Radical Beauty and an Artichoke & Spring Green Pasta

These days, it seems many of us are exposed to more images of unattainable beauty in one day, than women of previous generations were exposed to in a lifetime. An innocent scroll through social media alone can leave us feeling hopelessly defeated by countless stylised, perfected, photoshopped images of beauty. Then there’s the mainstream media, which has long upheld unquestionably high standards of beauty. And as the old saying goes, the nature of ‘comparison is the thief of all joy’.

So the question is, are we comparing ourselves to a misconstrued definition of beauty. What about the beauty that shines from within? The type of beauty we’ve all seen radiate out of certain women. If you’ve ever questioned superficial definitions of beauty, Deepak Chopra and Kimberly Snyder’s new book, Radical Beauty is a must read. Because as women, I think we all know in our heart of hearts, that beauty is too vast and far wide reaching to ever be confined to a single definition. The promise of true beauty can’t be achieved with the latest quick fix. True beauty is as much spiritual as it is physical. Here’s my version of one of the many beautifying recipes from Radical Beauty xx

Artichoke & Spring Greens Pasta
Written by Shelley Kamil Inspired by Radical Beauty 

Ingredients
(Serves 2)
Pasta of Choice, cooked as per pack (I recommend a blend of Brown Rice & Quinoa Pasta, available at Good Health Food Stores)
6-8 Store Bought Artichokes, marinated in Olive Oil, sliced
1tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 bunch asparagus, chopped
2 handfuls green beans, chopped
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
Juice of 1 lemon
Handful of Dill, Parsley or Basil

Directions
1. Cook Pasta as per pack. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat 1tbs Olive Oil in a large, deep non-stick pan over a low flame. Add the onions and sauté, stirring occasionally until translucent and slightly golden. Increase the flame ever so gently, add the artichokes and continue to sauté, stirring every so often. Add the asparagus and green beans, pan frying until just slightly charred. lastly add the thawed peas and a good  squeeze of lemon juice, continue to cook for a further minute or two.
3. Return the cooked pasta to the pan and mix to combine. Pour the remaining lemon juice over the pasta, season with Sea Salt & Pepper and a sprinkling of your preferred herbs.