Healthy Lunch Options

Lots of people make resolutions to get healthy this time of the year, so I've decided to make some posts this week in keeping with that theme. First, my dear friend Tricia is offering The Simple Gourmand followers a chance to win a cute lunch tote from Thirty-One Gifts - click here to enter. To go along with the giveaway, I decided to make a post on healthy and tasty dishes that are easy to pack for lunch. The first dish, Lentil Ragout, is from The Essential Vegetarian Cookbook. I will be completely honest and tell you that this dish turned out so much better than I was anticipating. I had tried lentils before, only to be disappointed by their mealy texture and bland flavor. This Lentil Ragout turned out smooth and creamy and the flavor was rich and savory - it did not disappoint!

Note: I made a few changes to the original recipe based on ingredients I had on hand, and one mistake (oops!). Since I really liked the way it turned out, I've posted it here the way I made it.

Lentil Ragout
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 C chopped onions
2 large leeks, white part only, washed and chopped
2 large celery stalks, trimmed and chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp crumbled dried oregano
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 C uncooked lentils, rinsed (I used red lentils)
1 1/4 C Flavor Kick (recipe below)
1 3/4 C vegetable broth

Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, leeks, celery, carrots, garlic, oregano, cinnamon, and cloves, and saute over medium heat until the vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes. Add the tomato paste and vinegar, and stir to blend. Stir in the lentils, Flavor Kick, and vegetable broth. Turn up the heat to medium-high and bring the sauce to a simmer. Cover and turn down the heat to medium-low and cook until the lentils are soft and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 50 minutes. Eat plain or serve over quinoa or on whole wheat pasta.

Flavor Kick
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large carrot, scrubbed, trimmed, and chopped
2 celery stalks, including leaves, chopped
1 large leek, including greens, washed and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1/4 C red wine (I used Sweet Vermouth instead)
1 bay leaf
2 tsp crumbled dried thyme
2 C vegetable broth
2 C plus 1 tbsp water
1 Tbsp cornstarch

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large nonstick saucepan. Add the celery, carrot, leek, onion, shallot, and garlic and saute until the onion is soft, about 8 minutes.

Stir in tomato paste to blend thoroughly with the vegetables. Still stirring, add the red wine, and let the mixture simmer until most of it has evaporated, about 7 minutes.

Add the bay leaf, thyme, vegetable broth, and 2 cups of the water. Let the broth simmer until it's reduced by half, about 40 minutes.

Blend the cornstarch with the remaining tablespoon of water in a cup or small bowl. Stir the mixture into the broth, and continue to simmer until it's thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Strain through a fine sieve, discard the vegetables, and refrigerate until ready to use. Or transfer to smalle containers and freeze.

As for my lunch, I packed the lentils, some roasted cauliflower, and a spinach salad with dried cherries, goat cheese, and blanched slivered almonds.

Spring Greens

Spring has sprung and I couldn't be more excited to welcome it! The lawn mower is tuned and the vegetable garden has been planted. My allergies are terrible, but that hasn't stopped me from getting out and enjoying the warm weather. Morning walks and afternoon runs have motivated me to get out of my winter (read: heavy) eating rut. So, I took my larger-than-I'd-like-it-to-be fanny to the farmer's market, Trader Joe's, and my local grocer to stock up on fresh fruits and veggies and started experimenting in the kitchen. Well, that is, if you believe salads count as experimentation.

Spinach, Beets, & Wheat Berry Salad

2 1/2 C chicken broth

1 C wheat berries

2 C baby spinach

4 small beets, sliced

1/4 C walnut pieces

2 stalks celery, diced

1/4 C blue cheese crumbles

Vinaigrette dressing to taste

Bring chicken broth to a boil and add wheat berries, simmer for 50 minutes. Drain wheat berries and put in a bowl. Add remaining ingredients to wheat berries. Toss with vinaigrette.

Vinaigrette

1/4 C white wine vinegar

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp minced shallot

1/3 C EVOO
Lemon juice from 1/4 of a small lemon

Fresh ground salt and pepper

Shrimp n' Grits

I've been trying new recipes again, and I don't just mean new variations on old recipes, but rather things I've never made before. This was prompted in part by boredom with my recipe repertoire and in part by my attempt to be better about using ingredients I have on hand. I had a few less than stellar results, but I also had some great successes.

This recipe for Shrimp n' Grits was one of the more successful dishes I tried. It is adapted from a recipe in the current issue of Real Simple (Smoky Shrimp and Grits, pg. 267). I had some shrimp in the freezer, as well as the grits, cheese, and scallions that the original recipe called for. I also had pancetta, andouille sausage, and roasted red peppers, which I thought would add some extra zing to the dish - I was right! In fact, I suspect the dish would have been a little bland without the sausage. See what you think and feel free to add suggestions and other comments. Happy eating!

