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After a few days of non-stop eating of turkey, stuffing, and potatoes, I thought I’d try a light (yet surprisingly filling) soup. It has a lot of protein, thanks to the edamame and chicken; you could also substitute cubed extra firm tofu.
Edamame and Chicken Noodle Soup
3 1/2 c water
3 1/2 c chicken or vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and thiny sliced
2 oz thin rice noodles (per person*)
3 organic boneless chicken breasts
1 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 c shelled edamame (you can use frozen)
2 c kale, chopped
toasted sesame oil (for garnish)
chopped cilantro (for garnish)
salt and pepper
In large pot, combine water, broth, ginger, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Prepare noodles according to directions on box; rinse with cool water and set aside. Cook chicken in olive oul over medium heat until browned on both sides–be careful not to overcook. Let cool slightly and thinly slice against the grain
Add edamame and cook three minutes; add kale and chicken and cook another three minutes. Taste broth, salt and pepper to taste. (I added garlic powder at this point to give it some more flavor).
Place noodles in the bottom of each person’s bowl. Ladle broth into the bowl and garnish with toasted sesame oil and cilantro.
*If you’re making this with the intentions of having leftovers, I would recommend making the rice noodles fresh each time. (They don’t take a long time to cook, so it will be a breeze). Simply heat up the broth as you cook the noodles and use fresh cilantro and sesame oil each time. If you need to cut come corners, however, it’s fine to put it all in when first making it.
As it gets colder and darker outside, I’ve been getting hungrier and hungrier. I couldn’t figure it out at first — why am I SO hungry? Why isn’t the food I’ve been eating thus far filling me up? Why do I suddenly need SIX meals a day!
Then, in the middle of a seasonal eating workshop I was leading, it came to me. It was the middle of fall, and I was still eating summer foods and summer quantities! It was time to switch over to hearter, heavier foods. I don’t a lot of meat in the summer (it’s hot enough outside without me eating heating foods!), but as it gets colder, I start to crave more of them.
So in my quest to find a filling meal I could take to work with me, I decided to modify this recipe from Whole Foods. I had been craving turkey chili, but wanted to make something with more vegetables, so it was complete, one pot meal. It turned out very well–I was suspicious about the capers, but they added a nice touch. If you don’t have any around, they’re not necessary.
Turkey Chickpea Chili
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
4 medium zucchini, chopped
1 (35-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1/2 bunch lacinto kale, chopped
3/4 lb ground turkey
Salt and pepper to taste
Cooked red or white quinoa, cous cous, or brown rice
Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Lower the heat, add garlicand cook for 3 minutes until translucent. Add peppers and cook 5 minutes more. Add zucchini and cook for 15 minutes. In another skillet, heat a bit of olive oil and sautee the turkey, breaking up into small pieces. Add tomatoes, crushing them with your hands. Add turkey. Bring to a simmer and cook for another 20 minutes, or until zucchini is soft and translucent but still holds its shape. Stir in chickpeas and capers and cook for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then serve over grain of choice.
One of my best friends, Veronica, made some lentils for me once. Lentils have never been the same since. She discovered that balsamic vinegar was the perfect complement to these legumes… which I had never imagined.
Since then, I have tried many versions of this recipe and come up with one of my own. This is a great recipe because you can keep it for a few days and–even better–it actually tastes even more divine the next day. I usually serve it with either quinoa or brown rice–but you could also serve in as a warm salad on a bed of lettuce or as a side dish.
Lentils are full of protein, fiber, and iron.
French Lentils with Greens
1 c green lentils (also know as French or de Puy lentils), rinsed
2 c vegetable of chicken broth*
2 c water
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 stalks celery, sliced
1 bunch greens (collards, kale, spinach, chard…etc), rinsed, de-stalked, and chopped into small pieces
1-2 sprigs rosemary, chopped
dash of balsamic vinegar
crumbled goat cheese (optionals)
Heat oil in large saucepot. Saute onions, until soft, and then add garlic. Saute for 1-2 minutes. Add water and broth and bring to a boil. Add lentils, celery, rosemary and greens. Stir. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, until lentils are soft and water has been absorbed. Turn off heat and cool for a few minutes. Stir in a few dashes of balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper to taste. If desired, top with a few pinches of goat cheese. Enjoy!
*I usually use vegetable broth to cook with; my boyfriend, an actual chef, insists on using chicken broth, as the fat and gelatin from the broth cook down to make a nice sauce. I generally don’t go out of my way to add meat products to my diet unnecessarily–so I go with the vegetable stock. But to each his own! Try it with both and see which you like better.
I’ve been craving a really hearty pasta dish for a while, so my boyfriend and I decided to experiment with what was in the fridge. It turned out very well! We used gluten-free pasta (Bionaturae brand), but you could use regular pasta, too.
Chicken, kale, and mushroom penne
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 bunch dinosaur kale, de-stemmed and chopped coarsley
1-1 1/2 c mushrooms, sliced (we used baby bellos and mixed wild mushrooms)
1 c dry penne
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 large red onion, diced
1/2 c white white, such as pinot grigio
1 c vegetable broth
1/2 c manchego cheese, grated
extra virgin olive oil
1. Heat large skillet over medium flame. Add approx. 2 tbsp olive oil. When heated, add onions and cook until soft. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add kale and garlic. Cook until kale begins to soften, stirring often. Add white wine and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add half the broth. Continue to cook on medium heat.
2. In another skillet, sautee mushrooms over medium heat in 1-2 tbsp olive oil. When they have begun to brown, add them to the larger skillet and stir to combine. Add half the remaining broth. Cook to reduce–if you want a thicker sauce, let it reduce longer; if you want a thinner sauce, add more broth until you have achieved the desired consistency.
3. Cook pasta in boiling water according to directions on package. While that is cooking, sautee chicken breasts over medium heat. (You can either use a non-stick pan and use less oil, or use a regular skillet and use more oil). Once they have reached 135 degrees, remove from heat. Slice on an angle, and then across, to form strips. Add to large skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Remove and eat — yum!
Update: This was definitely great the next day… maybe even better.
Update: I made this again, except with quinoa. Follow the instructions exactly the same, only add cooked red or white quinoa at the point where you’d add pasta. It was great!
A lot of my clients (and friend, family, colleagues; everyone, really) ask me the best ways to keep produce fresh for as long as possible. We’ve all experienced the feeling of dismay when you open your refrigerator, anticipating crisp, leafy greens… and instead find wilted, brown, unuseable stalks.
The Catch-22 of organic produce is that it doesn’t stay fresh as long–the chemicals sprayed on conventional vegetables and fruits help preserve them once in your house. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat organic; rather, it just means you may have to shop for produce twice a week versus just once. Also remember that the minute produce is taken from the ground/tree/stalk, its life energy begins to fade along with its nutrients. To maximize the nutritional benefit of fruits and vegetables, buy local produce (which takes less time to transport to the store and should, therefore, be more fresh) and eat it quickly.
For more specific tips on how to care for your vegetables once you’ve purchased them, check out this blog post.
