November 19, 2009
Posted by Kristen Swensson, November 16, 2009 at 9:30 AM
Editor's note: On Mondays, Kristen Swensson of Cheap, Healthy, Good swings by these parts to share healthy and delicious recipes with us. Take it away, Kristen!
[Photograph: Kristen Swensson]
My love affair with avocados began only recently, after many years of pointed avoidance. I thought their fat content was too high; they argued their health benefits more than made up for it. I thought they were expensive; they went on sale. I thought their color and inherent squishiness were kind of gross; they told me I was being a jerk.
Guac is the stuff of life.
Then, guacamole leapt onto my radar, and everything changed for the better. Guac is the stuff of life, see, and it's impossible to hate on any ingredient composing the stuff of life. I still have some concerns about the dip's fat, sure, but they're addressed easily enough with a few vegetables. Padding the guac with produce adds both texture and bulk, and does so inexpensively.
This Tomatillo Guacamole is a slightly tweaked All Recipes dish. I made it twice, and found it a tad too tangy the first time. So, for the second attempt, I dropped one of the tomatillos, added cilantro, and subbed a jalapeno in for red pepper flakes. A smaller dice helped to smooth things out as well. The result was about of quart of stellar, lighter guacamole, clocking in at 89 calories, 7.5 grams of fat, and 4.8 grams of fiber per serving.
Continue reading »
Posted by glutenfreegirl, November 10, 2009 at 2:30 PM
"Millet was first grown in China, where it was revered for thousands of years as one of their five most sacred grains."
[Photograph: Shauna James Ahern]
Millet is the tofu of the grain world.
OK, I know that might not make some of you hungry. Tofu has a bad reputation, just like millet. Some of us associate tofu with that watery block of white goo, sealed in plastic. Unappetizing. Truly good tofu, however, is made fresh that day, still warm, silky on the spoon, and something else entirely than what you have in your head.
The same is true for millet. Where have you seen millet before? For most of you, that's probably in a bag of birdseed. Yep, millet is the small round grain fed to the birds in the park by crazy old ladies. Does that make you want to eat it? Probably not.
How about this? That salad you see up there? That's a chilled millet salad with red peppers and golden raisins, honeycomb tangerines, goat cheese, red leaf lettuce, and prosciutto. Plus, a little apple gastrique.
Millet does not have to be boring.
Continue reading »
Posted by Caroline Russock, November 10, 2009 at 1:15 PM
Middle Eastern flavors have been bouncing around the Mediterranean for centuries and worked their way into Greek cuisine long ago. Cinnamon found its way into Greek cooking through the Turks, who brought it with them during their occupancy. Greece declared independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1821, but the country held onto its fondness for cinnamon.
Cinnamon shows up in some pretty unlikely places in Greek cooking, and this recipe for Sweet and Sour Eggplant and Onion Stew from Michael Psilakis's How to Roast a Lamb is a prime example.
Eggplant and cinnamon might seem like an improbable pair, but, as it turns out, the Greeks (and the Turks, for that matter) were really onto something.
Continue reading »
Posted by Kristen Swensson, November 9, 2009 at 10:00 AM
Editor's note: On Mondays, Kristen Swensson of Cheap, Healthy, Good swings by these parts to share healthy and delicious recipes with us. Take it away, Kristen!
[Photograph: Kristen Swensson]
I used to consider risotto too rich, expensive, and upscale for the everyday. Not sure why. Maybe it's the inherent creaminess, or that it's frequently grouped with words like "porcini" and "truffle oil." Maybe it's because I've seen risotto mostly at fancy restaurants. Y'know, the ones I go to all the time. Because I'm unemployed, and we can do that.
Anyway, as it turns out, risotto can be adapted pretty easily to healthy diets and low budgets. Butternut Squash Risotto, which I whipped up a few weeks ago to stunning effect (if I do say so myself), is one example. Mushroom Risotto, which I made earlier this week, is another. A good one, at that.