Shrimp n' Grits
1 lb. raw peeled, deveined medium or large shrimp
1 C grits
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 C grated cheddar cheese
1/3 C diced pancetta
1 large roasted red pepper, diced
3 scallions, sliced

Cook grits according to package directions. Once water is absorbed, stir in the garlic salt and cheddar cheese.

While the grits are cooking, brown the pancetta in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until it begins to brown. Add the shrimp and diced red peppers. Cook until the shrimp are opaque, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Stir in scallions.

Serve the shrimp mixture over the warm cheese grits.

Thai Chicken Stir-Fry Salad

This has been a week of sampling from various cookbooks. The recipe below is adapted from the Marshall Field's cookbook. I had to make some changes based on the ingredients I had on-hand, but the outcome was just as good as the original. This salad is good served either warm or cold.

Thai Sauce
1/2 C sugar
3 tsp sesame seeds
1 C reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tsp sesame seed oil
3 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp Thai garlic chili sauce
1 C thinly sliced green onion

Combine sugar, sesame seeds, soy, sesame oil, garlic, and chili sauce in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and immediately stir in green onion. Can refridgerate for up to 5 days.

Thai Peanut Dressing
1 Tbsp chopped cilantro
3 Tbsp peanut butter
1/4 C rice wine vinegar
1/4 C vegetable oil

Combine 1/4 C of the sauce cilantro, peanut butter, and vinegar in a bowl. Whisk until combined. Whisking constantly, add oil. Slowly make an emulsion.

Stir Fry
3/4 C broccoli florets
1/4 C vegetable oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4 inch strips
3/4 C asparagus, cut into 2 inch lengths
3/4 C julienned carrots
1/2 C julienned red bell pepper (I used yellow)
3 C cooked brown rice
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring small saucepan of water to a boil. Submerge the broccoli in the boiling water for 1 minute, until it turns bright green. Drain the broccoli and place in ice water.

Heat wok and add oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes, until almost done. Add the broccoli, asparagus, carrots, and bell pepper, and cook 3-4 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Add the rice and 1/2 cup of the Thai sauce and stir until thoroughly heated. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with dressing drizzled over the top and garnish with green onion.

Jambalaya

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped or 4 green onions, chopped
1 each medium green and orange bell pepper, chopped
1/2 C diced celery, greens included
2 small garlic cloves, chopped
1 can (14 1/2 oz) fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
3/4 cup rice
3 cups chicken stock
1 package (12 ounces) andouille sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts) cubed, seasoned (see below)

Directions:

Season Chicken:

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Mix above ingredients together in a bowl and combine with chicken. Work in seasoning well.

Jambalaya Directions:

In a large deep cast iron skillet heat oil over high heat. Add onion, pepper and celery, cook 3 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, Worcestershire and hot sauce.

Stir in rice and slowly add broth. Reduce heat to medium and cook until rice absorbs liquid and becomes tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. When rice is just tender add chicken mixture and sausage. Cook until meat is done, about 10 minutes more. Season to taste with salt, pepper and additional chicken seasoning.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

We've had a cold snap recently, like most of the country, so I have been in the mood for some comfort food. I've never made chicken and rice soup, but it sounded like it would hit the spot. I consulted a few recipes, took what I liked from each, left what I didn't, and came up with the recipe below. I was very pleased with the results (see the notes below if you prefer a thinner soup). Serve with Mom's Beer Bread - delish!

Ingredients:

4 C chicken broth (I used turkey stock I made & kept in the freezer after Thanksgiving)
1 C water
3 boneless chicken breast halves
1 (4.5 oz) pkg Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice Original with seasoning packet
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 small cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 C all-purpose flour
5 Tbsp butter
2 C 2% milk


In a large pot over medium heat, bring broth to a boil. Add chicken and reduce to a simmer. Cook until chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 15 minutes. Remove chicken from broth, reserve broth, and shred the chicken into bite sized pieces.

Return the chicken to the broth and add water. Bring just to boiling, then stir in rice, reserving seasoning packet. Cover and remove from heat.

In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper and flour.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in contents of seasoning packet and veggies until mixture is bubbly. Reduce heat to low, then stir in flour mixture by tablespoons, to form a roux. Whisk in milk, a little at a time, until fully incorporated and smooth. Cook until thickened, 5 minutes.

Stir milk mixture into broth and rice. Cook over medium heat until heated through, 10to 15 minutes.

*The soup was very thick, almost like porridge. If you like a thinner soup add more water or stock. You could also substitute lower fat milk to make it lighter and to create a thinner base.

