YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Lia Huber’s Guacamole

 

I have to guess that if my counter is covered with large, ripe avocados, then yours is too.  Here’s something that you can do with them.  I’ve always been a big fan of putting hard boiled egg in guacamole, but the jicama is a beautiful addition that gives unexpectedly satisfying crunch
to this particular guacamole.  Don’t skimp on the lime juice!

2 large, ripe avocados
1 hard-boiled egg, peeled and coarsely mashed
2 tablespoons finely diced red onion
1/4 cup jicama, peeled and cut into a 1/4-inch dice
1/4 cup lime juice, divided
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh hot chiles
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chop up the hard boiled egg on a cutting board until the pieces are on the small side but not tiny.  Then scrape the flesh from the avocados into a bowl, add in the egg, and mash “roughly” [Lia’s word] with a fork until more-or-less mixed. Add in the onion, jicama, 2 tablespoons lime juice, oregano, chiles, salt and pepper to taste.  If you’re me, just add in the rest of the lime juice now. Otherwise, add the remainder a teaspoon at a time until you’re happy with the taste. Serve in a beautiful bowl (preferably in the cream, yellow, orange, or red spectrum), or maybe on a small platter lined with bib lettuce.

Take care to blend the ingredients only until just barely mixed, but not so much so that the avocado becomes a smooth paste. You want to see chunks of the avocados along with the jicama, onion and egg. 

And here, from Lia, is a direct link to the recipe: 

http://nourishnetwork.com/2010/02/05/guatemalan-guacamole/ 

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If you’ve never been on “Your Health is on Your Plate” before, and you’re not sure where to start, visit Lets Start at the Very Beginning to get a jumpstart on preventing diabetes and obesity in yourself and the ones you love!!

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YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Fresh Tomato Salad

This is not the time of year to turn on the oven.  Or the stove, for that matter.  But the tomatoes are starting to ripen, and you won’t need more than a knife and a cutting board for this recipe.  It’s simple, but it’s oh-so-much more than the sum of its three ingredients.

If possible, start with warm tomatoes, straight from the garden.  If not, room temperature tomatoes will work just fine.  But do NOT make this salad with cold, recently refrigerated tomatoes unless you like the taste of corrugated cardboard.
By the way, the end result looks particularly beautiful if you can get more than one color of tomatoes.  But it’s a great recipe either way.
3 medium-large tomatoes or 2 cups of cherry tomatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil (it’s a generous amount, but you need it)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
If you’re using large tomatoes, turn them on their side and slice through them into large round cross sections.  Then layer them in a large shallow bowl. 
If you’re using cherry tomatoes, slice each one in half, and toss them into the bowl. 
Then sprinkle on the salt and olive oil, and mix well.  Give it a at least a few minutes to make a juice at the bottom of the bowl before you serve it.  

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Peach, Nectarine, Apricot, or Plum Chutney

You should see my kitchen counter.  My husband adores stone fruits, and ‘tis the season!  I love them all, too, but something needs to be done about this, because there is much more than we can eat.

Here’s something wonderful you can do with nectarines, peaches, apricots and plums, in any combination you choose.  I am crazy about sweet and sour, so this recipe resonates with me.  Also, it freezes very well, so you can save some to serve with your Thanksgiving turkey.

4 ripe peaches, nectarines, apricots or plums in any combination 

1 cup pitted cherries (optional)

1/4 cup very thinly sliced sweet onion (like Vidalia)

4 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon garam masala 

Halve, pit, and slice the stone fruits into thin slices. Add the onions and cherries (optional). Combine in a large bowl, and add the honey, vinegar, and spices. Toss gently, and let stand at room temperature 1-2 hours, tossing occasionally. Then refrigerate. 

This chutney tastes great cold or at room temperature.  

Note: If you can’t find garam masala, substitute a good, fragrant curry powder.  The taste will be different, but also wonderful.  

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If you’ve never been on “Your Health is on Your Plate” before, and you’re not sure where to start, visit Lets Start at the Very Beginning to get a jumpstart on preventing diabetes and obesity in yourself and the ones you love!!

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YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Roasted Red Cabbage

Ingredients

1 whole cabbage, rinsed and cored (peel away any dry or moldy outer leaves)
2 T olive oil
1 t kosher salt
(and that’s it!)

This red cabbage has been sitting on my kitchen counter for almost a month.  Enough is enough.


