mushrooms. There really is no need for much more, and the fiber in the potatoes will help you feel full as well!

The porcini mushrooms in the gravy give it a really rich flavor- they are my favorite mushroom for making an intense, delicious sauce; and the tofu and cashews in the special cream for the potatoes really hit it home.

Whip this delicious dish up any time you’re craving comfort food. Where I live, in the mountains outside of Los Angeles, it’s starting to get chilly at night. So this was inspired by coming home to a cold kitchen one evening after work! Enjoy!!

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Shrimp Cocktail with Nopalitos

The
nopales
of Los Angeles are sprouting up everywhere! This may seem
completely insignificant unless you have explored the special nutritional
benefits of nopal and how much it is enjoyed in Mexican cuisine. This recipe
for Shrimp Cocktail with Nopalitos takes the Mexican classic shrimp cocktail
and combines it with the classic Mexican Nopalito Salad. Nopal, also known as
cactus pad, is very low in saturated sat and cholesterol. It is also a good
source of riboflavin, vitamin B6, iron and copper, and a very good source of
dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, calcium, magnesium, potassium
and manganese. And with an amino
acid score of 71
the protein content isn’t bad either– for a
vegetable! I must give credit to my partner Ricky who makes the bomb-est
shrimp cocktail, and came up with this awesome combination.
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Grilled Potato Bruschetta Mediterranean Style

Everyone I have ever asked says they love bruschetta! That tangy tinge of flavor from the tomatoes, mixed with fresh garlic and aromatic basil is just the kind of combination that makes life magnificent. But if you are avoiding gluten or bread, you might be wondering what alternatives are out there. This recipe uses grilled sliced potato in place of bread. And although it isn’t grilled bread (quite obviously), the finished product is delicious, satisfying, and quite a bit further up the nutrition scale. Give it a try!

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“Chicken” Fried Tofu Steak

We are having a rainy weekend
here in Los Angeles. With rain comes that urge to cook and enjoy traditional
comfort food. Typically that would lead to chicken and dumplings, pot pie, or
something along those lines. All I had to make this happen was a block of
organic sprouted tofu, so I gave this a whirl. The secret to making tofu
taste great lies in two simple steps: 1) You need to press the tofu, and 2)
you need to marinate it. The marinade should always have an acidic base with
flavors that compliment whatever theme you are going for. You should never
use oil in your tofu marinade. Since tofu contains a lot of water, and is
packed in water, it will naturally repel anything that has oil mixed into it.
My experience has been that oil free marinades absorb into tofu the best,
resulting in a variety of uses. In this case, I used vegan chicken flavoring
to conjure up the experience of eating a chicken fried steak. It came out
delicious, tender on the inside, crispy on the outside. This is easy to make,
but you need to allow for about 90 minutes to press and marinate the
tofu.

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Paleo Turkey Tacos

These Paleo Turkey Tacos, also known as “Super Clean Turkey Tacos” are a simple and delicious way to get a nutritious dinner on the table, without the unwanted carbs and grease that come with a traditional taco.

For something a little more filling, some diced red potatoes or yams would go great mixed into the turkey. You can use traditional Mexican pickled vegetables, or your favorite sauerkraut from the Farmers Market or grocery store. I used Wildbrine Organic Red Cabbage Sauerkraut and it was delicious!

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Tomato & Watercress Salad with Basil Cashew Cheese

I found some flowering
watercress at the Farmers market this week, so I decided to make it the star
of the blog post! There isn’t much to say about watercress except how simple
it is to enjoy it as a stand alone ingredient, or mixed into all kinds of
stuff. I pulled some tomatoes and basil from the garden and came up with this
simple salad that will add some delicious color and quality nutrition to any
summer table. You can make your own cheese fairly quickly, or look for an
artisan vegan cheesemaker like Blöde Kuh, or use your
favorite fresh cheese that you think would go great with garden tomatoes and
watercress. Read More


Tuscan Cold Zoodles with Tomato, Basil & Garlic

With gluten free this, avoid that, and whatever else we are adding to the “avoid list” lately, it’s easy to fall into a pattern of calling something what it actually isn’t. For example, a “cauliflower” is commonly being called a “steak,” and no one seems to mind at all. Are we finally losing it as a society? Well, I guess, keeping it all in perspective, it’s cool to get creative with naming some healthy substitutes. It’s just a word anyway, right? I just want whatever I am eating to satiate and hit the spot on whatever my mind and my appetite have conspired to enjoy together. Whenever that happens to be cold tomato basil noodles, this recipe does the trick. For the sake of avoiding the faux food naming pattern, we’re going to call these babies “zoodles”. Whatever you do call it, get ready for “yummy” sounding words and noises when you serve it. Oh, and it’s raw too!

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Avocado & Pear Salad with Basil Lime Dressing

I love it when a random
“grab two things and see what happens” move in the kitchen turns
out to be so yummy. This avocado & pear salad is an extremely easy
recipe that mixes pears with avocados, and finishes it off with some fresh
lime and basil. Add this to your list of simple raw fruit and vegetable
go-to’s. It’s perfectly refreshing for hot summer days. Enjoy!
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