Sophisticated yet simple, it's a get-together meal that will ingratiate your friends and make your enemies curse your name. The dish is earthy to the nth degree, but never murky, due to an abundance of fresh herbs. A solid dousing of parmesan at the end rounds out the flavor and adds creaminess.
Continue reading »
Posted by MichaelNatkin, November 4, 2009 at 2:30 PM
Note: Michael Natkin of the vegetarian blog Herbivoracious drops by every Wednesday to share a delicious recipe to expand our vegetarian repertoire.
[Photograph: Michael Natkin]
If you just looked at the picture and didn't read the title, you probably just thought this was hummus, right? Wrong! While they look superficially similar, hummus is made primarily of chickpeas, while tahina is a puree of sesame seeds seasoned with lemon juice and garlic.
Hummus is well-known in the west, inspiring frightful variations with textures comparable to drywall cement, while tahina's praises go unsung. Which is a shame, because it is easy to throw together, delicious, and very nutritious.
To make matters more confusing, tahina can also be spelled tehineh or tehina, and its main ingredient is tahini. All you have to keep in mind is that tahini is just the pureed raw sesame seeds, while tahina is the prepared sauce.
Continue reading »
Posted by Kristen Swensson, November 2, 2009 at 10:15 AM
Editor's note: On Mondays, Kristen Swensson of Cheap, Healthy, Good swings by these parts to share healthy and delicious recipes with us. Take it away, Kristen!
[Photograph: Kristen Swensson]
Sometimes, creating healthy recipes takes quite a bit of planning. There are ingredients to be bought, quantities to be recalculated, and substitutions to be made. Some fail.
Others succeed. Many an evening, I emerge from the kitchen tired but victorious, content that another nutritious meal can be shared with the interweb.
Sometimes, it's raining and pork chops are on sale.
Pork Chops with Green Apple and Tomatillo Sauce, originally from the June 2004 issue of Gourmet is a lovely twist on the American classic. The pork is flavored by a cumin and coriander rub, which melds wonderfully with the tart, slightly spicy apple topping. As center cut pork chops are pretty lean, it's on the lighter side calorie-wise, too.
Continue reading »
Posted by Kristen Swensson, October 26, 2009 at 10:00 AM
Editor's note: On Mondays, Kristen Swensson of Cheap, Healthy, Good swings by these parts to share healthy and delicious recipes with us. Take it away, Kristen!
[Photograph: Kristen Swensson]
You know the bible story about the loaves and fishes? I have a situation like that in my house right now, except it's the never-ending butternut squash. I estimated it to be around two or three pounds when purchased, but it's actually more like five or six. So much for skipping the produce scale.
Still, I'm not complaining. To date, the Infinity Squash (as we've come to call it) has fueled a wonderful Moroccan side dish, a risotto from Chez Panisse, and Butternut Squash Apple Cranberry Bake Adapted from Simply Recipes, the bake is a sweet seasonal twist on regular ol' starchy sides. Adults will love it, but if you have finicky kids, I bet a six-pound squash this dish will convert them into lifetime vegetable lovers.
Continue reading »
Posted by Robin Bellinger, October 20, 2009 at 2:45 PM
[Photograph: Robin Bellinger]
Shopping List
1 onion: $0.50
1 green bell pepper: $1.32
2 serrano peppers: $0.25
1 cup uncooked lentils: $1.00
1/2 cup uncooked beans: $0.25
2 or 3 canned plum tomatoes (pro-rated): $1.00
Cilantro (pro-rated): $0.50
1 cup uncooked millet: $0.50
2 ounces pepper jack (optional): $0.50
Pantry items: Oil, garlic, ground cumin, paprika or pimenton, dried thyme, dried sage, dried oregano, cayenne pepper, salt, cornmeal, yogurt or sour cream (optional).
Total cost (for 4 portions): $5.82
Despite my pedigree as an enthusiastically carnivorous Texan, I've made plenty of vegetarian chilis in my time, all unremarkable. They got the belly-filling job done, more or less, but this Madhur Jaffrey bean chili is the first non-meat chili I've ever made that was still being enthusiastically eaten on the third day.
