Fit Fare

Despite my best intentions, it is rare that we eat a vegetarian meal at home. My husband is never going to give up his meat-eating ways, but I’ve always tried to include a vegetarian dinner here and there. For the past few months, he has been doing the vast majority of the cooking, so I was glad when I got a chance earlier this week after a rare easy  day at work. And of course, I chose not to include meat in this particular dinner.

There are three things that my carnivorous husband requires when meat isn’t on the ingredient list:

1. Hot and spicy. Whether it means sprinkling red pepper flakes in a pasta dish or adding hot peppers to chili, he’ll be happy if he can adjust the “heat” level to match his tolerance for capsaicin. When all else fails, I can also just add a large amount of garlic, which pleases both of us!
2. Using ingredients that are “meaty”. Beans, mushrooms, and yams are among his favorite meat substitutes.
3. The right to munch on pepperoni or beef jerky after the meal.

The following pasta dish will be a repeat in our house. Please note that I used minimal amounts of pasta to avoid carbohydrate overload.

Artichoke Hearts and White Beans with Pasta

Serves 4

1 tablespoon garlic

1/2 onion, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 can quartered artichoke hearts, with juice

1 can white beans

1 cup cooked pasta shells

Saute garlic and onion in deep skillet over medium heat for five minutes in olive oil.

Add lemon juice, simmer for two minutes.

Add artichoke hearts with juice and simmer for another five minutes until sauce is opaque.

Lower heat to medium low. Add white beans and cover skillet, allowing ten minutes of cooking time. Add cooked pasta shells, mixing well. Serve with red pepper flakes and parmesan cheese.