I’m into one-pot dishes when I’m cooking for myself these days.  This is a variation of a recipe I got from Whole Foods.  It utilizes a North African marinade called charmoula.  It’s lemon/garlic/cumin flavors make anything super tasty.  I use it on tempeh in this recipe, and use parsley, which is high in iron and protein. 

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup vegetable broth

1 tsp lemon zest

1 tsp salt

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

pinch of cayenne pepper

pinch of paprika

1 package tempeh, cut into 2 inch pieces

2 zucchinis, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds

1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, mix the broth, lemon juice and zest, spices, parsley, garlic and salt.  Slowly whisk in the oil until well blended.  You can set this aside and store overnight, or use immediately for the dish.  Add the tempeh into the bowl and let the tempeh sit in the marinade for about 10 minutes.  Place marinated tempeh into a baking dish, and cover with the zucchini rounds, then with the tomatoes.

Pour the reserved marinade over the tempeh, zucchini and tomatoes. 

Cover and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove the cover and bake for another 15-20 minutes, until marinade is almost evaporated.  Serve hot or cold.

Ah, spring!  Although in NYC today it felt like summer!  I was inspired by the thought of summer today, and saw green.  This dish takes the produce we still have an abundance of, but calls to the upcoming season.  You can use salmon as a substitute for the arctic char.  And feel free to sprinkle the final dish with any fresh herbs you have on hand.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 6oz filets of arctic char, with skin

1 celery root

1 bunch of kale

2-4 TBS unsweetened almond milk

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons fennel seeds, ground in a coffee grinder or in a mortar and pestle

zest and juice of 1 lemon

zest and juice of a half an orange

2 tsp grapeseed or olive oil

1 tsp dried tarragon

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 TBS white wine vinegar (or white balsamic, which I have on hand)

1 tsp mustard seeds, crushed

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 tsp freshly ground pepper

1 TBS parsley, chopped

1/2 tsp agave nectar (or a pinch of sugar)

salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix the lemon and orange zest, fennel seeds, garlic, oil, tarragon, thyme, vinegar, mustard seeds, prepared mustard, pepper, parsley and agave nectar. 

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.

Place a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil on a baking sheet.  Place the fish filets skin side down.  Spread the herb paste evenly over the filets, coating completely.  Squeeze the lemon and orange juice over the filets, leaving a small pool of juice. 

Place in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the filets.  When they’re finished cooking, remove from the oven and let rest about 10 minutes.

While the fish is cooking, prepare the celery root puree.  Don’t be intimidated by the crazy look of this root. 

Wash the root, and then get to chopping the exterior off!  You’ll be left with a bulb shaped white root.

Dice this root into equal sized pieces, and place in a medium pot.  Cover the diced celery root with water, and add a splash (1 TBS or more) of salt. 

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, and cook until tender, approximately 15 minutes.  Drain, and place in a food processor along with some freshly ground pepper.  Slowly pour in the almond milk, adding only as much as you need to get the consistency you like.  It should look like mashed potatoes.

Set aside while you prepare the kale.  Spray a medium pot with non stick spray, or add about 2 tsp of oil, and put on a medium flame.  Roughly chop the kale, then add it to the pot with a splash of water and some salt and pepper.  Cover immediately, and steam the kale just a couple of minutes until wilted.  Stirring only once.

To plate, spread a smear of celery root on a large plate.

Pile on some kale, then place a filet on top.  Sprinkle with fresh herbs.

Like cheesecakes, cheese danishes are loaded with saturated fat.  This is my attempt to revamp the classic pastry, with less fat and more protein.  I use fig preserves in this recipe, just as a short cut, so feel free to use a different fruit as a base, or make the fruit base from scratch.  This dish is best eaten day of, and does get soggy if stored overnight, so plan on making this when you have guests over or give it away. 