Except for the bell pepper and jalapenos or serranos, you probably have on hand all these ingredients. I used some of the pre-cooked beans I keep in my freezer, but canned would be fine, too. A spoonful of yogurt or sour cream makes the meal surprisingly richer; in fact, as long as you have that creamy kick, you won't miss cheese, if you don't happen to have any. And millet may sound like a punishingly healthy choice for serving, but its texture and bulk actually remind me of the ground beef in a chili con carne. If you're skeptical, make rice (or use your extra two dollars and change to buy corn tortillas or chips). Jaffrey says this is also good with polenta and doubles or triples well.
Continue reading »
Posted by Carolyn Cope, October 20, 2009 at 8:00 AM
Note: You may know Carolyn Cope as Umami Girl. She stops by on Tuesdays to help us cook through seasonal surplus with ease.
[Photograph: Carolyn Cope]
I'll be honest. I was a little hesitant to post a butternut squash soup recipe this week. You all are pretty sophisticated eaters, and there's a fair amount of puréed butternut sloshing around in the world every fall already. It's not like I'm going to convince anyone I invented butternut soup. It's no hairy gourd bread, I'll tell you that much.
It's creamy. It's vegan. As its mom would say, it has a lot going for it.
Don't get me wrong. This is a really tasty soup, and it's unimpeachably nutritious. It boasts subtle, balanced flavors that are a refreshing alternative to the usual pumpkin pie spice. (Okay, fair enough, I'm the one boasting, but as my sister used to confound herself by saying, it's "six of one half, dozen of the other," am I right?) It's creamy. It's vegan. As its mom would say, it has a lot going for it. I just wasn't sure it was exciting enough.
But then I had a few of those days last week where the sky feels like it's cracking into giant, ugly shards and throwing them like javelins at your shoulders. And boy was I glad to have a pot of this soup in the fridge. I'd tell you how many bowls of it I've eaten in the past seven days and how many people I've shared it with, but trust me, it wouldn't leave a very ladylike impression. Let's just say it's a good thing for my karma that I'm sharing the recipe. Here's hoping the sky is listening.
Continue reading »
Posted by Kristen Swensson, October 19, 2009 at 10:45 AM
Editor's note: On Mondays, Kristen Swensson of Cheap, Healthy, Good swings by these parts to share healthy and delicious recipes with us. Take it away, Kristen!
[Photograph: Kristen Swensson]
Football season is never easy for healthy eaters. Every Sunday, we're confronted by smorgasbords that'd make Tony Siragusa blush. And during gamedays filled with KFC Famous Bowls and Cadillac Pimento Cheese Balls, it helps to have alternatives that a.) don't include a cup of mayonnaise, and b.) are identifiable as food.
Let's cut to the chase, then: there's only one problem with Giada DeLaurentiis' Spinach and Cannellini Bean Dip, and that is you will never, ever want to stop eating it. It is the 1972 Dolphins of dips. It's right up there with Ina Garten's Roasted Eggplant Spread, which is the highest honor one can bestow on a dip.
Each one-third of a cup serving comes out to 87 calories, 2.7 grams of fat, and 3.7 grams of fiber, making it lighter than hummus and only a single Weight Watchers point. One could call it a touchdown.
Continue reading »
Posted by MichaelNatkin, October 14, 2009 at 3:00 PM
Note: Serious Eater Michael Natkin of the vegetarian blog Herbivoracious drops by every Wednesday to share a delicious recipe to expand our vegetarian repertoire.
[Photograph: Michael Natkin]
Tortilla casserole isn't authentically Mexican, beautiful, or fancy in any way. It's simply a delicious, homey way to put a healthy and inexpensive vegetarian entree on the table. If you have kids, odds are it will be a hit with them too. In my family we like to put something like this together on Sunday night and refrigerate it, then bake and serve it for dinner early in the work week. That guarantees us at least one hot home-cooked meal even if no-one has time to cook.
