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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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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Romanesco Cauliflower Instant Pot Soup

An Instant Pot soup can be a great solution for busy work-day meals. When I go grocery shopping I typically load my cart with lots of different colored vegetables and fruit, not always knowing what the plan is! This week a head of beautiful romanesco cauliflower made it’s way into the mix. Thanks to my Instant Pot, I was able to throw together a really nice, clean soup with some nutritional complexity. You can make this soup in easily under 30 minutes, maybe even 20 minutes!

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Indian Spiced Black Eyed Pea Hummus

Now that the heavy-hitting holidays are officially over, it’s nice to lighten things up a bit. This recipe gives consideration to the New Year’s tradition that originated in the south, of eating black-eyed peas for prosperity in the New Year. But this offers more versatility. Enjoy this hummus on a sandwich, a top a cracker as an hors d’oeuvre, or even as a dip with raw vegetables, in the event you have already decided to take on a post-New Year’s detox or weight-loss program. I enjoyed it on some leftover sourdough bread crostini along side a baby green salad.

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Vegan Zucchini Lasagna Rolls with Herbed Almond Ricotta and Bruschetta Salsa

Who loves that nuanced taste of
ricotta cheese blended with herbs, tomatoes, and garlic? Who doesn’t
actually? This recipe for vegan zucchini lasagna rolls delivers on the nuance
while providing a more refreshing, more nutrient dense, clean version, that
highlights the awesome natural flavors found in some of our favorite herbs
and vegetables. These rolls are better suited for a lunch, brunch, or
appetizer, but you could also have them for dinner along with some cooked
grains, cannellini beans, and-or a green salad. Don’t let the small size fool
you. The almond ricotta in these makes them quite rich and energy dense, and
one can fill up on just a few. Get ready for a fantastic blend of fresh
flavors! Read More


Fig & Shiitake Bacon Bites

Here is a fun and extremely easy
variation on the bacon-wrapped fig. Actually, I wanted to see if I could
wrap a fig in a shiitake bacon, but the bacon pieces aren’t quite big or
flexible enough. Next time I will try making a portobello bacon. In the
meantime, this is what I ended up with, and to my delight, it came out
very tasty. Try this as a snack, or a vegan and Paleo-friendly summer hors
d’oeuvre, if you go with the vegan cheese, or I would imagine that
goat cheese would be equally amazing. You can google shiitake bacon
recipes and experiment, or just use the one I came up with here. Making
shiitake bacon is much easier than it sounds if you use this quick
method.

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Vegan Hazelnut Pesto with Mango & Avocado Slices

Basil, basil, and more basil!
When a basil plant decides to take hold it really pumps it out. So, I
schedule a few minutes each day to go out and cut the flowering basil tops,
to keep the plant going all summer long. Which winds me up with a lot of
extra basil hanging around the kitchen. Here is a great
sweet-meets-savory idea for a lazy afternoon salad, with vegan hazelnut pesto
as the star of the show. You can also do a non vegan version of this by using
parmesan or another hard aged cheese in place of the nutritional yeast.
Enjoy! Read More


Niçoise Tuna Salad Finger Sandwiches

Used to be that tuna salad was
considered the “healthy choice.” But now who knows? Is the tuna
wild? Is the mayo used to make the salad healthy? What about the bread for
the sandwich? Is it gluten free? We can drive ourselves bonkers trying to
keep up with all the information. And, this may  be part of the reason
why tuna salad has lost popularity lately.  So, if you ever just get a
taste for a tuna salad sandwich, why not just try it from a different angle?
This recipe combines a dairy-egg free variation of tuna salad with Life
Changing Bread
, to bring you a clean(er) nutritional powerhouse of
a tuna sandwich, with fiber, complete proteins from the fish and also
plants, healthy fats, and other vitamins and minerals.

So, forget about “whether a tuna sandwich is okay”
and dig in!

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