Friday, September 26, 2014

“Baked Cauliflower with Anchovies” For "National Fruits & Veggies Month"

 How many fruits and vegetables does your family eat a day? Do you think they are eating enough? September is "National Fruits & Veggies Month"and unfortunately the majority of Americans are not eating enough fruits and vegetables. Eating more fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of contracting certain diseases, including heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and some cancers. However, it can be difficult for many Americans to eat the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables because they might not be easily accessible, available, or affordable. Children eat more fruits and vegetables at some schools where they have a variety of choices, such as those provided in a self-serve salad bar. 

Here are some ways to increase your fruit and vegetable intake! Have a piece of fruit or a glass of juice at breakfast daily. Stock up on dried, frozen, and canned fruits and vegetables. Grab an apple, orange, banana, pear, or other piece of portable fruit to eat on the go. Snack on raw veggies like baby carrots, pepper strips, broccoli, and celery. Pick up ready-made salads from the produce shelf for a quick salad anytime. Pile spinach leaves, tomatoes, peppers, and onions on your pizza. Add strawberries, blueberries, bananas, to your oatmeal, pancakes, or toast. Stash bags of dried fruit in your car and at your desk for a convenient snack. Stir fresh or frozen vegetables into your pasta, noodles, or omelet. Whip up smoothies made from fresh or frozen berries, ice, and yogurt. 


*****Note: I have a new widget on the right side of my blog, called Seasonal Foods. It shows the month that we are in and the foods that are in season for that month. This is a perfect tool to use to buy fresh and in season fruits and veggies. Plus it is fun!..Don‘t forget to support your local farmer‘s market for your in season produce.

Make Colorful Food Choices:

Include Blue/Purple foods to help maintain: a lower risk of some cancers, urinary tract health, memory function, and healthy aging. Get blue/purple every day with foods such as: blackberries, blueberries, black currants, dried plums, elderberries, purple figs, purple grapes, plums, raisins, purple asparagus, purple cabbage, eggplant, and potatoes (purple-fleshed).

Include Green fruits and vegetables to lower your risk of some cancers, vision health, and strong bones and teeth. Go green every day with some of these: avocados, green apples, green grapes, honeydew melon, kiwifruit, limes, green pears, artichokes, arugula, asparagus, broccoli, Broccoli- Rabe, Brussels sprouts, Chinese cabbage, green beans, green cabbage, celery, cucumbers, endive, leafy greens, leeks, lettuce, green onion, okra, peas, green pepper, sugar snap peas, spinach, watercress, and zucchini.
 

White/tan, and brown fruits and vegetables to get all the health benefits by including foods such as: bananas, brown pears, dates, white nectarines, white peaches, cauliflower, garlic, ginger, artichoke, kohlrabi, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, potatoes, shallots, turnips, white corn.

Yellow/orange fruits and vegetables contain vitamin C, they include: yellow apples. apricots, cantaloupe, yellow figs, grapefruit, golden kiwifruit, lemon, mangoes, nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, yellow pears, persimmons, pineapples, tangerines, yellow watermelon, yellow beets, butternut squash, carrots, yellow peppers, yellow potatoes, pumpkin, rutabagas, yellow summer squash, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, yellow tomatoes, yellow winter squash.

Include a variety of Red fruits and vegetables to help maintain: a healthy heart, memory function, and urinary tract health. These include: red apples, blood oranges, cherries, cranberries, red grapes, pink/red grapefruit, red pears, pomegranates, raspberries, strawberries, watermelon, beets, red peppers, radishes, radicchio, red onions, red potatoes, rhubarb and tomatoes.

Lastly the good news is, communities, health professionals, businesses, and families can work together to encourage people to eat more fruits and vegetables. Make a difference: Spread the word about tips for healthy eating and encourage communities, organizations, families, and individuals to get involved.

This recipe is one that my mom has made many times and it is outstanding! This recipe is so yummy especially when you bake it and the spaghetti gets crispy. You don’t even taste the anchovies, they melt and it gives the dish a wonderful aroma and flavor. Enjoy! 



 
"Baked Cauliflower with Anchovies” 
         
Ingredients:                                                                       
1 large cauliflower- washed and cut in florets
3 medium onions (sliced)
3 cans of anchovies                                                            
Salt and Black Pepper
1 lb. of spaghetti
Vegetable oil to sauté
Pecorino Romano grated cheese

Directions:
Boil water and cook your spaghetti. Drain and leave on the side. After washing and cutting cauliflower put in large pot with water and par-boil until tender. In another large pot put a thin layer of oil on bottom. Put in onions and sauté, then add anchovies and mix with the onions. When cauliflower is cooked and drained (save some water) put in with onions and anchovies. Add some liquid from cauliflower cooking water, (not too much) not quite covering the cauliflower. Stir together carefully. In baking pan spoon some cauliflower mixture into pan. Place 1/2 of pasta on top of cauliflower. Sprinkle grated cheese on top. Then arrange another layer of cauliflower mixture and then spaghetti, grated cheese on top again. Bake for about 25-30 minutes at 350 F. should be lightly browned and crispy. You can serve with a big tossed salad and according to your taste add extra grated cheese on top.  Abbondanza!!





