Healthy January 0.2

Artichokes in olive oil and parsley dressing

My obsession with artichokes goes as far as trying to smuggle two small plants with pot and soil in my suitcase from Sardinia to grow them in London. They arrived safely but suffered a few injuries on the way. 

Sadly I also failed in my attempt to grow them in London, all of them died after one month of incessant rain.

The Sardinian variety is with spikes, which I found difficult to find in the UK. I have just recently seen that the brand Natoora sells them online. (This post is not sponsorised)

Some time ago I visited the Blue zone of Sardinia, an area with a high longevity rate among the inhabitants, and speaking with some of the oldest inhabitants it seems that many like to eat artichokes. So I consulted my blog partner Giulia, to know more about these delicious vegetables from the nutritional point of view. 

“Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus is without any doubt one of our favourite flowers from the Mediterranean region, the area where Italy is located and where Jennifer and I come from.
Artichoke is an edible thistle (a flowering plant) and it is absolutely delicious —you can’t blame us for loving it so much!

When cooked artichoke has a succulent meaty pulp and a sweet and nutty taste. You can also eat it raw —mainly the inner part known as the heart— but the consistency is definitely more fibrous and the taste is bitter.
This chubby green thistle is also packed with nutrients and health-promoting benefits. Artichokes are low in fat and rich in fibre which make them a great food for our digestive system and our heart health. They also contain a good amount of antioxidants, vitamin C, K and folate, and important minerals, such as magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and iron.

Medical research has found that this plant, which has been used for centuries for its benefits, may help balance cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Another great reason to consume artichoke as both a vegetable or an extract is the protective and stimulating effects it may have on our liver and gut health. The fact that this plant is also so high in fibre —especially a soluble fibre called inulin— makes it a prebiotic food, which can help improving the intestinal flora.

As we don’t waste anything in Jenny’s kitchen while we prepare our recipes, we used those inedible leaves we removed from the artichokes before cooking to make a tea. This tea has a bittersweet taste and it is a great drink to stimulate digestion and liver health. “

This recipe is great served as a starter to complement a cheese or cured meats board or even as a side dish.

This is the best season for Artichokes so make sure you don’t miss them!

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30308247/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22435514/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26310198/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29520889/

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Recipe

Serves 4

Preparation time: 20 minutes 

Cooking time: 35 minutes 

INGREDIENTS

8 artichokes

1 lemon

1 tsp salt 

50ml white wine vinegar

1l water

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil

a handful of fresh parsley

INSTRUCTIONS

Artichokes oxidise when cut, therefore rub some lemon juice into your hands before touching them. 

To prepare the artichokes remove about some of the harder outer leaves until you are left with the softer ones. Cut most of the stalk, leaving about 1 cm. Trim the stalk into a point and chop about 2-3 cm off the tips of the leaves.

Slice them in a half and then cut the so called “beard“ just below the leaves. 

Place the artichokes in a large bowl with water and the juice of two lemons (this will prevent them from turning black).

In a large pan bring the vinegar and water and 1 tsp of salt to the boil. Add the artichokes and let them simmer for about 30 minutes. 

Leave to cool down into their own liquid.

Now we will prepare our dressing. Finely chop the parsley. In a small bowl pour in the olive oil and spoon in your parsley.

Pat-dry your artichokes with a table cloth and pour some of the parsley oil previously made on the top. 

You can add a squeeze of lemon juice for extra sharpness if you prefer.

“The food of the Gods”

Polenta cakes with mushrooms sauce and kale

Once I read that the ancient Romans believed mushrooms were the “food of the Gods” and I think most of us (Italians) still see mushrooms in the same way.
The properties contained in mushrooms are slightly different depending on each variety. For this recipes we used chestnut mushrooms which are rich in vitamin K —an essential nutrient to ensure healthy blood and bones—B vitamins and minerals such as copper and selenium. These succulent vegetables are also an amazing source of antioxidants and immune-boosting compounds such as beta-glucans.

