Artichoke Triple Play Pasta

What to call this delicious nearly-no-fat  dish?  I asked for suggestions and this one was the winner.   This pasta combines artichoke hearts (one of my very favourite things on Earth) Jerusalem artichokes, and pasta made with Jerusalem artichoke flour.   Actually, the title is a misnomer since the “Jerusalem Artichoke” is neither from Israel nor an artichoke.  More commonly called sunchokes, sun-roots or topinambours, these are knobby little ginger-looking tubers of a sunflower native to the Americas.   Once a very popular vegetable, Jerusalem artichokes are now less widely known but are available in stores and easy to grow in the garden.
What do they taste like?  Sliced thin or shredded into salads they’re like a cross between water-chestnut, or jicama with a crispy, sweet taste and cooked they’re more potato-like or like a mild rutabaga.  In fact, they’re often recommended for diabetics as a substitute for potatoes since the tuber stores inulin (a complex carbohydrate not to be confused with INSULIN) instead of starch and converts not into glucose, but into fructose in the colon. This makes this sweet starchy delight, low on the glycemic index.  Inulin is also a “pre-biotic” which supports healthy intestinal flora and may help lower cholesterol.  One note of caution though:  go easy on this ingredient if you’re a first time diner, since the carbohydrate in these guys is partly indigestible and causes some people to feel gassy as with beans and cereals.     Unless your diners are all really good campfire buddies. LOL

Ingredients: 

1 Jerusalem Artichoke if larger tuber,  3-4 of the small sized tubers sliced. (you don’t need to peel the sunchokes, simply scrub them with vegetable brush OR peel as you would ginger)
1 can artichoke hearts packed in water, drained and sliced or broken apart.
1 package Deboles jerusalem artichoke pasta (fettuccine or spaghetti style)
1/2 veggie bullion cube (or 1/4 cup veggie broth to sauté)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh) 
1/2 roasted red pepper  (or jarred roasted red pepper)
handful roasted garlic cloves*  or 1 clove fresh garlic minced
teaspoon parsley flakes
salt-pepper (to taste)

Sauce:
1 and 1/2 cups   fresh basil
veggie bullion/ veggie broth to dilute to desired consistency
5-8 cloves ROASTED garlic (roast yourself in the oven or buy pre-roasted and peeled cloves) sliced thin.  *Note: only use roasted garlic in this quantity because the roasting makes garlic sweet and mild. *you will use garlic for the saute and for the sauce.  You can use more or less depending on your taste. 


need: Magic Bullet, Food Processor or Blender

Directions: 
While you’re boiling water and cooking pasta,  sauté the slices of Jerusalem Artichoke, artichoke hearts, red pepper, garlic, salt pepper, parsley  and thyme in a little bit of veggie broth.  simmer with lid on until the Jarusalem Artichoke is tender. (You may cook it to your preferred doneness… crispy/crisp-tender or tender but be careful, it can turn mushy if over cooked!)
When pasta is done, according to package instructions, drain pasta

To make the sauce, take the rinsed torn basil, roasted garlic cloves (add the amount of additional garlic you'd like  to taste) and broth and Magic Bullet until smooth (add broth to make it desired thinness) – you don’t need to cook the sauce but you may heat it gently if you want, otherwise, add it directly over your hot pasta
garnish with fresh basil leaves.  I served this dish with steamed green beans

Playing with Your Food; Brought to you by the Number 9

Let’s face it, even as a vegan or vegetarian it’s still easy to lapse into simple, starchy or even fatty meals that are uninspired and less than healthful.  It’s easy to fall into the common-place “BROWN” of the modern American diet (though much more difficult as a vegan).   Big brown blobs of bean burritos and chips, big orange clots of vegan “mac n’ cheese”,  brown rice and tamari sauce,  a bowl of potatoes, etc.
My first dietary transformation was to try to eat as many COLOURS in every meal as I could. (No, candies don’t count, and neither do ketchup or mustard! )
Colours on the plate ensure that fresh  fruits, veggies and greens get make it on to the scene and not just as “lettuce and tomato” garnishes.  I make a game out of trying to select as many of the seven colours as possible. Reds, oranges, yellows, greens, blues purples and violets. Blues and purples include berries, eggplants, blue corn, purple potatoes, purple broccoli, black beans,  etc. (since it’s hard to get actually purple/blue foods in nature). 
Now my new crackerjack, non-scientific dietary epiphany is to see how close I get to eating NINE specific types of foods in each meal, at least;
FIVE VEGGIES, 1 fruit, 1 greens, 1 whole grain, 1 legume
For example, a burrito with black beans (legume), whole grain wrapper and quinoa filling (grain) chopped spinach (greens)  orange squash, red pepper, purple onion, yellow corn, tomatoes (5 veggies)   and a salsa with fruit in it.   *Yes tomato is a fruit. I could count that in either category.
It’s a crazy aspiration maybe… but I’m going to try.  Here’s a NINE WONDERFUL FOODS recipe for supper  (served with additional veggie on the side plus salad !) 

