According to Southern tradition, black-eyed peas and collard greens bring good luck in the year ahead. I’m thinking that we can use all the help we can get. Praying for good health, vaccines, and masks. Happy new year!
Category Archives: Greens
Gratitude for the Harvest 2020
At this time of year, I often have the privilege of receiving a large number of food gifts, and I make it my goal to share as many as possible, forwarding the depth and breadth of the bounty that arrives on my doorstep as the season of harvest arrives. Here is what is possible. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Salad Meets Pad Thai
This is the very best salad for a warm weather meal, and, besides that, there is a strong possibility that you could live on it. It is that good. Plus, it fills your belly and sticks to your ribs, so you won’t be hungry for a good long while. Notice one trick: cutting the vegetables very thinly increases the amount of surface area for the dressing to stick to, and that makes it so much tastier! So take your time, and don’t hurry through the prep. The right kind of cutting and chopping are the secret to this delicious salad. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Parsley Salad(s)!
There is an incredibly warm and cozy spot in my heart where the parsley goes. Parsley doesn’t usually get you riled up the same way that basil, thyme, and oregano do, but, if you ask me, it is absolutely its own kind of wonderful. What’s different about these recipes is that the parsley here serves as the green, the herb, the main event, the everything. It’s not a decoration or an herbal sprinkle or a garnish, it’s just the parsley, and it’s definitely meant to be eaten this way. No competition, no second fiddle. Continue reading
Complementary Colors: Nourishing Yourself from the Inside Out (with recipe)
One thing you may not know about me is that one of my casual hobbies is interior decorating. I’ve picked out paint colors for my friends, rearranged their furniture, and weighed in on frame choices, picture positioning, and all kinds of related activities. Have you ever heard of decorating with complementary colors? Have you ever even heard of complementary colors? It’s when you choose two colors from opposite sides of the color wheel, like purple and yellow, orange and blue, or red and green. They usually clash just a little bit, which confers added visual interest. Here are some examples: A pink pillow that makes a pale green couch really SING! Or a wrapped bunch of lavender stalks in a pale yellow vase on a lemon-yellow tablecloth strewn with tiny purple violets. Or a ceramic bowl painted in stripes of turquoise and orange. And that brings me to sweet potatoes and kale. Continue reading
Reversing Winter Insulation in the Springtime
A while back, I received a timely message from a reader: “With the weather warming I am digging out summer clothes and finding that some things are a bit “snug.” My diet is healthy and I run several times a week, but I would love to shed a few pounds around my waist. If my diet is already good, what would you suggest to take a few pounds off?”
Let’s look at this request from a seasonal standpoint. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Great Northern Beans and Rice
This is the kind of recipe that you can often rustle up from items that you already have in the kitchen. In the neighborhood in which I grew up, my mom was famous for saying that if you have a can of beans, then you have a meal! Even if you’re missing an ingredient or two, this should still come out delicious! Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Japanese Vegetable Miso Soup
Looking for something warm and nourishing to warm your insides, to help you recover, and to keep you on track on all the mornings, noons, and nights before, after, and in between the excitement and celebrations of the holidays? You’ve come to the right place! Continue reading
Leaves, Buds, and Stems: Cruciferous Veggies
A few years ago a patient came into my office complaining of migraines. He said, “You might think I’m crazy, doc, but I only get these headaches when I eat certain vegetables.” Which ones? It was hard to be sure. Salads gave him a headache only sometimes, and usually only in restaurants. Cole slaw gave him a headache no matter where he ate it. The list seemed completely random, and included Brussels sprouts, watercress, broccoli, and radishes. I grinned like an amateur holding a royal flush. The patient was naming only cruciferous vegetables. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Fennel-Vegetable Soup
The people I work with are always coming up with the most sublimely delicious recipes, and this is one. If you’ve never eaten fennel, you are in for a delicious treat. When eaten raw, it’s crunchy and sweet, a bit like celery with a faint whiff of licorice. But when cooked, it’s a different vegetable altogether. Continue reading