Recipes

Simple Vinegrette
This is the way I like to make a vinegrette. Make plenty and use it all week!

In a jar, place salt and pepper (to taste) and whatever herbs or spices you love. Atop this, add between 1 teaspoon and 1 tablespoon dijon mustard (depending on how much vinegrette you're making).
Pour in enough of your favorite vinegar to cover the mustard and disolve the salt. Then, add your oil. Traditional recipes call for 3 times the oil as vinegar, but I like to add the same amount.
Cover the jar, tightly and shake until emulsified.

You can always add other items like diced shallots or capers. Play with it! Make it your own!_________________________________________________


Roasted Garlic

Cut the top quarter off your head of garlic. Place it on enough aluminum foil to encase it loosely. Drizzle some olive oil over the exposed head, wrap it up and place in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the cloves are soft. Squeeze out the cloves and enjoy spread on toast, blended into your favorite soup or sliced over sauteed greens. This is an extremely versatile item. Have fun!
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Roasted Veggies

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
Chop your veggies into bite-size pieces, put them in a bowl and pour your favorite marinade over them (try the vinegrette!). Toss until coated. With a slotted spoon (or your hands), spread the veggies onto a baking sheet, not letting them get piled on top of each other. This will ensure more carmelization for each individual item. Roast them in the oven for about 15 minutes, then turn them. Let them get another 10 minutes of carmelization before serving. Yum.
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Brussels Sprouts, Garlic and other scary things...

A discussion with some fellow foodies, in a bar Saturday night, has prompted me to address the concepts of marinating and roasting.

I recently had a housewarming party and, in order to offer a variety of foods that everyone could eat, I decided to offer my favorite roasted veggies. I included crimini mushrooms, onions, butternut squash, artichoke hearts, brussels sprouts...brussels sprouts?! Yes, and everybody raved about how delicious "those vegetables" were. Some, not having had the little cabbages (voluntarily) for quite some time, had to try to figure out what those little yummy morsels actually were!

If you ever have to feed vegetables to children or picky eaters, try marinating and roasting them! Roasting brings out a natural sweetness as the veggies carmelize and a smart marinade (like a simple vinegrette) unifies the flavors so while each item's individuality remains intact, nothing stands out like a sore thumb.

I'd really hoped to have some leftovers for lunch the next day...well, that didn't happen.

When I say garlic, my boyfriend says "Ew!" I've always loved the stuff. I'll always love him, but I cannot go three days without that stinky rose! While he's eating, my honey will rave about how delicious a dish is, even when garlic is included; but when the inevitable post-meal burp comes around..."EW! Garlic!" How do I get around this conundrum? ROASTED GARLIC!!! Now, I know it doesn't completely erase any sort of...ahem...after-effects, but roasting garlic mellows the flavor and the aroma, leaving you with a nutty, butteriness that just cannot be beat!

My favorite way to sneak roasted garlic into my boyfriend's meals is to blend it into soup. Creamy asparagus, roasted eggplant/cauliflower; all my blended soups get the garlic treatment. I just don't use as much as I would for myself. The soup I call "My Favorite's Favorite" is a fire roasted tomato/bell pepper brew, blended with chipotle pepper and roasted garlic. It's a vibrant, red, firey meal he enjoys with plenty of cilantro, extra white pepper and a few crusty slices of toast on the side. Until I told him, he had no clue that I blend half of a head of roasted garlic into this soup! And he still loves it!

With Halloween coming, I even considered inflicting a garlic soup on him...maybe not!

The key is: don't run from these healthy items. If you find the flavors too harsh, try roasting them into a sweeter version. You'll be able to fill up on nutrition, without making the "yucky face!"

Broccoli, Schmockolli!

When I was a kid, my mom used to force broccoli on me. "It's a cruciferous vegetable! It's good for you," she'd hiss. The only problem was the way she'd prepare it. The vibrant green florets she'd brought home from the store had been replaced by a greenish-brown sludge by the time they'd hit the table. I wanted to recognize my veggies!

Today, when I want the hard-hitting nutrition of broccoli, I go for it's little sister: broccolini. This is young broccoli. It's tender, sweeter, easier to prepare and eat than its bulky sibling. My favorite way to prepare broccolini is by sauteeing it. I like to add about a tablespoon of olive oil to a hot pan, then introduce the trimmed (just cut off the bottom inch of the stem) broccolini. Diced garlic goes in next, followed by a teaspoon or so of sesame seeds. When the veggies are bright green and the stems are hot through, I remove the pan from the heat and squeeze 1/2 of a lemon over the whole thing. Yum.

