Hello, Gorgeous

The weather here in New York has taken a turn for the gorgeous, prompting us to start eating a little lighter and healthier at my house. For me the secret to eating lighter doesn't lie in eating less, eating cardboard, or over-seasoning, but rather in mixing up proteins, eating lots of veggies, keeping carbs to a minimum, and throwing in legumes as often as possible for an extra helping of heart healthy protein. People often ask me how I come up with different meals every night and I find that the key to cooking healthier and more balanced meals (whether it's for one or a whole family) is variety. Starting with the protein, make sure you have a different one every night, and keep those that are higher in saturated fats (like red meats) to only once a week. Fish is not only less fatty than other proteins, but has more health benefits, so salmon and other omega-3 rich fish are a great option. When it comes to chicken, pork, veal and other proteins, look for healthier options to the greasy things you love, like crusting chicken in mustard and crushed nuts and baking it instead of dredging it in bread and frying. Try breakfast for dinner and bring eggs into the equation as a viable protein option--veggie frittatas and baked eggs are good for you and make a great vehicle for almost any vegetable. Trust me, there are alternatives to almost everything you love, so there's no need to eat salads every night.

Vegetables are of course always okay, but try to roast whatever you can, and remember that when it comes to eating healthy, the oven is your best friend. It requires significantly less oil than stove-top cooking, so you won't be tempted to fry up those brussels sprouts with bacon or douse that squash in butter. You'll get plenty of flavor from browning and heaps of wonderful crunch, to boot. But the oven isn't just good for veggies--it's great for proteins. Whether you're roasting a whole chicken, lean cut pork chops or a great piece of fish, it's a time saver that can help one easily multi-task. After all, if you're constantly eying a frying pan, you can't be dressing a salad or chopping vegetables. But, if you have 15 minutes of distraction-free time, you can make better decisions about what you're cooking and how you're cooking it.


For my first act of decidedly healthy but delicious cooking, I went for a twist on a French classic: salmon and lentils. Even though we're at the tail end of citrus season, lemons, limes and blood oranges still abound and they're a key player in making food (especially healthier food) flavorful and complex. Fish and citrus are the ultimate flavor friends and using every part of the fruit is a must--zest, juice and everything. I zested lemons, limes and oranges to create a citrus-scented salmon that was steamed in the oven in a parchment paper pouch (also known as "en cartouche" or "en papillote"). The juice of all three fruits went in as well, ultimately thickening into a wonderful bit of sauce. I topped the whole thing with a little cilantro and a few lemon slices and tossed the pouches in the oven for 10 minutes. In the meantime, I was able to start everything I needed for my warm lentil salad. I'd started them a-boiling while I zested the citrus and sliced the fish, so while it all cooked in the oven I chopped scallions and whisked together the dressing. The whole meal is really simple, flavorful and elegant. It was easy to make and used only a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil per piece of fish, and three teaspoons for the vinaigrette (I happen to prefer lentils on the tart side). So give this dish a try and then work on your own tasty, healthy treats. Of course, leave some room for indulgences, but remember that ultimately, it's all about moderation.

Citrus-Scented Salmon with Warm Lentil Salad

2 boneless salmon filets, about 6 oz each
1 lemon, zested, then halved
1 lime, zested, then halved
1 orange, zested, then halved
2 Tbsp cilantro, divided, finely chopped
1 cup French green lentils
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 tsp Dijon mustard 
5 tsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
salt
freshly ground pepper

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add lentils. Cook until soft but still slightly firm in the center, about 20-25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, cut two large pieces of parchment into a heart shape and place one piece of salmon on the right half of each heart.

3. Squeeze about a tablespoon each of lemon, lime, and orange juice over the salmon and season with salt, pepper and the lemon, lime and orange zest. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp cilantro over salmon (reserving the other tablespoon for the lentils) along with one teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil per fillet.

4. Fold empty parchment half over the salmon. Starting at the top of the heart, crimp edges with small, overlapping folds to seal package tightly. If you can't secure the end closed tight enough, use a paperclip. Place packets on a baking sheet and then into the oven for 10-15 minutes, depending on how you like your salmon (I like a 10-12 minute salmon, which is about medium).

5. While the salmon cooks, drain the lentils and whisk together the mustard, olive oil, vinegar and the remaining cilantro. Season with salt and pepper and pour over the lentils, tossing to combine. Add green onions and toss to combine.

6. When the salmon is done, remove it from the oven and serve still in its paper container, or remove to a plate along with any accumulated juices. Serve with warm lentil salad and enjoy!

-Laura  

The Space Between

Although I hate waiting for spring and summer to arrive, there is a nice overlap between early spring and late winter when I get the chance mix and match seasonal ingredients. While the farmer's market hasn't quite caught up to the calendar, a lot of my local organic markets have, and asparagus, strawberries and artichokes abound. Of course, winter citrus has not completely disappeared, as evidenced by several blood oranges that remained in my fridge as I came bounding home with a tote bag full of fresh asparagus. I've made it every which way, but nothing ever seems to top simply roasting it in the oven with olive oil and a little salt and pepper. I've thought of a dozen other preparations, but nothing ever seems as satisfying or as easy as oven roasting. I never seem to tire of it either, but I'm constantly getting asked for more interesting ways to serve it (tofu is actually what I get asked about most often).