Serves 6

Ingredients:

6 sheets of 9”x14” fillo sheets, thawed in the refrigerator overnight if frozen

canola oil spray

1/2 cup non fat plain greek yogurt

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/3 cup fig preserves

2 TBS sliced almonds

Directions:

I use a pie pan in this recipe, but if you have a tart pan with a removable fluted rim, use this.  Lightly grease the pan with some clarified butter or non-stick spray.  Dampen a kitchen towel or a stack of 2-3 paper towels, and keep nearby as you unroll the package of fillo dough.  Spray your work surface with a small amount of the canola spray.  Take one sheet of fillo dough, and place it on your work surface (I use a large cutting board).  Immediately spray the sheet with canola spray along the edges and especially the corners.  Cover the remaining fillo sheets with the damp towel so they don’t dry out.  Use a small brush (or your finger if you don’t have a brush) to spread the spray along the edges of the sheet, to evenly, but thinly, coat.  Then spray the center of the sheet with a little more spray and spread out with your brush to cover the remaining dry spots on the sheet.  Lay the second sheet of fillo dough over the first, and repeat the spraying process. 

Don’t get flustered if they don’t line up perfectly, it won’t matter in the final product!  Once you have 3 sheets stacked, begin to layer the next 3 sheets perpendicular to the first 3 sheets, so that you get a wide cross shape.  When finished, place the fillo stack in the prepared pan, and fold over the edges in whatever fashion you’d like.  I go for the messy look.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spread the fig preserves evenly over the bottom of the fillo stack. 

Place it in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.  Remove the pastry from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees.

In a medium bowl, beat the egg, then stir in the vanilla extract and greek yogurt. Pour this over the fig preserves, then place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove the pastry from the oven briefly.  Sprinkle the pastry with the almonds, and return to the oven for approximately 10 minutes, until the almonds are lightly toasted.

Remove from oven and cool for 30 minutes.  Cut into 6 pieces and serve.

Stuffed peppers are a nice way to create a filling, high-fiber dinner.  I’ve used quinoa and brown rice in place of the bulgur wheat used in this recipe, but I believe that bulgur wheat, also known as kasha, fits the best with the beef-less ground beef I use in this recipe.  Using beef-less beef (any variety, I like Trader Joe’s version, but I’ve used Quorn too for my friends who can’t consume soy) cuts the cooking time down significantly, so go with this more environmentally-friendly variation.  And don’t skip the step of broiling and peeling the peppers, it makes the pepper very easy to eat, and it probably contains less toxins (wax) as well.  I’ve found a low-fat version of queso blanco at my local Latin-American grocery store, but you can use low-fat monterey jack cheese as a substitute.  I also bought a Mexican red sauce instead of making it by scratch (saved me 20 minutes), but you can use the salsa recipe in my previous blog-post, or purchased jarred salsa verde and use that too. The poblano peppers have quite a kick, but if you like more spice, sprinkle with tabasco sauce or add an additional 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper in the stuffing.

Serves 3

Ingredients:

3 large poblano peppers

1/4 cup organic bulgur wheat

6 oz. beef-less ground beef

2 scallions, sliced thin

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/2 cup vegetable broth

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano (ideally Mexican)

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

3 oz. low-fat queso blanco (or monterey jack cheese)

3 TBS pepitas (pumpkin seeds), roasted

Directions:

Preheat broiler.  Wash and dry peppers and place on a baking sheet.  Place in broiler, and turn peppers with tongs, every 2-3 minutes, until almost blackened.  Don’t be alarmed with the popping sound, it’s the skin popping to release heat.  Once they’re fully blistered (but not burned), remove from heat, and tent with aluminum foil to steam cook a little longer.  While they’re steaming, prepare the filling.

In a medium skillet, spray with non-stick spray, and over a medium flame, and the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Rinse the bugur under cold water, and add to the onions, mixing thoroughly.  Once the water absorbs, add the vegetable broth slowly, and bring to a boil. 

Reduce heat, and mix thoroughly, then add in all the spices as well as the ground beef.  Stir well, then add in the garlic, scallions and cilantro.  Cook for 1-2 minutes, then remove from heat.

Remove the foil from the peppers, and begin to peel off all of the skin.

Once the skin is all off, take a knife and slice one side of the pepper open.  The seed pouch should be easy to grab and remove all at once.

I like leaving the top of the pepper on, because it helps keep the pepper together.  Just trim the stem for a better appearance.

Pour the salsa or Mexican red sauce on the bottom of a large oven-proof skillet.  Place each pepper face up on the sauce.

Fill each pepper with stuffing, and cover evenly with the cheese.