Wheat Berries with Roasted Veggies

I've been itching to use wheat berries again, but have had trouble finding anything enticing on the web or in my cookbooks. I came across some yummy looking salads, but since it's so cold outside I was hoping for something warm. I had the most delicious vegetarian yorkshire pudding with wheat berries, artichoke and mushrooms last spring while visiting Chicago and wanted to recreate it. Sadly, I didn't have the ingredients on hand and was not willing to venture out in the cold to the grocery. Instead, I used the items I had on hand and came up with the following. You can take or leave the gravy, I made it thin and thought it added a little something to the veggie/grain mixture. Let me know what you think!

1 C wheat berries
2 1/2 C broth (I used the turkey broth I made after Thanksgiving)
2 medium sweet potatoes, sliced in wedges
1 crown broccoli, cut into individual clusters
1/2 medium onion sliced in wedges
1/4 lb green beans, snapped in half
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place broth in a pot with a lid and bring to a boil. Once the broth is boiling, add the wheat berries. Cover and simmer for 50 minutes.

In the meantime, place sweet potatoes and onion in a shallow baking dish or roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with 1/2 of the olive oil. Place in oven and roast for 20 minutes. Add broccoli and stir. Roast for another 15-20 minutes. Add green beans and stir. Roast for another 10 minutes.

Strain wheat berries saving broth for gravy. Stir wheat berries into veggies. Serve over gravy.

Gravy
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
3/4 C stock left after wheat berries finish cooking
Salt & pepper to taste

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat, then add flour to make a roux. Cook roux, stirring for about 2 - 3 minutes. Add stock, whisking constantly to prevent lumps and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper.

Wheat Berry Delight

I have been reading about the wonders of Wheat Berries and have been searching my local grocer for weeks to locate them. I was eager to put this grain to use. You see, wheat berries are a whole grain, meaning the grain is left intact so the nutrients do not oxidize. A cup of cooked wheat berries has about 300 calories and is packed with fiber, protein and iron. When boiled, cooked wheat berries have a chewy bite and subtle nutty, earthy flavor. They’re sturdy enough to handle bold salad dressings and still delicate enough to taste delicious with some milk, honey and cinnamon. There are two varieties of wheat berries, red and white. The red tend to be a little heartier and require longer cooking times.

Wheat berries can be used in other forms as well. Those who are industrious grind them into whole wheat flour for baking, or if you like sprouts you can add a little water to them and watch them grow. The sprouts are loaded with vitamin E, a cell-protecting antioxidant, and magnesium, which is good for healthy bones and muscles.

Finally, after visiting my mother in Chicago, I found the illustrious grain at Whole Foods. I was so excited to have nutritional powerhouse in my hot little hands that I immediately set to work. Over the past few weeks I've been testing them out and here are two of the better recipes I've come up with.

Wheat Berry Salad
1 C raw wheat berries
3 1/2 C chicken or vegetable broth, or water
Cooking spray
1 C Swiss chard
2 Tbsp minced leek
1/2 C. diced yellow squash
1/2 C. diced zucchini
2 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
juice of 1/2 of a clementine
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 oz crumbled goat cheese
Salt & pepper, to taste

To prepare the wheat berries, place 3 1/2 cups broth (or water) in a medium sauce pan, bring to a boil. Add wheat berries and simmer, covered, for an hour. Uncover and continue cooking until all liquid has been absorbed and berries are beginning to burst and are chewy. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, coat a small saute pan with cooking spray and saute chard and leeks, over medium-low heat, until chard is wilted. Remove mixture from pan, coat pan again with cooking spray, saute squash and zucchini over medium heat until tender. Be careful not to overcook the vegetables, they should be tender, but not falling apart.

In a small bowl whisk together the clementine juice, vinegar, oil and oregano.

When the wheat berries are done cooking and have cooled for about 15-20 minutes combine them with the vegetables and dressing. Gently fold in the goat cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.

Wheatberry Stuffed Eggplant
1/2 C raw wheat berries
2 C chicken or vegetable broth, or water
2 Japanese eggplants
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red pepper, charred, peeled and diced (or about 4 slices from a jar of roasted red peppers)
1 C skinned, diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
3 oz crumbled goat cheese, or feta
Salt & pepper, to taste
Cooking spray

To prepare the wheat berries, place 2 cups broth (or water) in a medium sauce pan, bring to a boil. Add wheat berries and simmer, covered, for an hour. Uncover and continue cooking until all liquid has been absorbed and berries are beginning to burst and are chewy. Set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350.

Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise. Gently remove flesh from the center of each eggplant half; careful not to cut through the skin, leave about 1/2 inch of flesh around the edge. Dice the removed eggplant and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until tender, careful not to burn the garlic. Add the diced eggplant, roasted pepper, tomatoes, herbs, salt and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the wheat berries and continue to stir.

Spray the eggplant shells inside and out and place on baking sheet. Fill each shell with the wheat berry mixture and top with 1/4 of the cheese. Bake until golden brown, approximately 40 minutes.

