Kale salad with radishes

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Living in California has changed my eating habits forever.

When I think back to what I put in my body 20 years ago I cringe. I was living and working in Manhattan. I ate lunch out, dinner out. There were vegetables, but not many. I remember a lot of french fries and Chinese food. I was learning to bake thanks to my friend Judith, so there was cake. And I was young, so there was drink - not excessive, but not zero.

If you had told me back then that in my midlife I would be craving kale salad, I would have laughed so hard I peed.

Maybe it's the California weather. Maybe it's the abundance of beautiful produce. Maybe it's my desire not to weigh 300 pounds. I'm not sure of the reason, but the fact remains: Many nights I come home from work and all I want to eat is kale salad.

This is my current favorite. Tuscan kale (also known as dinosaur kale), radishes and avocados are available year-round. Lemon keeps things light. And if you haven't discovered smoked salt yet, run to your nearest gourmet store. I bought some Pacific alderwood smoked salt at Marche Provisions when I visited Eugene last fall for the Oregon Truffle Festival - it smells like a fireplace and adds an essence I can only describe as "lumberjack" to anything it adorns. But any smoked salt will do, and you should find some readily at your favorite foodie supply shop.

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Kale salad with radishes

by Erika Kerekes April-27-2012

This salad is surprisingly light and refreshing despite being based on kale, which many people consider too bitter and sturdy for salads. The tricks: slicing the greens ribbon-thin and letting them sit and wilt for a bit in the lemon juice and salt.

Ingredients

• 1 bunch Tuscan kale (also called dinosaur kale)
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• large pinch of smoked salt
• 1 bunch radishes
• 1 large ripe avocado
• 1 cup chopped snow pea leaves (optional)
• 1 cup croutons

Instructions

Wash the kale well and remove the tough stem from each leaf. Stack the dark-green leaves and cut into very thin ribbons (chiffonade) using a very sharp knife. Put the kale ribbons into a serving bowl and add the lemon juice, olive oil and smoked salt. Massage the salad with your fingers for a minute or two - this will help wilt the kale. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the salad.Slice the radishes paper-thin (a mandoline helps) and add to the salad. Cut the avocado into quarters, peel off the skin, cut the flesh into 1-inch chunks, and add those to the bowl as well. If you're using the snow pea leaves, add them now - any earlier and they'll get too wilted.Put the croutons in a zip-top bag and bash them a few times with a rolling pin or something with a little heft to it. Sprinkle the crumbs over the salad. Toss the whole thing gently, then taste, adding more olive oil or smoked salt for balance. Serve immediately.

Details

Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: Total time: 20 mins Yield: 4 servings

Swiss chard and feta pie ("chardikopita")

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I have a teenager who loves to cook vegetables. Particularly greens. Give Emery a bunch of kale, a pile of chard, a bag of spinach, and he's a happy boy. He makes Asian greens soup, spinach fried rice, mustard greens with garlic and soy sauce. When our friends around the corner clean out their organic garden and give away trash bags filled with huge chard leaves, Emery is first in line.

As it happened, I was the one who made the chard and feta pie in the picture above. Emery darted in and out of the kitchen, interrupting his homework a little too often to poke his nose into what I was doing. "It's chardikopita!" he said as he watched me add feta and dill to the lightly sauteed chard.

I love this rustic press-in crust. I tell people it's because the olive oil gives the crust a terrific flavor. The truth, however, is that I love this crust because I'm terrible with a rolling pin. Don't tell. It's a feature, not a bug.