Place the peppers in the broiler, and broil until the cheese is crisp (the way I like it), or just until it appears slightly melted.  Sprinkle with the pepitas and serve!

This is a temporarily photo-less post, since I’ve been asked very often lately what I’m serving at my super bowl party, & wanted to get the recipes up asap.  These are common recipes that will be served across the country, in a form that you won’t regret consuming come Monday morning.  There are several short cuts I recommend if your time is limited, but if you have the weekend to prepare, I always think it’s best to make everything from scratch.  My biggest tip is do not serve nuts, since the calories add up so quick, and people will just snack on them mindlessly as they get distracted by the game.  I like wasabi peas as an alternative.

Spinach-Artichoke Dip

I’ll be serving this dip with pumpernickel bagel chips, a lower carb option is of course, celery and carrot sticks, and daikon radish works well too. There are some nice lower carb pita chips out there, and I also like gluten free Rice Thins (the brown rice variety).

Ingredients:

1 cup thawed, chopped frozen spinach

1 12 oz. jar of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

4 oz. 1/3 less fat (Neufchatel) cream cheese, at room temperature

1/3 cup fat free sour cream

1/4 cup reduced fat mayonnaise

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp garlic salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Thoroughly mix the cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, parmesan cheese, pepper flakes, and garlic salt together in a glass baking bowl.  Stir in the spinach and artichoke hearts, and bake for 10-15 minutes.  Serve hot. 

Cocktail Meatballs with three dipping sauces (mushroom gravy, pesto, and sun-dried tomato dip)

Here’s a vegetarian as well as a meat version.  If you’d like to short cut and save some time, I recommend buying the Trader Joe’s version of Meatless meatballs, found in the frozen section, which are delicious.  They can be baked up quickly to save time.  

Lamb/turkey meatballs

Ingredients:

1/2 lb ground lamb

1/2 lb ground turkey

2 heaping TBS dry bulgur, soaked in 1 cup hot water until soft (approx. 30 mins), then drained

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 small onion, grated, then drained (use gloves when you grate!!)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 egg

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp paprika

2 TBS parsley, chopped

2 TBS cilantro, chopped

Directions:

Preheat a broiler or grill.  Mix everything together, and form into football shaped balls.  Spray each ball with non-stick spray or use your Misto, and grill approximately 4-5 minutes on each side. 

Veggieballs (from The Meatball Shop Cookbook by Daniel Holzman & Michael Chernow, 2011, but I make a personal substitute for the breadcrumbs, and severely reduce the amount of oil used)

Ingredients:

2 cups lentils
2 TBS olive oil, as well as a Misto filled with olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 TBS chopped fresh thyme (1 tsp dried)
2 TSP salt
3 TBS tomato paste
8 oz. Button Mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced
3 large eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 heaping TBS dry bulgur, soaked in 1 cup hot water until soft (for 30 mins), then drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

Directions:

Combine the lentils and 2 quarts water in a medium stockpot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the lentils are soft (but not falling apart), about 25 minutes. Drain the lentils and allow to cool.

Seven Layer Nachos

Get a large serving bowl or square 13x9 inch baking pan, and layer the following ingredients as recommended.  Serve with reduced fat/sodium chips.  My favorite lately are Veggie and Flaxseed Tortilla Chips.

Layer 1 Fat free re-fried beans.  This is one item that you can short-cut and buy at any supermarket.  You can also prepare them the day before, by soaking a cup of black or pinto beans with 1 tsp of baking soda in 4 cups of water the night before.  The next day, bring the beans, 1 bay leaf, and salt to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, half-covered for 45 minutes to and hour, until tender.  Saute half of a chopped onion, half of a chopped green pepper and a clove of garlic for 5-10 minutes.  Remove the bay leaf from the beans, and drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the liquid.  Add the beans to the pan, and saute briefly.  Remove from heat, and add the reserved liquid, and mash with a potato masher until well blended.

Layer 2 Salsa.  Home-made salsa doesn’t take too long, but this is also something you can buy. 

