Fall for Soup

I find myself craving warm comfort foods this time every year. Homemade soup is one of my favorite ways to enjoy autumn produce. It warms the soul without needing to loosen your belt! Soup also stores easily--I made a large batch and will freeze some for quick weeknight dinners over the next couple weeks.

Check out what I doctored up tonight (and served with some toast spread with feta!). Try this creation, but keep in mind that it's easy to mix and match various vegetables, beans, and spices to create a unique dish each time.

Lentil Stew with Squash and Greens

Ingredients

1 Onion, diced

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

1/4 Kabocha squash, seeds removed and diced

2 large carrots, diced

3 large parsnips, diced

2 Tbs caraway seeds

2 Tbs dried basil

1 Tbs crushed red pepper

2 bay leaves

salt and pepper

1/2 lb dried lentils, rinsed and picked over

2 cups low sodium beef broth + 2 cups water

1 bunch kale, stems removed and torn

1 bunch fresh basil

Directions

1. Oil large soup pot and saute onion and garlic until tender. Add squash, carrots, parsnips, and seasonings. Mix together and saute about 3 minutes. 

2. Add lentils, broth and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until all vegetables and beans are tender, about 20 minutes. 

3. Remove bay leaves and stir in kale and basil until wilted. 

4. Serve or let cool before freezing/refrigerating. 

Spice Up Your Spice Cabinet

Try cooking with fresh and/or dried herbs and spices! In addition to helping you cut back on salt, herbs and spices have health properties all their own, including their antioxidant properties to help reduce risk of chronic diseases. Perking up your pantry is a great way to make sure affordable meals are never too long of a process. It can be daunting to dive into the spice rack world all by yourself, so check out some combinations below to match what flavor profile you're in the mood for:

• Curry + Cumin + Coriander Get the great taste of take-out without all the added fat and salt! This adds beautiful yellow color to roasted cauliflower, caramelized onions served over grilled chicken, or bean stews.
• Basil + Oregano + Caraway Seeds A new take on Italian classics. This mixture with anise flavor mimics the flavors of Italian sausage. Use either fresh or dried basil & oregano and dried caraway in tomato sauce with a bit of garlic or used to flavor lean cuts of meat. 
• Cinnamon + Cayenne Pepper Cinnamon is too rarely used in savory dishes! The natural sweetness of carrots or sweet potatoes go great with a dash of cinnamon and a bit of hot and spicy flavor. Can't handle the heat? Try it with chili powder instead of cayenne which has loads of flavor but won't leave your lips burning. 
• Rosemary + Thyme + Sage  This combo always makes me dream of Thanksgiving feasts. While it is delicious on poultry alongside a squirt of lemon, it is also a fabulous addition to roasted beets and parsnips. 

Highline Park Walk

NYC's High Line is a unexpected way to view the city in a historical and environmentally forward Park. From a unique vantage point, it offers gorgeous views that you can't get in a high-rise or from the street below. Earlier this summer, the second part of the park opened up, so you can now walk from Gansevoort in the Meatpacking District up to about 30th Street. In addition to enjoying the view, walking up and back is about 2 miles, and will burn you about 200 calories.

Get there hungry to enjoy some of the awesome vendors along the stroll--including my newest favorite, meltbakery. They have a variety of tasty cookie ice cream sandwiches, including Molasses with Pumpkin ice cream (middle) just in time for fall, and a classic Red Velvet with Cream Cheese Ice Cream (right).

Jeffrey's Grocery

For a laid back atmosphere with to-die-for dishes from start to finish, try Jeffrey's Grocery in the West Village. A close former New Yorker friend and I stopped in Saturday night for bar-side dinner. I often find myself more impressed by appetizers than entrees, and although I wouldn't take back a single bite of the starters,the hangar steak was a force to be reckoned with as well. As we looked around, we kept ordering--that's how good everything looked and tasted. We luckily saved room for the bartender's dessert recommendation and a tasty bottle of red wine on one of NYC's first fall-like weekends. Stumbling upon this restaurant was one of the weekend's highlights. Go hungry!

Octopus special with potato salad and zucchini ribbons.
Best dish of the night!

Tomato and Watermelon salad, conveniently split for 2. 

Hanger Steak (what was left anyway...) and chips with market crab dip.

Berry Shortcake a la mode to finish. 