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Swiss chard and feta pie

by Erika Kerekes March-22-2012

Lightly sauteed greens flavored with onion, dill and feta make a terrific pie filling. I eat this for breakfast, but it makes a nice light supper too.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup plus 2 tsp olive oil, divided
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 large bunch Swiss chard, leaves and stems, roughly chopped (about 8 cups)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
• freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.Put the flour in a medium-sized bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together 2/3 cup of the olive oil, the cream, and the salt. Pour the olive oil mixture into the flour and stir together with a fork to make a crumbly dough. If the dough seems too dry to hold together, add water 1 teaspoon at a time until the dough is workable.Tip the dough into a 9-inch pie plate or shallow baking dish. Press the dough over the bottom and up the sides of the baking dish with your fingertips to make the crust. Set aside.In a large saucepan, heat the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium-high heat and saute the onion 4-5 minutes until it's softened. Add the chopped chard and saute a couple of minutes; the chard will wilt and shrink down considerably. When it's just wilted, remove the pan from the heat and pour the chard into the bowl that held the dough mixture - might as well not get another bowl dirty, right?Let the chard cool about 10 minutes, then add the eggs, feta, dill and a good amount of ground pepper. Mix thoroughly. Pour the chard filling into the waiting crust and pop the whole thing in the oven. Bake about 45 minutes, until the pie is set and the top is starting to turn golden. Let cool at least 30 minutes before serving to let things firm up a bit - otherwise the whole thing will collapse when you cut into it.

Details

Prep time: 30 mins Cook time: 45 mins Total time: 1 hour 15 mins Yield: 8 servings

Mustard greens with garlic and dark soy sauce

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Today's Superfood: Mustard greens
Vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin C, folate, manganese, fiber, calcium

Few things make this mother happier than having her 13-year-old son help with dinner.

Depending on the day.

Here's the thing: I'm territorial in the kitchen. At the end of a long or particularly frustrating day at work, I prefer to make dinner by myself, in silence. It calms me down. Poor Emery, my older son, my budding chef, who's always willing to help, often gets growled at when he offers his services.

I'm trying to be better, more accepting, more tolerant. I'm trying to make space for Emery at the stove. Which is why today, when a huge care package of pre-washed, pre-cut, ready-to-go Cut 'n Clean Greens showed up at the front door, I let him pick a container and got out of the way. (Sort of. I did backseat-saute a little bit.)

Emery is a big fan of greens. In fact, he grativates toward greens. The first dish he ever made on his own was Anita Loh-Yien Lau's Asian greens soup. And have you seen his spinach fried rice with furikake? We've been eating that one a lot lately.

Emery's cooking style runs more Asian than mine. Tonight's mustard greens got a few cloves of garlic and a healthy dash of dark soy sauce, plus a pinch each of salt and sugar. He fried the garlic nice and brown, which I love. These were mustard greens after my own heart.

The lesson (mostly talking to myself here): Relinquish control and let your kids cook. Let them experiment. And teach them to clean up after themselves. In all respects, they'll probably surprise you.

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Emery's mustard greens with fried garlic

by Emery Kerekes February-21-2012

Sturdy mustard greens take a trip to Asia with fried garlic, dark soy sauce and a pinch of sugar. Dark soy sauce adds a rich flavor without too much liquid, but if you can't find it use regular soy sauce. Recipe created by Emery Kerekes, my 13-year-old son (and a very respectable chef for a teenager).

Ingredients

• 1 tsp grapeseed or canola oil
• 4 cloves fresh garlic, chopped (not too small)
• 1 7-ounce package prepared Cut 'n Clean mustard greens (or 1 bunch mustard greens, leaves only, washed and chopped)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce (substitute 2 tsp regular soy sauce)
• pinch of sugar
• pinch of salt

Instructions

Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the oil and the garlic and stir-fry the garlic until it starts to brown, about 1 minute. Add the mustard greens, water and soy sauce. Cover the pan and steam the greens about 3-4 minutes. Uncover the pan, add the sugar and salt, and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 10 mins Total time: 20 mins Yield: 4-6 servings

Superfoods Forever: Broccoli mash

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Today's Superfood: Broccoli

Vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, folate, fiber

When I want a luxurious side dish that doesn't add too many calories to my dinner, I steam some broccoli and get out my food processor. Puree cooked broccoli with a splash of olive oil and a bit of grated cheese and you end up with a rich, thick paste with the texture of mashed potatoes. 

The trick to getting the right texture is making sure the broccoli isn't too wet. That's why I steam instead of blanching: Boiled broccoli not only loses some of its nutrients to the boiling water, but it purees up as more of a slurry and less of a mash.

