January 7, 2012: Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli With Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe

Part of getting healthy and losing weight is incorporating more vegetables into your diet. I can do this easily as there are very few things I won’t eat but my husband has a harder time (to his credit, he hasn’t complained about our new eating habits and happily munches on salads and soups along with me).

While just about anyone will eat broccoli or cauliflower smothered in a rich cheese sauce, it’s harder to allow these vegetables to stand on their own merit. Roasting root vegetables at a high temperature, however, caramelizes them and gives them a different flavor profile that meshes perfectly with this vinaigrette.

Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli With Balsamic Vinaigrette

2 cups cauliflower florets

2 t. olive oil

1 cup broccoli florets

Balsamic Vinaigrette

1/8 cup olive oil

1 ½ t. capers

1 T. finely minced shallot

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1/8 cup balsamic vinegar

½ t. Dijon mustard

¼ t. sea salt

¼ t. freshly ground black pepper

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss cauliflower with olive oil. Place cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes.

While cauliflower is roasting, make vinaigrette. In a small, heavy saucepan, heat olive oil to medium low. Add capers, shallots and garlic; fry for about 2 minutes, until vegetables are softened. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients.

Toss broccoli with vinaigrette. Add to cauliflower and return to oven to roast for an additional 20 minutes.

Makes about 3 servings with 130 calories per serving.

November 12, 2011: Roasted Butternut Squash With Sage Recipe

I don’t know about you, but I’m always looking for new and unique dishes to serve alongside my very traditional Thanksgiving turkey. This squash dish fits the bill perfectly; squash is in season during the fall months and the combination of tender chunks of squash with browned butter and fresh sage is simply delicious.

Roasted Butternut Squash With Fresh Sage

1 large butternut squash

4 T. butter

4 T. olive oil

2 T. fresh sage leaves, torn into small pieces

1 t. real maple syrup

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the squash in half in lengthwise and remove seeds. Place each half on a cutting board and slice into one-inch thick slices (rind intact). Place butter and oil on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Place in the oven until butter is melted; top with sage. Brush the flesh of the squash slices with maple syrup and sprinkle with salt and pepper; lay them on top of the butter/oil mixture.

Cover pan with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and remove the foil. Continue to cook for another half hour or so, turning the slices and basting with the butter mixture often. Cut off rind and garnish with fresh sage leaves before serving, if desired.

Serves 6 – 8

October 6, 2011: Squash Recipes

Of course, one thing you’ll see a lot of at the grocery store and farmer’s markets at this time of year are various types of squash. Personally I love squash of any kind (if you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m not very picky when it comes to food), however my husband had to eat it daily when he was a kid and his mom grew it by the truckload in their garden so he doesn’t get quite as excited as I do about the colors and shapes and textures of squashes.

I have a good friend at the grocery store, Brian, who manages the produce department. He let me know of some amazing, beautiful squashes that were available and I couldn’t resist buying some! So far, I’ve just used them as decorations on my fall table, as you can see here - but they should last for months so I consider it a very frugal way to decorate for autumn.

Brian recommends that when making squash, you use really good quality ingredients. His simple recipe:

Baked Squash

1 squash, your choice of variety such as acorn, spaghetti, butternut

Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt (according to Brian, sea salt really brings out the sweetness of the squash)

Freshly ground black pepper

Basically, you just wash the squash and cut it in half. Scoop out the seeds and strings. Place the halves cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet greased with olive oil. Bake for 45 – 60 minutes, until soft. Scoop out the cooked flesh and add olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

If you want a bit of variety you can add a tablespoon of maple syrup or substitute butter for the olive oil. A firm, tangy cheese like shaved Parmesan or a handful of toasted pecans or walnuts are also great complements to the slightly sweet flavor of squash.

September 15, 2011: Home Spa Facial and Foot Soak Recipes

I’ve shared several recipes in the past for home beauty treatments. Here’s a couple more I found in the latest issue of Spry magazine. For a relaxing “spa day” at home, brush on the facial mask while you’re soaking your feet, then follow with a nice, hot bubble bath!

Avocado and Honey Facial Mask

2 ounces mashed ripe avocado (about 1/3 of an avocado)

1 t. honey

1 t. molasses

2 T. orange juice

Few drops of chamomile essential oil

Combine all ingredients. Apply to face (using a soft paintbrush works well). Leave on for 30 minutes, then remove with a damp washcloth.

The avocado adds moisture to your skin while the honey and molasses pull out toxins. The orange juice is a very mild astringent while the chamomile oil is soothing.

Minty Margarita Foot Soak

1 T. Epsom salts

1 T. sea salt

Juice of half a lime

Half a lime, sliced thinly

Handful of fresh (or half as much dried) mint leaves

Fill a basin with very warm water and add all ingredients. Soak your feet for 10 minutes then gently towel dry.

The Epsom salts soothe aches while the sea salt acts as a scrub. The lime is a mild astringent and the mint is soothing and smells good – aromatherapy!

June 6, 2011: Super Food Yogurt Recipe

Yogurt is one of nature’s super foods. It is lower in fat than its alternative, sour cream, and many of the yogurts you find on the grocery store shelves contain live bacteria cultures, or probiotics, which are very healthful. A recent study from Washington University suggests that people who eat yogurt on a regular basis actually lose more weight due to the presence of Bacteroidetes. For some reason, an increase in Bacteroidetes causes you to consumer fewer calories. Pretty nifty, eh?

You can substitute yogurt for sour cream in nearly any recipe (Greek yogurt, although more expensive, is creamier and has a better texture for cooking). Labneh, a cheese made from yogurt, can be used in the place of higher fat cream cheese, although it’s hard to find (try your local natural foods store). Try either of these as a replacement in your favorite dip recipe.

You may also have heard that yogurt helps reduce the incidence of yeast infections. Some studies have also shown that it could reduce cholesterol. There’s no doubt about it – yogurt does a body good.

Here’s a simple yogurt salad dressing recipe I got from the book, A Year of Health and Beauty by Vidal and Beverly Sassoon (it’s an oldie - published in 1976 - but a goodie I’ve had for over 30 years!).

Yogurt Salad Dressing

Yolk of one hard-cooked egg
1 raw egg yolk (make sure it’s very fresh and from a pasteurized egg)
1 t. dry mustard
2 cups yogurt
2 t. lemon juice
Sea salt, to taste

Blend all ingredients in a blender and use immediately (don’t store any mixture with raw eggs for more than a day).

Tip: Add fresh herbs, such as dill, rosemary, parsley, chives, oregano, or thyme for flavor variations.