The most complicated thing it asks you to do is dice an onion.
This recipe is for the basic tortilla casserole. The most complicated thing it asks you to do is dice an onion. You can embellish the basic recipe in any number of ways. For example, add finely diced zucchini or bell pepper, roasted poblano peppers, or corn kernels. You could also replace the refried beans with whole pinto or black beans, or add a tablespoon or so of minced chipotle pepper to the sauce.
Continue reading »
Posted by Kristen Swensson, October 12, 2009 at 10:30 AM
"The result was a warm, sweet, 175-calorie snack halfway between a granola bar and an oatmeal cookie."
My friend Stacey is my travel buddy. Together, we've motored through most of the South and driven across a good chunk of Northern India. On these journeys, I've discovered a fundamental difference between the two of us: whereas I assume car food will materialize magically from the glove compartment, she always has the good sense to bring snacks. When there's 90 minutes between rest areas (I'm looking at you, Arkansas), it's a lifesaver.
This past weekend, I visited Stace in Massachusetts, and figured my time had finally come to say fair's fair; to be the prepared one. So, I made granola bars.
Here's the thing. Initially, most granola bar recipes seem healthy. They're full of dried fruit and nuts, and tend to have exciting ingredients like flaxseed and wheat fields. Upon further inspection, however, they can be stunningly high in calories and fat. It's great if you're going for an extended run, but not so good if you're going for an extended sit. Subsequently, my mission was to make a leaner granola bar without sacrificing the fun add-ons.
Continue reading »
Posted by Kristen Swensson, October 5, 2009 at 11:45 AM
"The pumpkin bulks up the mixture and adds a sweet, earthy undertone fairly uncommon to healthier chilis."
A few years ago, I made the conscious decision to drop a few pounds and start eating better. Hands down, the hardest part was finding delicious meals that didn't leave me starving afterward. Like many dieters, I subsided on salads and feather-light bird food for quite awhile, assuming it was the only way I would whittle inches off my tuchus. It got really boring, really quickly, and almost turned me off to healthy eating in general.
Then, I started cooking chili.
Substantial and versatile, chili is a wonderfood. Lighter versions tend to use very little oil and are usually loaded with beans and vegetables, which means the final nutritional tallies are low in fat, high in fiber, and packed in vitamins and minerals. Basic recipes take less than an hour to make, and will feed the Duggar family, plus Kate, plus eight. (Note: not Jon.) Finally, there's an endless supply of lighter chilis online. So, if you don't like one, keep looking, because there exists a version tailor made to your taste buds. Are they all authentic Texan concoctions? Not necessarily. (See: beans, no beef.) But that's not what we're going for here.
Continue reading »
Posted by Kristen Swensson, September 28, 2009 at 9:00 AM
Note: On Mondays, Kristen Swensson of Cheap, Healthy, Good swings by these parts to share healthy and delicious recipes with us. Take it away, Kristen!
[Flickr: Antoaneta]
A few weeks ago, I fell into possession of 40 yellow tomatoes, which eventually became a lovely salad, lots of salsa, and enough of Bon Appétit's yellow tomato soup to feed the entire cast of Glee until graduation. The soup was a particular highlight, not only for its health quotient and deep, smoky flavor, but for its seemingly infinite adaptability. We froze a full gallon of the leftovers, and it's been a ball devising new ways to serve it.
One night, with the simple addition of elbow macaroni and cannellini beans, it became a filling pasta e fagioli dinner. A few days later, I added thin slices of cheesy bread to make a satisfying first course lead-in to a fish entrée. And of course, we've been eating the soup plain, with perhaps a side salad for light lunches. No kidding, this stuff is the best.
While I suspect similar alterations could be made to any tomato-based soup with excellent results, I like the yellow tomato-bacon-chipotle base combination here. It's unexpected and feels like cheating, though the soup remains incredibly light. With only 123 calories and about four grams of fat per cup, you can indulge a little with add-ons (see: bread, cheesy). And for a healthy eater, it doesn't get better than that.