Yesterday I readied a cookie sheet by heating it first at 450 for a few minutes, and then tilting it to spread 1 T olive oil evenly over the surface.  Meanwhile, I sliced a whole head of red cabbage into approximately 3/4 inch slices and then laid them on the heated, oiled cookie sheet for roasting.  Some slices were thinner and some thicker, but I ended up with 7-8 slices in all.

Then I poured a bit more oil into my hand and spread it all over the cut surfaces of the cabbage, sprinkled them with kosher salt, maybe a bit less than 1 teaspoon, and returned the cookie sheet to the oven.

The cabbage roasted at 450 for about 20 minutes, got flipped with a big, broad spatula, and then roasted for about 10 more minutes.  Beware: the volume of cabbage shrank by almost half!

This is a simple and truly delicious recipe.  A whole head of cabbage was eaten by just 5 people!


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YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Zucchini Frittata

This recipe (from Lia Huber at Nourish Network), with just a few very simple ingredients, reminds me of a truly wonderful dish made with potatoes instead of zucchini (and called tortilla espagnola) that a very sweet young woman from Spain made for us on a number of lucky occasions many years ago when our children were small.

2 medium-sized zucchini
1 large sweet onion
4 tablespoons virgin olive oil, divided in two equal portions
1/4 cup minced parsley
1 tsp. each salt and pepper
8 large eggs, beaten

Preheat oven on broil with the rack in the upper third of the oven.

Slice the zucchini and onion crosswise as thinly as possible, no more than 1/8 inch thick if you can manage it. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sauté the zucchini and onions until tender and beginning to soften for about 10 minutes. Add parsley, salt, and pepper, allow to cool 5 min. Then slide vegetables into a large bowl, add the beaten eggs, and mix well. 

Reheat the sauté pan over high heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Swirl the oil and then pour in the egg mixture, tilting the pan to spread it evenly. Reduce heat to low and cook 15 min. Run a spatula around the edges and shake occasionally until the center of the frittata is almost but not quite set.

Transfer pan to the oven and broil the frittata 3-4 minutes until the top of the frittata is browned. Then invert onto a large serving plate. Serve warm or allow to cool and serve at room temperature. It turns scrambled eggs into a great dinner or a spectacular brunch. A thin slice with a pickle makes a great snack. 

 

YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Cold Borscht (beet soup)

Tomorrow the temperature is supposed to be 94 degrees.  Cold soup would be a very good idea. It would also be a good idea to cook the vegetables either tonight or early in the morning, before it warms up.

This recipe comes from a friend who can look forward to a great big bowlful just as soon as he recovers from surgery tomorrow.  His note says that it is “Wonderful on a hot day!”  It also says that the recipe is over a century old, and that it comes from the old Austro-Hungarian province of Marmor.

To make Russian-style borscht, cook the vegetables with 3-4 cloves of fresh minced garlic, add 2 tablespoons of honey to the boiling water, and skip the yogurt.

3 eggs

1 cup plain greek yogurt (optional) 

6 tablespoons lemon juice 

2/3 cup boiling water

1 teaspoon salt

1 pound mix of fresh beets (including the green tops) PLUS any combination of swiss chard, spinach, shredded zucchini, summer squash, green beans, yellow wax beans, shredded cucumber, and/or tomatoes.

2 cups ice water with 4-6 ice cubes

2 teaspoons fresh dill

#1 Early in the day, chop the vegetables into bite-sized pieces, place in a medium-sized soup pot, and add 2 cups water.  Cook on medium until the beets are soft, approximately 20-30 min. Put the entire contents of the soup pot, vegetables and liquid, into the refrigerator. 

#2 Place four soup bowls in the freezer.

#3 Later in the day, strain the cold vegetables and liquid, and save the stock.  Then proceed.

#4 Beat the eggs in a large 3-4 quart bowl until frothy, and continue to beat while adding 2/3 cup boiling water in a thin stream. Add the yogurt, lemon juice, salt, and chilled vegetable stock.  

#5 Add the ice water, followed by the cooked vegetables. Stir, and remove any unmelted ice cubes. Sprinkle with fresh dill, and serve in the chilled bowls.

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YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Bok Choy plus


 
Start this recipe just after you call everyone to dinner!  And make sure you have all your ingredients in place, ready to cook. 

