Balancing Act: Roasted Fall Vegetable Salad

While fall is the ideal time of year for comfort food - apple pie, mashed potatoes, stuffing - it's also the easiest time of year to pack on a few extra pounds. Thanks to the cooler weather, it's easy to hide what all that pie does to your middle underneath layers and loose sweaters. And though I'm not one to sacrifice my favorite fall foods for vanity's sake, I don't want to be cursing those extra helpings of cider donuts come next spring. So in order to get the most of the comforting fall flavors we all love, I look to the many hearty vegetables the autumn harvest has to offer.

This salad with roasted butternut squash, brussels sprouts and beets is so satisfying that you won't feel like you're missing out at all. Plus, just look at those colors. If that doesn't look like fall, I don't know what does. And if anything, eat this salad so you can feel a little less guilty about polishing off that bag of candy corn after.

Roasted Fall Vegetable Salad
makes 4 entrée-sized servings

Ingredients:
1 lb butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
1 lb brussels sprouts, halved
2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cups precooked beets, quartered
1/4 cup gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
16 oz baby spinach (or 2 bags of the pre-washed kind from the grocery store)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Assemble the squash and brussels sprouts on the baking sheet so they're in one even layer. If the pan is too crowded, use 2 baking sheets. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Using your hands, toss the veggies so they're evenly coated in oil. Roast in the oven about 30 minutes, or until tender and slightly browned. Allow the veggies to cool slightly.
3. Top the spinach with beets, gorgonzola, walnuts and roasted veggies. I don't use any extra dressing for this, because I find the beets and roasted veggies help moisten the spinach, but if you want to drizzle with some extra olive oil, more power to ya.

One Pot Wonder: Italian Vegetable Soup & Cornbread

Summer is unofficially over, which means it's time to get back to routines and schedules. And I could not be happier. I know, I sound like a total party pooper. Don't get me wrong, I do love summer, but come late August every year, I'm itching for cooler weather, apples and pumpkins, prime time TV, and a week when I can just stay put and get back in the kitchen.

Now I don't want to jinx it, but I think it's safe to say that the dog days of summer are finally past us. The weather in NYC has been just divine, and I've finally had a few weekends where I can stay home and relax instead of living out of a suitcase between graduations, vacations, and beach visits. So with some extra time on my hands, it was about time I got back in the kitchen with one of my favorite Sunday traditions: one pot meals!

As I've said here before, one pot meals are clutch for young, busy and poor folks (like me)! They're a major timesaver during the week, and much healthier and more cost effective than ordering takeout everyday for lunch or dinner. On the menu this week is a big, biiiig pot of Italian vegetable soup. Besides chopping up all the vegetables, you essentially just dump and stir everything into a big pot. And because I always need a little carb-age to truly hold me over, I made a lighter version of hearty cornbread. While it may officially be summer until this Saturday, this Italian vegetable soup and cornbread says fall is here to stay.

Italian Vegetable Soup
serves 6-8

Ingredients:
2 cups escarole, chopped
2 cups baby spinach
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 zucchini, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 fennel bulb, chopped
28 oz can diced tomatoes
6 cups vegetable broth
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

Add escarole, spinach, garlic, onion, zucchini, red bell pepper, fennel, canned tomatoes, vegetable broth, red pepper flakes, thyme and oregano to a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 10-15 minutes until vegetables are cooked through. Season with salt and pepper and top with parsley and basil.

Healthy Cornbread
serves 12

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray an 8x8 inch pan with cooking spray.

Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir in yogurt and eggs until combined and batter is smooth. Pour into pan and bake 20-25 minutes until tender and cooked through in the center.

Brown Bag Lunch: Quinoa with Corn, Tomatoes & Avocado

After a weekend full of indulgences - burgers & milkshakes at Schnipper's, pasta at Piccolo Angolo, and smoked salmon wrapped poached eggs at Penelope - I was craving something healthy and simple for lunch this week. I stumbled upon this recipe at Serious Eats for quinoa with corn, tomatoes and avocado last week, and instantly thought of it as the perfect brown bag lunch.

This quinoa is great to throw together on a Sunday afternoon and have ready for the rest of the week. It's tasty at room temperature or cold, so it makes for a great bring-to-work lunch. Plus, the avocado and quinoa are nice and filling, so you won't be looking for snacks at your desk an hour after lunch.

Quinoa with Corn, Tomatoes, Avocado & Lime
makes 4-5 servings

Ingredients:
2 tbs olive oil, divided
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 cup pre-washed quinoa
1-2/3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 tsp salt, divided
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 cobs of fresh corn, cooked and kernels removed
3 scallions, white and green parts, finely chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tbs lime juice, from 1-2 limes
2 avocados, cut into bite-sized chunks

1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in medium pot over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

2. Add quinoa to onions, stirring constantly for 3-4 minutes. Add vegetable broth and stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt. Turn up heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover pot, turn down heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is cooked. Let cool slightly.

3. When quinoa is cool, add remaining olive oil, tomatoes, corn, scallions, jalapeño, cilantro, salt and lime juice. Top with avocado.