Stuffed Chicken Breast with Mediterranean Tomato Sauce

I just made this last night for dinner and it was delicious! The quinoa was so good on its own you could easily have it as a side dish, but using it as a stuffing made this dish an almost complete meal. Serve it with some sauted veggies or a salad and you're all set.

Mediterranean Tomato Sauce

2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp chopped leeks
3 Tbsp chopped garlic
2 lbs tomatoes, coarsely chopped or a 28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes
1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp cumin
ground sea salt

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the leeks and garlic and sauté about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and seasonings including salt. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until thickened. Cool for about 5 minutes. Purée in a blender until smooth.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts

1/2 C quinoa
2 Tbsp olive oil
ground sea salt
1 C water
2 Tbsp minced leeks
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1/2 pound eggplant, cut into 1/4 -inch cubes
1 small red pepper, seeded, cored, roasted and diced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 oz goat cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
freshly ground black pepper
4 -8-oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Bring 1 cup of salted water to a boil. Add the quinoa, bring back to a boil, and remove from the heat. Cover and steep for 5 minutes or until water has been absorbed. Uncover, fluff with a fork to separate the grains.

Heat 1 Tbsp of the olive oil in a medium sauté pan, add the leek and garlic and sauté for about 1 minute. Add the eggplant and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes or until soft. Add the red pepper and cumin and sauté for about 1 more minute. Remove from the heat, mix with the couscous, cilantro and goat cheese. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Preheat the oven to 375º F.

Divide the stuffing into 4 portions. Cut a pocket in the side of each chicken breast, the whole length of the chicken breast, and stuff it with about half of each portion of stuffing. Brush the breast with the remaining oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Roast the chicken breast for 25 to 35 minutes or until cooked through and nicely browned. Remove from the oven, cover with aluminum foil to keep warm and let rest for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.

Assembly: Pool some of the Moroccan Tomato Sauce on 4 dinner-size plates. Slice each chicken breast into 4 or 5 pieces and use a spatula to transfer them to the plates.

NOTE: The stuffing keeps these chicken breasts moist while they are cooking and they look beautiful when sliced.

Dry Fruit Curry

This recipe is from one of my Australian friends. If I hadn't eaten it before I saw the recipe I probably would not have ever made it. The final dish has much more flavor than the ingredients might suggest. Enjoy!

Dry Fruit Curry
1 small red apple, peel on, diced
1 small tomato diced
1 small green pepper diced
1/2 red pepper diced
1/2 small yellow onion diced
1 Tbsp chopped garlic
2 Tbsp raisins (I use sweet golden raisins)
1 lb ground pork (I use ground turkey to make it leaner, but the pork certainly has more flavor)
3 Tbsp white wine (water can be substituted, but the wine is much better)
1 1/2 Tbsp curry powder
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/3 c vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar

Cook the chopped onion, garlic and red pepper in the oil over medium heat. Once the vegetables have softened slightly add the ground meat. Once the meat begins to brown add the wine, sugar, soy, salt and curry powder. Stir as meat continues to cook. Add the tomato, green pepper and raisins and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes. Serve over white or brown rice.

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with Romesco Sauce

1/3 cup slivered almonds
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
4 large red, green or yellow bell peppers (a variety is nice)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 package (10 oz) fresh spinach, tough stems removed, torn into large pieces
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
1/4 cup dried currants or raisins

Heat oven to 375°F.

In small nonstick skillet, toast almonds over medium heat, stirring often, 3 to 4 minutes or until lightly toasted. Tip onto a plate and let cool.

In a saucepan, heat water and salt to boiling. Place quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer; rinse under cold running water 2 minutes. Stir quinoa into boiling water. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 20 minutes or until water is absorbed and quinoa is tender. Uncover and set aside.

Fill a saucepan half full with water; heat to boiling. Cut off and reserve tops of peppers. Remove seeds and ribs. Add peppers and tops to boiling water; cook 5 minutes. Drain. In same saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir 6 minutes or until onions are golden brown. Stir in garlic. Remove 2 tablespoons of onion mixture; set aside. Add spinach to saucepan; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until wilted and any water evaporates. Remove saucepan from heat. Stir goat cheese, currants, almonds and quinoa into spinach mixture.

Arrange peppers in shallow baking dish. Spoon stuffing into peppers, mounding to fill; replace tops. Bake 20 minutes or until peppers are tender.

Romesco Sauce
1 oz French bread chunks, crusts removed
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/3 cup toasted almonds
1/4 cup drained diced tomatoes
1 roasted red pepper, charred skins removed and sliced
1 clove garlic
1 tsp paprika
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

In a bowl, combine the bread with the red wine vinegar. Put the toasted almonds in the food processor and pulse until grainy. Add the bread, tomatoes, red pepper, garlic, paprika and cayenne. Puree until smooth. With the motor running, pour the oil in a slow stream and process until smooth. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Spoon Romesco sauce on plate and top with a cooked pepper.