Saucealicious

This dip/sauce/dressing, what have you, is delectable and I could literally drink it. I hope you find it as scrumptious as I do.

This recipe was inspired by a dressing from Raw Food, Real World

Green Gremlin Dressing

1 small avocado

¼ cup tangerine or fresh orange juice

2 limes, zest of 1, juice of both

½ cup roughly chopped cilantro and chives

Pinch of sea salt

¼ cup olive oil

Black pepper

In a blender, combine the avocado, citrus juices, herbs, and sea salt. With the blender running, slowly add the olive oil until the dressing is creamy and emulsified. Finish with pepper.

You can toss it with your salad, smother it over your fish or just dip some veggies into it.  Here I served it with grilled salmon over greens with grilled zucchini and roasted red pepper. Tangy, creamy, yummy! I hope you enjoy.

                  

What I'm Making For Thanksgiving

Roasted Butternut Squash with Farro, Spinach, and Pistachio Herbed Pesto

       

I have always been one who cares far more about the sides than the poultry centerpiece on Thanksgiving. Luckily, my family hosts an enormous gathering, which is bombarded with side dishes. Like most Thanksgivings, it turns into somewhat of a potluck, and everyone contributes something. Despite my passion for health, I have never been one who enjoys rich, cream and butter-laden dishes. I hate that feeling of overstuffed food guilt which can strike you post-engorgement. So, I am happy to contribute this vegetable and hearty grain side dish with just the right amount of decadence.

I got this recipe from Sprouted Kitchen. Its delicious…I hope my family finds it to be too.

For my version I used farro cooked in low sodium vegetable broth. Parsley, cilantro, basil, and chives for the pesto, and doubled the amount of spinach since it shrinks so much when adding the farro cooking liquid. The addition of lime in the pesto adds a nice complexity and makes the dish bright and vibrant.

I hope everyone has a happy and healthy Thanksgiving….and try not to stuff yourself too much.

Here are some quick pointers to help you from overdoing it on the big day…for those of you who, like me, get to celebrate Thanksgiving twice, these tips are even more important if you participate in part I and part II of glutton fest

• Never arrive starving. Make sure you have some protein in your system prior to your feast. Protein helps curb hunger, satiates, and prevents you from going on a free-for-all once the food is served.
• Balance your plate. As you are loading up, make sure half of your plate is full of fiber rich vegetables. Starchy vegetables such as potatoes, mashed or roasted, don’t count. Ideally, starchy vegetables, grains and/or other carbohydrates should occupy 1/4 of your plate, and the other 1/4 should contain your protein. 
• Choose white meat over dark. It has less fat and always remove the skin. 
• Choose your indulgences. Don’t make a dessert plate or load up on all starchy sides. Select two indulgent sides and portion out two tablespoons to enjoy.
• Drink water, sparkling or flat, throughout your meal to help pace yourself and to prevent over indulging.
• Move! Get some exercise before your meal so you feel like you have earned your treats.

 

                    

                 Happy Thanksgiving!

Breathe, Stretch, Shake ....

Today I passed the RD exam. After countless hours of studying, volunteering, a grueling, yet incredibly rewarding dietetic internship, over caffeination, stress-induced stomach pains, and a permanent indentation in my desk chair that resembles my backside, I can finally breathe freely. What a long and trying road it has been. I am thrilled and so thankful to finally get here. I could have never sustained my motivation without the support of my family and friends. Thank you!

So the time has finally come for me to seek employment…but maybe I’ll try to tackle culinary school first? 

Dine Out Downtown Now... Make This Later

Sesame Soy Wild Striped Bass Over Brown Fried Rice

In the wake of Sandy, it finally paid to live uptown on the not so hip Upper West Side. We were fortunately spared from any harm, but it is truly devastating to see what happened to this much beloved city and the surrounding areas. It is also truly awe-inspiring to see the resilience, devotion, and compassion that New Yorkers have shown for one another.

As a former waitress, I felt a deep empathy for the downtown restaurant industry and the thousands of dollars in losses that the front and back of house lost. So to do my part, I recently ate downtown and will continue to support those restaurants and businesses affected by this terrible disaster.

I was reminded recently that TCR was seriously lacking and was in dire need of a new post (thanks KME), so to relate back to my focus of nutrition and healthful cooking, I’ll reflect on my recent delicious downtown dining experience.

I am a self-proclaimed fried rice freak and, on my recent visit to the restaurant RedFarm, I was reminded of my affinity for this not so healthy dish. It is highly unlikely that you will find healthful fried rice while dining out. Most are laden with oil, sky-high amounts of sodium, some possible traces of MSG, white rice, and fatty cuts of meat. Sorry to be a Debbie downer but, on the upside, it is tremendously easy to make a healthful kicked up version of this typically greasy treat.

Green Ginger Fried Rice

Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers

Serves 4

2 Cups Cooked Brown Rice

3 Tablespoons Canola Oil

Chili Paste (taste preference)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon ginger, minced

1 carrot, diced

½ white onion, diced

4 eggs, beaten

1 bunch kale, veins removed, leaves chopped

4 cups spinach, chopped

1 bunch scallion, chopped

½ cup frozen peas

½ cup frozen corn

1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

Splash of sesame oil

Ideally you want to prepare this dish in a wok but, alas, I have yet to add one to my cooking arsenal so I used my Le Creuset. Any large skillet could work. Also, it is imperative that everything is prepped before you start cooking, including the beaten egg. The cooking time is relatively fast, so you want everything within reach.

In a warm “cooking vessel” over medium high heat, add 1 ½ tbsp of oil, add the chili paste according to taste preference and ½ the garlic and ½ the ginger. Allow to cook together, encouraging the chili to “toast” slightly. Pour the eggs into the oil and cook, scraping the cooked portions into the center and allowing the liquid egg to spread out evenly. Ideally you want a thin layer of cooked egg. Cut the egg into small pieces and transfer to a bowl.

Wipe the pan; add the rest of the oil, some more chili paste, and carrots. Allow to soften slightly. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and sauté for a few minutes. For this dish, I like the onion with a slight bite, but it’s totally up to you. Add the kale and spinach and, once they both begin to wilt, add the peas and corn. Stir-fry for a minute and add the rice and most of the scallions. Once all the ingredients are hot, stir in the soy sauce, sesame oil and egg. Garnish with additional scallions. I felt ambitious and marinated wild striped bass in garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, brown rice vinegar, and cilantro. I gave it a quick sear and put it over the rice, but the rice can certainly be a dish on its own.

  

This kicked up fried rice puts the emphasis on the vegetables as apposed to the rice, but still provides that garlicky, slightly salty, eggy dish. Brown rice provides complex carbohydrates and digests slower than their white counterpart, which inhibits those hunger pains that usually strike soon after a Chinese food bender. The brown rice also has dietary fiber and iron.  Added veggies and egg make this dish nutritionally diverse and provides protein and a multitude of essential vitamins and minerals ranging from A, D, E, K, C and calcium.  So next time you contemplate calling for take-out, consider this simple, and nutritious alternative. Your body will thank you.