Ingredients:

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1/2 yellow or green pepper, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 14.5 oz can diced organic tomatoes, drained (fire-roasted is my favorite)

1/4 cup lime juice (juice of 1 lime)

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1 tsp jalepeno pepper, seeded and very finely chopped

Directions:

On a low flame, saute the onion and pepper in a pan coated with non-stick spray for about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, tomatoes, and jalepeno pepper, and cook briefly for a couple of minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice and cilantro.  Allow to cool fully, and ideally refrigerate overnight before serving.

Layer 3 Beef-less taco meat.  Just do it.  You’re guests won’t be able to tell the difference.  My favorite ground beef substitute is Trader Joe’s Beef-less Ground Beef.  There are also varieties out there that aren’t soy-based, so look at the labels. 

Make your very own taco seasoning (which can also be bought pre-made).  Combine 2 TBS chili powder, 1 TBS ground cumin, 1 TBS onion powder, 1 TBS garlic salt, 2 tsp arrowroot powder, 2 tsp paprika, 2 tsp dried oregano (Mexican is best), 1 tsp crushed red pepper, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, and store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Add the beef-less beef to a bowl, and stir in 2 - 3 TBS (depending on how spicy you like it) of taco seasoning, and mix thoroughly.  You can warm this up in a microwave with a very small amount of water, or in a pan, also adding a small amount of water to keep it moist.

Layer 4 Guacamole:  This is a soy-free variation of a Canyon Ranch recipe.

Ingredients:

!/2 cup frozen spinach, defrosted in the fridge overnight

1/3 cup frozen peas, defrosted in the fridge overnight

2 TBS fat free Greek yogurt

2 TBS lemon juice

half of a ripe avocado

1/2 cup prepared salsa

1 scallion, thinly sliced

1 TBS cilantro, chopped

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

pinch of salt

pinch of cayenne pepper

Directions:

Once the spinach and peas are defrosted, squeeze out the excess water.  Put them in a blender or food processor, and pulse several times.  Add the yogurt, lemon juice, avocado, and spices, and blend until combined, less than a minute. Place the blend in a bowl, and stir in the salsa, scallion and cilantro. 

Layer 5: Pickled vegetables.  You could by a small can of prepared jalepeno peppers, but there’s nothing like making them yourself!

Ingredients:

1 cup distilled white vinegar

1 cup white wine vinegar

3 TBS sugar

3 TBS kosher salt

4 bay leaves

4 garlic cloves, smashed and skins removed

2 chiles de arbol

1 TBS fennel seeds

1 TBS coriander seeds

2 tsp whole black peppercorns

2 tsp whole yellow mustard seeds

3 large (or 4 smaller sized) jalepeno peppers, cored then sliced evenly crosswise

Assorted red, yellow and orange peppers, quartered, cored and then sliced about 1 inch thick

Directions:

Combine the first 11 ingredients and 4 cups of water in a large pot and bring to a boil.  Stir until the salt and sugar are dissolved.  Add in the jalepeno peppers, and other peppers, pressing to submerge periodically, and cook for 1 minute.  Remove pot from heat and let cool to room temperature.  You can store in the refrigerator with the liquid to preserve longer (up to a month), but when you are ready to use the peppers, drain and serve.

Layer 6: Fat free sour cream.  You can also use fat free Greek yogurt, and most people won’t mind/notice the difference.

Layer 7: Sliced olives.  Again, you can buy a can, but it’s tastier if you buy whole olives, pit them and slice them thin. 

Cheesecake. This delicious food was on my “do not eat” list for a long time. There are a couple of recipes I’ve tweeked that put it back on the “ok, sporadically” list. One of them is this recipe, which is a derivation of my fitness friend Chad’s Espresso Cheesecake. If you like Italian-style cheesecake, you must make this! I’ll include a Japanese-style cheesecake shortly. Besides the cooking time, this recipe doesn’t take long to prepare.  Give yourself 2 days ahead of time to make the yogurt cheese part, and 1 day to allow the cheesecake flavors to settle in the refrigerator.