Whole Wheat Pizza

Most Americans love pizza. But why waste the calories on the terrible 30 minute delivery place down the block? Thin-crust, fresh toppings is way more up my alley. I decided a couple weeks ago to get out my standing mixer and whip up a batch of pizza dough. This was my first attempt, but I was certain I could give this "junk-food" staple a new reputation. Using whole wheat flour instead of refined to boost vitamins and fiber and using fresh herbs, cheeses, and farmers market veggies as toppings, I felt like I got a lot of taste without the grease.

The dough recipe I used makes enough to serve about 8 people, 2 slices per person. I froze half, and was able to share round 2 with a dear friend. In addition to fabulous wine, we dined on 2 different whole wheat pizzas: White Pizza with Caramelized Onions, Prosciutto and Zucchini (recipe below), a simple Margarita with Heirloom Tomatoes, as well as an arugula and fig salad. I dare you to try it--you'll never call Domino's again. 

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

Adapted from The Williams Sonoma Cookbook

Ingredients

1 package (or ~2.5 Tbs) active dry yeast

1 ½ cups warm water (105-115F)

1Tbs salt (plus ~1 tsp for seasoning)

2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil, plus about 1-2 tsp additional for greasing

3 ½ -4 cups whole wheat flour, divided

Preparation

1.       In bowl of a standing mixer with dough hook, sprinkle yeast over warm water and let stand until foamy (about 4 minutes). Add olive oil, ½ cup flour, and 1 Tbs salt; mix until creamy. Add additional flour, ½ cup at a time, and knead in mixer until dough is smooth but not sticky (about 10 minutes).

2.      Form dough into a ball, put in lightly oiled bowl, and turn to coat with oil. Cover bowl with towel or plastic and let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk (about 1 hour). Divide dough into 4 balls, kneading as you shape them.

NOTE: If freezing or refrigerating dough, after step 2 (first rise), wrap each ball in aluminum foil, and freeze up to 2 weeks or refrigerate up to 4 days. To re-use, thaw in refrigerator, then following steps 3-5 to complete.

3.      Place dough balls in bowl and cover with towel. Let rise (second rise) until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.

4.      Preheat oven to 450F. Flatten each ball and gentry roll on floured surface, until about 8 inches in diameter (smaller if you like a thicker crust). Place rounds on flour-dusted baking sheet.

5.      Add toppings, and bake until edges are golden brown (about 10 minutes). 

Prosciutto, Zucchini and Caramelized Onion White Pizza on Whole Wheat Crust

Ingredients

¼ recipe Whole Wheat Pizza Crust (1 dough ball)

2 tsp olive oil

¼ cup part-skim ricotta cheese

1 ounce part-skim mozzarella, sliced

½ large white onion, sliced and caramelized

2 ounces prosciutto, sliced and torn into small strips

1 cup zucchini, sliced

1.5 oz (a handful) Parmesan cheese, shredded

Freshly cracked black pepper

Preparation

With back of a spoon, spread ricotta and about 1-2 tsp olive oil over rolled-out pizza dough. Layer prosciutto, mozzarella, onions, and zucchini strips. Top with parmesan cheese and black pepper. Bake at 450F for about 10 minutes, until crust edges are golden brown and cheese begins to brown.

Peanut Cabbage Slaw With Mustard-Crusted Tofu

It tasted so good that we weren't
too picky about presentation! 

I recently had a friend over for a weeknight dinner, and decided to see if I could make a tofu-lover out of her. I often attempt to get people to love things they think they hate. I doctored up some Cabbage Slaw with homemade peanut sauce and served it alongside Mustard Crusted Tofu. Check out the recipes below:

Cabbage Slaw with Peanut Sauce

Serves 2 main dishes or 4 sides

(Nutrition Facts based on 4 servings)

Ingredients

For Slaw:

1 cup snow peas

 1 Tbs sesame oil

½ head cabbage, sliced thinly

3 green onions

1 cucumber, sliced into thin half-moons

2 Tbs sesame seeds, toasted

Freshly ground black pepper

For Sauce:

¼ cup creamy natural peanut butter

Juice of 2 limes

1 Tbs reduced sodium soy sauce

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

1 garlic clove, minced

Preparation

Lightly sauté snow peas in sesame oil.  Toss sautéed snow peas with all ingredients for slaw in large bowl. In blender, blend all ingredients for dressing.  Toss slaw and dressing together, and let sit for 1 hour before serving.

