healthy

Autumn Harvest Buddha Bowls /  by Amy Cantu

Print Friendly and PDF


September is the month of birthdays in my family–there are at least four. As evidenced here, here, here, and here, I have a very soft and tender spot for cake. And so, more than anything this month, I've been craving foods that I could feel good about eating. I'm talking nutritionally dense foods that are also filling and easy to source, as the bountiful summer produce disappears from the market. A beautiful, colorful Autumn Harvest Buddha Bowl filled with hearty quinoa, bright orange butternut squash, earthy roasted mushrooms, deep green wilted spinach, and protein-rich tofu make me feel good about the meal, while the richly satisfying peanut sauce keeps me eating to the very last bite. I told my 5-year-old that it was "peanut butter sauce", which made him grin from ear to ear and eagerly eat the entire buddha bowl. (Because who doesn't love peanut butter?)

Notes: Buddha Bowls are highly customizable. The quinoa can be replaced with quick-cooking farro, barley, or brown rice. The roasted vegetables could be pumpkin, carrots, sweet potatoes, and/or kale. The tofu could be chickpeas, beans, or lentils. If you're feeling more like having a Dalai Lama bowl, shredded or chopped rotisserie chicken would be a great substitute for the tofu. The optional fish sauce will also deepen the flavor or the peanut sauce.

The chiles in the peanut sauce are there for flavor and can easily be modified for your heat preferences. Smaller red or green Thai chiles provide the most heat, especially if you leave the ribs and seeds intact. Jalapeños with the seeds and ribs removed will be super mild–I used one and no one noticed any spiciness at all.

Peanut sauce adapted from Bon Appetit.

Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4

For the vegetables and tofu:
1 14-ounce block Firm or Extra-Firm Tofu
2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1" pieces (about 1 large butternut squash)
8 ounces crimini (brown) mushrooms, quartered
5 ounces baby spinach
3 tablespoons grape seed or olive oil, divided use
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper

For the quinoa:
2 cups quinoa
4 cups water
Kosher salt
1 lime, juiced

For the peanut sauce:
1 or 2 Jalapeño or Thai chiles, chopped (see notes above)
2 garlic cloves, grated or minced
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons fish sauce (optional)
1/2 cup water
Kosher salt

For the garnishes:
Finely sliced green onions
Chopped cilantro
Chopped peanuts

For the vegetables and tofu: Preheat oven to 450 degrees F., with one rack in the top third of the oven and the second rack in the bottom third.

Cut tofu block in half horizontally (width-wise), and cube into roughly 1" pieces. Lay tofu in a single layer on top of a double-layer of paper towels to drain while preparing the vegetables.

Arrange butternut squash in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil and season with kosher salt and pepper; toss to coat squash evenly. Push the butternut squash to one side of the pan, keeping them in a single layer. 

Blot the tofu cubes dry with another paper towel, pressing down on them gently to release any excess liquid. Arrange tofu next to the butternut squash. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons oil and season with kosher salt and pepper; toss gently to coat evenly. Space tofu so that they are in a single layer.

On a second rimmed baking sheet, toss quartered mushrooms with 2 teaspoons of oil, kosher salt and pepper; arrange in a single layer.

Place the butternut squash and tofu on the top oven rack and the mushrooms on the bottom rack. Roast for 25 minutes. 

Add spinach to baking sheet with mushrooms, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil, kosher salt, and pepper; toss to combine. Continue to roast for 2 more minutes or until spinach is wilted. Remove both baking sheets from oven. Check the butternut squash with a fork–there should be little resistance. If squash is not done, return baking sheet to the oven for another 5 minutes.

For the quinoa: Bring 2 cups of quinoa, 4 cups of water, and a generous pinch of salt to a boil, then reduce to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes, before fluffing with a fork. Drizzle with lime juice and stir with a fork to combine.

For the sauce: Pulse all the ingredients, except water and salt, together in a blender until smooth. Pour into saucepan with water and whisk together over medium-low heat until hot. Remove from heat.

To assemble: Place quinoa at the bottom of a bowl. Heap roasted vegetables over the quinoa and drizzle generously with peanut sauce. Garnish with green onions, cilantro, and chopped peanuts.

Mediterranean Turkey Burger /  by Cynthia Raub

Print Friendly and PDF

When Amy delivered her second baby almost two years ago, (?! Sniff!), I was in the throes of an obsession with burger patties. Lamb burgers, black bean burgers, salmon burgers, turkey burgers - I loved them all and made them with fierce frequency. A few days after she delivered her beautiful (and huge) bundle of sweetness, I brought these turkey burgers over for her family, with a side salad and dessert. She was the first mama I knew who delivered a baby after I had my own, and it was the first newborn meal I ever gifted. I think back to that day, and I think that's when the spark for intentionally sharing food with frequency began for me. She was grateful as the burden of preparing dinner was lifted, and I was so happy to help in that small way. Since then, I have brought new mamas meals like Harissa Grilled Pork Loin Chops and Swiss Chard and Leek Crostata, but these turkey burgers have a special place in my heart . . . and stomach. I still make them often because they are easy to prepare, delicious, and perfect for sharing with others. These are also a fantastic option for holiday barbecues and parties for anyone looking for a (seemingly) healthier burger!

