It's Gumbo Time Y'all

For my spin on the traditional Creole dish gumbo, I concocted a roux made with whole wheat flour and canola oil rather than white flour and butter. A roux is used as a base to thicken sauces and stews and is composed of a fat and flour.  The more you cook a roux, the darker and more nutty and flavorful it becomes. I started with a golden roux for the gumbo and built the dish with a mirepoix, low sodium chicken stock, casing free andouille style chicken sausage, skinless boneless chicken thighs, some additional flavor enhancers, and topped it off with some jumbo shrimp. The other spin I took was an abridged and boosted version of red beans and rice. I used farro and kidney beans and threw in some peas for added contrast. The farro sub provided many more nutrients than traditional white rice and added a little more sophistication.

Gumbo with Red Beans and “Rice”

Adapted from John Besh’s recipe in the Nov. 2011 Food and Wine

Serves 8

½ cup canola oil

½ cup whole-wheat flour

1 large onion finely chopped

1 celery rib, finely chopped

2 green bell peppers, finely chopped

6 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup tomato paste

2 ½ quarts low sodium chicken broth

¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1 ½ pounds casing free all natural andouille chicken sausage

2 ½ pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

8 jumbo shrimp, cleaned 

Cooked farro

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup organic frozen peas, defrosted

Toppings

2 scallions, thinly sliced

Pickled jalapeño

Hot sauce

1.     Brown chicken thighs in 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pot. They should not be fully cooked, but nicely colored. Removed from pan and set aside.

2.     Combine oil and flour and cook over moderately high heat, stirring continually until flour mixture is golden and smooth, around 5 minutes.

3.     Mix in onions, garlic, celery, bell peppers, and cook over moderately high heat, stirring frequently for around 10 minutes until vegetables are tender. Stir in tomato paste and cook for a minute. Add stock, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, thyme, and bay leaf. Cut the chicken into cubes and add it back into the pot with the sausage. Simmer for 2 hours; discard the bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper. Throw the shrimp in 3 minutes prior to eating and allow to pinken and curl.

4.     While the gumbo simmers, cook the farro and add the frozen peas into the pot for the last minute to heat. Drain, toss with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, and combine with kidney beans.

5.     Serve Gumbo along side the red beans and “rice” and garnish as you please.

The roux and sausage added a great smoky component to the gumbo. All of the flavors melded together nicely, and the farro was a delectable nutty and chewy addition to soak up the sauce. I looked over a lot of different variations of gumbo recipes while concocting this dish, and it is apparent that there are a plethora of variations on a common Creole theme.

This dish was nutrient rich and provided a great balance of:

Lean protein from the beans, chicken, and shrimp

Fiber, iron, and complex carbohydrates from the farro, peas, and kidney beans

Monounsaturated fat from the olive oil and canola oil

As usual, the gumbo got better with age and provided plenty of leftovers to fuel me through my rigorous study sessions leading up to finals.

On another note…I just found out I will be completing my internship at New York Methodist Hospital in Park Slope! So excited to be starting my 27 weeks of clinical rotations and be one step closer to becoming an RD!

Happy Eating Radish Heads!

 

Everything but the.... Tuna Melt

Kitchen sink tuna melt on sprouted grain and seed english muffin, low sodium pickle, and Yerba Matte Tea

For my tuna salad, I usually throw in whatever I can find, sans mayo. Today I had celery, tomatoes, kidney beans, onion, pickled jalapeño, and mustard. I topped it off with some sliced avocado, melted some shredded cheddar and jack cheese under the broiler and I was in business. Most importantly, I used Italian tonno canned in olive oil (which I drained before adding)…it is exceptional quality and really elevates a simple sandwich into something special. 

Quick Fix Mexi Night

Sometimes you just can’t help but get those cravings for gooey, cheesy, spicy goodness. Instead of going to the local greasy fryalator restaurant, I opted to make these simple, healthy, and tasty quesadillas that fulfilled my mexi craving. Obviously, to no one’s surprise, I had to take a healthful spin on these quesadillas and chose Ezekiel’s sprouted grain tortillas as my foundation. These tortillas are more substantial than your average white flour variety and offer a more robust flavor while providing essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber which are not always offered in your run of the mill refined form. For the interior, I used canned low sodium fat free vegetarian refried beans and spread the mash down as my base. For my layers, I caramelized some onions, blanched some asparagus, and roasted a poblano pepper. To top it off, I used about a tablespoon and a half of shredded monterey and cheddar cheese per quesadilla and some organic Muier Glen corn and black bean salsa. I placed another tortilla on top and pressed down slightly and baked for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese was gooey. I topped off these fiestas on a plate with some sliced avocado and pickled jalapeño and was in spicy cheesy Mexican heaven. I am sure these quesadillas are an insult to any Mexican quesadilla purest, but these were great, very simple, and up for a variety of interpretations.

