New Year’s resolutions are all the rage this time of the year. Going to the gym, spending more time with your children or spouse, working harder at your career, and eating well are just some of the resolutions that are at the top of people’s lists. As I write this article, I pledge my new year’s resolution — eating better.
It may seem strange as a food service professional and classically-trained chef that I don’t already eat well. Often times you may see me munching away on a cookie or donut hole or just drinking a calorie-filled beverage.
My wife, Toni, recently completed the Big Melt Down challenge at the JCC where she learned effective workout training, healthy eating and a lifestyle that will invigorate and energize her everyday life. I have found myself to be the crutch allowing her to stray. With the New Year, I promise to do as I preach: eat a healthy diet.
Winter can be a difficult time to eat healthily. It’s cold, the days are short, and we are all busy in our everyday lives. While it can be an excuse, it shouldn’t be. Sunday is a great day not only to mentally prepare for the week, but to create your food roadmap that can guide your healthy eating.
Toni and I sat over a cup of coffee this morning and reviewed some cookbooks and our schedule for the week and created a menu. After checking our pantry, we made our grocery list and headed for the grocery store (I love Trader Joe’s and Sendiks).
After returning home, we cracked open a nice bottle of red wine and cooked together.
Some of the great super foods to look for this winter to help guide your healthy eating roadmap are lentils, beans, hearty greens like kale, citrus fruits and, as always, a quality flash-frozen vegetable from your grocer’s freezer section.
Some of my favorite recipes below combine great super foods that may sound boring on their own, but they create some wonderful and hearty meals when spruced up.
The tender lentils, wilted kale and subtle red wine vinegar makes this simple soup an easy choice for a healthy winter warm-up.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound lean turkey breast (Trader Joe’s has a great kosher, lean, ground turkey)
2 stalks celery; thinly sliced
1 medium yellow onion: thinly sliced
1/2 cup dried lentils (substitute red for some color)
6 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
1 bunch kale; torn into bite-size pieces
kosher salt and black pepper (to taste)
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Using a large dutch-oven, heat oil over medium-high (be sure to heat your pan for approximately 2 minutes before you put the oil in, to allow it to heat quickly).
Add turkey and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon approximately 5 minutes until turkey is lightly browned. Add onion and celery and sweat until softened.
Add lentils and allow to brown approximately 30 seconds. Add vegetable stock and ½ cup of water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 20 minutes until lentils are tender.
Add kale and season lightly with salt. Cover and simmer additional 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper (be sure to taste to ensure proper seasoning. Remove from heat and add red wine vinegar just before serving.
When you are enjoying your soup, serve with a hearty multi-grain baguette with a small soufflé dish of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and pinch of salt and black pepper. A great substitute for high-fat butter or unnatural butter, olive oil is a healthy fat, and it tames the intense flavor of balsamic vinegar.
This is a great winter soup recipe that uses hearty squash and potato and a collection of fresh vegetables.
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup yellow onion; diced
2 clove roasted garlic; minced*
2 cup acorn squash; cubed
2 stalk celery; diced
1 cup carrot; peeled and diced
2 1/2 cup red bliss potato; cubed
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 cup water
3 cup low-sodium vegetable stock
4 cup kale; chopped
15 ounce cannelloni beans; drained
Warm the oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and sauté for 5 minutes until translucent. Add the squash, celery, carrots, potato, dried oregano, salt, pepper, water and stock and cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are almost fork-tender.
Add the kale and beans and simmer another 5-7 minutes until the kale is tender and slightly wilted.
* By slowly roasting the garlic whole you can bring out the sweet flavor of the garlic. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly drizzle garlic with extra-virgin olive oil and on a baking sheet and let it roast in the oven for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool slightly and remove the cloves.
** Dried herbs do not have a long shelf life. Be sure to keep your dried herbs in small quantities and replace often. I like to visit the Spice House on Old World 3rdStreet for my spice rack. They have a great collection and are very knowledgeable about their spices and how to use them for the best recipes possible.
Served cold, this is a hearty side dish or lunch that can keep you going throughout the day.
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon shallot; finely chopped
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 cup cooked brown rice
1 1/3 cup cooked lentils
1 small carrot; peeled and diced
2 tablespoon fresh parsley; chopped
In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, shallot, mustard, paprika, kosher salt and black pepper. Stir in cooked brown rice, lentils and carrot. Add parsley and fresh lemon juice just before serving.
This is a such a simple, warm and satisfying dessert. I suggest using Fuji apples for their tart taste, but work with what the produce department has.
4 large fuji apples
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
3/4 cup boiling water
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash apples and remove core, being careful not to damage the bottom of the apple.
In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon and currants. Place apples in a glass baking pan. Stuff each apple with the mixture. Top with a dot of butter (you can certainly omit this step).
Add boiling water to the bottom of the baking pan and bake 35-40 minutes until apples are tender, but not mush. Remove from oven and using a turkey baster, drizzle the apples with the pan juices.
Cool slightly, but serve warm. Serve with vanilla frozen yogurt.
Jonah Levenberg, a classically trained chef, is director of food services at the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center where he is the creative mind behind CAF%u0100 B DATA and Citron Catering. Be sure to check out his blog at www.jccmilwaukee.org.
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