New Way of Cooking

It has been some time since I blogged about cooking something new. Well that's because my husband has new food allergies and I am trying to get used to cooking without the nightshade family. It is amazing at what is included in the night shade family of veggies and fruits. The veggies of the nightshade family include: Tomatoes, Potatoes (excluding sweet potatoes and yams), Peppers (red, green, yellow, orange, jalapeño, pepper flakes, cayenne, paprika, chili powder), Eggplant, Artichokes. The fruits of the night include: Blueberries, Huckleberries, and Goji berries. I did some research into the nightshade family and found that there are over 2,800 different species of nightshades. The reason they are called nightshades is  because they grow in the shade of night.

So why are the nightshades bad for us? 
There is an active alkaloid in the nightshades. It is called solanine, we all know it as nicotine. A drug is a drug no matter the form it comes in. It is believed that anyone with joint issues to stay away from the nightshade family because these fruits and vegetables wreak havoc with the system. In my husband's case the nightshade family adds inflammation to the body causing his gastrointestinal tract to become inflamed.

While my husband is missing some of his favorite foods I have been trying my hardest to invent new versions so he can once again enjoy them. The newest one is for Caponata. Caponata is the Italian version of salsa. It is usually made with eggplant. I usually made it with artichoke hearts and fennel. The newest version I still use the fennel and substituted zucchini for the artichoke hearts. I hope you enjoy this version as much as he did. He ate so much of it, I barely had enough to take a decent photo..

Fennel and Zucchini Caponata

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 small Vidalia onion, chopped

1 fennel bulb, chopped including fronds

1 small zucchini chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar

¼ cup dried cranberries,

4 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Grated rind of 1 orange

¼ teaspoon sea salt

Sauté first five ingredients in large sauté pan, till onion is translucent. Add remaining ingredients. Stir and sauté another 3 minutes. Serve.

Serves 4

Makes a really good accompaniment to grilled steak or chicken breasts. 

Dean, D. (2010. January 20). Nightshade vegetables may cause adverse reactions in some people. http://www.naturalnews.com/027978_nightshade_vegetables.html