I’ve been busy – but not writing this blog!

Here’s an interview I did recently on 10 Healthy Foods Under $1 for Real Simple.

Check back soon for some healthy and delicious gift ideas.

Be well,

Laura

However, this time of year, with the in-between-seasons-weather, lots of grey skies, and a dearth of anything to be excited about that’s being grown locally, I find my meal inspiration can be pretty skimpy.  I thought to compile a list of meals for you that are practically one-pot meals, many of which can be thrown together with ingredients you may have on hand.  They are quick to prepare and even better, leave you with a substantial, satisfying, and nourishing meal to share or enjoy on your own.

1.  Kale and Quinoa Pilaf

2.  Spicy Baked Eggs aka Shakshuka

3.  Risotto-style Pasta with Chicken and Mushrooms

4.  Vegetarian Chilaquiles Casserole (substitute fresh spinach for the corn to increase the veggies!)

5.  Carrot and Tarragon Tart

6.  Pasta e Fagioli (bacon optional, can use canned beans too)

7.  Sesame Noodles

8.  Spring Panzanella

9.  Quinoa Salad with Apples and Gouda

10.  Very Veggie Frittata

The guidelines go on to describe how to eat less – by choosing foods that are nutrient dense.  Nutrient dense foods are food, like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, that give a lot of vitamins and minerals in proportion to the number of calories the have.  For instance, you get a lot more nutrition for 60 calories from an apple than from the 150 calories in a 12 oz soda.

The 2010 guidelines recommend one of my favorite pieces of nutrition advice – make half your plate vegetables and fruits.  This simple idea practically ensures that you’re loading up vitamins and minerals, flavor, variety, and color, while reducing the number of calories you’re eating.  Certainly there are ways this doesn’t work – creamed spinach, for example, wouldn’t help you reduce your calories.  Also, potatoes and corn don’t count toward vegetables in this case.

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines also say to limit solid fats, sodium, and added sugars. I wish the language they used for these was more clear.  Here’s what they mean and how to understand what foods they are actually talking about.

Solid Fats:  Who knows  what solid fat is or thinks that they eat it?  Solid fat is butter and margarine.  You can reduce the amount you use and depending how you use it, you can replace it with heart healthy cooking oils like canola and olive oil, nut butters, or avocado to add flavor and heart healthy monounsaturated fats.

What about sodium?  Approximately 80% of the sodium in the American diet comes from processed and packaged foods (10% occurs naturally and the other 10% is added in cooking and at the table).  The easiest way to reduce sodium intake is to eat less processed and packaged food.  Yes, food companies like Kraft are working to reduce the amount of sodium in their products, but the simplest action for you is to eat more whole foods.

Added Sugar?  This does not mean the sugar you add to to your tea or coffee.  Added sugar refers again to processed and packaged foods that have sugar as an ingredient.  It does not refer to foods where sugar is naturally present, like fruit or milk.  I interpret the recommendation to reduce added sugar to refer particularly to sports drinks, tea drinks, coffee drinks, and soda.  These caloric drinks do not register with your body’s sense of energy consumption meaning you can more easily consume more calories than you need.  Plus, sweet beverages are harmful for your teeth and oral health.

All in all – eat more fruits and vegetables and fewer processed and packaged foods!

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup 1% or soy milk

1 apple

2 tbsp nuts (I’m partial to almonds or hazelnuts, but anything would work here)

2 tbsp raisins

optional – pepitas, ground flax seed, chia seed, currants, golden raisins, dried cranberries and on and on…

Directions

To be done the night before:

1.  Pour oats in a medium bowl or  4-cup measuring cup.  Add milk.  Put in refrigerator.

To be done in the morning:

2. Wash and dice apple.

3.  Divide the soaked oats into bowls.  Sprinkle with apple pieces, nuts, dried fruits, or other toppings.

Ingredients

Small onion, chopped

1 pound spinach, washed and still a little wet

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup of cherry tomatoes, quartered

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onions and cook for ~5 minutes, until soft.  In a separate pot, start water for pasta.