Serves 16

Ingredients:

Crust:

1  9-ounce package of chocolate cookies (I used organic chocolate animal crackers)

2 TBS earth balance whipped buttery spread

1 TBS vanilla extract

1 TBS water

1 tsp instant espresso powder (I use Medaglia D’Oro)

Filling:

2 cups yogurt cheese (recipe follows)

8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, room temperature

2 whole eggs plus 2 egg whites

1/2 cup sugar (or slightly more to taste)

2 TBS instant espresso, divided

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt

1/4 cup Kahlua or Bailey’s (optional)

Fudge ganache topping:

3/4 cup fat free condensed milk

5 oz dark chocolate, chopped

2 TBS agave nectar

2 TBS Kahlua or Bailey’s (optional)

Directions:

Make the yogurt cheese at least a day ahead of time.  Make a strainer, using cheesecloth or paper towels in a container that can be sealed in the fridge.  I use a rubber band around paper towels that have been pressed in to make a concave shape to hold the yogurt.

Take a 32 oz. container of fat free or low fat yogurt and spoon it in the little well you created.  Cover and let drain in the fridge overnight.  Discard the liquid and set the yogurt cheese aside for the filling.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

Coat a 10-inch spring form pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.  In a food processor or blender, process cookies into fine crumbs.  Add espresso powder and pulse several times, then add the butter, water and vanilla; process until crumbs are evenly moistened.  Press mixture over bottom and up sides of pan.  Bake crust until slightly firm, about 15 minutes, and remove from oven.

Reduce oven temperature to 300. Meanwhile, in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat together yogurt cheese, cream cheese, eggs and egg whites, vanilla, sugar and 1 TBS espresso powder until smooth.  Mix the remaining 1 TBS espresso powder into the Kahlua or Bailey’s (or water if you’re not using alcohol). 

Use a small whisk, and you’ll see it blends thoroughly if you stir for at least a minute.

Stir this mixture into the cup of greek yogurt and mix thoroughly.  Then stir the greek yogurt mixture into the large bowl with the beaten cheese and eggs.

Spoon mixture carefully into crust lined pan.  Bake until the center sets, about one hour and 20 minutes; cool in the oven with door ajar for one hour (this is important—otherwise the cheesecake will shrink if it’s cooled too quickly).  Refrigerate 3 hours, or overnight, then unmold.  

Prepare the fudge topping if desired.  Add the fat free condensed milk to a small saucepan on medium high heat.  Chop the chocolate.  Once the condensed milk comes to a simmer, add the chocolate and agave nectar.  Use a small whisk and stir constantly until all of the chocolate is melted.  Reduce heat to the lowest flame possible, and let the mixture thicken slightly, for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and stir in the Kahlua or Bailey’s and let cool fully.  Once it’s cool, put it into a small squeezable container with a narrow top, or use a cake piper.  I usually make an abstract design, which takes less time, and is much more fun.

Garnish with chocolate covered espresso beans if desired.

Yum….

I still haven’t found a store bought granola that’s low enough in fat and sugar to justify eating daily.  About 4 days a week, my breakfast is a low-fat plain yogurt with this granola.  I’ve adjusted the ingredients depending on what I have, and often make a walnut-cinnamon combination (the same measurements) instead of the almond-nutmeg duo I have in this recipe.  If you happen to have some dried fruit on hand, I have added dried cherries (1/4 cup) to the recipe, and raisins (1/4 cup) when I make the walnut-cinnamon version.  Dried fruit contains a lot of sugar, so be careful how much, and how often you eat it!  If you make a cinnamon-nut version, substitute vanilla extract for the almond extract.

I’ll make a batch at the beginning of the week when I have time to cook, and it’ll usually last me over a week in an air-tight container.  The prep is quick, but the baking time is long.  While the granola is baking, make yourself a soup or salad base/dressing for the week while you’re in the kitchen.

Yield: 3 & 1/2 cups, 7 1/2 cup servings

Ingredients:

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant!)

3 TBS soy, quinoa or oat flour (make a flour out of 3 TBS oats finely ground in a food processor)

3 TBS Walnut or Grapeseed oil (2 TBS if you don’t mind it a little dry…)

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 cup sliced raw almonds

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

In a large bowl, mix the oats, your flour of choice, and the almonds.

In a large measuring cup, measure 1/4 cup maple syrup, then add in the oil and nutmeg.  Mix thoroughly until the oil blends fully into the syrup.  Add this to the oats and mix well.

Pour the oat mixture onto the baking sheet, and bake for 1 hour.  Let cool and store in an air-tight container.