You can mix a few mashed potatoes into this broccoli puree if you like, but it's not strictly necessary.

Click here for all the recipes in this Superfoods series

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Broccoli mash

by Erika Kerekes February-15-2012

Serve this chunky broccoli puree instead of mashed potatoes for a lower-calorie side dish.

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh broccoli
• 2-3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan, Romano or Grana Padano cheese
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Cut the broccoli into rough pieces - stems, florets and all - and throw it into a steamer set over a pot of simmering water. Steam the broccoli about 10-15 minutes. Try to pull it out of the steamer when it's cooked through but not yet mushy - you want to catch it before it starts to turn gray.Put the cooked broccoli in a food processor and add the olive oil, grated cheese and lemon juice. Process until the mixture is almost smooth. Add salt and pepper, taste, and adjust seasoning. Serve hot.

Details

Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 15 mins Total time: 20 mins Yield: 4 servings

Superfoods Forever: Delicata squash with quinoa and arugula from Laura Malcolm

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Today's Superfood: Quinoa
Protein, fiber, manganese, magnesium, folate

Erika says: Another great Superfood guest post, this time from fellow Los Angeleno Laura Malcolm. Laura and I worked together a few years back, but we really only got to know each other right before we both left the company - unfortunate, because we discovered we had a lot in common. She moved out of town for a while but is back in L.A. and on my shortlist of people I can't wait to have over for dinner.

I go through food obsessions not unlike music obsessions - pick three or four things, repeat on shuffle for a month, have my fill, revisit next year. This fall, arugula and delicata squash managed to find a new home in my kitchen and before long, a place in every dish a brought to a holiday party. It's surprising it took me so long to get to this delicata squash phase, considering how much I love winter squash but detest preparing it (any time I have to peel or dice it, at least). Delicata is, for me, the richness of a butternut squash with the delicacy of a yellow summer squash that, when roasted, gets a slightly crunchy skin (and better texture) than any grilled summer squash.

Quinoa is one of the most well known superfoods because of its amazing qualities, such as being a complete protein and containing a set of amino acids - something that's very uncommon in non-animal products. Quinoa is incredibly versatile, can be eaten any time of day and is a great substitute for rice or couscous. This recipe is a play on a common fall stuffed squash, but I've managed to take my current fall-food obsessions and carry them right through until now. Roasted delicata squash, arugula, quinoa and cranberries make a filling, fresh and colorful superfood dinner.

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Delicata squash with quinoa and arugula

by Laura Malcolm February-12-2012

Roasted delicata squash has the sweetness of butternut without any of the pain-in-the-neck peeling.

Ingredients

• 4 delicata squash
• olive oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 Tbsp cranberry juice
• 4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups quinoa, uncooked
• 3 cups water
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup onion, diced
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 5-ounce package arugula
• salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut delicata squash in half, and remove the seeds and threads with a spoon. Rub with olive oil and salt, and place cut side down in a baking dish. Bake at 400 until easily pierced, about 25 minutes.In a small saucepan, heat about 1 tsp olive oil. Saute shallot for 2 minutes, then add cranberry juice and balsamic vinegar. Bring to a boil, then turn to low, and leave to reduce while you're cooking. Bring quinoa and water together on the stove to a boil, cover and turn to low. After 15 minutes, you should be able to stir with a fork and see the water has absorbed - if it hasn't, cover and give another minute. Remove from heat and fluff quinoa.Heat about 1 Tbsp olive oil in a saute pan. Add garlic and onion and cook until soft. Add dried cranberries to onion and garlic and let cook for a minute before finally adding quinoa to mixture and tossing to mix. Remove cranberry-balsamic reduction from the stove and whisk in olive oil until it's a taste you like. At this point, I either use a little to dress the arugula as well, or toss the arugula with a very simple olive oil, lemon and salt mixture.Turn roasted delicata squash cut side up and set two on each plate. At this point, you can either layer the arugula and quinoa mixtures in the squash, or I've taken to piling one squash with the quinoa mixture and one with arugula. Drizzle the balsalmic dressing over the top, and enjoy your superfood loaded plate. (The pictured salad also got a blood orange garnish, because, well, it matched the cranberries in the quinoa. Color coordination optional)

