Archive

Tag Archives: healthy

kimchi brown rice

February 26, 2014
somethin' on the side, the main event, the underwear diet
Leave a comment

DSCN0752

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 leek (or 1 small onion, or 2-3 shallots), thinly sliced
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 heart of romaine lettuce, roughly chopped
1 cup brown rice, prepared according to package directions
1 bag kimchi
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
1/2 teaspoon fish sauce (omit to make it vegan)
1 teaspoon soy sauce (or Tamari, to make it gluten-free)

1. Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Saute leeks and celery until soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Add romaine lettuce and cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until just wilted.
3. Add brown rice, kimchi, frozen peas and cook until heated through, about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Stir in fish sauce and soy sauce and serve alongside fish, or alone as an entree. (I served it with tuna, which I encrusted with homemade gomasio–a seasoning of ground sesame seeds and salt–and seared.) Alternately you can top with a fried or poached egg for a savory, umami-rich breakfast or brunch (this is what I did with the leftovers).

Notes: YUM. Maybe add edamame, or garnish with sesame seeds.

DSCN0764

red kale and barley salad

February 23, 2014
somethin' on the side, the main event, the underwear diet
Leave a comment

I know, I know: another kale salad, but I just had to do it! I made this, along with hard-boiled eggs and fresh fruit, as part of a healthy brunch spread. Did I mention, there were also lots and lots of mixed berry mimosas. Not the most traditional brunch, but paired with good company and conversation, it was perfect.

1 bunch red kale, stems removed, torn into bite-size pieces
Juice of 2 limes (or 1 large lime)
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 avocado, diced
3/4 cup cooked hull-less barley

1. In a large bowl, massage kale leaves with lime juice, oil, salt, and black pepper until they become wilted and tender.
2. Add avocado and barley and toss to combine.

20140223-111543.jpg

sardine salad

February 14, 2014
the main event, the underwear diet
Leave a comment

This is an attempt to recreate a recipe from my old job. It’s ridiculously good.

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2 stalks celery, small dice
1 jalapeno, minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, rough chop
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, rough chop
1/4 cup fresh dill, rough chop
Juice of 2 large limes
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 3.75-oz cans sardines packed in water, drained

1. Combine all ingredients except for the sardines.
2. Spoon the salad into two shallow bowls and top each with sardine fillets.

Serves 2 as a light entree.

20140214-221949.jpg

broccoli cheeze soup

January 26, 2014
the main event
Leave a comment

Lots of the recipes I found for vegan broccoli cheddar soup used milk alternatives, nuts, flour, cornstarch, and/or vegan cheese. I was looking for something simpler.

2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, medium dice
2 stalks celery, medium dice
1 medium sweet potato, small dice
2 cloves garlic, thin slice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups arugula
1 small head broccoli, cut into small florets
1/2 cup nutritional yeast

1. Heat the oil in a pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add the onion, celery, sweet potato, and garlic to the pot. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Saute, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes.
4. Pour water into the pot and cover the vegetables by 3 inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
5. Stir in arugula and cook for another minute. Puree with an immersion blender.
6. Add broccoli florets and nutritional yeast and simmer for another 15-20 minutes, or until the broccoli is soft.
7. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve.

Notes: yum. Love the color the sweet potato lends to the soup, which mimics traditional broccoli cheddar soup. The nutritional yeast is a powerhouse, giving the finished product a rich, cheesy, almost fermented flavor. The arugula simply boosts the nutrition profile, but is not essential; it can be omitted, or substituted with nearly any other type of green leafy vegetable.

20140126-003349.jpg

tofu cacciatore

January 23, 2014
the main event, the underwear diet
Leave a comment

2 10-oz packages extra-firm tofu
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
4 assorted bell peppers, thinly sliced
1 10-oz mushrooms (I used cremini, but any will do)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp Italian seasoning
2/3 cup white wine
1 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Cut each block of tofu into 7 slices. Arrange on a sheet pan and place another sheet pan on top of it. Weigh the top down and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drain and pat tofu dry.
3. Cook tofu in broiler for 5 minutes per side, or until dried out and golden brown. Reduce oven temperature to 375 F.
4. Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add onions, peppers, mushrooms, garlic, and Italian seasoning and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 7-10 minutes.
5. Deglaze the pan with white wine and reduce by 3/4.
6. Add the tomatoes and reduce liquid by half. Then lower heat to low and cook for 25-30 minutes to let the flavors meld together.
7. Arrange half of the tofu in the bottom of a casserole dish. Top with half the sauce mixture. Layer the rest of the tofu on top, and finish with the rest of the sauce.
8. Bake for 30 minutes.

20140123-084823.jpg