Red INCAN QUINOA Pilaf :

Ingredients:
3 carrots chopped
1 cup red (or regular) quinoa  (red quinoa makes a pretty plate)
2 cups low sodium veggie broth (or water) plus a few extra tablespoons for sautéing
2 stalks celery, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic (or to taste), minced
1 half roasted (or jarred) red pepper
one bunch (about 1/2 cup) basil, chiffonade (roll herbs and slice in long thin strips by cutting the roll crosswise)
1 small can white corn or about 1/2 cup fresh cooked corn (preferably soft/white variety)
1 small can baby peas (frozen or fresh)
1 bunch asparagus
salt, pepper, oregano to taste.  (about 1/2 teaspoon oregano, dried)
* raw or roasted almonds, sliced (optional)
In a saucepan, put 1 cup quinoa, the chopped carrots  and 2 cups of the low sodium broth.  Bring up to a boil and then turn down to simmer for 15 minutes, covered, until quinoa starts to fluff up and absorb all the liquids.   
While the quinoa cooks,  steam the asparagus over the quinoa or in its own pan and then add garlic, celery and a little broth to a frying pan to sauté until celery is tender and the garlic is fragrant and starting to get translucent.  Add red  peppers, peas, corn, oregano, salt and pepper and stir-fry in the broth/garlic mixture for a few minutes into veggies are hot.     Tossing in the basil just a few seconds removing the veggies from heat.
When quinoa is cooked and absorbing liquid, fluff with a fork and stir in the veggies and top with a few sliver of almonds (optional).  
** Serve with asparagus on the side or mixed into the veggies and mixed green salad with strawberries and oranges.

SAVORY SPICE SHOP

  Years ago, I moved beyond my mom’s canned green beans and saved up for some Grey sea salt imported from France,  cooked up some pitiful little green beans from the first garden I ever tried to grow, and spiked those beans with the only herb growing in my “herb garden”, some tarragon,  --and it was THE BEST THING EVER COOKED since man invented fire.  To me, anyway.
Since that first little epicurean steps, I’ve always loved to try new seasonings and was overjoyed when my dad read in the paper about Savory Spice Shop right here in Boulder.
 


Owner Janet Johnston now has her own show on the Food Network and her shop specialises in herbs, spices and seasonings milled and ground fresh on a weekly basis to ensure the best flavour.     Needless to say, we headed straight over to check out a few of the wares. 
I think every city, town, and hamlet should have a spice shop. Spices are a great way to expand your palate and make inexpensive or simple foods more exciting.   The heady smell of fresh ground spices is totally unlike the vague, desiccated smells that come out of some store-brand jars.  Cinnamon from Ceylon, Jamaican allspice, curry blends with kefir lime and galangal, cloves and cardamom, pure maple sugar, Himalayan salt;  you name it, and it’s here.  Another specialty are house BLENDS of seasoning  such as Mayan cocoa with vanilla bean and chilies, seasoning salt mixes and a deluxe Taco Seasoning that makes the puny little packet of over-salted junk in the store seem like floor sweepings.  Now this is a fragrant, glorious taco seasoning : Masa Harina, salt, chiles, tomato powder, garlic, cumin, California paprika, onion, white sugar, Mexican oregano and allspice.

  They have little jars set out so you can taste (or sniff) the different spices and seasonings and spices are all available to be purchased in bulk or in starter bottles at reasonable prices.