Mustard Crusted Tofu

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 12oz package extra firm tofu

3 Tbs Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper

3 Tbs olive oil

Preparation

Cut tofu into 5 strips. Place on paper towels or over colander for ~15 minutes. Coat tofu strips with mustard and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Heat 2 Tbs olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Place tofu in pan and fry on one side until golden brown. Just before turning, add remaining 1 Tbs olive oil. Fry until golden brown on both sides. Serve warm. 

Healthy Breakfast Swaps

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. Whether it's quick cold cereal before a busy workday, diner breakfast, or homemade brunch, a morning meal can rev up your metabolism after a nightlong fast. But studies show that consuming too large of a breakfast doesn't keep you from consuming more calories later in the day. Check out some breakfast swaps to give you enough energy until lunch but keep it healthy in the morning:

Instead of: Large muffin
Try: Cook up 1/2 cup oatmeal in 1 cup water. Once cooked, add 2 Tbs peanut butter and a sliced banana. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Why: Craving a sweet breakfast? This oatmeal is my go-to in my morning routine. It's sweet without the added sugar of a muffin. The peanut butter and heart-healthy soluble fiber in the oatmeal make it filling--keeps me going until lunch. There's also a whole day's worth of potassium in the banana (great post-workout!)

Instead of: Bacon, egg and cheese on a roll at the deli
Try: Bacon and egg whites with tomato on whole wheat
Why: If you're craving a standard NYC deli breakfast, don't sacrifice the flavor entirely. We all love bacon every once in a while. Instead, treat yourself to the bacon, but cut out the sodium and calories from the cheese and leave out the saturated fat from the egg yolk. Switch to whole grain and add a veggie for added fiber.







Instead of: Eggs Benedict with Hash Browns

Try: Eggs Florentine with side of greens
Why: Vegetables are a great start to the morning! Save some calories by substituting spinach for the ham. Skip the fried potatoes and opt for greens instead--with all the starch from the English muffin, I bet you don't even miss them! Asking for Hollandaise on the side to cut calories even more.

Dancefloor Workout

I've had a couple amazing weekends recently. For the past 2 weekends I've been away at dear friends' weddings. After the ceremony is done, cocktails and dinner have been had, and the couple has had their first dance, my favorite part begins--the dancing. Just 30 minutes of vigorous dance floor breaking it down burns can burn up to 200 calories, or enough to compensate for a shared piece of wedding cake.  

Check out the sweaty dancefloor from a hot summer night
at a beautiful and clearly outrageously fun Charlottesville wedding!

Fish Tag

I recently had a delightful date night at Fish Tag, a new restaurant on the UWS opened by the same owners as the delicious Kefi Greek restaurant. Our favorite dishes were the appetizers and cheese plate that followed dinner.

Grilled Prawn, Feta, & Spicy Chilies Bruschetta

Chilled Sweet Corn Soup with Maine Crab Meat
(Our favorite dish of the night)

Smoked Octopus
Perfectly done--not chewy at all!

One of the other novel concepts about this restaurant is the layout of their menu to support perfect wine pairings--they even offer wine by the half glass, full glass, half bottle and full bottle to help you have the perfect wine with each bite. I had a great glass of rose, which was perfect for a hot NYC summer night.

Here's just part of the wine list as a preview. 

It was a great night out, and comes highly recommended!

Braving the Cereal Aisle

Boxes and boxes everywhere, but not a crumb to eat. The cereal aisle is full of everything from the sugar-laden to the cardboard tasting. It is critical to pack your breakfast full of nutrients--make it a consistently healthy meal (and one that you remember to eat!) in order to boost your metabolism and ensure you get AT LEAST one well-rounded meal each day.

Making a healthy choice is easier than you think. Read the label and go with this rule: 5 or fewer grams of sugar and 4 or more grams of fiber. Then read the ingredients list and make sure the first ingredient is a whole grain. 


If you don't have time to check the label out, try some of these that I've personally taste-tested:

Nature's Path Organic Mesa Sunrise
(also comes in an EcoPack)

  

Barbara's Shredded Spoonfuls Multigrain

Kashi Heart to Heart Toasted Honey

FiberOne
Try it mixed in with
another cereal to boost fiber!