It's harder to eat healthy in the winter.

 Summer is so much fun with the garden fresh vegetables and the freshest of fruits to consume. But winter is a bit more of a culinary challenge. Healthy eating is more difficult and I am craving comfort food on these cold snowy days. There were large fresh artichokes on sale when I shopped today; and they called to me. When I got home,  I had them for dinner. This is a very simple meal and quite filling. To prepare the artichoke I peel the stem and pull off  the small bottom leaves. Then I cut a small amount of the top leaves so the water can penetrate the inside. While the artichoke is boiling in saltwater prepare a bowl with olive oil, course ground pepper and sea salt. When a fork easily penetrates the core of the artichoke it is ready for consumption. Place the artichoke in a bowl so the excess water can drain and get an extra plate for the discarded leaves. Then enjoy! Pull a tender leaf from the artichoke and dip in the olive oil scraping the bottom to get some salt and pepper too. Then with your teeth scrape the meat from the bottom of the leaf placing the rest of the leaf on the discard plate. When all the leaves are gone the best part of the artichoke is waiting hidden in a nest of soft silky fiber. Remove the silky fiber and expose the artichoke heart. This is the real meat of the artichoke and bursts with flavor. Don't forget the stem it is totally edible.

Fresh bluegills.

Fish is another healthy winter choice and I am very lucky that my son-in-law Jake is an avid fisherman. Knowing I love bluegills he packages them in water by servings of two and freezes them for me. When I am ready to prepare this delicacy I take a beautiful hand thrown ceramic bowl, by my daughter Amy, and thaw the fish slowly in lukewarm water. While they thaw I steam some fresh spinach and boil some potatoes for mashing. It is not long before the fish is thawed and ready to prepare. I turn the oven to 350@ . Lightly flour the fish and melt some butter or olive oil in a saute pan. Quickly brown the fish on one side and flip turning off the heat. One thing you never want to do with fish is over cook. Then it becomes tough, rubbery and looses all its flavor and appeal. The bluegills are ready to go in the oven to finish cooking while I mash the potatoes and prepare my plate. I add juice of a fresh lemon and some capers to the top of my fish but this is optional.

Bluegills with lemon and capers.

A healthy winter meal choice.

    
      The potatoes are ready so turn off the oven and arrange fresh spinach on the plate with some mashed potatoes. Place the hot bluegills on top of the spinach, pour yourself a nice chilled glass of  White Zinfindel or wine of choice and enjoy a wonderfully healthy winter meal in the company of food.