This recipe is not the healthiest I’ll ever post, only because of the Roquefort cheese. However, because you really only need the smallest amount, it’s actually still healthier than most recipes that call for similar ingredients. It’s very important oil isn’t really used here, since fat comes from the pecans & the cheese. You can even leave the cheese out of the recipe if you’d like. But the smallest amount of cheese brings all the flavors together & will leave your mouth happy!

Serves 4 as a side dish, Serves 2 as a main

Ingredients:

1 cup wheat berries

2 cups water

1 small onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced or pressed

Half of a small butternut squash, peeled, de-seeded, and chopped into small 1-inch pieces

1/2 teaspoon fresh or ground sage

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup pecans, toasted and then chopped

1 - 2 ounces of Roquefort cheese, cut into small pieces

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Place the wheat berries in a small pot with the water and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook, uncovered for one hour.

While the wheat berries cook, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the chopped butternut squash in a bowl with the sage and salt & pepper to taste. Spray with a Misto or nonstick canola oil just so the squash has a light sheen. Place the squash on a baking sheet, so the pieces have space between themselves, and roast for 30-45 minutes.

While this is cooking, spray a small pan with non-stick spray. On a medium flame, add the onion and sauté for about 5-8 minutes. Add salt, pepper, then the minced garlic. Sauté 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Set aside.

Drain the wheat berries when they’re finished cooking, and return to the pot. Add the onion mix to the wheat berries, along with the toasted pecans and cranberries. When the squash is finished, add it into the wheat berries. Mix thoroughly. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Lastly, gently fold in the Roquefort cheese, if you are using it. Enjoy immediately.

Nothing says Christmas like a bowl of quinoa…ok, maybe in my world. I’m a big believer in bringing all colors to your table, and the Christmas season is good incentive to bring more greens and reds to your plate. This 20 minute, one pot, super-nutritious dish can be served as a side for a holiday meal, or as a main, on a bed of lettuce, for a delicious, almost fat-free lunch.

Serves 4 as a main, 6-8 as a side dish

Ingredients:

1 cup rinsed and drained quinoa

1 cup white wine

1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth

1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, julienned

1 red onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, smashed & roughly chopped

2 TBS lemon juice

1 cup frozen spinach

Directions:

Spray a medium saucepan with olive oil (use your Misto if you have one, or non stick spray). Add the red onion & garlic, turn the flame to medium low & sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the broth, wine, lemon juice, & tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Once the mixture comes to a boil, add in the quinoa, reduce the heat, and half cover the pan. Cook half covered for approximately 15 minutes, stir, then add the spinach to the top, cover, & cook on low another 5 minutes. Turn off the flame & let sit for another 5 minutes. Stir until the spinach is incorporated, then serve.

After watching the documentary “Forks over Knives,” I’ve been cooking vegetarian more often lately. Here’s a delicious fall recipe, that is wonderful hot or cold. It’s a very economical recipe too, if you have the spices & some wine on hand.

Serves 3

Ingredients:

1 8oz package tempeh (any flavor)

1 apple (any type)

1/4 cup white wine

1/4 cup apple cider (or apple juice)

2 TBS apple cider vinegar

2TBS tamari (better than soy sauce, since it doesn’t contain wheat, only pure soy)

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 TBS olive oil

Dijon mustard (to taste)

3 slices whole grain bread

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the tempeh in thirds, then hold one piece vertical on the cutting board, & slice in half.

Quarter the apple, & remove the seeds. Slice thinly. In a shallow baking dish (an 8x8 works well) combine the wine, apple cider, apple vinegar, tamari, & spices. Whisk in the tablespoon of oil until well combined. Place the tempeh in the dish & allow to marinate for at least 5 minutes. Set the tempeh aside in another dish, & add the apples to the marinade. Coat fully, then add back the tempeh to the baking pan.

Bake tempeh for about 45 minutes, basting or flipping pieces over every 15 minutes, so the apples & tempeh on the top do not dry out. The dish may have some liquid in it after 45 minutes, but this will thicken as it cools. To serve, spread whole grain Dijon mustard on each slice of bread, then top each slice with 2 pieces of tempeh, & scatter the roasted apples on top. Serve open-face to cut down on carbs!