This is the kind of dish that conjures up daydreams of Italy. Scoop a spoonful onto rustic bread, take a bite and close your eyes. You’ll be transported—if only for a minute.
The time it takes to prep the artichokes is well worth the tasty bite at the other end.
You can follow the shortcut route with this recipe—with bottled peppers and canned tomatoes, even frozen artichoke hearts or bottoms—but if you have the time, use fresh artichokes and roast your own peppers. You’ll be glad you did. Turn on the radio, roll up your sleeves and have some fun in the kitchen.
You’ll need two-thirds of a 28-ounce can of tomatoes. Freeze the remainder in a covered plastic container for later use in soup, pasta sauce—you name it.
Raw kale is the perfect foil for garlic and lemon-laced Caesar dressing. The substantial leaves stand up to the thick, flavorful mix. I like to add some lettuce, too—to soften up the overall mouthful. You might add another green as well, perhaps a bit of spinach or arugula, or a few herbs. I developed the egg and anchovy-free dressing for my egg-avoiding, vegetarian husband. You’ll hardly miss either. The dressing is thick, fragrant and packs a lemony punch. Just what you’d expect with Caesar.
Try adding some ripe avocado to the bowl—it adds a pleasant creaminess to balance the crunch and chew.
This simple sauté of carrots and peas is quick to prepare, but loaded with flavor. You can substitute chopped spinach, sugar snap peas or shelled fava beans for the peas. Try adding some minced ginger root for extra spice.
Serve with Indian flat bread such as naan or roti (check out Trader Joe’s frozen section) or rice. Add a bowl of yogurt raita on the side for a complete meal.
By now you may have noticed that I like a crunchy slaw. There are endless versions to try. What renders salad into slaw at a most basic level, is an abundance of crisp vegetables—cut just so. Shredded with a box grater or sharp knife or cut into julienne, matchstick-sized lengths—any of these will do. It all depends on your preference. For some reason the mere act of cutting the veggies this way creates a different feeling in the mouth—something close to sublime. Ask any crunchy-raw-vegetable-addicted slaw fiend.