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 40 mins Total time: 55 mins Yield: 4 servings

Superfoods forever: Kale pesto recipe

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Kale pesto

I'm still in the throes of my love affair with kale. Man, I hope this one lasts a while. Every time I eat something with kale I feel all those vital nutrients seeping straight into my cells. I swear my skin looks better because of kale. Kale for breakfast, kale for lunch, kale for dinner. Kale in eggs, kale in smoothies, kale in soup, kale in salad, kale in quiche, kale on pizza. It's been all kale all the time over here for weeks.

I have my health coach Rachael Pontillo of Holistically Haute Wellness to thank for my crush on kale. We've been working together about three months now, and as a result I've made a few subtle (but, I hope, long-lasting) changes to my diet. I start the day with hot water spiked with lemon. I'm focusing on whole grains and avoiding white flour whenever possible. And I'm eating as many greens in a day as I used to eat in a week. All these are good things and will help me live forever. Right? Right.

I've used this kale pesto on pizza and on a grilled cheese sandwich. There might be pasta in my future, even though I'm trying to cut back on wheat. What do you think of alternative-grain pastas, like brown rice pasta? I've been hesitant to try non-wheat pasta - I worry it will be such a disappointment that I'll rebound and eat nothing BUT pasta for days on end. But I'm interested to hear your opinions.

By the way, I threw a bunch of radish tops into this pesto, too. Use what you have. Kale is friendly.

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Kale pesto

by Erika Kerekes February-8-2012

Kale makes friends easily with other greens and herbs, so use whatever you have - radish tops, parsley, chard, arugula. This pesto rocks on pizza, pasta, polenta, grilled cheese, or a spoon.

Ingredients

• 1 large bunch Tuscan or curly kale, leaves stripped from stems and roughly chopped (4-6 cups)
• 1-2 cups arugula, chard, radish leaves, parsley, cilantro, or whatever other greens you happen to have around (optional)
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tsp salt, or to taste
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, peeled
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan, Romano or Grana Padano cheese (optional, or substitute 2 tsp nutritional yeast)
• 1 cup pine nuts, almonds or walnuts, toasted in a dry skillet until fragrant
• 3/4 cup olive oil

Instructions

Put the greens, lemon juice, salt, garlic, cheese (if using), and nuts in a food processor with the chopping blade. Turn the processor on and let it run about 10 seconds. Begin pouring the olive oil in through the feed tube. When you've added all the oil, let the processor run another 30 seconds or so, until the pesto is smooth. Store the pesto in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 5 mins Total time: 20 mins Yield: approximately 2 cups

Superfoods forever: Baked sweet potatoes with garlicky greens and walnut cream by Eat This Poem

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Today's Superfood: Sweet potatoes
Vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, manganese, fiber, potassium

Erika says: I've decided a month of Superfoods isn't enough. I'm not abandoning cake forever, but I'm going to continue to post new Superfoods recipes until I get tired of them (never, I hope). Here's a beautiful dish from Nicole Gulotta, who recently ended a four-year relationship with Cooking After Five to launch Eat This Poem, a literary food blog. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and French bulldog.

My other half is a fairly adventurous eater. I never have trouble serving quinoa, brussels sprouts or sardines, and he'll order foie gras in a restaurant without blinking an eye. But we all have our preferences, and for some reason, sweet potatoes are one of the few vegetables he's not enamored with.

It's been my personal mission for the past five years to convince my husband to embrace sweet potatoes, and I've made some progress. When he tasted my sweet potato and cayenne soup, he agreed the spice gave a nice kick and praised the creamy avocado garnish. When I sliced sweet potatoes and crisped them with sage oil, he thought it was festive for the holidays and that they could pass as a side dish. I think my persistence is finally paying off, because after trying my most recent creation, he helped himself to seconds without so much as a single complaint.