A New Year's Resol-soup-tion

It's been almost a month since my last blog post, and while I haven't written in a while, I can assure you that this time has been filled with lots of cooking, eating, and drinking (repeat that sequence about 14 times). From gingerbread cookies to Gaga's lasagna, it's been a nonstop comfort-food-filled-and-sugar-high month.

To "make up" for a month's worth of indulgences, many people vow to be healthier or go to the gym in the new year. Frankly, this annoys me. First of all, these gym newbies take over all the treadmills from us regular gym-goers from January until those resolutions grow stale. Let's be honest people: flocking to the gym on January 1st isn't going to get rid of the 5 chocolate Santa's you gobbled up in December. And the "be more healthy" resolution is perhaps even more of an empty promise than the born-again gym rats. In order to be more healthy, you need to set real, tangible goals (i.e. cook at home more, eat smaller portions). The reason so many of these resolutions fail is that they are too elusive to see any real progress or change, so people just give up. But if you take easy, measurable steps, you're much more likely to stick to and succeed at your goals.

Now I'm not here to lecture. What do I really know about resolutions and life goals? I'm mostly just bitter about the new guy at the gym who's always walking on my favorite treadmill (WALKING, not even running!!) But I am here to share a delicious recipe for Italian Wedding Soup. I came across a recipe last week via Pinterest (check out my page!) that piqued my interest. I'm not sure why, as I've never actually had or made Italian Wedding Soup, but something about the meatballs and kale sounded enticingly healthy, yet still satisfying. And I was right. This soup feels and tastes like the ultimate comfort food, without weighing you down after. Forget your "be more healthy" resolution; making more meals, like this soup, should be a resolution in itself!

Italian Wedding Soup (adapted from The Kitchn)
makes 5-6 servings

Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey meat (or ground chicken)
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
3 eggs
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 garlic gloves, minced
8 cups chicken stock
1 bunch kale, roughly chopped (I used an entire 10 oz. bag from Trader Joe's)

1. Combine turkey, bread crumbs, 1 egg, 1/4 cup of each cheese, oregano, salt and pepper in a bowl. Roll into 1-inch diameter balls. You should have about 20-25 meatballs.
2. In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook the meatballs in batches until lightly browned on all sides. Set aside on paper towels to drain excess oil.
3. In a large stock pot, heat remaining oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until tender, but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Add the kale, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add the meatballs and cook 5 minutes more.
4. Meanwhile, combine 2 eggs and remaining cheeses in a small bowl. Pour the egg mixture into the hot soup, stirring constantly. Cover and simmer until the eggs are just set, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Detox Dinner: Grilled Chicken, Asparagus & Portobello Mushroom

After a long weekend in Las Vegas filled with food court breakfasts, all-you-can-eat buffets and "frozen yard" Mai Tais, I was in major need of some fresh, light food and a heavy dose of exercise. Don't get me wrong, the frozen drinks were much needed in the 105 degree sun and we did eat some delicious food (i.e. Border Grill where I enjoyed amazing fish tacos). But after three days of indulgence, I was more than ready for a healthy detox.

Not a crazy-starve-yourself detox, but rather eating whole foods with simple and healthy ingredients. After a quick trip to Trader Joe's to restock my fridge, I decided to make this super easy dinner with just three main ingredients: portobello mushrooms, asparagus and chicken breast tenders. The marinade is so refreshing and flavorful that you don't need to add extra fat or carbs to beef up the meal. Plus, the meatiness of the mushrooms adds a deceiving richness to the dish. The recipe below makes two servings--perfect leftovers for lunch or dinner to continue the "detox" throughout the week.

So while Las Vegas was definitely a welcome escape from reality, it was about time to swap my dancin' shoes for sneakers, and endless buffet brunch for good ol' Kashi cereal. But healthy, delicious meals--like this one-can make the transition back to the real world just a little more tasteful.

Grilled Portobello, Asparagus & Chicken
Makes 2 servings


Ingredients:
4 chicken breast tenderloins
12-14 asparagus spears
2-3 portobello mushrooms
1 tbsp olive oil (to drizzle the chicken)
3 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese

For the marinade:
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
2-3 tbsp lemon juice, or juice of one lemon
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. Whisk all ingredients for the marinade in a small bowl.
2. Add the mushrooms and asparagus to a bowl or ziploc bag. Pour most of the marinade over the vegetables and let sit in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes before cooking. Reserve the rest of the marinade for later.
3. Spray a grill pan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. (If you don't have a grill pan, just saute in a regular pan).
4. Season both sides of the chicken with salt & pepper, and drizzle with a little olive oil. Place the chicken tenders on the grill, and allow to cook about 3-4 minutes each side. The chicken should have a nice golden crust. Once the chicken is cooked through, remove and set aside.
5. Add the mushrooms and asparagus to the grill pan. Cook until tender, flipping the mushrooms and asparagus after about 3-4 minutes.
6. Plate the chicken, mushrooms and asparagus, pouring the leftover marinade on top. Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese for an extra salty punch.