If you can't find broccolini or you just really want to take on the big bundle of broccoli, my favorite way to make it delicious is by roasting it. Roasting brings out the sweetness many people miss when their broccoli has been steamed or boiled. Slice the spears into long, narrower pieces. After a good rinse, dry it and toss it with your favorite vinegrette (I keep lots on hand!), then lay it on a baking sheet. Roast your spears at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes, and enjoy.

This recipe can be an elegant canvas for many different toppings and condiments. Try sprinkling grated parmesano reggiano over the spears in the last 5 minutes of roasting. This creates a beautiful, melted lattice over your veggies. I like to reduce my favorite balsalmic vinegar down to a glaze consistency, then drizzle that over the broccoli. Sweet meets tangy! If your main course is more complex and filled with a variety of flavors, you may want to keep the spears simple, just tossing them with olive oil, shallots and lemon zest. Lovely!

To be healthy, broccoli does not have to be steamed or bland! Play with it and enjoy. Any suggestions? Let me know!

Beans, beans the magical fruit! The more you eat...

...The more you'll thank me!
Don't be put off by the more, um...fragrant aspects of beanery. These nutritional powerhouses offer more than just gas! High in fiber, iron, protein and flavor; beans can be used in countless ways.

First, the dispute betwixt canned and dry beans. There are a few things to consider when making this decision. Canned beans, while convenient, tend to harbor lots of sodium. If you're on a low-sodium diet, you'll want to rinse these very well or just avoid them altogether. Dry beans require a little planning. Most need about 8 hours of soaking, followed by a thourough rinse, boil and 45 minutes to 1 hour of simmering or to be brought to a boil, then simmered for a few hours.

My favorite way to deal with dried beans? I like to soak a moderately large amount (1 cup) overnight, and cook them right after breakfast (or whenever I have an hour to spare). I can then refrigerate them until I'm ready to season them.

The simplest seasoning I've concocted is a basic vinegrette with lots of dried herbes de provence. In a jar (for easy re-emulsion), I place about 1 tablespoon dijon mustard, salt and pepper to taste, and another tablespoon of provencal herbs. To that, I'll add enough white balsalmic (or whatever vinegar I'm lovin' that day) vinegar to dissolve the salt. At this point, a finely diced shallot always adds a nice variation in texture, but you could even use diced red onion...I won't tell! If you're a garlic lover, like me, press a couple-3-4 cloves in your jar. Now, most classic vinegrette recipes call for a 3:1 ratio of oil to vinegar, but I prefer to go 1:1. You can play with the measurements and adjust them to your liking. After adding the extra-virgin olive oil, I tightly screw on the lid and shake the jar like there's no tomorrow. Pour this mixture over your beans, preferably while they're still warm. They'll absorb more flavor that way.

In order to avoid smashing the tender legumes, I like to place a lid of some sort over them and toss the beans in the dressing to coat them. You may be tempted to taste them immediately, but I've found that waiting about five minutes or so allows the vinegrette to permeate the beans. At this point, adjust the seasoning to your liking.

This is a good, basic way to incorporate beans into other meals. This morning I scooped a 1/2 cup of adzuki beans (prepared in this manner) over a 1/2 cup of a yummy brown rice mixture, then topped it all with copious amounts of cubed avocado and chopped cilantro. For an extra protein kick, I also like to drop a poached egg on top of all that!

If gas is an issue and you don't eat beans regularly, start with smaller amounts; no more than a 1/2 cup at a time. As your digestive system grows accustomed to those indigestible skins and high fiber content, the problems should subside. If you're so in love with the recipe and want to indulge beyond your intestinal limits, grab some Beano or your favorite chewable enzyme supplement. Chew them right before or with your first bite of the offending food.

I hope this helps anyone who's been intimidated by the super-bean. If you have any other recipe ideas, I'd love to read them!

What you'll find here...

Beans, blueberries, broccoli and oats. Oranges, pumpkin, salmon and soy. I'm sure you know these items are super healthy and important for maintaining good health. But do you also know that they can all be delicious? Even the beans?! Well, they can and that's what I'll be doing here. I'm going to show you delicious ways to get your nutrients, without getting bored. Along with the above-listed items, I'll also include spinach (without E-Coli!), tea, tomatoes, walnuts and yogurt in my list of "superfoods."

I also understand that these are not the only high-nutrient items out there. In order to make the dishes highlighted here as exciting as possible, I'll also include other "superfoods" that didn't happen to make WebMD's list. Maitake mushrooms, anyone?

As a musician, I understand the value of the request. A request for a good song can lead to a brainstorm (if we don't know it) or a chain reaction of other requests from the crowd or even the band. If you know of a nutritious item for which you need a recipe, just ask! I'd be happy to offer my ideas.

The whole point? Food may be fuel, but it also has to be fun. If I could only get broccoli the way my mom makes it, I'd be missing out on some serious nutrition!

So, on that note...let's eat!