While there is certainly a time and place for russet potatoes slathered with sour cream and sprinkled with bacon, sweet potatoes are a much healthier alternative. They can fulfill any baked potato craving, and the bright orange color means their flesh is filled with vitamins A and C. Combined with other super foods like kale and walnuts, this makes for a deceptively healthy, crave-worthy lunch.

Click here for all the Superfoods recipes in this series

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Baked sweet potatoes with garlicky greens and walnut cream

by Nicole Gulotta February-1-2012

A hearty, healthy vegetarian dinner packed with vitamins.

Ingredients

• 2 sweet potatoes, scrubbed, skin on
• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 bunch kale
• 1 garlic clove
• crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted in the oven or in a dry nonstick skillet until fragrant
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 lemon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prick sweet potatoes all over with a fork and place on a sheet pan. Bake until tender, about 1 hour; remove from oven. While the potatoes cool slightly, make the kale. Using your hands, remove kale leaves from the stems and tear into small pieces. Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Grate the garlic into the oil and cook until fragrant, about two minutes. Add the kale and season with salt and pepper. (Add a little crushed red pepper flakes if you like some heat.) Cook until wilted, about 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside.Chop the walnuts and add to the Greek yogurt along with salt, pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Stir to combine.When cool enough to handle, slice each potato in half. Season with a bit of salt and pepper and fluff slightly with a fork. Top with a dollop of yogurt and a handful of kale leaves. Reserve any leftover kale and yogurt for another use.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 1 hour Total time: 1 hour 10 mins Yield: 2 servings

Superfoods Month: Superfood smoothie from Holistically Haute

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Today's Superfoods: Kale, wakame seaweed, acai, avocado
Vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, calcium, iron, potassium, antioxidants

[Erika says: Fittingly, the last post in this Superfoods Month series comes from Rachael Pontillo of Holistically Haute Wellness. Rachael is my health coach and the one who inspired this series through our work to change my diet for the better. I still haven't made green smoothies a daily habit, but I'm trying.]

I love green smoothies for breakfast. I didn’t always love them…I will admit it. But I never disliked them enough to not have them. I started having them about 7 months ago which is when I really actively began to make healthier choices in my life, and I read some great books and articles that all talked about how great greens are for you and how green smoothies really are a great way to get the most out of your greens. So I figured I’d give them a try and I started feeling (and looking) so much better so quickly that I never stopped. Now I really can’t start my day out the right way if I don’t have my green smoothie for breakfast.

Why smoothies?

Smoothies are a great way to get the nutrients from a lot of different fruits and veggies at once. It would take me a very long time to eat each piece of fruit or each leaf of lettuce one by one…I would probably get bored (and possibly full) pretty quickly. I don’t there is any way I could possibly have the time every morning either.

Another benefit of smoothies is that they are raw (all nutrients and enzymes are intact) and easy to digest. Many people cannot tolerate raw fruits and veggies in the morning (some can’t at all) because of the fiber content. Raw fruits and veggies come equipped with everything they need (enzymes) to be properly digested, but those enzymes must be activated first. This can be done by proper chewing of the food, but most people don’t chew enough to begin with, especially during the morning rush. Blending up the fruits and vegetables activates these enzymes for you which actually pre-digests them and makes them much easier on the stomach.

My favorite smoothie benefit is variety. There are tons of great recipes out there (including the one I’m about to share with you) but the best thing is that you can make them with whatever you happen to have on hand at the time. I use whichever fresh lettuces, vegetables, and fruits I happen to get in my weekly organic produce delivery from my local co-op, and add in superfoods that I get at the health food store and keep on hand. So use this recipe as a guide, but feel free to make substitutes with whatever you have on hand or find at the store.

Click here for a list of all the recipes in this Superfoods series

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Superfood smoothie

by Rachael Pontillo January-31-2012

This smoothie contains more Superfoods in one glass than you'd ever have the patience to eat whole. Make a lot and freeze the extra in single-serving containers. Look for wakame at health food or Japanese grocery stores.