“What I have realised during over three decades of dinner parties and, particularly, Christmas parties is that we all often start binging on appetizers and starters—high-calorie foods, made with refined ingredients and almost zero fibre— to find ourselves feeling full before the main meal even arrives on the table. For this reason, I like to inspire my guests with low-calorie vegan or vegetarian starters, and to share with you the recipes I tried.” says Giulia

Polenta is a delicious food, typical from Italy. In my region, Sardinia, people used to eat polenta as a primo, often served with a tomato sauce. In Lombardia instead, Giulia said “there is no party without polenta, but this corn-flour pudding gets generally served as a side dish (contorno), together with roasted or stewed meat.” Since polenta is very light, gluten-free and has a delicate flavour that works well with pretty much everything Giulia and I decided to use it as a base for our Christmas starters.

The combination of vegetables we used as topping also has the traditional flavours of Italy. However you could potentially use other veggies if you don’t like mushrooms or cavolo nero.

Cavolo Nero, also known as Tuscan Kale, is just an Italian variety of kale, but with dark green-blue leaves —here the adjective “nero” which means black.
Kale belongs to the cruciferous vegetable family, known for its high amounts of phytonutrients which help promoting detoxification and protecting against cell-aging. Like most leafy green vegetable, kale is also high in beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin K and minerals, especially manganese.

These polenta cakes are perfect served as a starter either for Christmas or NYE. 

They are really easy to make, provided that you buy the instant polenta, or the task will become way longer. 

For a more luxurious version you can use Porcini mushroom which have a stronger taste. 

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Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes 

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

POLENTA

200g Instant polenta

800ml vegetable stock 

1 tsp salt 

MUSHROOM SAUCE

200G chestnut mushrooms

1-2 cloves garlic

15g butter

30ml red wine

100g tomato sauce

a few leaves of kale (Cavolo nero)

100ml water 

5g butter

1/2 lemon squeezed 

TO SERVE

a bunch of parsley

INSTRUCTIONS

For the polenta I recommend using Instant polenta unless you want to spend your day cooking. For best results follow the instructions on the package. I used De Cecco polenta for mine (This is not a sponsored post). It just needs about 8 minutes to be ready. 

The procedure is more or less the same for every polenta though, it consists in  boiling your vegetable stock in a large pot, add in some salt to your liking. 

Then remove the pot from the stove and pour in the polenta slowly into the water while stirring.

After you poured it all in, bring back the pot on the stove and cook at low heat stirring continuously for about 8 minutes or until the water is fully absorbed. 

Take a large flat tray and pour in your polenta. It should form a layer about 1 inch thick. Leave to cool down.

In the meantime we can work at our mushroom’s sauce.

First thing clean your mushrooms using the tip of the knife to scrape the stalk a tiny bit and use a kitchen towel to clean the top of the mushroom. 

Slice your mushroom into small pieces. 

In a small pan heat up the butter and when it is melted add in the garlic cloves. Cook for 2-5 minutes or until they have some colour. Add in your mushrooms previously cut, add half a glass of water and cook with the lid on for about 10-15 minutes at low heat. Your mushrooms are ready when they are soft. 

Spoon in your tomato sauce and cook at low heat for another 10minutes. Season to taste. Sprinkle some parsley on the top. 

Now we will quickly prep the kale that will form a base for our mushroom sauce to seat on top of the polenta. Wash the kale, then on a chopping board shred it into 1 inch wide strips.

Bring to the boil 100ml of water with salt, add in the butter and lemon juice and cook your kale for about 5 minutes or until tender. Drain it well and set aside.  

Cut the polenta into circles with a cookie cutter or squares if you prefer.

Heat up a pan and heat-up the polenta for about 2 minutes per side.

Place the circles on a serving tray. Then place some of the kale leaves on top of each one and spoon in some your mushroom sauce.

The polenta cakes are now ready, they are also delicious served at room temperature.