Heat a frying pan on high heat until a drop of water sizzles, and then add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and heat.  Add 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced. 

Once the garlic is browning (2 minutes maximum), add 1 bunch of boy choy (rinsed and sliced) plus a few similarly prepared leaves of any other greens you might have, such as arugula or swiss chard.  Stir lazily on high heat for a few minutes until wilting.  Bring it to the table and prepare to watch it disappear.

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If you’ve never been on “Your Health is on Your Plate” before, and you’re not sure where to start, visit Lets Start at the Very Beginning to get a jumpstart on preventing diabetes and obesity in yourself and the ones you love!!

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YOUR HEALTHY TABLE: What’s on the menu?

We’re starting a NEW feature today called YOUR HEALTHY TABLE!  Through the coming weeks and months I’ll post menus for your days with added attention to including ingredients that are at hand and in season.   They won’t always be as elaborate as this one, but I thought it would be nice to kick off this feature with a special day’s worth of menus!




#1 Breakfast

For breakfast I had a green smoothie.  I put these items into the Vitamix, in the following order, and my smoothie was gorgeous and delicious and nutritious!


  


1 small banana


1 small apple, peeled and cored


2 cups fresh baby spinach, rinsed and dried


1/2 cup almond milk


1 tablespoon chia seeds


6-8 ice cubes



Blend the ingredients on the highest setting for up to 60 seconds, and then drink it up!


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#2 Lunch

Saturday lunches have always been a special family affair in our home.  Here’s what was on the table 
yesterday:


chicken wings and breasts, roasted with turmeric, mustard, paprika, and onions


spinach salad tossed with olive oil, oregano, thyme, and salt


asparagus spears roasted with olive oil and salt


guacamole (3 avocadoes, 1 large tomato, juice of 1 lemon, a lot of hot sauce, generous shakes of garlic powder, and pinch of salt)


[whole grain] rye bread


sweet corn on the cob, served cold


homemade cucumber pickles


and cherries!


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#3 Dinner

For dinner we ate leftover asparagus, guacamole, and most of the cherries, along with a glass of red wine.



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YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Shoshi’s Red Cabbage Slaw

My friend Shoshi made this up!  She says that the longer you let it marinate, the better it gets.  It was delicious on day one, and tasted better on day two, and even better on day three.  I don’t think there was any left after that.


Ingredients:
One-half head of red cabbage
One apple, green or red
One-half can of chick peas 
2-3 broccoli stalks, peeled and diced
2 carrots, grated
1/2 cup golden raisins

Dressing: 
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Slice up one-half head of red cabbage very thinly, core and dice the apple, and place in a large bowl with the chick peas, broccoli stalks, carrots, and golden raisins.  The raisins will provide some nice sweetness to balance the tartness of the vinegar.

Mix together the vinegar, olive oil, and lemon juice. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and then place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 2-4 hours.  Remember: the longer it marinates, the better.

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If you’ve never been on “Your Health is on Your Plate” before, and you’re not sure where to start, visit Lets Start at the Very Beginning to get a jumpstart on preventing diabetes and obesity in yourself and the ones you love!!

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Poached Eggs

This week our 9-year-old chocolate labrador retriever, Mousse, learned how to poach eggs:  When no one was looking, she snuck out the door, strode into the open coop, poached 3 eggs on Tuesday and then 3 more again on Wednesday.  A poaching pooch.  She ate the whole eggs, shell and all, and left not a trace.  Each of us thought someone else had brought in the eggs.  That’s why it took us two days to figure it out.  


Mousse’s new trick got me thinking about poaching eggs so fresh that only a few spidery strands spin off into the water, about Julia Child and her attempts to take poaching to a higher art form, and about tschak-tschukah, the Middle Eastern dish consisting of poached eggs in tomato sauce.  Then I got to thinking about poaching eggs in a bed of kale or collard greens, or in a green salsa.  Why not?  Or in chicken stock or veal stock.  Sort of like egg drop soup, but not scrambled.  What great taste a rich, flavorful stock would impart to poached eggs!   


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If you’ve never been on “Your Health is on Your Plate” before, and you’re not sure where to start, visit Lets Start at the Very Beginning to get a jumpstart on preventing diabetes and obesity in yourself and the ones you love!!

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Then, scroll down and check out “A Milestone Celebration — Your Favorite Posts” to find a list of great blog entries!

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