Notes: Most beef burger recipes will recommend to work the ground meat mixture as little as possible so that the patty remains tender and loose. Because of all of the additional ingredients in this patty, I recommend a through mixing of the ingredients so that the patty is solid and does not fall apart during cooking or eating! These are perfect for preparing in a large batch and freezing for future meals. It's an easy recipe to scale up, and it takes just a little more time to form the extra patties. They are even delicious as meatballs and cooked in tomato sauce!

Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 5-7 patties

1.5 lbs ground turkey
1/2 cup (about 8 ounces) chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1/3 cup crumbled feta
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons olive oil

In a medium microwave safe bowl, thaw frozen chopped spinach by covering the bowl with plastic wrap and nuking for 1 minute on 80% power. Spinach should be warm and thawed. Scatter spinach on a clean kitchen towel (or several layers of quality paper towels) to absorb the water. Gather the edges of the towel and wring out the liquid, drying completely. Loosen spinach into small pieces.

In a large bowl, combine turkey, spinach, feta, sun dried tomatoes, kosher salt, black pepper, oregano, paprika and olive oil. Mix ingredients with clean hands, distributing all of the ingredients throughly.

Depending on the size of your buns, use a 1/3 or 1/2 cup measuring cup to portion out patties. Scoop mixture into your hands and flatten to make a patty, smoothing out the rough edges. Create a shallow indention in the center of your patties, as the center tends to expand while cooking.

To cook: Heat a griddle, grill pan, or cast iron pan on medium-high and add enough neutral oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Once the oil begins to shimmer, carefully lay patties onto the pan, to avoid splattering oil. Don't crowd the pan! Crowding the pan will result in steamed and pale-looking patties. To avoid overcooking, brown the patty on the first side until cooked 2/3 of the way through, about 3-4 minutes. Flip over and finish cooking on the second side, about 2 minutes.

Serving suggestion: whole wheat hamburger buns, sliced tomato, lettuce, mayonnaise

Soba Noodle Salad /  by Cynthia Raub

Print Friendly and PDF
sobanoodlesalad

Noodles! There are thousands of different kinds, and I love them all. But I am particularly fond of soba - chewy, nutty, Japanese buckwheat noodles. When I feel health-conscious, I choose soba noodles because . . . I’m not sure! They are gluten-free, but that doesn’t matter to me. They are lower calorie than pasta made with wheat, but that doesn’t matter to me either! I think it’s because they can be dressed lightly and eaten cold that makes me *feel* they are a more healthful choice. I dressed the soba noodle salad with a Ginger Scallion Sauce, courtesy of one of my favorite chefs, David Chang. For the children, I set aside their portion and used the remaining sauce from the Crispy Chicken Wings to dress their noodles. 

Notes: Cold noodle salads are flexible and easy to customize with different vegetables, proteins and sauces. In this recipe, I used shelled edamame, julienned carrots, roasted cauliflower, and red bell peppers; you could also use shredded cabbage, thinly sliced half-rounds of cucumber, julienne of zucchini, sautéed mushrooms, blanched baby spinach . . . really, anything! The same goes for sauces I’ll often make a rice wine vinaigrette, a carrot ginger salad dressing or a very light peanut sauce to dress soba.

Servings: 4-6
Time: 30 minutes

4 bundles (or 360 grams) soba noodles (prepared according to the package)
2 tablespoons sesame seed oil
1 cup Shelled edamame
1 cup Carrot, julienned
1 cup Cauliflower florets
1 cup Red bell pepper, julienned
1 tablespoon neutral oil (vegetable, canola, and grapeseed all work)

Cook soba noodles according to package directions. Rinse with cold water and dress lightly with sesame seed oil to prevent the noodles from sticking. Set aside.

While the noodles are cooking, add 1 tablespoon oil to a medium pan, bring up to medium-high heat, until oil barely begins to smoke. Add cauliflower to the pan, and cook until the first side is brown - about 2-3 minutes. Shake pan vigorously and continue to cook until desired doneness. (I like fork-tender cruciferous vegetables, so I cooked mine for about 6 minutes). Set aside. Julienne carrots and red bell peppers, set aside with prepared edamame. Combine noodles and vegetables in a large bowl. 

Ginger Scallion Sauce
from Momofuku cookbook by David Chang

Servings: 1 cup of sauce
Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
2½ cups thinly sliced scallions (green and whites, from 2-3 large bunches)
½ cup finely minced fresh ginger
¼ cup grapeseed or other neutral oil
1½ teaspoons usukuchi (light soy sauce)
¾ teaspoon sherry vinegar
¾ teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste

Mix together the scallions, ginger, oil, soy sauce, vinegar, and salt in a bowl. Taste and check for salt, adding more if needed.