Month: January 2014

Recipe: Polenta Artichoke Bake

c92e845087e911e38b820e7db094518e_8Healthy and easy recipe – great for families and individuals because you’ll want leftovers!

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:
1-12 oz white beans, drained and rinsed
1-14 oz can diced tomatoes 1-20 oz spaghetti sauce (any flavor works)
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cup celery,
1/2 inch slice
3 cups fresh frozen artichoke hearts
2 tablespoons organic no-salt seasoning
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1 package polenta, cut into 8-1 inch rounds
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (add more/less depending on your love of heat)

Directions:
In large pot, on medium-high heat, water saute garlic and onion for 5 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Add celery and artichoke hearts and saute 3 more minutes.
Add diced tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, spices and beans, mix thoroughly and heat through for at least 15 minutes.
In 9×11 baking dish, place polenta rounds in two rows of 4.
Carefully pour sauce over the polenta, spread evenly.
Bake 20-30 minutes, or until bubbling on top.
Garnish with fresh basil Serve warm with green salad on the side.
Enjoy!

I’ll see you at the table!

 

Restaurant Review: Subway – Utah

subwayI was running between appointments starving but needed something fast for  lunch. So, thought I’d give Subway another try. Pleasantly surprised to find they have a Veggie Patty option now. It was surprisingly tasty, moist and filling. Trying to avoid too many bread carbs, I went with the 6″ size. Loaded with as many veggies as you like, it’s a pretty good option. Mine had spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, black olives, banana peppers, and green bell peppers. I opted for sriracha for sauce instead of mayo or mustard. All-in-all, I thought the service at The District Subway was great – friendly, reasonably fast, and helpful.

 

Restaurant review: el Patio del Cordobes – Spain

faf7614073db11e3862312b5c0403726_8After walking around Granada, we stopped for lunch to rest out tired feet! Kathy enjoyed her meat lasagna. I had a tiny bite – very moist meat with loads of cheese melted on top. I thought the dish was quite salty. I really liked the eggplant fries with honey sauce drizzled on top. Makes me want to play around in the kitchen to see how I can create a healthier version! The green salad was pretty good, but iceburg lettuce has virtually no nutritional value. But it was fresh and refreshing! Interestingly though, I was hard pressed to find very many veggie options on their menu. Just about everything had cheese or meat.

A funny thing we’ve noticed about Spanish waiters, is that they rarely smile. And when they do, it seems forced. So much for an enjoyable experience with the wait staff… maybe they need a customer service training on the merits of playing nice so that guests want to tip you – just sayin’! But the venue was nice and simple.

 

Recipe: Roasted Brussels Sprouts

df7d42a8778d11e394a00ef4841a629f_8A vegetable with a bad name for itself, Brussels sprouts have historically been steamed and then served swimming in a butter bath to cover the bitter taste – no wonder most of us hated them when we were young. But we also know these little green rounds are packed with tons of vitamins… So, give this easy recipe a try and you just might fall in love!

Ingredients:
2 cups Brussels sprouts per person
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, which is about 180 degrees celsius (had to figure out conversion between Fahrenheit and Celsius while cooking in Spain!).
Line baking sheet with parchment paper. If you don’t have, bake directly on the baking sheet.
Cut off ends of washed Brussels sprouts, then cut in half. Place into a large bowl. Toss with 1/4 cup olive oil. Add more OO if serving more than 4 people.
Sprouts shouldn’t be super wet, just a little drizzle. Spread sprouts evenly on baking sheet. Sprinkle salt and black pepper over Brussels sprouts.
I use very little salt, or use non-salt instead. (One of my favorites is Costco’s Organic No-salt Seasoning).
Bake for 20 minutes or until edges are brown and some sprout leaves are crispy.
Serve immediately with meal. Great with couscous and green salad, as shown, for full dinner. Extra sprouts make great leftovers, but these taste so good it’s rare to have any left over!

Shopping tip:
When buying groceries internationally or in the USA, Brussels sprouts aren’t necessarily better when bought in bulk. The pre-packaged are usually just as good.

Enjoy and I’ll see you at the table!