2.  Add spinach and garlic to the onions, stirring frequently until spinach is wilted.

3.  Add tomatoes and ricotta, stirring well to incorporate as the spinach is prone to clumping.

4.  Taste and adjust seasonings, reduce to low and cook until pasta is ready.

5.  Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and combine with sauce.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

Canola oil

2 small onions, diced

5 stalks celery, chopped

5 carrots, peeled and chopped into coins

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup wild rice mix (my favorite – wish my coop sold it in bulk!)

1 vegetable bouillon cube (I like this kind)

A splash of red wine vinegar

Salt to taste

White beans – 2 cans (or 1 cup dry, soaked, and boiled)

Grated Parmesan or pecorino (or olive oil) for garnishing

Directions

1.  Heat canola in a large pot over medium heat.  Add onion, celery, carrots, cooking until soft about 5 minutes.  Stir in garlic.

2.  Add enough water to cover vegetables by 3 inches.  Add wild rice and bouillon.  Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, cooking for about 30 minutes.

3. Add beans, salt, and vinegar.  Simmer for 10 minutes

4.  Taste, adjust seasonings.  Serve sprinkled with grated cheese or drizzled with olive oil.

This chili is quick to put together, satisfying to eat, and can heartily feed you for several meals.  It’s a great source of lycopene, fiber, and protein.  Serve it with rice or corn bread or polenta.  Top with grated cheese, plain yogurt, thinly slice scallions, hot sauce, slivers of avocado.  Or whatever delicious thing you think of!

Ingredients

1 medium onion, diced

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 stalks of celery, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

48 oz (1360 g) kidney beans, rinsed and drained  (or soak and boil 2 cups dry)

36 oz (1020 g) pureed or chopped tomatoes from can/jar

1 tsp (2 g) pimenton

1 tsp (1 g) oregano

1/2 tsp (1 g) turmeric

1/2 tsp (1 g) cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)

1/2 tsp (1 g) chili pepper flakes (more or less to taste)

1/4 tsp (0.5 g) cinnamon

2 bay leaves

salt to taste

Directions

1. In a large pot, heat canola oil over medium heat.  Add onion, celery, and carrot.  Cook, stirring occaisionally until soft, about 8 minutes.  Add garlic, stir.

2.  Add beans and tomato, stirring well to mix.  Add spices.  Taste and adjust

3.  Cook over low heat for at least 30 minutes or as long as 60.

This dish is exclusively authentic to my mind and my craving for a deeply flavorful, spicy, tomato-based dish.  Whether or not this dish is authentically Moroccan, I can say definitely not, but that Morocco and heat were the inspirations on the first really cold night of the season.  The spice in this dish is not about heat as much as rich flavor – the intensity of the heat is up to you.  In addition to creating aromatic warmth, this dish is fast and a great source of lycopene, vitamin C, and lean protein.  I served it with whole wheat flat bread, but next time I will have it with couscous or quinoa.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1″ cubes

1 small onion, diced

1 red pepper (small and spicy or big and sweet  - your choice)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2-3 tsp pimentòn (Spanish smoked paprika)

2-3 tsp cumin

~24 oz. tomato puree/crushed tomato

1/3 cup oil-cured black olives (no pits)

salt to taste

red pepper flakes, optional

parsley, optional

1 tbsp canola oil

Directions

1.  Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add chicken cubes and brown on all sides.  Remove from pan and set aside.  Pour off any liquid or excess oil if necessary

2.  Sauté onion and pepper until soft and onion is translucent.  Add the garlic, pimentòn, cinnamon, and cumin and cook for approx. 30 seconds.  Add the tomato puree and olives.  Stir until well combined.  Add chicken.  Simmer for 10 min.  Adjust seasonings to taste (salt and hot pepper flakes).  If you have more time, keep cooking to let the flavors blend further, or enjoy it now.

Optional garnish with chopped parsley

Yield: 4 burgers

Ingredients

8 oz extra firm tofu (1/2 block), crumbled

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 onion, minced

1 to 2 tbsp dulse

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1/4 cup panko bread cumbs

Salt, big pinch

Fresh ground black pepper

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until evenly combined.

2.  Shape into patties

3.  Heat ~1 tbsp canola oil in a cast-iron (or other heavy pan) over medium heat.  Cook patties until crisp and golden ~4 minutes and flip.  Repeat on the other side.

4.  Prepare delicious toppings (I’m partial to kale tossed with olive oil) and toast your burger buns.