What's the deal with? Artichokes

Artichokes are a spring season vegetable that you should definitely add to your dinner table. They may seem a little intimidiating to cook with if you've never tried, but they really are worth getting to know. Artichokes were a staple in my house growing up - they are so versatile and fun to eat! If you love them but have never made them at home, here's a how-to guide. Enjoy!

What is it? Artichokes are one of the oldest known foods and are actually the bud of a flowering plant. The bud contains the Heart, which is the meaty core of the artichoke, and a fuzzy center (or "choke") surrounded by rows of edible petals, which protect the Heart. When you prepare an artichoke, you discard the center “choke” and eat the base of the petals, the center of the stem, and the entire artichoke Heart!

Why should you eat it? Artichokes are a true nutrition powerhouse. They have more antioxidants than both red wine and chocolate! Similar to fennel, artichokes contain a combination of the most powerful antioxidants quercetin and rutin (plus many more). In fact, they are one of the top ranked fresh vegetables you can eat, beating out both spinach and broccoli in studies. Artichokes are also rich in potassium, magnesium, Vitamin C and fiber.

How to prep it? Artichokes can be intimidating to prepare. After rinsing, the "top and tail" technique is the best way to prepare the artichoke for cooking. Click here to watch a step-by-step video! You can also buy just the hearts frozen from Trader Joe's or the jarred variety at most grocery stores.

How to eat it? Artichokes can serve as an appetizer, side dish or in the case of the Jumbo variety, a main entree.

Whole Artichokes

• Easy baked artichoke (recipe here)
  
• Cooled Artichokes can be filled with cold salmon, tuna, shrimp or chicken.
• Brush with olive oil and grill until brown.
• Stuff with Italian herb breadcrumbs and smoked Gouda cheese filling.

Halves

• Serve as cold buffet dish.
• Pour balsamic vinegar between the petals and finish on the grill.

Stems and Hearts

• Slice Hearts and add to Asian sautés and stir-fries.
• Slice and add as a tasty filling to your favorite omelet or quiche.
• Use to create Artichoke dip, one of the world’s greatest appetizers!

Baby Artichokes

• Quarter Baby Artichokes and add to baked pastas, fish and meat casseroles, stews, rice pilaf, and quiche.
• Sprinkle with olive oil, garlic and pepper, and oven roast.

Click here for many more recipes and information about the Artichoke!

Danielle Omar, MS, RD
The Food Confidence Expert

www.foodconfidence.com

Fish on Friday: Barramundi

Bored with salmon, but still want to get your Omega 3's?

Prefer a mild-flavored, white fish?

Looking for a more sustainable option in your seafood?

Try Barramundi!

A native of the tropical waters of northern Australia, southeast Asia, and southern China, Barramundi is farmed in the U.S.

If you're worried about farmed fish, don't be. Not all farmed fish is bad. In fact, the Monterey Bay's Seafood Watch program rates U.S. farmed Barramundi a "Best Choice" because of our environmentally friendly farming practices.

Why eat it? Barramundi has 833 mg of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids per 5-oz serving and contains less than 150 calories! It's a great source of lean protein, is rich in vitamins and minerals, and is low in saturated fat. Because of U.S. farming practices, it's also free from contamination with PCBs, mercury or other contaminants.

How to buy it? You may find it called Silver Barramundi, Giant Perch, Palmer Perch, and Barra. Locally it can be found at Giant and Safeway.

How to make it? Barramundi has a sweet, mild flavor and light, flaky texture and is super easy to prepare. Below is a recipe and links to more!

Barramundi and Lemon Butter
4 Barramundi fillets
2 tsp. olive or canola oil
2 Tbsp. butter
1 clove garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. fresh or bottled lemon juice
5 leaves minced fresh basil (or 3/4 tsp. dry)
Salt to taste
Gently saute the garlic in butter for about 2 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and basil. Add salt to taste. Remove from heat. Coat fillets with olive or canola oil. Pan fry one side on high heat for 3 minutes. Flip and cook other side 1-2 more minutes or until fish is cooked through. Transfer to serving dish. Spoon sauce over fillets.
Serving Suggestion: Serve on a bed of sauteed spinach or greens, and fresh tomato salsa.

More Recipes:
Barramundi with Balsamic Orange Ginger Glaze
Barrumundi with Chili, Tomato, Saffron and Zucchini
Pan Seared Barramundi
Barramundi Fish Tacos

Enjoy!

Danielle Omar, MS, RD
The Food Confidence Expert

www.foodconfidence.com

Superfood: Turmeric

Last night for dinner I made a dish nostalgic of my grad school days -- Curried Cauliflower. I know it's a strange choice, but at JMU there is little in terms of ethnic food. On Friday nights, I would get take-out at the Indian American Cafe and it inspired me to experiment with curry on my own.

So today - much to my husband's dismay - our house smells like an Indian dhaba. This is due to my favorite dish using many indian spices! Curry, coriander, ginger, and turmeric, which is getting a lot of press these days as a superfood. Why? Turmeric contains a substance called curcumin, which is largely responsible for its antioxidant powers - which have shown in studies to significantly lower LDL (the bad cholesterol) and raise HDL (the good stuff). It's also been shown to decrease pain from arthritis, treat inflammatory bowel diseases (chrohn's, colitis), slow and even stop cancer cell growth, and help prevent Alzheimer's disease.

That being said, I know you're now dying to try my recipe, so here it is. Yes, there are a lot of spices, but don't be scared. It's good stuff.

Curried Cauliflower (with potatoes and chick peas)

• 3 Tbsp olive or canola oil
  
• 1 medium onion, chopped
  
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
  
• 2 tsp curry
  
• 1 tsp ground coriander
  
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
  
• 2 tsp fresh ginger, chopped
  
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2/3 cup chicken or veggie broth
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 -2 tsp fresh lemon juice
  
• 2 large potatoes, chopped
  
• 1 head cauliflower, chopped
• 1 can drained and rinsed chick peas
  
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
  

In a large skillet, saute the onions in the oil until soft; add curry powder, cumin, coriander, turmeric, garlic and ginger; cook, stirring, about 1 minute.

Add cauliflower, potatoes, chick peas, salt, ground pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook for about 4 minutes. Add 2/3 cup broth and lemon zest. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer for about 20 minutes, or until veggies are tender. Add more broth if needed. Before serving, sprinkle with cilantro and lemon juice. Yum!

Enjoy!

Danielle Omar, MS, RD

The Food Confidence Expert
www.foodconfidence.com