Back on the horse (yes — again) with a lemon-y, raw artichoke salad
Hi.
Let’s not discuss how long I’ve been gone. Let’s just not.
INSTEAD, let’s talk about the totally delicious salad I just made by thinly slicing raw artichokes. Oh man, oh man.
This salad was inspired by one that they serve at one of my favorite little italian places in NYC called Bianca. Every time I go I make sure to get myself a big plate of lemon-drenched raw artichoke slices and marvel at how delicious they make it. My version is a little more rustic (I’m guessing they use a mandolin), but it really tastes pretty much the same.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Ingredients:
5 lemons
3 large artichokes
Arugula
Shaved parmigiano-reggiano
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Note: This could be made easier with a mandolin, if you’re impressive like that. I ended up just slicing thinly with a knife and found it to work even better.
Directions:
Get a large bowl and fill with water. Squeeze 2 juice of two lemons into water and throw the lemon halves in as well. (This lemon water will store your artichokes as you’re cutting them to prevent browning)
Cut excess stem from artichoke (leave only about 1/2 inch). Chop off the tip of the artichoke about an inch from the tip. Chop artichoke in half and using a spoon or knife, remove the inner choke and sharp, inner petals on both halves. Peel off tough outer leaves until you reach the lighter green, softer leaves. (Note that there will be a lot of waste — that’s just what happens when you work with artichokes. Don’t be afraid to throw away all those tough leaves and let them go.) Repeat this for both halves and for rest of artichokes until you’re left with cored, peeled, artichoke halves.
Start at the end of the artichoke (where you had cut off the sharp tip) and begin slicing across the artichoke half in very thin slices. As you make your way to the stem, throw your thin slices into the lemon water to soak. Continue until all artichoke halves are soaking.
After about 10 minutes of soaking in the lemon water, put the artichoke slices into a salad spinner and spin until all or most of the moisture is gone. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with arugula. Dress the salad with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and cheese, to taste.
Enjoy!!
keeping it simple
after a stretch of not-so-disciplined eating — a.k.a. eating about 14 too many brownies — sometimes it’s really nice to keep your eating as simple as possible.
1 egg. piece of toast. avocado. red onion. tomato. mixed greens.
how was your fourth of july? i hope it was a sunny one.
refreshing summer salad
what you’ll need:
campari tomatoes, quartered
avocado, diced
arugula, chopped
red onion, chopped
chickpeas
small red beans
feta cheese (optional)
artichoke hearts
dressing:
lemon juice
olive oil
red wine vinegar
dijon mustard
garlic, minced
dried oregano
salt
pepper
happy memorial day weekend!
working it out
it stopped raining!!!!!! (finally.) doesn’t it make you want to go outside and run around?
i played in a soccer game this morning after i joined a ‘women’s league’ last week. i have trouble handling anything that serves to remind me that i am now a woman and not a girl (oh hey britney),… but it was actually super fun so i think i will stick with it. (sidenote: if you live in the southern CT area and are looking to play, let me know!) my workout schedule has been a little confusing these past few weeks. what with training for this half marathon, trying to incorporate strength training classes at equinox during the week, playing soccer, navigating around intermittent, but relatively mild hangovers, and going to jury duty, things have been pretty inconsistent. right now i think in my head my schedule looks like this:
Sunday: marathon training (9 – 13 mile runs)
Monday: easy strength training class at equinox
Tuesday: impossible NFL training camp class at equinox (which, like i said, is like a full hour of complicated burpees)
Wednesday: easy, slow run (4-6 miles)
Thursday: fun equinox class (kickboxing, cardio sculpt, etc. — you know, one of the more dance-y ones)
Friday: rest/beer day
Saturday: 90 minutes of old lady soccer
in execution, very little of this plan actually gets accomplished as the weeks pass by. for instance, this past week i successfully did Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. then i went out with friends on Wednesday and had too many beers, felt each of them at CT jury duty on Thursday, sat on my butt on Friday instead of running like i was supposed to, and then played soccer today (Saturday). some weeks are better than others, but i’m big on the mentality that your workout schedule should have some serious flexibility incorporated into it — you know, sometimes it’s OK to let life get in the way and to choose friends and beers and french fries instead of spinach salads and pushups.
just don’t forget to eat your veggies. and try to avoid people who think and talk like this:
enjoy your weekend! ❤
12 miles
i ran that on Saturday.
farther than i meant to…
i got lost a bunch.
in the same town i grew up in.
which is embarrassing.
let’s not talk about it too much.
happy mother’s day
so, it’s spring.
which is nice.
did you have a cookout this weekend? did you do something nice for your mom?
mine requested a mexican fiesta in honor of the sunshine. so i made this:
fish tacos with homemade salsa, guacamole, and red sangria
let’s break this one down piece by piece, shall we?
my favorite homemade salsa
what you’ll need:
tomatoes (i like to use all different kinds and colors for different colors and tastes), diced
tomatillos (if available), diced
red onion, minced
garlic cloves, minced
avocado, diced
cilantro, chopped
jalapenos, diced (i like to use 2-3 for some kick)
lime juice
salt and pepper
cumin
mix it all together. season to taste.
my mom’s favorite guacamole
4 ripe, avocados, peeled and seeded, diced
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 ripe, medium roma tomato, seeded, diced
1/2 cup minced onion
2 chilis or jalapenos, minced
1/2 cup of cilantro leaves, chopped
sea salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
lime or lemon juice, to taste
red (sugar-less) sangria
what you’ll need:
1 bottle of red wine (i always use cheap wine, up to you how good you want to use)
3 shots of brandy, preferably fruit flavored brandy
sliced fruit (apples, berries, oranges, whatever you have is probably delicious), as much as you can eat!
juice from 1 lemon
100% fruit juice (i usually pour in about 2-3 cups of mango, pineapple, or orange blend)
1 small bottle of seltzer or sparkling water
directions:
combine wine, brandy, lemon juice, fruit juice, and sliced fruit in a pitcher. put into the fridge and let sit for at least 3 hours (even longer is better!). when ready, add the seltzer water and serve over ice.
(make sure to eat all of the alcoholic fruit when the liquid is gone…)
U.S. tilapia fish tacos
what you’ll need:
tilapia fillets
olive oil
salt
pepper
lemon juice
tortillas
directions:
(1) heat up the grill to medium heat. coat the tilapia with olive oil on both sides. follow with salt, pepper, lemon juice, and whatever other seasonings you like best.
(2) i personally liked using this grill cage for the ease of flipping without the fishy sticking, but it’s not a necessity. put the tilapia on the grill and cook for ~10 minutes. be watchful though that it doesn’t overcook. finished tilapia will be flakey and the juices will surface and run clear when it’s done.
(3) add to tortillas with plenty of salsa and guacamole.
(4) could this be any easier?
added bonus: skewered shrimp for the tacos
happy may 8th! ❤
mussels
How do you feel about mussels? I like them.
(I bet you think I’m going to make a muscle joke now – Good thought, but no.)
I used to hate them — All bivalves actually.
Thought they were gross. And slimy.
And they smelled like dirty ocean.
Then, one day, I stopped being a baby.
I ate an oyster. And then some mussels. And then some clams.
And since then, I haven’t met a bivalve I didn’t like.
The Stuffed Horse 