CasaSugar

Eat Your Heart Out: 10 Healthy Artichoke Recipes

Michele Foley — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 03:07:33 PDT

One food that we're especially excited about this Spring is the now-in-season artichoke. Besides tasting great, it's also good for you: one medium artichoke contains important minerals like iron and calcium, along with over 20 percent of your daily fiber needs, which may help the body burn more fat. From salads to pastas and everything in between, here's what healthy artichoke dishes we'll be cooking up this Spring.

3 Seasonal Fat-Burning Foods to Celebrate Spring

Shape — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 06:15:55 PDT

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape by Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD, here on FitSugar.

Spring has almost sprung, and that means a whole new crop of nutrition powerhouses at your local market. Here are three of my favorite mouthwatering picks, how they’ll help you get ready for bikini season, and simple ways to gobble them up:

Artichokes: One medium choke packs some important minerals like iron and calcium, along with over 20 percent of your daily fiber needs. One study in Brazilian dieters found that over a 6-month period, each addition gram of fiber resulted in an extra quarter pound of weight loss. I love them steamed in lemon water with fresh mint and drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

New potatoes: When spuds are cooked and cooled they’re one of the best sources of resistant starch, a fiber-like substance linked to a boost in fat burning during the hours after a meal. Cube, cook, and chill them and serve lightly dressed in a mixture of cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced red onion, celery, and scallions.

Strawberries: One cup provides just 50 calories with over 150 percent of your vitamin C needs. Studies show that a higher blood level of vitamin C results in burning more fat, both at rest and during exercise. Enjoy these gems as is, dipped in melted dark chocolate, or tossed into a fresh spinach salad - and if you have leftovers snip off the stems and freeze them for your smoothie stash.

Flickr User norwichnuts

Healthy Recipe: Artichoke Heaven

Fit Community — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 07:00:42 PDT

I'm excited to try this yummy recipe TuristaChef posted in the Healthy Recipe Group that features a unique dipping sauce made with veganaise and mustard.

If you're curious how to make this delicious appetizer,

Healthy Recipe: Artichoke Heaven
Recipe by Turista Chef

Ingredients

1 large artichoke
1/3 cup raw almonds, slivered
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/3 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons baked shallot crisps (make them ahead)
Dollop of sauerkraut
1 tablespoon vegenaise
1 tablespoon sauerkraut
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon flax oil

Directions

Rinse artichoke with cool water. Cut stem and tip from artichoke.
In a medium pot, boil 1 to 2 cups of water and sea salt. Place artichoke face up on medium/high. Cover and steam for 35 to 40 minutes or until tender.
Allow to cool and remove from pot onto a dish. Sprinkle nuts and shallot crisps. Top the center with a dollop of sauerkraut and dip sauce. Drizzle with flax oil. Sprinkle coriander.
To make the dip sauce mix lemon juice, veganaise, mustard, pepper, and paprika. Add a dash of garlic salt. Serve and gently pull each thorn. Dip in sauce and enjoy a tasty treat of heaven.

Serves 1 to 2

Print recipe with images | without images

If you have a tasty and healthy recipe to share, please share it in the Healthy Recipe Group. Include a photo and maybe we will post it on FitSugar!

10 Ways to Decorate With Artichokes

CasaSugar — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 06:00:00 PDT

I love artichokes from the bottom of their little hearts. There is no vegetable I crave more - even down to the décor. The leafy blooms are divine with hollandaise sauce, but their purple and green hues can add the perfect amount of flavor and warmth to any room. Modern or traditional, there's a way for every home to have its way with the delicious artichoke.

Cool Idea: A Bookish Twist on Artichoke Finials

CasaSugar — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 11:00:00 PST

Shopping in one of my favorite local consignment furniture shops, I fell hard for this pair of white wooden artichoke finials, originally meant for the ends of a curtain rod or bed posts. I really have no use for them as curtain rod finials, but I instantly realized they'd make great bookends! They have a regal, statuesque shape that's practically destined for bookshelf styling. And their wooden form gives them enough heft and stability to parenthesize a literary collection of nearly any width and weight. Want a pair for yourself? Check out the wide selection of finials on ShopStyle!

