Name That Omega-3

This snack or appetizer was inspired by a dish served at Prune restaurant in the east village. The chef Gabrielle Hamilton explained that the dish she serves of canned sardines, Triscuits and cornichon were based on the meals that she ate and could afford as a young newly transplanted New Yorker. Yet although simplistic, the combination of spicy mustard, minerally meaty fish and salty cornies are delicious and satisfying and a great way to get your omegas. The sustainable canned Portuguese Sardines weren't at all fishy and packed protein, calcium, iron, B12, vitamin D, phosphorous and of course omega-3. Omega-3 is a type of polyunsaturated fat and is essential to the diet because it cannot be made in the body. Omega-3 fat protects against multiple forms of cancer, is anti-inflammatory, assists in increasing good cholesterol and lowers bad, decreases the risk of blood clots and heart attacks and because of the incredibly high calcium content in sardines, helps prevent bone loss and improves bone strength.

If simply taking the sardines out of the tin and smothering them with mustard isn’t your forte, consider adding them to a salad, stuffing them in your sandwich, smashing them on your crostini, mixing them with your pasta or chopping them up in your sauce or marinade, the options are endless and to your benefit!

Creamy and Dreamy, Not Necessarily a Coronary Bypass

Whole Wheat Orcchiette with Ricotta Walnut Sauce, Broccoli Rabe and Spicy Sausage

Sometimes you just can’t help but get cravings for gooey goodness that usually can only be found in calorically dense, high fat foods. Think again. I emulated this NYTs recipe Pasta with Walnut Sauce and bolstered it up with some spicy casing free, all natural chicken sausage. To slim it down, I used fat free ricotta cheese and to kick it up, I added an extra clove of garlic, chili flakes and freshly ground black pepper.

This pasta was creamy and delicious. The pureed walnut ricotta mixture tasted nutty and decadent and the broccoli rabe added a nice peppery balance to the velvety texture of the sauce.  The use of fat free ricotta not only slimmed down the pasta, but combined with the ground walnuts created a viscous quality that was smoothed out with some pasta water. This dish had a nice balance of polyunsaturated fat from the walnuts, which lowers cholesterol, lean protein and calcium from the fat free ricotta and antioxidant, cancer fighting qualities from the broccoli rabe. Broccoli rabe is actually a member of the turnip or Brassica family and has vitamins A and C, folate, potassium and fiber!

Some people fear cheese for its high caloric and cholesterolly dense content, but at times it is imperative to let yourself indulge and enjoy the deliciousness and sometimes stink of cheese. It is important to keep in mind the key of moderation, as 1 oz (which looks like four dice) of most regular cheeses have 100 calories and 8+ grams of fat. Cholesterol and saturated fat in food have the ability to raise blood cholesterol levels, which can lead to the development of heart disease. There are some good alternative low fat and fat free cheese sources, such as laughing cow light, alpine lace and Jarlsberg lite, but unfortunately at the end of the day nothing really taste the same, so live a little…well just a little, 1 oz every now and then to be precise. 

So Sprouty

In continuing my enjoyment of the sprouted grains, I made a breakfast tortilla. The warmed tortilla was layered with light laughing cow cheese, sautéed kale, an egg and finished with chili flakes….good morning!  

Taco Night

Blackened Grouper with sprouted grain tortilla, black bean mango salsa, avocado salad and traditional garnishes.

                                                                              

After a lovely dinner out with friends at Cascabel Taqueria that was margarita and guacamole fueled, I was inspired to create a healthful version of fish tacos. I love fish tacos! They are not only easy and healthful, but the interpretations are limitless. For the blackening seasoning I used cayenne, garlic powder, cumin, coriander, ground mustard, onion powder, oregano, salt and pepper. The seasoning is up for adaptation and depends on your palate preference. The first time fish tacos appeared on TCR, mahi mahi was used. Mahi mahi is more dense and flavorful than grouper. Grouper is a mild, moist, semi flaky fish, which lent itself well to being wrapped in a sprouted grain blanket and layered with corn salsa, radish and cilantro. A last minute addition of lime adds a great zest and freshness to the taco.

