Healthy Eating

Winter Sashimi Salad

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This has become my favorite meal recently. It is super fast (especially for anyone who can walk to Whole Foods or their favorite fish monger) and very healthy, clean and light. I am currently craving this, but cannot afford the salmon component – which is ok because the salad without the fish is excellent as well.

Winter Sashimi Salad 

Serves Two

 

Three cups steamed kale, divided between two plates

One Jazz (or favorite red) apple, thinly sliced

One Haas avocado, sliced

Five ounces of sashimi grade Salmon, raw – sliced into equal pieces

Half tablespoon of wasabi paste (You may want to start with less and add as you go because this stuff will clear your sinuses)

One tablespoon of eel sauce 

Divide steamed kale between two plates; mound in the center. Alternate apple slice, avocado slice, salmon slice all the way around the kale until a circle is complete. Spritz with fresh lemon juice. Mix wasabi and eel sauce together well then drizzle over the entire plate. Enjoy!

Squashy Pasta

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This is a wonderful wintry pasta that fits with everyone’s new years resolutions. Seriously, this is healthy, full of nutrient-dense veggies, vegetarian, is budget friendly (as in I had all ingredients on hand and no money left to buy groceries after not being very thrifty in December), and is darn tasty! I threw what I had in because I was craving veggies but also needed the fiber and the carbs from the pasta after a week of hard work outs. Farro pasta is a great alternative pasta. Farro is an ancient wheat grain that is high in fiber and has a whole wheat nuttiness taste that it lends to the pasta.

Squashy Pasta 

Serves Four through Six 

Farro Gemelli Pasta (Rustichelle d’Abruzzo  brand or favorite)

Four Golden Beets, skinned, sliced and steamed

One recipe Roasted Butternut Squash

Two Zucchinis cut into large quarters

One or Two Yellow Squash cut into large quarters

One cup Cherry tomatoes, halved and seeded

Three to four larger shallots, sliced into thin strips

Five or Six Garlic Cloves

Black Pepper

Small amount of Pecorino Romano, shredded

Half Cup Basil Pesto

Quarter cup White Wine

Quarter Cup reserved pasta water

One bunch of fresh basil, julienned

An hour prior, prepare the butternut squash (or make the night before). Once the squash has about twenty minutes left, begin to steam beets and bring salted pasta water to boil. Reserve beets and add pasta to water to cook for about 14 minutes. Heat a bit of olive oil in a large saute pan and add garlic, shallots and a bit of pepper. Cook until glassy (add crushed red pepper if desired). Hit this with the white wine and cook off the alcohol. Salt Zucchini, Tomatoes, and Squash and when the pasta has about two minutes left to cook, add to the saute pan (this is to make sure your veggies still have some crunch. Drain pasta, reserving a small amount of the pasta water, and add pasta to the saute pan. Add beets, roasted butternut squash, pesto, black pepper, and a small amount of grated Pecorino cheese. Add small amount of water a bit at a time as needed to make a sauce. Mix well and garnish with plenty of fresh basil and serve.

Black Bean Soup

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I made a huge batch of this and ate it for the entire week after New Years. It was delicious, healthful, filling and HIGHLY addictive. I decided to make my own after being on a pretty serious black bean soup kick where I was spending almost seven dollars per day at Whole Foods buying their black bean soup. So I planned Mexican night and put black bean soup and Chicken Mole on the menu. Never made it to the Mole, but the soup was outstanding. This had an accidental addition of tomatillos which were intended to be used in the Mole (hence why the Mole did not happen).

I topped mine with a little grilled chicken, avocado, cilantro, green onions, fresh chopped cherry tomatoes and lime juice. Later I mixed it with previously cooked brown rice that needed to be used as well. Feel free to add cheddar cheese or queso fresca or sour cream to the garnish list if you like – I have to avoid the dairy.

Note: Adding the brown rice into the soup acts a thickener and will fortify you if this is your only meal.

Black Bean Soup

Serves 6-8

Three to Four cans of Black Beans, all liquid retained

Four Carrots, roughly diced

One large white onion, roughly diced

Seven cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

Three celery ribs, roughly diced

Three tomatillos, husked, rinsed and roasted

A couple of pieces leftover ham (can omit – I used the rest from Christmas)

Three to four cups chicken or veggies broth 

Two chipotle peppers in adobo and a couple of tablespoons of the sauce

Cup of Brown Rice (optional – I had some on hand)

Array of spices to taste: Shallot salt; cayenne; cumin; garlic; Peruvian Chile Lime seasoning

In a large dutch oven, saute carrots, onions, garlic, celery, and a pinch of salt in a bit of olive oil until they are sweating. Add ham, broth, black beans and their juice and reduce heat to a simmer. Add roasted tomatillos, peppers and some of the seasoning (just add a little bit and then add according to taste later). Add rice and finish seasoning. Let simmer for about thirty minutes. Either use an emulsifier or a blender to process the soup (you can leave it has chunky or make as smooth as you wish). Squeeze a bit of lime juice to taste and enjoy!

Top soup with desired herbs and garnish, my favorites include: grilled and shredded chicken, cherry tomato halves, avocado slices, green onion and cilantro. Other options are sour cream or cheese, mango salsa, red onion, pico, or toasted pepita seeds.

Beef and Barley Soup

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I love beef and barley soup. I usually just buy a cup or two from Central Market (who makes a dang good version), but, during a recent freezer inventory I realized I had a lot of rump roast that needed using and opted to make my own version. You can add more (veggie wise) to this hearty soup  to up the nutrition ante, if you like. It is filling and perfect for cold winter nights. If you have homemade, good quality beef stock – this is a great showcase for it. If not, make sure to use a good-quality boxed broth (and/or some demi glace) for good depth.

Beef and Barley Soup

Serves Four to Eight 

One pound rump roast, cut into half-inch dice
One and one-half cups Hulled Barley
Six carrots, cut into large dice
Two yellow onions, cut into large dice
Twelve garlic cloves, minced
Two bay leaves
Five sprigs fresh thyme (more if desired)
Two sprigs fresh oregano
Three fresh sage leaves
Three celery stalks, cut into thin dice
Four tablespoons crushed red pepper
One pound mushrooms (I used white), quartered
One pound butternut squash, cut into quarter-inch cubes
One to two cups robust red wine or Burgundy (or white wine)
Three to Four quarts beef stock
Salt and Pepper to taste

Toss beef cubes with a good amount of salt, pepper, Italian herb blend, and cayenne. Heat a glug of olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Brown meat on all sides and remove from pan. Deglaze pan with a bit of red wine, beef broth, or Burgundy wine – scraping the brown bits on the  bottom up. Add onions and garlic (with a pinch of salt) and saute until glassy. Add celery, carrots, bay leaves, thyme, red pepper flakes and about a cup of red/white/or Burgundy wine. After about five minutes, add the beef broth, the reserved meat, mushrooms and barley. Turn heat to simmer and let it cook away for at least three hours. Taste occasionally and season to taste. About one and a half hours before serving, put butternut squash in the pot and stir well. Feel free to add peas or spinach in the last five minutes before serving if you wish to use them.  Serve with crusty bread.