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Brie, Strawberry and Pecan Salad
Ingredients
Mixed greens
One chunk of Brie
Strawberries
Raspberries
Pecans or walnuts (I used honey-roasted)
Poppyseed dressing
Chop up the Brie and strawberries, put everything together and drizzle with dressing. I don't normally crave salads, but I want to eat this one pretty much every day. 
Enjoy!Chocolate Green Smoothie Recipe
My blender is a cranky little machine that requires a lot of sweet talking when mixing multiple ingredients. Add ice, and it officially becomes a debacle. This green smoothie? Totally worth the subtle smoky aroma the blender leaves behind.
Ingredients
1 small banana
1 big spoonful of almond or peanut butter
1 small spoonful of Nutella
1 tbs. of ground flaxseed
A few spoonfuls of plain, whole-fat yogurt
Splash of unsweetened almond or soy milk
Large handful of (uncooked!) spinach leaves
Handful of soaked almonds (optional)
A few ice cubes
Blend it all together, drink and enjoy! Add more ice if you like it colder and you have a functioning blender. If the green factor wigs you out, trust me, you can't taste the spinach. Nutella may not be the healthiest smoothie addition, but it sure cures a chocolate craving (and can easily be omitted or swapped for carob powder, cocoa nibs or whatever your heart desires).
For 70 other delicious green smoothie recipes, check out this thread at Raw Food Talk.
(Photo by tiffanywashko.)
An Easy Paella Recipe
I made a lazy version of paella last night. It turned out pretty well -- much better than last attempt when the Brussels sprouts weren't fully cooked and had to be picked around. Using fire-roasted tomatoes was also a great addition.
Ingredients: Brown rice, shredded chicken, fire-roasted tomatoes (I used Muir Glen), Brussels sprouts, diced red pepper, garlic, cilantro, chili powder, cayenne, sea salt and hot sauce.
Directions: Cook everything, put it together, let it simmer, season to taste. If you have a paella pan, let it sit long enough that the rice crisps up on the bottom.
I realize that this is a very approximate recipe, but it's hard to go wrong with this dish. If you don't have (or don't like) Brussels sprouts, use spinach or snap peas or broccoli or carrots -- whatever veggies you have around!What's for Dinner: 10-minute Mediterranean Sauté
I'm not sure what makes this Mediterranean, but I needed a name and I use olive oil to sauté -- what could be more Mediterranean than that?? I love this recipe because I can use what I have on hand and improvise as necessary.
Prep time: About 10 minutes
Ingredients
Fresh spinach (or frozen, just thaw a bit before you saute and squeeze any extra water out)
1 package of extra-firm organic tofu
1 can of cannellini beans (or any lighter beans you have on hand)
1 tsp. minced organic garlic (I often use the stuff right out of the jar to save time)
1/4 c of chopped mushrooms (optional)
2 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
Soy sauce (optional)
Rosemary, salt, red-pepper flakes and lemon for seasoning
Cut the tofu into thin rectangles (about 1/4-inch thick) and placed them on a bread towel to pat out extra moisture. Drizzle the tofu squares with soy sauce (you can use any seasoning you like or none at all) and DRY sauté the rectangles, chopping them up into smaller pieces with your spatula to make them easier to cook. Heat until they are browned on each side (about 3 minutes), then add the olive oil, garlic, beans and mushrooms to the pan. Cook a few more minutes, then add the spinach and stir until it just starts to darken. (If using frozen spinach, stir until completely heated.)
Remove from heat and add some spices. I like rosemary and red pepper flakes (to give it a little kick), and a squeeze of lemon juice adds a great flavor. If you eat dairy, you can sprinkle a freshly grated hard cheese like Parmesan on top.
Easy, fast and delicious. I always make more than enough so that I'll have leftovers for lunch the next day.
What's for Dinner: Lentil-Walnut Burgers
Last week I had a blast trying out recipes from my new cookbooks.* One of my favorite recipes was the Lentil-Walnut Burgers from Mollie Katzen's The New Moosewood Cookbook [Amazon].
I haven't eaten red meat in over 10 years, so I'm not the best source on what tastes like meat, but others tell me that they have a very similar texture and taste to ground beef. Whether or not that's true, they're delicious!
You can find the recipe here. They take about 90 minutes to prepare (the mix needs to chill for an hour before cooking).
The finished product looks something like this:
I'm going to make them again tonight for a friend. I'll probably serve them with Alexia sweet potato fries (it would be healthier to make my own, I know, but I'm all about saving time these days).
My mom probably finds this post hilarious because for most of my young life I hated lentils. Despised them. Unadulterated vitriol. I guess I'm living proof that palates can, in fact, mature. (Although I still refuse to eat lima beans. Don't even get me started.)
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* Simply Salads by Jennifer Chandler, Wholefood by Jude Blereau and The New Moosewood. All recommended!
Healthy Food Fast
Recently, two of my coworkers and I decided to do The UltraSimple Diet detox. If you've been following this blog, you know that we've been here before.
One great thing about detoxing is that it always reminds me just how easy it can be to prepare healthy meals. One of my favorite dishes from the week was also one of the easiest.
All in all, that beautiful plate took me about 15 minutes (using a leftover sweet potato -- it'll take a bit longer if you need to bake one). Here's how I did it:
Mashed Cinnamon Sweet Potatoes
1 Small sweet potato, baked
Cinnamon
Bake a sweet potato (about 40 minutes at 450 degrees F). Mash the whole thing (skin, too!) with cinnamon. I imagine this would also taste good with a bit of rice milk or butter mixed in -- experimenting is encouraged!
Baked Cilantro Chicken
1 organic, boneless skinned chicken breast
Fresh cilantro
1 tbs. of extra-virgin olive oil
Half of a lemon
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Put chicken in a baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Add cilantro and salt and pepper. Bake for about 10 minutes at 350 to 400 degrees F. Add more fresh cilantro after the chicken is cooked.
Sautéed Collard Greens
1 Garlic clove, minced
2 tbs. of extra-virgin olive oil
Variety of dark, leafy greans
Half of a lemon
Mince a clove of garlic. Wash a variety of dark, leafy greens and tear into pieces (compost the tough stems). Heat the olive oil and garlic in a large pan. Add greens and sauté until soft (but still bright green). Drizzle with lemon juice before serving.
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Cook the sweet potato first, then throw the chicken in the oven and sauté the greens while the chicken and sweet potato finish baking. Then put everything on a plate and marvel at the beautiful meal you've just prepared. Then eat it. Double, triple or quadruple the recipe as needed.
BONUS: For dessert, snack on a handful of frozen organic cherries (my new addiction). I find, however, that the mashed sweet potatoes are dessert enough for me.
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