When making the painstakingly challenging decision of what vessel to nestle your flaky flavorful formally finned friend into, it is important to look carefully at the ingredients in tortillas and bread products. A lot of tortillas have preservatives and additives that although allow the product to last longer, don’t do you any benefit. Whole grain products are always best, as they contain all the nutrients from the wheat and are not as processed as white. Folate, which helps form red blood cells and protects against birth defects; iron, which transports oxygen in the blood and magnesium, which is essential for building bones, and selenium which promotes a healthy immune system, are commonly found nutrients in whole grains. Additionally, whole wheat products contain beneficial dietary fiber, are more filling and do not spike blood levels as drastically as white flour products. Whole grains also reduce the risk of chronic disease. Sugar is also added to a lot of bread and tortillas, so if you are cautious about your sugar intake, it is important to look for products that use honey or agave or no sweetener.

For these fish tacos, I opted for one of my favorite brands of grain products, Food For Life: Ezekiel 4:9. This company makes amazing cereals and really delicious tortillas, which are all sprouted, which means the living ingredients are put into water to sprout and then baked at a low temperature to maintain their protein rich integrity. These organic tortillas  contain no flour and are a mixture of grains and legumes to create a complete protein that contains a bounty of vitamins and minerals and fiber with no added fat. Although these tortillas sound extremely pious, they tasted nutty and wholesome and were a great complement to the smooth and flaky fish, the crunchy and spicy salsa and the creamy guacamole….traditional whole wheat tortillas will work just as well. 

Dear Asparagus, why do you make my pee smell?

Many people have pondered about the odor that arises post consumption of a spring meal composed of farm fresh asparagus. Sometimes even a few crunchy spears will cause the sulfurous smell to permeate your nostrils. Although debatable, most science blames the aroma on a sulfur compound in the asparagus called mercaptan. Believe it or not mercaptan is also found in skunk secretion, rotten eggs, garlic and onions. The smell that develops is due to the breakdown of this compound during digestion. Some fortuitous folks lack the enzyme to digest mercaptan and therefore do not have the stinky side effects. Despite the aftermath, asparagus has a bounty of benefits besides being versatile and delicious.  Asparagus has a nice balance of carbohydrates, fiber and protein. The green spears also have vitamins A and C, folate and lutein, which is beneficial for eye health.

For my farmer’s market fresh asparagus, I simply roasted the trimmed spears with a little olive oil, chopped garlic and parsley for 8-10 minutes at 350.

As the main event of the evening, a cioppino was prepared. Cioppino is a seafood stew that originated in San Francisco and is traditionally made from the catch of the day, therefore the ingredients are up for interpretation. For this cioppino, hake, a sweet, semi-meaty white fish was used as well as wild sea scallops, muscles, clams and shrimp.

Fennel, onion and garlic were first sautéed in olive oil. Red wine was then added to deglaze. After it reduced, a can of San Marzano diced tomatoes and 1/2 cup of fish stock were added and brought to a boil. After about 10 minutes, the pot was removed from the heat and allowed to cool slightly and then blended with an immersion blender. Once thinly pureed, the stew was brought back to a simmer. The hake and sea scallops were salt and peppered and quickly pan seared. While searing, the rest of the shellfish were added to the stew and cooked until the shells opened, 5-10 minutes. Everything was plated together and chopped basil and parsley were added to the finished product. Toasted slices of Grandaisy whole wheat baguette smothered with roasted garlic were placed along side for dipping.

This cioppino was very simple, extremely flavorful and delicious and encapsulated the essence of the sea. This dish was low in fat, contained fiber, lycopene and the crustaceans, mollusks and fish provided lean protein. The total cooking time was around an hour. 

Ole, ole, ole, it's the fifth of May!

Feeling feisty this Cinco de Mayo and don’t want to feel bloated and guilty for eating massive amounts of tortilla chips and “guac”. Make some kale chips to satisfy your need for a crunchy, crumbly snack. Although kale chips are certainly not strong enough to support a delicious, creamy glob of guacamole, they can serve as a nice addition to your fiesta.