We purchased some:

GRAND GARLIC SALT:  a blend of garlic powders, roasted garlic, salt and minced green onions

MOUNT OLYMPUS GREEK STYLE SEASONING:  a perfect blend of garlic, lemon peel, salt, Greek oregano, spearmint, and black pepper

PASTA SPRINKLE:   European basil, Mediterranean thyme, Greek oregano, California basil and garlic
and
TARRAGON SHALLOT CITRUS SEASONING (not vegan, it has honey powder)  containing:  shallots, honey powder, tarragon, lemon peel, garlic, salt, black pepper, arrowroot and citric acid.

I made some steamed green beans to go with the tarragon shallot seasoning, some pasta with pureed basil, broth, roasted garlic and “pasta sprinkle”  - as well as some sautéed fresh veggies with minced garlic, Grand Garlic Salt, and Pasta Sprinkle and a salad of cucumbers, roasted red peppers and kalamata olives with white wine vinegar, olive oil, and the Greek seasonings… it was AMAZINGLY good;  cheap easy “had on hands” eats transformed by wonderful spices.

 
Love, B

Cool Strawberry Spring Rolls

Yesterday it was great weather to beat the traffic to the trails… the grass is green, the flowers are swelling on the sides of the pathways in hyacinth and tulip explosions,  and yet people haven’t gotten into the habit of swarming public trails and parks like locust yet because they’re still in winter couch potato mode.
I picked up these great spring rolls filled with match-stick carrots, avocado, strawberries, cucumber and romaine lettuce leaves.  Try making these at home with your own (Sweet Thai Chile?)  dip or chutney.
If there is any food that really is “refreshing and cool” it’s these beautiful rice-paper spring rolls.

Easy Easter Turnovers

For Easter (Spring Day) we were again entertaining a group of people used to ham and the big “HOLIDAY FEAST”  spread (an idea I always found a little incongruous and odd on a theological front) but without time to do a whole big “to do” and put on the “great vegan gourmet” show for the family, I had to be creative. Since it was too late to create something really fancy and gourmet, I went to the deli and got some lovely brussels sprouts roasted with olive oil, lemon, garlic and sea-salt and some roasted balsamic beets and set to making some turnovers.    Reduced Fat Pillsbury Crescent Rolls are a vegan convenience food that can fill in in a pinch and I was excited to try out the much  hyped Daiya Cheese (REVIEW TO COME!) I found at Whole Foods on that same trip.
These turnovers turned out beautifully and were REALLY easy and tasty. Again, though I never was the biggest meat-analog fan in the world until I had Ne0-Vegans to feed, I was surprised at how tasty the Yves Canadian bacon was diced into the turnover.  Suffice to say that Daiya Cheese is AMAZING and not just a “good substitute” for cheese, it’s a good cheese period! The two ingredients (though I only used a tiny amount of each) provided the most amazing ham and cheese taste the likes of which I’ve not had in years and years.   You could easily omit them or substitute your favourites as well as replace with textured veggie protein, spiced tofu, etc.  These turnovers would be easy to alter into Mexican turnovers (roasted chilies, black beans,  or corn with textured veggie protein taco seasonings or soyrizo)  or even Indian samosas with curry seasonings.
Enjoy –Bee
Ingredients:
* 2 tubes/tins reduced fat Pillsbury crescent rolls
2-3 small  white potatoes, diced (or 1 package frozen O’Brien potatoes w/ no oil just peppers/onion)
1 cup frozen peas (or more depending on your level of pea love)
1 carrots,  diced  (or use frozen pea and carrot blend as an homage to “peas and carrots” don’t-know-the-words-in-choir technique)
Diaya Cheddar style cheese shreds/vegan cheese of choice *optional 
2-3 slices of Yves   Canadian Bacon style vegan deli slices diced small  or minced  *optional
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
*salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 
pre-heat oven to 375. 
Boil potatoes, carrots and peas until tender  (About 10 minutes) or,  if using frozen veggies, heat in a skillet with a few teaspoons of water until thawed and warmed up.
open cans of crescent dough and press the dough down lightly using two triangle shapes per turnover to form a rectangle and press the seam together,  use about a table-spoon or more of the veggie mixture (don’t over-stuff too much) and sprinkle on a little of the Daiya Cheddar Shreds (if using) and a few sprinkles of the diced vegan Canadian Bacon (if using) and fold into a pocket sealing the seams by pinching the dough. It’s OK if the fillings pop out here and there, but try to keep as much stuffed in as possible.
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the turnovers are golden brown.  Serves 4 as main entree  or more as appetizers.