Ingredients

• 1 cup filtered or distilled water
• 1 head romaine lettuce, washed and torn into pieces
• 1/2 bunch kale, washed, leaves only (remove stems)
• 2 Tbsp wakame (a Japanese sea vegetable), reconstituted in hot water
• 5 stalks celery, washed and chopped
• 1 cucumber, washed, unpeeled (unless it's waxed, in which case you'll want to remove the skin)
• 1 cup fresh parsley
• 1 green apple, unpeeled, cored
• 1 ounce acai berry puree
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 avocado, flesh only

Instructions

Put the water in the blender first and then add the ingredients one by one in order. It is important to add the avocado at the very end and only blend it enough to make it creamy…it will stiffen up into a firm, meringue-like consistency if you overblend it and then you won’t be able to drink it.

Details

Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 3 mins Total time: 23 mins Yield: 6 12-ounce servings

Superfoods Month: Salmon with fruit salsa by Maura Ammenheuser

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Today's Superfood: Salmon
Protein, omega-3, vitamin D, vitamin B12, tryptophan, selenium, vitamin B3

Erika says: Look at this gorgeous salmon! It's from Maura Ammenheuser, a stay-at-home mom of two, personal trainer and writer/editor. She currently leads the Momarama parenting blog for The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.

Salmon is fish with benefits.

It’s packed with Omega-3 fatty acids, a scary-sounding term for very healthy fat. Omega-3s offer anti-inflammatory qualities that can help combat joint pain and osteoporosis, improve blood-sugar control and even reduce aspects of depression and bipolar disorder.

A 3-ounce portion has only about 140 calories, but a whopping 23 grams of protein. A hefty 6-ounce portion still contains only about 360 calories and 39 grams of protein. On the taste side, salmon’s a versatile fish that can be cooked many ways. And it boasts a beautiful orange-pink color, always pretty on the plate.

Because I’m a lazy cook, I gravitate toward food that’s easy and fast. Fish in general fits the bill. Salmon’s strong taste is an asset. Its intensity means it stands up to all kinds of seasonings, which means I can throw a salmon dinner together with whatever I have on hand and never worry about obscure ingredients or complicated preparation. I’ve cooked salmon with everything from lemon and dill to curry to bottled barbecue sauce. It all works.

My favorite way to prepare salmon, however, is topping it with fruit salsa. (The salsa can be made a day or two in advance, making this meal even faster.) I prefer grilling the fish with a generous dollop of fruit salsa, wrapping the whole thing in foil packets and sliding it onto the grill. But if you don’t own a grill, or it’s too unpleasant to cook outdoors in the winter snow or rain, this technique is easily tweaked for baking in the oven.

I follow recipes slavishly, but when I’m whipping up a dinner of my own inspiration I don’t bother measuring portions or taking notes. So this is more guideline than recipe. Alter ingredients and quantities according to taste. The only thing you should obsess about is making sure you don’t overcook the fish.

Click here for all the recipes in this Superfoods series

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Salmon with fruit salsa

by Maura Ammenheuser January-30-2012

A sweet-tart fruit salsa contrasts beautifully with the rich texture of salmon. Save any leftover salsa for tomorrow's chips.

