Muffuletta :: Healthy Lifestyles and Natural Weight Loss Information

Muffuletta

Muffulettas are stuffed pressed sandwiches that are the signature of New Orleans and a perfect make-the-night-before picnic entre. To ensure that the fillings dont fall out you need to cut the buns so that the base is deep enough to stuff.

4 - 4 x 5 inch (10 x 12 cm) crusty artisan bread buns
4 tsp (20 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
4 pitted organic green olives
2 marinated artichoke hearts
2 roasted organic red peppers, cut into 4 equal pieces
4 sun-dried organic tomatoes, julienned
1/2 cup (125 mL) diced organic celery
1/2 fresh organic red pepper
4 oz (100 g) roasted organic turkey breast slices
8 large fresh organic basil leaves, washed and dried

Cut buns horizontally so the bottom part is deeper than the top, which acts as a lid. Hollow out the bottom, making sure the thick bottom crust is left intact. Discard removed bread or save for croutons. Evenly brush 4 bread shells and lids with oil; set aside.

Place olives, artichoke hearts, roasted peppers, and sun-dried tomatoes on a paper towel or cloth and pat dry. Coarsely chop olives and artichokes and slice fresh red pepper into 8 rings; set aside.

To assemble sandwiches, divide all ingredients equally among 4 bread shells. Place turkey slices in bottom. Sprinkle with olives, artichokes, and diced celery. Place roasted red pepper on top. Sprinkle with sun-dried tomatoes. Top with fresh red pepper rings and basil leaves. Place bread lid on top and wrap firmly with a double layer of waxed paper. Store sandwiches overnight in the fridge under a heavy weight such as a cast-iron frying pan.

Day of the picnic: Pack in cooler, along with a serrated knife and a small bread board.

To serve: Cut each sandwich in half and serve. Serves 4.

Each serving contains: 210 calories; 12 g protein; 5.7 g total fat (1.2 g sat fat, 0 g trans fat); 21 g carbs; 2.9 g fibre; 570 mg sodium

Go Wheat-Free
Grains are an integral part of our daily fare. In the West, the word "meal" literally means "ground grain." Similarly, "meal" is synonymous with the predominant grain of the East, rice.

Spiced Rye Bread

Breakfast Muffins

Barley Bread

Pumpernickel Bread

Sunflower Seed Loaf
This loaf is great served fresh or reheated. It is excellent for lunches and picnics or sliced to go on a sandwich with trimmings.

Kamut Pita Bread

Festive Easter Braid

Black Currant Buttermilk Biscuits
Served warm, these delectable biscuits make an exceptional afternoon tea or accompaniment to any meal. Makes about 12 biscuits.

Tortillas
Adding different herbs and spices to your tortilla dough gives it more flavour. Cumin, for example, is a popular favourite. Experiment with organic flours like kamut, hemp or spelt for variety. Makes 12 to 16 tortillas.

Rye Sourdough Starter
If you are lucky, you may get your first sourdough starter from a friend, otherwise follow this recipe from Healthy Breads with the Breadmaker by Silke Alles and Sieglinde Janzen (alive Natural Health Guide #13).

Sourdough Bread
Sourdough is the healthiest bread because of the natural yeast fermentation. Dense, with a nice texture and taste, a slice of sourdough with a bit of butter or natural spread makes an enjoyable treat and of course is an indispensable accompaniment to soup on any occasion.

Millet Bread
Millet is a basic food staple in Africa and Central Asia. It's rich in iron and high in protein. Use millet instead of white rice in most recipes--it's much more flavourful and nutritious.

Holiday Honey Loaf
A holiday favourite in the former Czechoslovakia, this moist and delectable loaf is sweetened with the natural goodness of honey and filled with wholesome nuts and fruit. Makes one cake.

Carrot Nut Loaf with Garlic Sauce

Delectable Carrot-Date Muffins
Carrot muffins have been around for a long time and everyone loves them. Adding dates-rich, sweet and perfect for baking-gives you a muffin the kids will come home to for years.

Raspberry Muffins
Muffins are a treat in school lunch boxes. If your child is allergic to wheat, try using spelt flour instead of whole wheat. You may replace raspberries with blueberries, blackberries or raisins.

Popcorn Bread
The unique taste of this wonderful bread usually evokes the memory of summer afternoons at the movies or the fairgrounds.

Delicious Nut Loaf

Tofu Loaf

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Longevi-Tea
What if there was a magic potion that could lower the risk of a heart attack and stroke, reduce the rate of your arteries becoming clogged, lower your cholesterol, protect against several cancers, and potentially increase bone density? Well, there is! Tea f.

Lentil Pita Pockets
Pita pockets with lentils are a meal rich in fibre and complex carbohydrates, exactly what people should be looking for when choosing a low-carb diet. Lentils have a wide spectrum of essential amino acids and are a good protein source.

Wholewheat Sandwich Rolls

Healthy Digestion Muffins

Apricot Earl Grey Tea Bread

Chocolate Yogourt Muffins with Walnuts
These muffins combine the best of all worlds: rich chocolate flavour, yet low in saturated fats and high in fibre. They utilize the convenience of spelt flour - still a whole grain, but much lighter than whole wheat flour.

Garlic Toast with Fresh Herbs

Cornbread Stuffing
For the vegetarians in your gathering, make a stuffing that is protein rich by adding a meat substitute such as seitan strips (a wheat-based meat substitute available in health food stores).

Moist Flaxseed Muffins

Whole Grains
There's nothing like a bowl of steaming hot cereal drizzled with maple syrup to knock the chill out of a wintry morning, but whole grain cereals are more than a traditional breakfast food. They're also the perfect, high fibre addition to muffins, pancakes, breads and rolls.

Strata
Prepping the night before makes this the perfect brunch recipe for Christmas morning. Immune-enhancing oregano may help ward off colds.

Creamy Morel Soup
Morels are as delicious as they are dear in price, so you might want to start by experimenting with other mushroom varieties. The exotic varieties are common enough in Canada and carry both good nutrition and a broad range of flavours and textures.

Scuffins
I wanted to create a delicious high-fibre, colon-loving muffin. What I ended up with is a cross between a scone and a muffin. I'm calling my new reation "scuffins. These portable snacks, or breakfast food, are fibre rich with both soluble and insoluble fibres.

Pumpkin Bread
Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine all wet ingredients, except walnuts, and mix well. Add wet mixture to dry mixture and stir until moistened. Fold in walnuts.