Jenna Marbles' artichokes

Are you a Jenna Marbles fan?  If so, did you know that she's a vegan?  I was scouring her blog late at night and found this recipe for cooking an artichoke as a snack to munch on.  I'm not much of an artichoke eater, but since she swears by it, I think I'll give it a try and see how it goes.  If you like to laugh and eat and don't mind a little (or a lot of) swearing, give her recipe a read.

http://jennamarblesblog.com/i-love-to-nom-these.html

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's late in the apple season, but if you haven't already, go out and try a Kiku apple.  Whole Foods stores are selling them this year, and let me tell you, they're as good as (or better than?) Honeycrisp.  Cheaper, too!

Now, with Thanksgiving coming up, here's a healthy and delicious recipe from Rip Esselstyn's Engine 2 Diet.  

Sweet Potato Lasagna

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 small head of garlic, all cloves chopped or pressed
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 head broccoli, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1 can corn, rinsed and drained
• 1 package Silken Lite tofu
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon rosemary
• 2 jars tomato sauce (low sodium and sugar)
• 2 boxes whole grain lasagna noodles
• 16 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 2 sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed
• 6 roma tomatoes, sliced thin
• 1 cup raw cashews, ground

Cooking:

    1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

    2. Sauté the onion and garlic on high heat for 3 minutes in a nonstick pan.

    3. Add the mushrooms. 
4. Once the mushrooms have lost their liquid and onions are limp, put them in a large bowl.  (Keep the mushroom liquid in the pan.)
5. Sauté the broccoli and carrots for 5 minutes and add to the mushroom bowl.
6. Sauté the peppers and corn until just beginning to soften. Add them to the vegetable bowl.
7. Drain the tofu by wrapping in paper towels. Break it up directly in the towel and mix into the vegetable bowl.
8. Add spices to the vegetable bowl and combine.

To assemble your lasagna:
1. Cover the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch casserole with a layer of sauce.
2. Add a layer of noodles.
3. Cover the noodles with sauce.
4. Spread the vegetable mixture over the sauced noodles.
5. Cover with a layer of noodles and more sauce.
6. Add the spinach to the second layer of sauced noodles.
7. Cover the spinach with the mashed sweet potatoes.
8. Add another layer of sauce, the final layer of noodles, and a last topping of sauce. Cover the lasagna with thinly sliced roma tomatoes.
9. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes.
10. Remove the foil, sprinkle with the cashews, and return to the oven for 15 minutes. Let lasagna sit for 15 minutes before serving.

What's new in food news?

There's a lot happening right now in the world of food, so today's posting deserves more than just a recipe for your greens and grains.

First of all, you may or may not know that McDonald's had terrible October sales.  For the first time since March 2003, their monthly sales dropped by 1.8%, and their net income fell almost 4%.  These declines were expected, but not as severe as Wall Street had estimated.  

New CEO Don Thompson blamed the economy and "consumer sentiment" (are people finally realizing that perhaps Chicken McNuggets are not a wholesome meal?), and said McDonald's will attempt to bounce back by promoting the Dollar Menu and reintroducing the popular McRib.

(On the topic of the McRib, did you know that it contains 70 ingredients, one of which-- azodicarbonimide-- is described by Time as "a flour-bleaching agent that is most commonly used in the manufacture of foamed plastics like in gym mats and the soles of shoes"?  Keep that in mind next time you're craving a drive-through meal!)

Speaking of hidden ingredients, let's move on to this month's hot topic in food: genetically modified organisms (GMO's)! The most recent election could be seen as either a great failure or a great success for foodies, depending on whether you're a glass-47%-full sort of person.  

California voted on Proposition 37, which would have required more specific labeling of foods, particularly those containing GMO's.  Despite a strong movement and widespread protests, the opposition garnered a success after spending nearly $46 million attempting to destroy the movement.

Mark Bittman of The New York Times that although GMO's have not yet introduced anything harmful into our food, it is important to know what is in our food because "once we know what is in food we can better influence how it is produced."

But perhaps this ballot will be seen as a great step forward in food production.  Nearly 5 million people voted in favor of better labeling, and awareness surely increased.

Food processors and fast food restaurants are still very much in the game, and likely will be for quite some time.  But it will continue to be an uphill battle for them as transparency grows, and an expensive battle at that.