I’ve been eating this salad for breakfast, yes breakfast, for many years. I know Americans consider it somewhat unconventional to eat salad for breakfast (though not Europeans and in the Middle East), but I believe it is such a great way to start the day. The success of this salad is built on simplicity. My strategy remains similar, week in and week out. It is never quite the same, but it is always delicious. On occasion, I make it with a sweet potato instead of a white potato. Thank you to Alice Waters for teaching me to eat simply. This salad makes one single serving, but is infinitely flexible if a friend or an army is coming to share a meal. Continue reading
Category Archives: Salads
Fall at its Finest
This is the time of year when the pomegranates ripen and come to market. While I was growing up, my mom always put pomegranates on the grocery list at this time of year, and we children eagerly volunteered to unpack them when she arrived home. That night, after the dinner dishes were cleared, we would each take a seat at the circular kitchen table. My mom made a ceremony of opening a single perfect pomegranate to reveal its layers of shiny, shimmering red rubies. She separated the pomegranate into sections, saved one for herself, and then distributed the rest among the children. Together, we shared the pomegranate, appreciating the fruits of our table, eating up all the seeds, and counting our blessings. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Heather’s Snazzy Salsa
A while ago, when I was still in practice, my office held a special lunchtime celebration to honor a staff member expecting her first baby. Heather contributed this salsa, and it was so GOOD. By popular demand, the recipe was distributed via e-mail the very next day. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Cole Slaw
I have made coleslaw twice in the past few weeks, so I thought you might like to see the recipe. The first time I made it with green cabbage with a little bit of red cabbage for color (and because there was some in the refrigerator). The second time I made the whole recipe with red cabbage and it was exceptionally attractive. Both versions were delicious. Great summer food. Cole slaw is not particularly complicated to make, and the homemade version is always worth it. Continue reading
P is for Phytonutrients
I’m writing today about something I’ve been thinking about for a while but have not known how to put to words. A few weeks ago, I attended a wedding. After dinner, the woman seated beside me at the table remarked that now that she had eaten her “protein and vegetables,” it was time to go join the dancing. I hear friends describe how they ate their “protein,”or how they make sure to get the little ones at their tables to eat their protein. It’s like saying you ate your “produce” instead of your tangerine. Or your “fat” instead of your peanuts. People don’t say that. But I hear people say that they ate their protein all the time. Continue reading
Just Pure Tahini
This past February I attended a presentation about tahini by Dana Harary, a founder of SoCo Artisanal Tahini, and Doug Katz, a local celebrity chef. We learned about Dana’s longstanding search for the most flavorful tahini on the planet, about the nutritional profile of tahini, and about SoCo’s commitment to positive change and collaboration. SoCo, short for Seeds of Collaboration, is a supporter of Middle East Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow (MEET), a nonprofit that connects young Israeli and Palestinian students. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Strawberry-Pecan Spring Salad
A quintessential springtime salad. Tiny sweet strawberries bursting in your mouth? Soft, gently flavorful leaves of spinach, fresh from the ground. A bit of bite from the onion and satisfying give from the pecans. And, finally, an inspired sweet and sour dressing filled with fresh fruit flavors. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Randi’s Sunshine Salad
I just spent a few days with my dear friend Randi. A long time ago, we grew up together on Long Island. She and her husband, Larry, keep a fantastic garden in which they plant all kinds of specialty veggies. Randi is an amazing and creative cook, and if you don’t believe me, just take a quick peak at this little gem that she whipped up once upon a time. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Two Kale Salads
This past Monday we had bookclub at my house, and it was really nice. We read Homegoing, by Yaa Gyasi, and ate a whole bunch of delicious things, including a fantastic sweet potato soup (from Amy Chaplin’s Whole Food Cooking Every Day), rainbow carrots and baba ganoush from the West Side market, and Lynne’s fantastic kale salad, which she throws together with tahini dressing and a homemade mix of spiced almonds, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds. One of these days I’ll have to get the recipe, but I can already see her laughing and tossing back her head as she says, oh I don’t know, I just toss it all together! So, at least for now, your guess is as good as mine.
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Bob’s Red Mill Quinoa Salad
You may or may not have heard, but last month, on February 10th, Bob Moore, a founder of Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods, passed away at the age of 94. And I felt the need to write a post about this man who made such a remarkable difference in our food supply. Continue reading