Additional fillers:

Sautéed mushrooms

Blanched broccoli

Roasted red peppers

Sundried tomatoes

Black beans

Spinach

“Beans, beans the magical fruit, the more you eat the more you toot!” Well, that being said, beans are not a fruit but are a legume and are considered part of the vegetable and protein family. They definitely do have some magical attributes! Beans are loaded with calcium, protein, iron, folate, and phosphorus. They are a great source of fiber and can get things flowing, hence the lovely rhymes. Depending on the preparation, beans can be fat free and are a great food choice to help fill you up without being calorically dense.

To accompany my quesadillas, I made an uncomplicated smoky and spicy tomato soup that completed my fiesta….all I needed was some chilled Patron with lime and a mariachi.

3 cups diced onions

1 clove garlic diced

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 quart low sodium vegetable broth

1 28 ounce canned San Marzano diced tomatoes

3 teaspoons minced canned chipotles in adobo with 2 teaspoons of adobo sauce

Optional Garnishes:

Fat free sour cream

Sliced avocado

Shredded cheese

Cilantro

Scallions

Crumbled baked blue corn tortilla chips

Sauté onions in oil until softened, 5 minutes.

Add garlic, cumin, and oregano and stir for 3 minutes.

Add broth, tomatoes, and chipotles, cover and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Turn soup off, allow to cool slightly, and blend in either a blender or with an immersion blender.

Serve and garnish

Here Fishy Fishy

Blistered Shishito Peppers with Sea Salt

Pan Seared Black Cod with Jersey Ugly Tomatoes, Corn, and Basil

This was certainly not your typical "run of the mill" fish dinner. Our friendly fishmonger generously supplied us with some incredible silky, smooth black cod and not one but two types of caviar! This was an exceptional and special meal and we deeply appreciated having “friends with benefits."

Black cod is an extremely buttery, smooth fish that tastes rich and luxurious. The fish was salt and peppered and pan seared in a little canola oil for about 4 minutes a side. Still on my summer tomato and corn kick, Jersey tomatoes were stewed slightly with corn kernels, onion, garlic and jalapeño. By cooking the tomatoes slightly, a light summery sauce developed that really complimented the velvety texture of the fish. While eating the black cod, I had a few moments when I was convinced that the fish must have been pouched in butter because it was so incredibly rich and decadent. Black cod, which is not actually part of the cod family, is Sablefish. It is an excellent source of omega-3’s and has a comparable amount of omegas to wild salmon.

To accompany the black cod, I blistered (pan seared over high heat with canola oil), shishito peppers and topped them with sea salt. Shishito peppers are Japanese peppers that vary in heat intensity; some are as mild as a green bell pepper and some are as spicy as a hot jalapeño. They are fun to eat because you never know how hot your pepper is going to be! These little peppers are very easy to cook and serve as a great veggie snack, side, or appetizer. Peppers also contain photochemicals that have anti-inflammatory benefits.

Much has been said and re-said about the benefits of fish but, in case you need a refresher, here is the low down on the beneficial attributes of these finned critters:

• Omega-3 fatty acids are present in fatty fish such as black cod, salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines, and in walnuts, flaxseed, canola, and soybean oil. Your body needs Omega 3's to properly function and the only way to get them is from eating foods that contain Omega 3's or from supplements. Additionally, omega-3's aid in cognitive function, elevate mood by increasing dopamine and serotonin, lower blood pressure, reduce risk for heart attack, slow the development of plaque buildup in the arteries, and reduce triglycerides
• Fish have varying amounts of iron, calcium, zinc, and magnesium which are beneficial for healthy red blood cells, bone and heart health, immune function, and bodily functions
• Serves as a lean protein
• Low in calories (steaming, broiling, baking, and grilling are the most low fat forms of preparation)

GO FISH!