One bunch of kale was used for the kale chips. Wash, dry and cut the stems. Cut each leaf into thirds and put them into a bowl. Mix the leaves with 1 tbsp of olive oil, a tsp of salt and some garlic powder, depending on your palate preference. Spread evenly on a baking sheet (depending on the pan size, two batches might be necessary) and bake for about 20 minutes at 400 F. The kale should come out crisp and crunchy. They do have a tendency to be very crumbly, so make sure you have plenty of napkins on hand. Since I was in a “chippy” mood and had an extra sweet potato, I attempted to make sweet potato chips as well. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get the desired crisp from them that I attained from the kale, but they were still delicious and satisfying.

Who doesn’t love a freshly made bowl of rich and luscious guacamole, especially when celebrating Mexico's victory over France; fortunately this delicious dip is good for you too!  Avocados are an excellent source of monounsaturated fat, which is the “good” fat that helps lower cholesterol. Although good for you, avocados are still a type of fat and should not be consumed in massive amounts. Two tablespoons of this green fruit contain 45 calories and 5 grams of fat. On average, a person should be getting 20-35% of their calories from fat, which range depending on your caloric needs. A majority of fat consumed should be from unsaturated fat sources such as avocados, nuts, vegetable oils and fatty fish such as salmon, sardines and tuna. To make your green “goddess” go a little further, mix in tomatoes for added depth and serve with crunchy veggies.

While reveling with mariachis and margaritas, consider paring clear tequila with fresh lime juice instead of sour mix which is loaded with sugar and excess calories, add a little fresh juice and club soda to tone it down and sweeten it up. 

Who Wouldn't Want to Eat Spring?

Pea and Ramp Soup with Kefir

Spring has miraculously emerged over the past few weeks and to celebrate its arrival I made a soup to capture its essence. Even though peas are starting to pop up at the markets, I used frozen organic petite peas. Although I am not immensely proud of my usage of frozen peas, they are packaged at their peek, are simpler to use, more accessible than fresh and provide nice flavor.

Ramps, garlic and celery were sautéed in olive oil until lightly browned. A bag and a 1/2 of frozen peas were added and the pan was deglazed with a little north fork Pinot Blanc. Once warmed through, a container of organic low sodium vegetable stock was added and the soup was brought to a boil. The pot was removed from the heat and allowed to cool slightly. The soup was pureed using an immersion  blender,  (a regular blender can be used as well) until it reached the desired texture. The soup  was brought back to a simmer and served.

Garnished with kefir for texture and flavor and topped with some warmed whole peas.  

This soup is very simple, flavorful and low calorie. Peas provide more than 3 grams of fiber per 1/2 cup, are a plant-based protein and have iron. So… Pass the pea soup please!

Little Sweeties

Lean ground turkey burger studded with Old Chatham Ewe’s blue topped with caramelized onions accompanied by roasted sweet potato fries with garlic and ramps.

  

Most people are accustomed to a starchy side with their dinner and more importantly french fries with their burger. While cutting calories and saturated fat by opting for lean turkey meat, roasted sweet potatoes fries were paired with the burger instead of fried. Ground white meat turkey has a tendency to become dry when cooked, but by mixing it with lean ground dark turkey meat and studding the meat with onions and roquefort style blue cheese, allowed the burger to come out moist and flavorful. Turkey burgers are a quick and healthful meal to make, especially when you are craving something meaty, but want to avoid red meat and saturated fat.

Sweet potatoes are a tasty and nutritious low calorie element to add to a meal, particularly when looking for a starchy, hearty side. Sweet potatoes contain beta carotene, which is the component that gives the tuber its orange hue and gives the sweet, antioxidant properties. Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin A and also contain vitamin C, folic acid and potassium and have a decent amount of fiber. 

The fries were cut with the skin on, and tossed with a little olive oil, chopped garlic and salt and roasted at 400 F for 40 minutes. Ramps were sautéed with a little olive oil and spooned over the sweet potatoes to add an additional oniony, garlicky component. 

Something this "sweet" can be good for you too!