Falling for Butternut Squash:

This entry originally appeared on the Taste and Savor blog on November 1, 2011

A couple of week's ago, Chef Nancy and I were joking about how every cook on the planet seems to embrace the ever popular butternut squash as soon as the fall season begins. Recently, we made a wonderful roasted butternut squash salad with an apple cider vinaigrette for a class at Cancer Wellness. I say it was wonderful, based on the comments of the class participants. Unfortunately, I never got the chance to enjoy the completed dish, which left me with lingering craving for this golden winter fruit.

Last Thanksgiving, while still in culinary school, I made a decadent butternut squash soup, rich with cream and butter. It was delicious, but certainly not to be classified as healthy. My goal this fall, was to create an equally delicious soup, without the fat and calories. I made this soup for our Halloween dinner and plan on serving it again during the holiday season. This savory soup makes a great dinner along with a green salad and a baguette or can be served as an appetizer in a festive martini glass. If you have yet to use this ingredient, I hope you will give this quick and easy recipe a try.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup:

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch dice

1 spanish onion, cut into 1 inch dice

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 tablespoon dried thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 quart vegetable stock

Non-fat Greek yogurt and chopped basil for garnish.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place squash and onion on a foil-lined baking sheet and drizzle with two TB of olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme. Toss to coat and spread out flat on baking sheet. Roast for 25-30 minutes until squash and onion are tender and just beginning to caramelize.

Meanwhile, place remaining olive oil in a dutch oven over low heat and soften garlic, making sure not to let it brown. Place the roasted squash mixture, and stock into the dutch oven and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, then puree the soup with an immersion blender. If you do not have an immersion blender, allow the mixture to cool before placing in a standing blender. Once blended, test for seasoning and serve garnished with a dollop of non-fat Greek yogurt and chopped basil.

My New Red Hot Latin Love:

This post originally appeared on the Taste and Savor blog on Oct. 13, 2011

I want to introduce you to my new favorite spice. It's smoked paprika. Quite frankly, I have become a bit obsessed with this beautifully hued, smoky spice. It is most commonly used in Spanish cuisine and adds a deep, smoky flavor and a touch of heat. Smoked paprika can transform a simple salad vinaigrette or a roasted potato into a taste sensation. This spice adds such a nice smoky flavor, that many times, vegetarians use it as a substitute for bacon. It adds a smoky, bacony flavor without the bacon. Earlier this week I made croutons with smoked paprika and tossed them with a tomato and lettuce salad for a new twist on the traditional BLT. Most recently, I made a white bean dip with this wonderful spice. I hope you will enjoy this recipe for white bean dip with smoked paprika. It is great with pita chips, crudite or as a sandwich spread. I hope you will give smoked paprika a try whenever you need to take a bland dish to the next level.

White Bean Dip with Smoked Paprika:

2 cans of Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed

3 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

1 TB Smoked Paprkia

1/2 Tsp Cayenne Pepper

Sea Salt To Taste.

Combine all ingredients in a food processor, season with salt to taste. Drizzle with olive oil and an additional sprinkle of smoked paprika for garnish. Serve with pita chips or carrot sticks.

I want to introduce you to my new favorite spice. It's smoked paprika. Quite frankly, I have become a bit obsessed with this beautifully hued, smoky spice. It is most commonly used in Spanish cuisine and adds a deep, smoky flavor and a touch of heat. Smoked paprika can transform a simple salad vinaigrette or a roasted potato into a taste sensation. This spice adds such a nice smoky flavor, that many times, vegetarians use it as a substitute for bacon. It adds a smoky, bacony flavor without the bacon. Earlier this week I made croutons with smoked paprika and tossed them with a tomato and lettuce salad for a new twist on the traditional BLT. Most recently, I made a white bean dip with this wonderful spice. I hope you will enjoy this recipe for white bean dip with smoked paprika. It is great with pita chips, crudite or as a sandwich spread. I hope you will give smoked paprika a try whenever you need to take a bland dish to the next level.

White Bean Dip with Smoked Paprika:

2 cans of Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed

3 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

1 TB Smoked Paprkia

1/2 Tsp Cayenne Pepper

Sea Salt To Taste.

Combine all ingredients in a food processor, season with salt to taste. Drizzle with olive oil and an additional sprinkle of smoked paprika for garnish. Serve with pita chips or carrot sticks.

Crock Pot Cucina:

This post originally appeared on the Taste and Savor blog on September 20, 2011

With the official start of fall fast approaching and a break in the summer heat, I started thinking that it was time to dust off the ole' Crock Pot and start cooking up some cool weather comfort food. Coincidentally, as thoughts of my own Crock Pot entered my conscious, I was inundated with Crock Pot chatter from my neighbors, co-workers and Facebook posts. I happened upon two Facebook pages that celebrate the joys of Crock Pot meals. The first, is a page called "Crock Pot Girls" that posts classic Crock Pot recipes. The second page, "Skinny Crock Pot" sparked my interest, as it features lighter, healthier recipes.