Till Next Time………………………………............

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10 comments:

  1. You are right we should all eat more fruit and vegetables. It is habit after all an if you are used to eating them every day you end-up missing them and felling sort of "dry".
    You have made a very nice recipe here with cauliflower. Have a really good weekend. Bacioni!

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    1. Dear Alida, Thanks for your words, I am a fruit and veggie gal. If that is all I could eat, (besides chocolate & Ice cream) ((giggle)) I would be thrilled. When I was young I hated veggies, but as I got older and especially now, it is my go to food. This recipe I think was made up from my great-grandmother Sofia from Calabria. Years ago as you know they had to make things stretch so that is how she came up with this combo. It really is delicious and what flavor. A lot of people get turned off because of the anchovies, but you are really not eating them they melt in and then you have the flavor of the fish. Thank you for your visit, and I hope you have a great weekend as well...Dottie :)

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  2. The cauliflower sounds delicious and I will have to try it. I bought lots of cauliflower at the store this morning; it was 99 cents for huge heads. The clerk stocking them said the store accidentally over-ordered and they had a mountain of them to sell. So now for the anchovies! Thanks for the great recipe, Dottie!

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    1. Good evening Pam, Thanks for your comment. Yes, now you have to try this recipe especially with those heads of cauliflower for $ .99! Wow that was an amazing find for sure. Sometimes you wish they could accidentally over-order more often. I would have done the same thing, you can always do something with them. Hope that you try this dish and that you like it. Thanks for visiting...you are very kind. Have a blessed and wonderful week! Dottie :)

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  3. It is so, so important to eat fruit and veggies, particularly fresh produce! Thank you for sharing light on the subject Dottie. I love the section on colorful foods...so interesting.

    Thanks for sharing!

    xo

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    1. Hi Tammy, So nice to hear from you and thanks for your comment. I agree, it is so very important to eat fresh fruit and veggies. Sometimes we forget how important it is and a reminder now and again is a good thing. Yes, the colorful foods are a great way to remember to purchase these great fruits and veggies. I thought it was a cute way to color each paragraph with its corresponding color. It makes it fun! Love hearing from you anytime, Have a blessed weekend...Dottie :)

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  4. Good evening Dottie ,
    Your post had a lot of healthy information as usual and it's a great guide to go by . Love cauliflower and bake is the best , your recipe sounds delicious but I will have to omit the anchovies , none of the family likes them ... not even on pizza so I will use extra cheese . You can use fish soup instead , most stores sell in the can fish or soup isle . It's also carried in specialty stores .
    I have been complimented on my Veggie widget many times , I put mine on when I started blogging in July 2012 . just a suggestion , it will be notice more if you put it above your archives , I would not have notice if you han't mention it . (Giggling ) that giggle catch on , do it not ;- D .
    Thanks for sharing and have a blessed weekend ~~Nee~~ ;- D

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    1. Dearest Nee, good evening...Thank you for your comments and visiting today. I took your advice Nee, and moved the widget up closer towards the top. I also fixed the info on the blog post. You are correct I do like it better closer to the top. Thanks for the suggestion.
      Fruits and veggies are so important. Sometimes I think people forget that. You are correct again, I never thought of the fact that you probably could use fish soup instead of the anchovies. I know that many people don't like them, I never used to either, but this recipe they melt away and all you do is taste the flavor. Hope that you do try this dish that my great-grandmother created. Really good! Thanks again and have a blessed weekend! Dottie :)

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    2. Dear Dottie, This is sooooo good. I do love anchovies added to dishes. They seem to give everything such great flavor; from pizza to sauces to salads.
      I do try to eat my veggies and fruit. I especially love oranges.
      Have a good evening dear Dottie and as always thank you for all of your kind words. Blessings dear. Catherine

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    3. Dear Catherine,
      Thank you for your visit. I agree anchovies give so many dishes a wonderful flavor. When I was young I wouldn't eat anything that had anchovies in it. But as I got older you really can't beat the flavor. I like the fact that with this recipe, you are cooking them and they melt down, so really all you have is that rich full flavor. Oranges are fabulous, so juicy and sweet, natures nectar. I love all veggies and fruits and try to eat them as much as I can. Have a blessed week dear Catherine and thank you again for your comments.
      Dottie :)

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