Vegetarian Sweet Artichoke, Basil and Cherry Tomato Pasta

Like most people I like a good pasta sauce and noodle dish. My kids and husband like it even more, and they inspired me to make a special recipe just for them (the artichokes are for me!). A little basil for its sweet fragrance and its flowery, earthy flavor. Artichoke hearts for a sweetness that lingers in your mouth, and cherry tomatoes for, well, a fresh tomato flavor!

Here are the ingredients:

Pasta Sauce
1 large can of tomato marinara sauce (I used some from Trader Joe's)
2 ears corn, cut kernels off ears
2 shallots chopped
1 can artichoke hearts in water, chopped into halves or quarters
1/3 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped in half
4 TBS chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup red wine ( and some more for your glass)
soy sauce to taste
butter for frying shallots in pan
pepper to taste

Pasta: 1 package spaghetti noodles, try ones made of rice for a yummy wheat free alternative
Garnish: chopped basil, pepper, and freshly grated Parmesan

How to make the Pasta sauce:
Begin by heating a pan on medium heat. Add a TBS butter and stir in chopped shallots. After 5 minutes (the shallots should be lightly browned and soft) add a large can of marinara tomato sauce, stir and bring mixture up to medium heat. Then add cherry tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and red wine. Cook for 5 minutes then add corn and chopped basil. Continue to cook the sauce for another 5 minutes or so. Serve with noodles, soy sauce, fresh basil, pepper and freshly grated Parmesan.*

Noodles:
Use spaghetti size noodles, cook according to package directions.

****Serve also with a spinach and carrot side salad. Try my favorite dressing:

Easy Homemade Sweet Balsamic Dressing
2 TBS balsamic vinegar
2 TBS olive oil
1 tsp honey
Mix all ingredients thoroughly with a fork, toss with salad and serve. Especially good with spinach salads, and the spinach will not get soggy overnight like lettuce does.

Artichokes and Soy Sauce-Vegenaise Dip: Recipe for a side dish

Artichokes and Soy Sauce-Vegenaise Dip.

Artichokes make other food in a meal taste sweet. You can eat the 'heart' and the little bit of the heart that comes off each leaf. One of my all-time favorites! I like to pair them with salmon, rice, and add one or two to soup to flavor the water.

Steam artichokes for 35-50 minutes. The total steaming/boiling depends on their size, of course. Poke a fork in the upper stem where it attaches to the leaves and if it slides in easily, if it does they are probably done cooking. You can steam the artichokes on a steam rack in your 5-quart pan, or boil them directly in the water. Either way you will have water that you can reuse for soup stock or add to your dogs' kibble, as a nutritious supplement to their usual food. Which, because I have limited freezer space, is my best option.

Soy-Vegenaise Dip/Sauce, AKA: "Goop"

I grew up having a soy sauce-mayonnaise mixture to dip broccoli, artichokes, and cauliflower in. We all called it"goop". I still remember my grandpa saying to "please pass the goop," for his broccoli. I changed this recipe up a bit, updating it with Vegenaise (a non-egg alternative to mayo)
1/4 cup Vegenaise
1-2 TBS soy sauce or Tamari
Mix well ad serve in a small bowl to dip broccoli, cauliflower, or artichokes in.

Split Pea and Artichoke Soup

I love adding artichokes to everything this time of the year when they are so readily available. The split peas give this soup a nice substance.

3 quarts of chicken stock (You can add boullion cubes to two quarts of water)
2-3 cups split peas
3 small or 1 big artichoke
6 small carrots
1 big leek or 2 small
1 zucchini
1 potato
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

I like to cook chicken bones in water for 3-4 hours to make my chicken stock.

Add artichokes to chicken stock before or after straining out bones. Artichokes, depending on their size, will take longer to cook than the other veggis, so take this into account. Take artichokes out when they are soft enough to eat. Serve them on the side.

In a separate pan, cook the split peas just covered in water, when almost done add to strained chicken stock.

Strain bones out of the chicken stock before adding veggis. Add the chopped carrots, sliced leek (include th green part), and chopped potato to the lightly boiling chicken stock and peas. When veggis are just about done add zucchini and garlic.
Serve with a glass of mild red wine and side salad

Coconut-Infused Salmon and Artichokes

My favorite springtime recipe is artichokes and salmon. This is when you find artichokes in the grocery store around here and salmon is a great compliment to it. If you eat your artichokes first, they make everything taste sweet, WOW!
Here's what you'll need:
Begin by cooking Curry- Coconut rice:
Bring 2 1/2 cups water and 1/2 cup coconut milk and 1/2 tsp curry powder to boil
Add 2 cups brown rice
Turn heat to low, leave lid on rice until it is done.

While rice is cooking start the artichokes:
Cover 2 big artichokes 1/2 way with water in a large pan. Bring to boil, cover and cook on medium heat. Water should be visibly boiling. Artichokes are done when you poke a fork in at the top of the stem where the stem meets the leaves and it is a soft-firm feel like an apple or just softer. In other words you should be able to eat the center easily, but it should not be mushy. Artichokes can be left to cool down on a plate. When cooled, cut in half and scoop out the hairy center.

As the rice and artichokes cook prepare the salmon and stick it in the oven when the artichokes have been cooking for 20 minutes.
1# Salmon fillet
marinade: (marinate for 2-6 hours, or not at all!)
2 TBS olive oil
2 TBS soy sauce
8-10 oz can of coconut milk
Gently wash salmon and put it in an oven bake dish with a lid with the coconut marinade sauce. Splash the sauce onto the top of the salmon. Remember the lid! Put in oven at 350 degrees. Cook until fish is done.

Sauce for artichokes, to dip leaves in:
1/4 cup Vegannaise or mayonnaise
1-2 TBS soy sauce or tamari

Serve salmon on a bed of rice with some coconut sauce poured over it. Put artichoke on the side with a scoop of sauce. Yum!

Sweet Artichoke Chicken Soup

For a sweetness that lingers in your mouth, try this recipe. It is nourishing and delicious!

4small artichokes
4 quarts of chicken stock (make by boiling 1-2 leftover whole chickens for 3-6 hours on low, strain out bones
2 cups soaked lentils
1 onion diced
2 small zucchinis, sliced small
4 carrots cut small
4 stalks celery cut small
4 or more cloves garlic (press through a garlic press of dice small)
several handfuls of diced kale
salt to taste
Add artichokes and lentils to lightly boiling chicken soup stock. In 10 minutes add carrots, celery, onion. When the artichokes are soft enough to easily stick a fork through the base, take them out and serve on the side. When carrots are softened add zucchinis and garlic. In five minutes add diced kale and salt to taste.
Artichokes are excellent with this dipping sauce:
1/4 cup vegetable oil mayonaise
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce, tamari or braggs liquid aminos

Serve soup with with polenta, feta, and a green salad.