As I looked for inspiration for my recipe this week, I remembered a wonderful beef stew that I had in Italy last summer called "Peposo". Peposo is a peppery beef stew, cooked in Chianti. This dish dates back to the renaissance and was a favorite of the kiln workers who fabricated tiles for the roof of the Duomo in Florence.

This is a simple recipe for Crock Pot Peposo that tastes great on top of creamy polenta or a slice of toasted ciabatta.

Crock Pot Peposo:

Ingredients:
1 spanish onion, medium dice
2 carrots, medium dice
2 celery stalks, medium dice
4 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 lb chuck roast, cut into one inch pieces and trimmed of excess fat
1 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes, drained
1 10.5 ounce can of tomato puree
1 1/2 cup chianti
1 tablespoon fresh cracked Black Pepper

2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
3 thyme sprigs

STEP ONE:

Place onion, carrots, celery and garlic in bottom of Crock Pot. Add the meat on top of the vegetables, followed by the diced tomatoes and tomato puree. Next add the Chianti, salt, pepper and thyme.

STEP TWO:

Cover pot and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. Sauce may be thickened before service with a slurry of 1/4 of cold water and 1 TBSP of cornstarch. Stir in the slurry and cook uncovered until sauce reaches desired thickness.

Eating The Elephant, One Bite at a Time:

This post originally appeared on the Taste and Savor blog on September 28, 2011

We have probably all heard of the question "How do you eat an elephant?" The answer of course is "one bite at a time". This means that one should not focus solely on the big goal of eating the elephant, but to break down your ultimate goal into smaller more attainable accomplishments. Chef Nancy uses this metaphor often during our healthy eating presentations. I love this example in the context of improving one's eating habits. Most often, people who make radical changes to their diet, do find immediate gratification when the pounds start to fall off. Unfortunately, so many of the fad diets these days emphasize the elimination of a certain food group or the consumption of only certain items. This is great for a short time, but ultimately, one will begin to feel deprived and perhaps indulge in a binge or fall off their diet plan all together. It is important to look at healthy eating as something that you can build on and live with for the rest of your life. Personally, I know for a fact that I could not live the rest of my life without chocolate, red wine, cheese and good bread. I still indulge in all of these delicacies, but view them more as treats, rather than staples. Occasional indulgences keep me satisfied and help to prevent me from overdoing it. Additionally, I have learned how to integrate anti-inflammatory and antioxidant rich foods into my daily diet. Below is a list of several of the foods that we use in our kitchen every week. I challenge you to try and add one or more of these healthy ingredients into your repertoire over the next few weeks. This will help you to eat your elephant one bite (or one ingredient) at a time.

Top 5 Fabulous Ingredients in the Taste and Savor Kitchen:

1) Turmeric: This is a popular Indian spice that adds a wonderful yellow hue to foods and is widely thought to have anti-inflammatory properties because of it's active ingredient, curcumin. When used in conjunction with olive oil and black pepper, the bioavailabilty of the curcumin is increased. Try turmeric to add a lovely saffron color to rice or saute veggies in turmeric and black pepper olive oil.

2) Capers: Caper buds are a popular Mediterranean ingredient that contains high amounts of quercetin, another anti-inflammatory. Try adding capers to a salad or sandwich spread.

3) Sweet Bell Peppers: These sweet peppers are delicious raw or roasted, are low in calories and high in antioxidant properties. They are also high in vitamin C. Add raw or roasted peppers to salads, stir fries or sandwiches.

4) Kale: This leafy green vegetable is a member of the cabbage family and is high in beta carotene, vitamins K and C and calcium. Kale is great sauteed in olive oil or can be used raw after a brief rubdown in sea salt. The sea salt will soften the kale thus making a great addition to a coleslaw or salad.

5) Dark Chocolate: If you are eating chocolate for it's antioxidant properties, make sure that the chocolate you eat contains at least 70% cacao solids and is not Dutch processed. Try melting some dark chocolate and adding some toasted almonds and dried cranberries. Spread the mixture out on parchment paper and chill in the fridge until hard. Break into 1 ounce pieces and enjoy!

Respect Thy Mother Grain

This post originally appeared on the Taste and Savor website on August 31, 2011

I first heard of quinoa in culinary school. This word appeared as an answer on a multiple choice quiz. The question was, "What is considered to be the mother of all grains?" Unfortunately, I had never heard of quinoa, and evidently had not done my required reading, and erroneously chose "wheat" as my answer. This mistake on the quiz, prompted me to go back and find out what this mysterious grain with the funny name was. What I learned is that quinoa was a staple in the ancient Incan diet. It is a great source of nutrition, in that it is a complete protein, and provides all the essential amino acids the body needs. Interesting information for sure, and I made certain that I got the "mother grain" question correct when it reappeared on my final exam.