My favorite piece of advice is to let people know that you can always embellish asparagus (or anything, for that matter) after you've roasted it. You could leave the seasoning off and allow it to chill before tossing with dressing, prepare a separate dipping sauce, or cut it up and serve it over a simple pasta dish. It's not a difficult vegetable to pair and goes with almost anything, including aioli, eggs and citrus. Since I had all those oranges wasting away in the fridge I figured why not toss my roasted asparagus with orange segments and a lovely citrus dressing? That way I could make it a warm salad that still had a great deal of bright, refreshing flavor from the oranges, and I'd be able to use the orange juice in the vinaigrette. It was an easy dish to prepare that was done in no time, and really ushered in spring.

First, I tossed the asparagus spears in extra virgin olive oil, then seasoned them with just kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. I popped them in the oven to cook for about 15 minutes (mine were nice and fat; thinner spears can be done in 10 minutes or less), just about the time it took to peel and supreme the oranges. The important thing is to keep the remainder of the oranges after you've cut out the segments. You can squeeze plenty of juice out of those little suckers, and believe me, it'll add great flavor and depth to your vinaigrette, which would work on a number of different salads, including just a plain leaf salad (no need to go juicing a whole new orange). The vinaigrette was simple with a nice bit of sweet and sour action, mixing the orange and blood orange juice with honey, Dijon mustard and a little red wine vinegar for some extra tang. It came out a lovely pink hue that paired really well with the green asparagus and brightly colored orange segments. I topped the salad off with some thin curls of parmesan cheese for a bit of delicious salty goodness and called it a day. Here are my final recipes, which can definitely be broken up and used separately.

Warm Asparagus and Citrus Salad

Asparagus:
1 bunch fresh asparagus spears, ends trimmed
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
small block parmesan cheese (optional)

Vinaigrette:
1 blood orange, peeled and segmented (leftovers reserved)
1 orange, peeled and segmented, (leftovers reserved)
3-4 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp honey
3/4 tsp Dijon mustard
zest of half a lemon
extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Drizzle asparagus with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place asparagus on a foil lined baking sheet (for easy clean-up), and cook in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until bright green and tender-crisp.

2. Meanwhile, combine vinegar, honey, lemon zest and mustard in a bowl and slowly whisk in olive oil until desired consistency is reached. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Plate asparagus and drizzle liberally with a few tablespoons of the vinaigrette. Top with orange and blood orange segments and drizzle with remaining vinaigrette, to taste. Garnish with thin ribbons of parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

-Laura

Orange You Glad?

All winter I've been hoping to find some semblance of citrus at the farmer's market in a futile attempt to continue using only local, fresh produce. Fearing I'd go all winter without so much as a bite of citrus other than lemon and lime, I finally caved and purchased a few of the lovely blood oranges at my neighborhood market. The final straw that broke the locavore's back was a recent story in the New York Times dining section. Mark Bittman ("The Minimalist"), fresh from his tour of Spain with Mario Batali, created a salad based on a dish he had during his tenure touring the country. It was a fresh orange salad topped with an olive puree. It first caught my attention because of the colorful contrast between the pure black puree and the vibrant orange slices. But after some thought, I realized it was a lot like a dish from my childhood.

From time to time my mother would make a dessert for my dad that his mother made for him. It was basically a salad of orange segments tossed with olive oil, salt, sugar, and a drop of vinegar. Although I enjoyed it, as a youngster I found it confusing and a bit odd. As it turns out, it's quite the common dish in Spain, better known as naranjas compuestas (or "composed oranges"). It's not surprising, seeing as Seville oranges are abundant around the country, that they would appear everywhere from starter salads to dessert. As an adult I've come to value oranges as an ingredient that provides both tart and sweet flavors to a dish, and even more recently I've come to admire it as an excellent vessel for both salty and sweet flavors. And so, over the years I've added oranges (and grapefruits) to salads, paired them with bacon, doused fish in their juices, but somehow along the way, managed to forget that they could carry a dish all on their own.

And so, using Mark Bittman's dish as inspiration, I made my way to the supermarket and purchased some oranges, along with the lovely, garnett colored blood oranges I'd been seeking all winter. I find their flavor slightly richer, and a bit more full than your average orange, not to mention that adding them would create such a lovely visual effect. Instead of simply peeling and thinly slicing the oranges, I decided to eliminate all forms of pith (and bitterness) by peeling and then segmenting them. That way I also got to squeeze the juice from the remaining body of the orange and save it for a blood orange vinaigrette later in the week. The other tweak I made to the recipe was in the olive puree. I like black olives but I don't like eating tons of them, so I actually used a mix of black olives, kalamata, and three or four large green olives to give the mix a few greens flecks. There was some herbage in the mix too, including fresh thyme (from my thyme plant!) and a final sprinkle of fennel seed over the whole dish. It was all delicious with the exception of the fennel seed, which could at times be overwhelming (the next time I'll definitely grind it instead, or use some fennel pollen if I win the lottery). Here's my version of the recipe:

Blood Orange Salad With Olive Puree

4 oranges (2 blood oranges, 2 Seville or naval), peeled and segmented
1/2 cup pitted olives (any combination of black, kalamata or green that you like)
extra virgin olive oil
red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp fresh thyme
pinch of fennel seed
pinch of salt
pinch of sugar

Puree olives in a food processor with most of the thyme (reserving a few for garnish) and just enough of the olive oil to make a coarse puree. Set aside. Toss orange segments with a light drizzle of olive oil and vinegar and season with salt and sugar. Plate and top with dollops of olive puree and fennel seed. Enjoy!

-Laura