Continue reading »
Posted by Kristen Swensson, September 21, 2009 at 10:45 AM
Note: On Mondays, Kristen Swensson of Cheap, Healthy, Good swings by these parts to share healthy and delicious recipes with us. Take it away, Kristen!
[Photograph: Kristen Swensson]
Over the last five years or so, whole-wheat pasta has become a fixture in light cooking. Admittedly, it's slightly healthier than durum-based pasta and pairs well with earthier ingredients like eggplant and spinach. But nine times out of ten, I prefer non-wheatie ziti (or rotini or capellini) as it's more versatile and better-tasting, not to mention a buck cheaper per box. As for the fiber issue, I figure I’ll get it elsewhere. Like say, from fruit or chewing on a piece of furniture.
However, there’s still that 10 percent of recipes where whole-wheat pasta works exceptionally well. Turkey Sausage and Arugula Pasta from Eating Well is one of them. Instead of acting as a blank canvas on which to pile vegetables, the whole-wheat pasta has a slightly nutty flavor and firm texture that goes well with the peppery greens and bright, sweet tomatoes. Everything’s topped off with a subtle, low-fat Parmesan sauce, which adds moisture and wonderful cheesiness without too many extra calories.
Continue reading »
Posted by MichaelNatkin, September 16, 2009 at 2:00 PM
Serious Eater Michael Natkin of the vegetarian blog Herbivoracious drops by every Wednesday to share a delicious recipe to expand our vegetarian repertoire.
[Photograph: Michael Natkin]
Westerners tend to think the full range of Indian main dishes consists of wet curries and tandoor-cooked meats. There are actually a huge array of cooking techniques used throughout the subcontinent. Today's eggplant and potato charchari demonstrates an unusual Bengali style never seen in American restaurants.
After the initial frying of spices, the vegetables are added along with enough water to steam them tender, and cooked without stirring until all of the water evaporates. Then they stay on the heat while the fat at the bottom of the pan fries the lowest layer of vegetables until crispy and dark. This crust is mixed into the dish to add a bit of flavor complexity reminiscent of outdoor cooking.
The result is a dryer-textured dish that makes a nice contrast to the typical saucy curry. Serve it with this Chana-Mushroom Masala, basmati rice, and plain yogurt or a simple raita for a real feast. The best pot for cooking a charchari is something heavy and easy to clean (but not non-stick) like an enameled cast iron Dutch oven.
Continue reading »
Posted by Kristen Swensson, September 14, 2009 at 10:45 AM
"It had prettier colors than a bag of Skittles."
[Photograph: Kristen Swensson]
Last week, my friend Rachel split her CSA's tomato haul with me. When she spoke about it, I expected a few pounds of produce, maybe 10 or 15 individual 'maters at most. There would be a salsa, maybe a sauce, and it’d be done. No sweat.
40 yellow tomatoes later, plans changed.
What does one do with 40 yellow tomatoes? I had no idea, but since the husband-elect and I were traveling for the weekend, they had to be used up, fast. So, an APB went out to my blog readers, who had all kinds of ideas, from yellow tomato soup (five thumbs up) to Provencal stuffed tomatoes (watery, but good on pasta) to freezing any leftovers (done and done).
Lunch that day came courtesy of Kalyn’s Kitchen, a South Beach Diet-oriented site with well over 40 billion recipes. Fortunately, yellow tomato salad with roasted red pepper, feta, and mint was among them. It was fast (came together in about 30 seconds), fresh, and delicious, and had prettier colors than a bag of Skittles. Do not adjust your computers—that’s actually what the salad looks like.
Continue reading »
Posted by MichaelNatkin, September 9, 2009 at 2:45 PM
Note: Today has turned into de facto Mole Day at Serious Eats. Earlier this morning we brought you another mole sauce recipe as part of our Serious Heat series, and as it turns out, our vegetarian columnist Michael was in a mole mindset too. Ain't no shame in that, right?
