Grilled Artichokes with Easy Aioli

organic artichokes....such a treat

Did I mention before how much I love the Cheesecake Factory? It is my all time favorite "junk" food source. But, not everything they have on the menu is all that bad in terms of health. CF has a way of making good stuff taste like it's bad for us! Love it!  I had their grilled artichokes a few months ago and have been craving them ever since. Well, thanks to some researching and deducting, I think I have found what makes them taste so amazingly decadent. We rarely find organic artichokes, so when we do, we buy them up. Pricey? Yes! Worth it? Yes!

The artichoke's meat is at the base of it's leaves, but don't forget the heart! It's the best part!

You will need your BBQ for this one. But if you are living where it's too cold to BBQ, you could try roasting them in your oven instead. I haven't tried roasting them, so if you do, please tell me how it goes! Just make sure to follow the same directions up until the BBQ part if you decide to roast yours.

Need:

2-4 artichokes (how much do you LOVE them?)
1 1/2 lemons, juiced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves fresh, minced garlic
1 tsp. sea salt
freshly cracked black pepper

Put a large pot of water on high heat to boil, meanwhile: fill a LARGE bowl with cold water and juice from ONE of the lemons (save lemon rind). Halve the artichokes (carefully!) and submerge into the bowl of lemon water. When water on stove is boiling, carefully place artichokes into pot (with long tongs) and add the lemon rinds. Boil for 20 minutes uncovered.

Boil, uncovered for about 20 minutes, taking care not to boil too much or the leaves will start to fall off

Heat Grill on high (or oven at 450 degrees F).

Empty the lemon water from the bowl to use for tossing drained artichokes with the last HALF of lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.  

Toss boiled artichokes with olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper, then grill

Turn grill down to medium heat. (If using oven, roast in middle of oven, keeping an eye on them, turning once and basting every few minutes until charred)  Grill artichokes,  turning once and basting every 5 minutes until artichokes start to char. Remove from heat and serve with amazing aioli dipping sauce (recipe below).

The charring you see adds a layer of amazing flavor!

Easy Aioli:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 cloves fresh, minced garlic
juice from one lemon
1 tsp. sea salt
cracked black pepper

Mix together and enjoy with artichokes

Tastes great with any meal or all alone!

Apricot Glazed Pork Kebabs

Although these are best on the BBQ (sorry to those Northerners  whom we love dearly and do not have the BBQ out all year long), the meat chunks could be pan fried (wok style if you have one) and finished in the oven. Here is an easy recipe that can be made in just 15 min. (allow 30 min. for marinating first).

Need: *see note about skewer sticks below


1 jar (8-10 oz.) of organic apricot preserves or jam
2 Tbsp Tamari (wheat-free soy sauce) or soy sauce for those who can eat wheat
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 lbs. pork tenderloins, trimmed well and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper


*While preparing above ingredients, soak bamboo skewer sticks (for kebabs) in water. This avoids the stick burning on the BBQ. I find that the sticks fit best in an oblong baking dish.

Simple, whole ingredients yielding a slightly sweet and tasty end result

I prefer to marinate everything in glass, it is best for flavor and for health (as opposed to plastic baggies or containers)

Thread meat onto skewers carefully

Heat preserves on stove in small sauce pan until warmed through. Stir in Tamari (or soy sauce), lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Set aside about 1/3 cup of sauce. Dump remainder of sauce into small glass container or bowl with pork to marinate at room temp. for about 30 min. Thread pork evenly onto skewers. Grill for about 4 minutes on each side while basting with the set aside apricot marinade, until desired cook temp. is achieved for your pork. If you cannot grill, heat large, heavy pan on stove to medium. Add your favorite healthy oil, brown pork (not on skewers) and baste again before finishing in an oven at 375 degrees F. for about 5 min, or until meat is cooked to your liking.

A delicious, light centerpiece to your meal

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with dipping sauces

A quick, easy, delicious treat for everyone

I like to think of this dish as fancy french fries (and healthier). As for the dipping sauces, well, at least I know mine don't contain garbage ingredients! This can be enjoyed as an appetizer, side dish, or anytime snack. Pretty versatile and super duper easy.

Need:

1 1/2 lbs. organic fingerling potatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
3 Tbsp of your favorite healthy oil
1 tsp. paprika
2 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp freshly ground pepper

Toss well to coat each potato

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Toss ingredients together in a large bowl then lay on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper). Roast in oven for about 45 min. or until golden brown. Serve with your favorite dipping sauces. Below are a few suggestions:

Roast for 45 min. or until golden brown

Garlic Aioli:

1/4 cup real mayonnaise
2 cloves freshly minced garlic
1/2 lemon, juiced
salt and pepper to taste

Spicy Mayo:

1/4 cup real mayonnaise
1-2 Tbsp of Sriracha (or your favorite hot sauce)

BBQ Ketchup:

1/4 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp chili mix/blend powder seasonings
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp brown sugar

Experiment with different dipping sauces!