Ingredients

• 4 4-ounce pieces salmon filet or steak, wild or farmed
• 2 fresh mangos, peeled and diced small
• 1/2 to 1 cup canned or fresh pineapple, diced small
• 1 fresh peach, peeled and diced small
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced small
• 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 lime, juice and some of the pulp (do not substitute bottled lime juice)
• 1 fresh jalapeno, minced
• 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
• dash of ground coriander (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a shallow baking dish with a thin layer of cooking spray.Place the fish flat in the pan in a single layer. Spray a mist of oil over the fish. Top with a thick dose of fruit salsa.Bake, keeping a close eye on the fish. Baking time varies with the thickness of the fish. My photo shows a very large, thick salmon steak (about two inches) that took 25 minutes to cook. Thinner slices could be done in less than 15 minutes. To judge whether the fish is done, poke its thickest portion with a fork. If the fish still appears dark pink and wet in the middle, it’s not ready. If it falls easily into tender flakes, it’s perfect; get it out of the oven right now. If the fish produces chalky white somewhat tough flakes, you’ve overcooked it. Make a note of how long it was in the oven and check on it sooner next time.If you prefer grilling, make this fish outdoors in a foil packet rather than in the oven. Tear a portion of foil large enough to accommodate a single piece of fish; spray the foil, place one piece of fish on it, spray the top of the fish, then add the salsa. Cover with a separate piece of foil and crimp the foil edges together to form a packet. Carefully place the packets on a preheated grill over medium-low heat, placing them top (salsa-side) down. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, then carefully turn them so the top/salsa side now faces up. Cook another 4 to 5 minutes, then use one packet as your test case.Remove one packet from the grill, partially open the foil packet and test the fish with a fork to see if it’s done. The moment the fish flakes easily, take it off the grill. Serve by placing one packet on each person’s plate. The fish inside will be a bit messy from the fruit juices so it’s easier to just plop the packets on the plates rather than trying to remove the fish from the packets and make them pretty on a serving platter. They’ll likely fall apart under the spatula, anyway.You can use this recipe with almost any type of fish. It’s especially good with halibut fillets. Just adjust the cooking time according to the thickness of the fish. Again, keep testing the fish with a fork and remove from the heat when it flakes easily. The fish-and-fruit-salsa combo pairs nicely with nearly any kind of rice plus blanched or lightly roasted green beans or asparagus.Note: Using mango, pineapple and peach is a best-case scenario. It’s perfectly okay to use only one or two of these fruits rather than all three; adjust the amount to get enough salsa. Tossing a teensy bit of chopped orange or grapefruit in there probably won’t hurt anything, either. The world won’t end if you skip the bell pepper or onion, either. But don’t expect this to taste like salsa if you omit the cilantro and jalapeno.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 35 mins Yield: 4 servings

Superfoods Month: Veggie cilantro mint quinoa pilaf from Yumkid

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Today's Superfood: Quinoa
Protein, iron, manganese, magnesium, folate, phosphorus


Erika says: I can't wait to make this delicious quinoa pilaf from Rashmi Nigam. Rashmi started Yumkid.com to chronicle her experiences feeding her children healthy, flavorful meals.

"How are you doing on rice? How often are you eating it now?” are questions my doctor always asks. After hearing my response she always says, “You know you need to cut rice down or the ‘insulin storage bins’ along with belly fat will never go away. ” My response has always been “It is my comfort food! Asking me to give up rice is like asking an Italian to give up pasta!”

Over the years I have cut down my consumption of white rice both in terms of frequency and quantity. I now eat it once every other day instead of at every meal. That’s been a big adjustment for me. I struggled because I love my Indian lentils and curries and they taste PERFECT with white rice. There’s something soulful about eating ‘dal-chawal’ (lentils and rice) as the Indian folks say it.

This struggle became easier a few months ago when I started adding quinoa to my diet. Quinoa is high in protein, calcium, and iron, and is a great source of omega acids. The first time I made quinoa, it was a disaster. I didn’t wash it properly and it tasted so soapy. Yes, definitely wash your quinoa properly to remove the saponin, a resin-like substance that is extremely bitter. After several attempts, I have come to embrace quinoa in our home.

This recipe is one of my favorite ways to eat quinoa. I love the green color of this healthy dish! It is perfect for any meal, and a great addition to your school lunch repertoire. It is mildly fragrant but full of flavor. Both the quinoa and the vegetables are crunchy. It is my family’s favorite way to eat quinoa!