Crave Worthy: Lily.mgx Lamp

CasaSugar — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:00:17 PDT

Obviously embodying a form that's been inspired by nature, the Lily.mgx lamp ($502 for small table lamp shown here), is the type of small, precious object that could make an otherwise sparsely decorated room glow. Designed by Janne Kyttanen for Materialise, the lamps are said to resemble a lily-pad flower, though I think they look a lot more like an artichoke myself. While the lamps may look simple, apparently they were designed using a 3-D material printing process that sounds rather geeky and complicated. But hey, if you're going to geek out, you might as well make it as impossibly chic as this lamp.

Roundup: Artichokes Out of the Kitchen

CasaSugar — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:00:42 PDT

Artichokes in the home — not dipped in hollandaise sauce — are not exactly trendy; John Henry Dearle designed his artichoke wallpaper for William Morris before 1900, as part of the Arts and Crafts movement. But I have spotted the healthy, in-season vegetable in a variety of fab forms as of late, which I would willing to welcome into my home. These faux-tichokes have made their way to classic finials, pillows, plates, wreaths, vases, and even an ultra-modern chandelier. To find one for your digs, check out my widget below, or just whip some up in the kitchen.

Source

Learn to Love: Artichokes

FitSugar — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 03:00:00 PDT

If you're looking for something new to add to your dinners, I know they may look weird, but you've got to give artichokes a try.
They're in season until May, so you should have no problems finding them at the grocery store. They're low in calories (only 60 in an entire medium-sized artichoke), but they've got a pretty decent amount of fiber - 6.5 grams! Artichokes are also a great source of folate, as well as potassium and calcium. I was surprised to find that one artichoke also will give you 4.2 grams of protein. Many studies have also shown that artichokes can help keep your liver healthy. I had no idea such a weird veggie could be so chock full of goodness.

You've probably eaten artichoke hearts before (you know, the ones that come in a little jar or on your pizza), but the leaves of this veggie can also be eaten and they're just as delicious. So are you ready to give them a try? They're really easy to cook. To find out how

When shopping for the amazing artichoke, look for one that has tight leaves, and is dark green or purplish in color. Give it a gentle squeeze. It should feel firm, not limp, and when you hold it, it should feel heavy in your hand (showing that it's full of moisture).

When cooking an artichoke, I prefer to steam rather than boil to retain more of the vitamins. Here's how:

Fill a pot with a little water, place a steamer inside, and put the lid on. Put the covered pot on the stove on medium.
Wash the artichoke thoroughly and then remove any wilted leaves.
Take a sharp knife and cut off the top quarter (the pointy part). Then cut off the stem so it's flush with the bottom of the artichoke.
Put the artichoke stem-end up in the center of the steamer.
Keep the pot covered and steam the artichoke for about 30 to 40 minutes. Add water if you need to. You'll know it's ready when the outer leaves can easily pull off and you're able to poke a knife into the base easily.
Eat it immediately, so it's nice and warm. All you do is peel off one of the leaves, dip the end that was attached into some melted butter or lemon juice, and then scrape the soft flesh off with your teeth (the bottom third of each leaf).
Keep going until you get to the artichoke heart. If you find some fuzzy hairlike strands, scoop those out (don't eat them), and you'll find the tender, edible heart underneath.

Source

What Vegetables Are You Most Looking Forward To Eating This Spring?

partysugar — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 09:57:32 PDT

Perfect Pickins: Artichokes

YumSugar — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 07:59:01 PST

Let's face it: being a domestic diva whose prowess ranges from expertly baking a cake to masterly manhandling a chopping knife is hard. There is so much to learn and it's easy to feel overwhelmed.

Take a deep breath, I'm here to help. One thing that is super important, often overlooked, and not necessarily common knowledge is how to select groceries. We've all read tons of articles on how to pick the perfect pair of jeans, but where's the 411 on how to choose the correct fruits, vegetables, cheeses and meats? Right here in my new feature Perfect Pickins. I'll explain how to maneuver gracefully through the grocery store so you'll walk out with only the ripest and best tasting foods.

When shopping for artichokes look for those with bronze or frost marks on the leaf tips. People usually avoid these ones because they appear a little damaged, but those in the know jump at the sight. The damage is minimal and the flavor maximal and more delicate. Pick artichokes that feel heavy for their size (fresh artichokes will be heavy for their size due to their moisture content) and have tightly closed buds. Open leaves indicate that they are too mature. The leaves should be a soft green or purple in color and squeak when pressed. Avoid moldy or wilted leaves and stay away from any that are purple in color. These are signs that the artichoke is overripe. For a tasty artichoke treat, serve them steamed with basil mayonnaise.