Have fun with this delicious treat!

Roasted Sweet Pepper Salsa

Roast these sweet mini-peppers to get a wonderful flavored salsa

Sweet roasted, mini-pepper salsa

I rarely make the same recipe twice, especially salsa. There are way too many combinations that can be created with salsa, which is a wonderful thing.

Here is a recipe I threw together recently. I rather liked it's outcome!

8-10 sweet mini-peppers, roasted: broil for about 3-5 min. or until slightly charred, then when cool, cut off tops and scrape out seeds

1 medium size onion, quartered
2-3 cloves raw garlic
6 medium sized fresh tomatoes, quartered and insides/seeds scraped
1/2 can of green chilies
2 Tbsp of vinegar (I used coconut vinegar)
Juice of 1/2 fresh lime
1-2 Tbsp. of salt (to your taste)
1 Tbsp pepper
2 tsp powdered cumin

Sweet, roasted, mini-peppers

Blend with small pulses....this baby is particularly speedy, thank you honey for my new toy!

Put all above ingredients in your food processor or blender and give it whirl (but not too much!) until desired consistency is achieved.

Favorite Mexican Layer Dip Recipe!

I am not sure if my love of Mexican (American style) food started with my first ever waiting tables job or not....Wait a minute, start over. Yes, my infatuation began when I worked at the only Mexican restaurant for miles....before this, my only exposure to Mexican food was a boxed burrito kit (Old El Paso) and a few tacos from Taco Bell. (If you only knew how much junk food I ate while growing up, you might wonder where I grew to love organic, whole foods!) There isn't much that I will not eat on the menu at a Mexican-style restaurant. Caldo de pollo is always a favorite. So many delicate flavors in one bowl of chicken soup, yummo! Avocados are heaven to me, absolute heaven. I only wish that they could be purchased perfectly ripe when I desire to eat them right away. Lime juice, cilantro, jalapenos, oh my....the melding of so many spices, and fresh flavors, I just love it! My only complaint is the time needed to prepare most of the Mexican style recipes. So much to chop and slice. But, this is what makes it a super fresh, wonderful treat. When I need my Mexican fix, this is a go to that requires little prep and has just enough flavor to get me through until the next big Mexi-feast. It's a naturally gluten free, meat free recipe that I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 can of organic refried beans (your choice)
1 small can, chopped green chilis
1 small chopped tomato
1/2 of green pepper, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
1/2 cup sour cream
1 avocado, smashed with salt and pepper
1/2 cup shredded cheddar and/or monterey jack cheese
**If you happen to have it (and love it as much as I do) add some freshly chopped cilantro

 Layer in ramekins or small baking dishes, the refried beans, tomatoes, sour cream, the green chilis, green peppers,  the avocado mash and top with the cheese. 

 Place in oven at 350 degrees F for approx. 12 min. Take out and top with any remaining ingredients.

Oh the melty goodness!

 Serve with warmly toasted, organic corn tortilla chips. Ole! 

Find raw cheddar cheese here: Organic, raw cheddar cheese, order here

Sliders made with Green Finished Beef

At my niece's wedding this fall we were introduced to a beautiful rendition of sliders, sans buns. These mini burger bites were the cutest little burgers I had ever seen. And, how thoughtful, as the menu offered many naturally gluten-free foods, which meant our daughter could partake in almost everything but the cake! (Although the bride had also been thoughtful enough to have wonderful chocolates and truffles aside just for our daughter in lieu of cake).

So here is the easy recipe just for you!

For the patties:

1 lb. Green Finished ground beef (from Beyond Organic's ranch)

1/2 small onion, minced

salt and pepper

*Mix ingredients and shape approx. 2 Tbsp. of the meat mixture into a patty, and do the same with remaining meat. Fry patties in medium hot, heavy bottomed (or iron) fry pan with real, organic, salted butter. Fry until each side is browned nicely and middle is barely pink. Set aside when finished.

My daughter loves to help me cook!

Try to keep them the same size so they will all cook at the same temperature

Cooked patties resting and waiting to be dressed up for the occasion!

Condiment toppers:

2-3 small dill pickles, sliced

3-4 grape tomatoes, sliced

your choice of cheese (I used Beyond Organic's raw milk cheddar cheese) cut into small pieces

sturdy lettuce (romaine is my choice) torn into small pieces

*Stack one of each condiment on top of each other and spear with a toothpick, until you have enough for each patty. Then place speared condiments on top, then spear the toothpick through each patty.

And here they are, cute as buttons! A tasty, fun way to get your CLA's (Conjugated Linoleic Acid), vitamins, minerals, and Omega 3 fatty acids!

A wonderful appetizer or snack for beef connoisseurs of any age!

Where's the beef you say? Well, here it is: Green Finished Ground Beef and don't forget the Organic, Green Fed, Raw Cheddar Cheese: