Knowledge is power » Vegetarian

How to eat an artichoke

Alpha — Tue, 08 May 2007 20:18:59 +0000

If you are ever faced with the arduous task of eating an artichoke then you should know how to do it properly or you won’t enjoy it much. The artichoke originates in southern Europe was brought to the United States in the 19th century by French and Spanish immigrants. The tasty part of an artichoke is in its heart and worth the effort to get to it.

To begin, pull off the outside leaves of the artichoke with your fingers. Dip the leaves in butter and eat them by raking the succulent meat between your teeth, then discard. If the artichoke has been properly prepared, it will have the fuzzy thing, called a choke, removed. If not, dig it out with a spoon because this mass of immature florets is inedible. What remains after the choke is removed is the heart, which looks suspiciously like what you get in the jar at the supermarket. Quarter it with a knife and eat the pieces with a fork.

Consider drinking a dry, acidic wine with artichokes, as they clash with anything sweet or fruity; see our guide for wine tasting to help you decide on the right wine for the occasion. With lighter fish or chicken, try a pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc. For salmon, duck or pork, dry German Rieslings and some pinot noirs work. With red meat or pasta with marinara sauce, try Italian reds like Barbera or Barolo.

Pasta with Lemon and Herbs

Alpha — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 16:00:19 +0000

If you are in a hurry and would like to eat something light then this pasta with lemon and herbs recipe is perfect for you. It takes no more than 20 minutes to prepare and it tastes great. You are going to need the following ingredients,

6 ounces uncooked vermicelli
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
¼ cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook and drain the vermicelli as directed on the package. Toss the vermicelli and remaining ingredients except for the cheese. Sprinkle with the cheese after serving the pasta.

The recipe as given is good for 6 servings and each serving is no more than 200 calories making it a perfect dish for those on a strict diet.

Vegetarian Chili

Alpha — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 16:18:10 +0000

This recipe is good for 4 servings. You are going to need the following ingredients,

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped (roughly 1 cup)
1 small green bell pepper, chopped (roughly half a cup)
1 medium zucchini cut into small sticks (roughly 2 cups)
2 cloves of chopped garlic
2 cans (15-16 ounces each) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans (14-15 ounces each) salsa tomatoes with diced green chilis, undrained
¼ cup sour cream
2 teaspoons chili powder

Heat the vegetable oil in a 4-quart nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook the onion, bell pepper, zucchini and garlic in the oil, stirring frequently, until the onion is tender. Stir in the beans, tomatoes and the chili powder reducing the heat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve your delicious vegetarian chili with dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with additional chili powder if so desired.

This tasty vegetarian chili has only 280 Calories per serving of which only 35 come from Fat.