An absolutely authentic Oaxacan mole is quite an undertaking. They often include 30 or more ingredients, each of which needs advance preparation before going into the final sauce. It's best done over the course of several days.
Bottled moles from the grocery store are generally unpalatable, with little of the subtlety of the real thing. I set out to find a compromise: a delicious mole made in about an hour, part of which is simmering time while you prepare the rest of the meal.
The concept of mole is that the sauce is the main event--what it's served with is in a supporting role. The sauce therefore must be interesting enough to maintain your interest through the whole course of an entree. This one is bursting with a balanced mixture of chiles and spices, a hint of chocolate for a mildly bitter background, and orange juice for acidity. I kept the traditional final frying of the sauce in oil and slow simmer, a feature of many Mexican sauce recipes.
Continue reading »
Posted by Kristen Swensson, September 7, 2009 at 11:00 AM
Note: On Mondays, Kristen Swensson of Cheap, Healthy, Good swings by these parts to share healthy and delicious recipes with us. Take it away, Kristen!
When you’re trying to lose weight or maintain a weight loss, one of the trickiest areas to navigate is alcohol. Beer, wine, liquor, and mixed drinks are a caloric minefield, and too many pints can sink a diet faster than a box of doughnuts. (Mmm, doughnuts.) Of course, a life without booze is nigh unthinkable for some of us. (Note: me.) So, how do we reconcile our desire to get healthy with our desire for a Mudslide?
Moderation is part of it, as is planning ahead, pacing ourselves, and quaffing water between drinks. Choosing lower-calorie mixers like diet soda, seltzer, and fruit purees helps as well. And of course, some beverages are naturally lighter than others. An average glass of red wine should only run you about 110 calories, while a full-size frozen margarita will cost you 750. (For more calorie counts, see here.)
Two of my favorite ways to imbibe intelligently are mimosas and bellinis. Usually served with breakfast, they mix small amounts of fruit juice or fruit purees with champagne or a sparkling white wine like Prosecco. Generally less than 100 calories a pop, you can nurse them for awhile without feeling guilty. Oh, and they’re delicious, too.
Continue reading »
Posted by Carolyn Cope, September 1, 2009 at 9:45 AM
[Photographs: Carolyn Cope]
In the Crisper
Featured Veg: Kohlrabi.
Eat: Stem and leaves, raw or cooked. Leaves are typically cooked but can be sliced thin and dressed raw.
Prepare Stem: Wash well, trim ends, and peel thickly with a paring knife.
Prepare Leaves: Wash in several changes of water. Roughly chop or slice crosswise.
Substitute: For stem: turnip or rutabaga (cooked), celery root (raw). For leaves: kale, collards.
Hiya, it's Kohlrabi. From the garden, yeah. Look, I don't mean to be that guy or anything, but there's something that's been bumming me out for kind of a while, and I just feel like I need to put it out there. Holding in the bad stuff can really wilt your greens, you know? It's not lost on me that we've only known each other for--what--a couple of months now, max? But you just seem like someone I can talk to. Maybe it's the way you smile with your eyes. Probably I should see a shrink or whatever and not wear out my friendships blabbering about all this stuff, but who has that kind of money these days, right? Anyway, sometimes I think it's the whole "both my parents are Freudian psychoanalysts" thing that got me here in the first place, so. Heheh. Ahem.
Can I ask you something? We're all adults here, and it's not like anyone thinks life is a popularity contest anymore. But--I mean--I just don't get why people consistently clam up so much the minute I walk into a room. It's like no one knows quite what to make of me. So I'm a bit of an oddball! We can't all be cucumbers and tomatoes, am I right? Honestly, I can be a lot of fun--you wouldn't believe how I was dancing on the picnic table on the Fourth of July--but I feel like no one sees me that way. And after a while awkwardness becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Because how many times can a guy be made to feel like the grim reaper of good times before his foliage gets slightly bitter? Yeah, I've got a mildly assertive taste at this point. Who could blame me?
Continue reading »
