Asparagus Salad

Outcome:
Due to urging from my friends, family, and especially my husband, I am trying to integrate asparagus into my cancer-fighting diet. If you have not seen the email that has circulated the globe (possibly more than once), the word is asparagus has near-miraculous effects on fighting cancer.

Now I'm all for trying something new in my diet that can't hurt me, but I selfishly have to admitt...I do not like asparagus! That was the challenge with this one: Make a recipe I like out of an ingredient I don't.

I am happy to say the experiment was a success! And an even bigger surprise...my daughter also gave it an enthusiastic thumbs-up.(Can I get a "Whoop-whoop!")

One final note: This recipe tasted even better the second day. The dressing had marinated the veggies, making the flavor fuller and more developed.

Husband-approved: Yes
Kid-approved: Yes
Pet-approved: 1 clear Yes, 1 Not really (She didn't like the asparagus!)
Me-approved: Yes

Ingredients:
asparagus spears
red bell pepper
edamame (soy) beans, shelled
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
4 drops Stevia sweetener
salt

Preparation:
1. Cut red bell pepper into small, bite-sized pieces. Place in shallow baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 300 degrees for 10-15 minutes.
2. Cut asparagus spears into 1-inch pieces. Combine with edamame. Place mixture in steaming basket.
3. In a sauce pot able to accomodate to size of your steaming basket, bring water to a boil.
4. Place steaming basket over boiling water making sure veggies are not submerged. Steam veggies lightly (no more than 5 minutes).
5. Place steamed asparagus, edamame, and roasted red pepper in mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Gently stir.
6. For best results, let salad stand in refrigerator for 2-3 hours. Serve cold.

Artichoke-Potato Bake

Outcome:
I consider this one of my more adventurous dishes. Before this experiment I had never prepared a fresh atichoke heart. I never cooked anything in parchment paper. And only on one other occasion had I ever cooked with capers. As with most firsts I managed to get through it, but the results definitely left room for improvement.

In theory, all ingredients in this dish go well together. It just needed more in the mix. It was dry and overall, the flavor was bland.

Here are a few options I would consider doing differently in the future. (Not all at once, just pick-and-choose a couple).

1. Drizzle ingredients liberally with olive oil before wrapping parchment paper.
2. Add fresh herbs to the mix, maybe rosemary or dill.
3. Prepare a separate sauce to serve over the finished, baked dish.
4. Add your choice of vinegar to the ingredient list.
5. And finally maybe, just maybe, consider using pre-packaged artichoke hearts.

The reason I did not use jarred artichoke hearts to begin with is that a Cancer-Free Kitchen focuses on using fresh produce. Fresh veggies are loaded with nutrients that pre-packaged foods mostly loose during processing. However, when it comes to this dish, the vinegar-y juice packaged artichoke hearts come in would have added both the flavor and moisture my recipe lacked. Next time I will incorporate a few of the recipe variations listed above to overcome this disadvantage.

Never prepared a fresh artichoke heart? Don't let that stop you! Here's a link to very helpful and easy-to-follow directions on exactly that.

http://becksposhnosh.blogspot.com/2006/05/how-to-trim-artichoke.html

Husband-approved: "It's okay. It needs herbs or something."
Kid-approved: A decisive, "No!"
Pet-approved: 1 Yes, 1 No
Me-approved: Neutral, leaning towards no.

A HOUSE DIVIDED!!!


Ingredients:
1 large fresh artichoke heart
1 large baking potato
1 tbsp capers
1-2 fresh lemons
salt and pepper
parchment paper


Preparation:
1. Prepare artichoke heart.(Refer to link above if unsure about this step.) Place prepared artichoke heart in a bowl filled with ice water. Set aside.

2. Cut potato into bite-size cubes.

3. Tear off large piece of parchment paper. Center paper in a baking pan.

4. Place potatoes in paper first. Salt and pepper to taste.

5. Add 1 tbsp. of capers to top of potatoes.

6. Add artichoke hearts on top of potatoes and capers. Top artichoke hearts with reaining 1 tbsp. capers.

7. Squeeze lemon juice over all ingredients. Wrap parchment paper into an enclosed pouch.

8. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.