I was later reintroduced to quinoa in the kitchen of Cancer Wellness. It provides abundant nutritional value, and is perfect for the many gluten-free participants who attend our classes. Chef Nancy uses this grain in many of her recipes, from soups to salads. I have grown quite fond of quinoa and love that it is a blank canvas that can be imparted with any number of different flavors.

This week's recipe uses quinoa to showcase one of my favorite flavor combinations, lemon and basil. This dish can be served warm as a side or a main dish, as well as cold or at room temperature as a salad.

Lemon-Basil Quinoa with Cannellini Beans:

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa*

2 cups water

1 15.5oz can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup of packed basil leaves
1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
Zest and juice of one lemon
2 scallions, finely chopped

Directions:
Bring quinoa and water to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 12-15 minutes, until water is absorbed and quinoa stem pops out. Once cooked, cool slightly and combine in a bowl with remaining ingredients.

*Quinoa is cooked using the 1-2-3 method. Meaning, 1 cup uncooked quinoa + 2 cups water = 3 cups cooked quinoa.

Don't Be a Hater

This post originally appeared on the Taste and Savor website on August 24, 2011

Last week, Chef Nancy and I were testing a recipe for a lighter Caesar salad dressing. The original recipe called for one anchovy fillet. We ended up using the whole can of anchovies in the recipe, in order to achieve a flavor we both agreed on. As we were cooking, we started discussing people's passionate feelings regarding anchovies. For the most part, people either love them or hate them. Rarely do you find someone who says, "I kind of like anchovies". As it turns out, Nancy and I both fall into the category of people who love anchovies. For those of us who are fans of anchovies, our love of this tiny fish, supplies not only a wonderful flavor profile, but it is filled with nutritional benefits as well. Anchovies are packed with protein, calcium and beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.

I don't anticipate immediately changing any one's negative opinion about anchovies, but do hope that those who dislike them, might consider the health benefits and give them another shot. My recipe this week is for the anchovy lover, and is inspired by the Caesar salad we made last week. Instead of pureeing the anchovies in a dressing, this recipe puts the anchovies front and center.

Caesar Salad Bruschetta:
1/2 cup light olive oil mayonnaise
1 cup of fresh grated parmesan cheese
3 teaspoons lemon zest
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
12 slices baguette, cut on the bias
1 large garlic clove, Sliced in half lengthwise
24 anchovy fillets
1 cup of finely shredded romaine hearts
Lemon wedges for garnish

Combine Mayo, 3/4 Cup of Parmesan, Lemon Zest and Black Pepper in a bowl. Set aside. Meanwhile, coat both sides of baguette with non-stick cooking spray and toast in a 350 degree oven for 6-8 minutes, until nice a toasty, but not too brown. Rub both sides of the warm toasted bread with the flat side of the garlic cloves. Next, spread a thin layer of the mayo-cheese mixture on each slice of toast. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese on top of the may mixture. Place the bread slices under the broiler for about 2-3 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the edges of the bread start to brown. Once out of the broiler, place about a tablespoon of romaine in the center of each bread slice and top with two anchovy fillets in a crisscross pattern.

Why Orange You Eating Your Greens?

This entry originally appeared on the Taste and Savor Blog  on August 19, 2011

My new favorite dark, leafy green is kale. It is not a vegetable that I had eaten often in the past, however, I do remember it being served with the Brazilian national dish, Feijoada. Kale is a member of the cabbage family and is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and is a great source of dietary fiber and vitamins, A, C and K. A one cup serving of kale contains a mere 33 calories. We use kale often in the kitchen at Cancer Wellness, as kale is believed to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties which are important in cancer prevention.

Kale is very versatile and can be sauteed, roasted or served raw. If serving raw, try massaging a bit of sea salt into the greens, this will soften the leaves. My recipe this week is inspired by the kale I remember eating in Brazil and has a punch of citrus and garlic. This dish makes a great side for grilled pork tenderloin or can be eaten as a vegetarian main dish when served on top of some brown basmati rice or quinoa.

Garlic-Citrus Kale:

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic, grated
16 oz of kale, stems removed and cut in chiffonade*
Zest of 1 orange
Squeeze of fresh orange juice
Salt and Pepper to taste


Directions:

Heat oil in large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add kale and saute, stirring frequently, until leaves soften and turn a bright green. Lower heat and add garlic and orange zest, tossing until garlic is softened, about 1-2 minutes more. Remove from heat and hit with a squeeze of fresh orange juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.

*A 16 oz bag of pre-washed and chopped kale may be substituted.