Refreshing and Raw

Scallop Crudo with Jalapeno Slivers and Lemon Oil

Sauteed Bok Choy with Ginger, Garlic and Sesame Soy

Seared Ahi Tuna and Avocado Salad with Sesame Lime Dressing

Last week left New Yorkers feeling sticky, stinky and stuck in thick hot air that coated the city streets and engulfed transit tunnels. Besides from sipping ice cold Pinot Blanc and slurping chilled oysters, I composed a cold raw scallop crudo and lightly seared ahi tuna for a zesty salad in order to cool off and keep the stove use to a minimum.

The scallop crudo was super simple. The scallops were slivered and returned to the fridge to stay extra cool, while the jalapeño was thinly sliced. For the refreshing final touch, lemon juice and a little olive oil, sea salt and pepper were mixed together and spooned over the crudo, for a simple succulent dish.

The bok choy was sautéed with canola oil, garlic and ginger and was finished with a little low sodium soy sauce.

The refreshing and simple seared tuna salad was emulated from a Barefoot Contessa recipe that appears in her book Barefoot Contessa at Home. My dear friend Jeanette first made this salad for the two of us for a summer picnic in the park years ago and the balance of zesty lime juice, smooth avocado and crunchy sesame seeds have stayed with me since. The dressing was made from the juice of two limes, low sodium soy sauce, toasted sesame seeds, scallions, ginger, Melinda’s extra hot sauce and a touch of sesame oil. This dressing lends itself well to augmentation depending on palate preference. To make the salad go a little further (the original is simply avocado, red onion and tuna) I added mixed greens, endive and thinly sliced celery for added crunch.  After a quick sear, I let the tuna cool, cubed the meat and tossed it with largely diced avocado and some of the dressing to insure adequate flavor distribution prior to adding it to the greens. This salad was light, tart and filling. It required extremely minimal use of the stove and was a quick refresher on a hot summery night.

Whether nutritionally savvy or not, most people are aware of the sodium epidemic that has infiltrated our restaurants, grocery stores and palates. Why so much concern over salt that the Mayor and government offices are actively involved? High intake of sodium is associated with high blood pressure, which puts people at risk for heart disease, stroke, certain cancers, and kidney disease. Depending on ones health status, the recommendation of sodium intake is between 1,500 and 2,300mg; most people are consuming between 3,000 and 6,000mg per day.  1/4 teaspoon of iodized salt contains about 590mg of sodium, so it is extremely simple to overdo intake.

Highly addicted to saltiness? Salt preference is an acquired taste and by slowly reducing intake, your desire should diminish. Sea salt and kosher salt are good alternatives to regular table salt. They are generally lower in sodium, sea salt is higher in minerals and since the grain is courser, it is easier to use less of. As noted, when using soy sauce always opt for the low sodium version, but even the low sodium version has a lot of sodium per mg, around 600mg per tbsp! So be light handed when using it for flavor or for dipping your sushi. As a way to wean off the salt when cooking, try integrating more seasonings, spices and herbs to supplement the flavor obtained from salt. 

Did Someone Say Larb Gai?

                                       

                                                  An interpretation of a traditional Thai dish

DiPaola free-range, antibiotic free, 96% fat free, casing free turkey sausage (the turkey wasn't free), lemongrass, scallion, red pepper, cilantro, jalapeno with a ginger garlic sesame soy sauce.  Accompaniments: Boston lettuce, mint, jalapeno and lime.

Larb gai is an extremely simple and extraordinarily flavorful lean dish. This satisfying meal is crunchy, spicy and satiating. I have always been partial to the addition of spice to my food and capsaicin, which is the component in peppers which contains the heat, may also be beneficial to ones health. Capsaicin has anti-inflammatory benefits and is a phytochemical. A phytochemical is the active compound of a plant, which is thought to give the consumer protection from free radicals (harmful molecules). The fiery power of capsaicin helps control blood clotting and acts as a blood thinner which may aid in the reduction in risk of blood clots and artery disease. Capsaicin is also beneficial for digestion and can help fight bacteria in the stomach and prevent “poo stew”.

Hot peppers have the highest amount of capsaicin but sweet, green, yellow and red bell peppers all contain this powerful component. So if your food needs a pick me up, put some peppers in the pot!