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Veggie cilantro mint quinoa pilaf

by Rashmi Nigam January-25-2012

A tasty, healthy mix of vegetables and quinoa with Indian spices. Cilantro and mint add bright, fresh notes.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves (stems included)
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger
• 3 clove
• 3 green cardamom pods
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 4 Tbsp grapeseed or canola oil, divided
• 2 red onions, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 green chili, whole (jalapeno, serrano, etc.)
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 black peppercorns
• 2 cups mixed frozen vegetables (e.g. edamame, carrots, peas, corn, carrots)
• 2 cups quinoa, cooked according to package directions (about 1/2 cup dry)
• 1 tsp salt (or to taste)

Instructions

Make the green paste by combining the cilantro, mint, garlic, ginger, 1 clove, 2 cardamom pods and cinnamon stick in the food processor. Grind the ingredients to a paste.Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add about 3/4 of the sliced onions and saute until they are browned. Set aside.In a large skillet or wok, heat the remaining 2 Tbsp oil. Add the remaining onions, chile, bay leaves, peppercorns, remaining 2 cloves and remaining 1 cardamom pod and saute about 2 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the green paste and saute another 2 minutes.Add the frozen vegetables to the pan and cook 2-3 minutes until they are warmed through. Add the cooked quinoa and the salt, stirring to make sure the grains are coated with the green paste. Taste and add more salt if needed.Remove the bay leaves and, if you wish, the cloves, peppercorns and cardamom pods. Turn the pilaf into a serving dish and garnish with the caramelized onions. Serve immediately.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 45 mins Yield: 4 servings

Superfoods Month: Smoky roasted kale chip-tomato quinoa salad from Cooking on the Weekends

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Today's Superfood: Kale
Vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, fiber

Erika says: Say hi to a lovely guest post and recipe from certified chef and food writer Valentina Kenney Wein. Valentina spends her weekends in her "kitchen retreat," creating delicious, hearty, comforting food to nourish her family and share with her readers. Her blog is named, appropriately enough, Cooking on the Weekends. P.S. Funny how everyone wanted to write about kale, right?

When I am craving a snack - not just something to tide me over until my next meal, but a true snack - I want something that is full of flavor and at least a little bit salty.

As a teenager, that salty snack might have been a bag of potato chips or - yes, I can admit it - a bunch of Doritos. The downside to these indulgences, other than the obvious lack of nutritional value, were feelings of guilt along with unnaturally colored fingertips (bright orange).

Luckily, with age comes wisdom. Nowadays when I need a snack, I eat foods that feature actual nutritional value and way better, more fulfilling flavors!

There - have I done it? Have I made aging sound acceptable and almost desirable? Regardless, the kale chips here are an incredibly delicious and satisfying snack. 

And when they star in this dish, kale chips make for a unique and memorable entree salad. You can serve it as a main course or a side dish, for lunch, dinner, or even brunch!  

Make this delicious salad this weekend and invite some friends! Your guests will leave feeling quite contented and super impressed. And what's more, they will not leave with bright orange fingertips!

Click here for all the recipes in this Superfoods Month series

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Smoky roasted kale chip-tomato quinoa salad

by Valentina Kenney Wein January-24-2012

A healthy salad with the crunch of roasted kale. Smoked sea salt is available at gourmet grocery stores and Whole Foods.

Ingredients

• 2 medium-sized vine-ripened tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp smoked sea salt
• 2 large leaves black kale, washed and dried
• olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups quinoa, cooked and cooled
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
• 4 Tbsp oil from sun-dried tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.Cut each tomato into 1/4-inch slices. Drizzle olive oil on a baking sheet and put the tomato slices on top. Sprinkle them with the smoked sea salt. Place the kale leaves on another baking sheet, drizzle generously with olive oil, and sprinkle with the sea salt.Put both baking sheets in the preheated oven. Roast the kale until the leaves become crisp, about 10 to 12 minutes. The edges will be a bit darker than the center. Remove them from the oven as soon as you see this, otherwise the chips will become too dark and a bit bitter. Set the kale leaves aside to cool. The tomatoes should roast until they are sizzling and their bottoms become slightly brown, about 20 minutes. Remove them from the oven and set them aside with the kale chips.While the kale and tomatoes are cooling, add the sun-dried tomatoes with their oil and the balsamic vinegar to the quinoa. Stir to blend and season to taste with salt and pepper. Break the kale leaves into bite-sized chips and compose them on each serving plate, stacking the quinoa, kale chips and tomatoes in a pretty arrangement. Serve immediately.

Details

Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 25 mins Total time: 30 mins Yield: 4 servings