Green Bean & Artichoke Salad

.....inspired by 4 Ingredients, Fast Fresh & Healthy

Photo credit

1 can of artichokes, drained

250g fresh green beans

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon chili flakes

dash of balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup pistachio nuts, chopped

handful of parsley, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Place artichokes in a bowl and add olive oil, vinegar and chili flakes.  Set aside to marinate, at least 1 hour.  Chop beans into 2" pieces and place in boiling water about 3-4 minutes.  Drain and place in bowl with artichokes.  Add the rest of the ingredients and toss to coat.  Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

2 Recipes

Not much is happening this week in the way of training. My deadlift meet is this weekend so I won't be training. I may get in a light upperbody workout, but nothing major.

I tried some new recipes today. First one was in preparation of Christmas - Hot Spiced Apple Cider. Even though it's sweltering here, I still like to sample the tastes of the season. In fact, most Christmas recipes aren't suited for hot weather! LOL...

Hot Spiced Apple Cider

2L apple juice
1 tsp. whole cloves
1 tsp. whole allspice
2 (3 inch) cinnamon sticks
1/4 c. lightly packed brown sugar
juice of 2 lemons

Bring ingredients to a boil in a large saucepan. Simmer 30 to 60 minutes. Remove spices. Serve hot in mugs. It tastes even better with whipped cream and caramel sauce on top!


Another snack I made today was Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip. I couldn't find any blue corn chips at the supermarket I went to, so I had it with baked corn chips and rice crackers instead.

Hot Spinach And Artichoke Dip

224 g cream cheese, softened
60 ml mayonnaise
25 g grated Parmesan cheese
30 g grated Romano cheese
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp garlic salt
salt and pepper to taste
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
80 g frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
30 g shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a small baking dish.

1. In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese, garlic, basil, garlic salt, salt and pepper. Gently stir in artichoke hearts and spinach.
2. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake in the preheated oven 25 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned.

Yum!