Creating a hearty, satisfying, and nutritious meal is extremely important for those with dietary restrictions or diet lifestyle choices. As a vegan and celiac I must make sure that during mealtimes I take the time to prepare a creative dish that is both delicious and filling. Preparation is key because I could easily eat a container of hummus with sweet potato chips for dinner and while that is a wonderful snack- not always appropriate for main meals. Also, for me personally, a warm meal sits better in my stomach than something cold unless it is a side dish. For some reason I always feel more satisfied with a hot dish.
Anyway, this is a creation that I made the other night on a weekend-more time to experiment with new recipes. The tomatoes in my garden are so fresh and tasty that I find a way to incorporate them into my meals, whether eating a plain tomato salad or making a savory marinara sauce. In this case, I made the latter over a bed of artichoke hearts and gluten free pasta. Here’s how.
Ingredients:
4 oz of gluten free spaghetti
1 large beefsteak tomato
1 can of artichoke hearts
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
Salt, red chili flakes, 2 leaves of basil
How to:
Boil the pasta, drain, and set aside. Drain the artichoke hearts and place on the bottom of a dish. Layer the drained spaghetti on top. Dice the tomato, add the spices, olive oil, lemon juice and cut basil leaves and allow to marinate for a few minutes so the juices are released from the tomatoes. Finally top the spaghetti and artichoke hearts with the freshly made sauce. This dish can be eaten hot or like a cold pasta dish. You could also mix all of the ingredients together into a bowl, but I prefer to create a layered dish.
