A new discovery: Fuyu Persimmons

Fuyu persimmons, in varying states of ripeness

I discovered a new fruit this weekend: Fuyu persimmons. I've had the softer hachiya variety and I'm not a big fan. But I thought I'd try Fuyus, and they are amazing. They are eaten hard, like apples, and they have a similar flavor to the hachiya variety, but without that weird mushy sliminess.

I chopped some into a salad and ate one raw next to a square of dark chocolate. It felt like true luxury.

Green Salad with Persimmons and Pecans
1 head Romaine lettuce, coarsely chopped
1 fuyu persimmon, peeled and coarsely chopped
a handful of toasted pecans
1 tablespoon oil (I used avocado oil, but you could also use canola or olive)
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon maple syrup
salt and black pepper to taste

Put the lettuce, persimmon, and pecans into a large salad bowl.

Combine the oil, vinegar, maple syrup and salt+pepper in a small jar. Shake well.

Immediately before serving, dress and toss the salad.

Persimmon

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I have a confession to make

I ate a Mr. Goodbar yesterday. Not one of those tiny individually wrapped candy bits that look like they were made for dolls. No. I ate an entire almost-2-oz. almost 400 calorie candy bar. For no good reason other than the fact that both of us were in the same place (Wawa) at the same time (12 noon, on an empty stomach with no good lunch prospects).  It was delicious. Smooth, creamy, nutty. WOW.

Today, to make up for it, I went to the farmer's market which is closing for the season tomorrow. I bought - I do not exaggerate - 40 apples. A lovely combination of macoun, golden delicious, and honey crisp. Over the course of the day today, I ate - I do not exaggerate - 5 apples of various varieties.

How's that for balance?

The last of the local NJ apples...

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Brown rice with lentils

A hearty bowl of rice and lentils

I feel good eating healthy foods, especially when they taste good-for-you. When I eat this dish, I feel virtuous and nourished. It's those earthy flavors of the whole grain rice and lentils. Serve this dish with some plain yogurt and a perfect hard boiled egg, and you have a complete meal.

Brown Rice with Lentils
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 1/2 cups brown rice
1/2 cup brown lentils
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
4 cups water

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the rice and saute over medium heat for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until the rice is beginning to brown and become fragrant.

Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.

Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for about 45 minutes until the rice is fully cooked through. Monitor the water levels from time to time; you may need to add some water if it seems dry. Let the rice rest for a few minutes, fluff, and serve. (You can also make this ahead of time and heat it in the microwave. It tastes almost as good as it does fresh!)

I shared this recipe on My Sweet and Savory.

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Pear cranberry crisp

Pears, waiting to be baked into our crisp

This weekend, I came across a recipe for Pear Streusel in Martha Stewart Living magazine. (The recipe is mysteriously not available online, so I can't link you to it, but trust me when I say it looked delish.) I had a few pears in the fridge and a bag of cranberries asking to be used, so I thought I'd treat us to a crisp for tonight. Martha's version called for a separate pie crust, as well as a streusel topping. I eliminated the pie crust and used an all purpose topping that works for almost any combination of fruits. I also reduced the sugar a bit.

This can work as an adult dessert or a family friendly side dish. (I say 'adult' dessert because my kids laugh in my face and break into a 'chocolate, chocolate!' chant when I try to serve anything remotely healthy for dessert.) Here's a helpful tip: this crisp (and most others) freezes beautifully. Prepare the entire recipe but don't bake it. Wrap it well and freeze it till you are overcome with a craving for crisp (or till surprise company shows up). Put it directly into the oven from the freezer, but increase the baking time to about 90 minutes and keep it covered in the oven for the first 1/2 hour.

Pear Cranberry Crisp
6 pears, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 bag (12 oz.) frozen cranberries
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 cinnamon sticks
1 stick margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup pecans, broken into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 350*.

Combine the pears, lemon juice, flour and salt in a Pyrex pie plate. Mix well. (Here's my favorite on Amazon.)

Combine cranberries, sugar, water and cinnamon sticks in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower to simmer, and cook for about 20 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Remove from the heat and cool for a few minutes. Remove the cinnamon sticks and mix half the sauce into the pears. Put the other half aside for another use (like serving with meat or turkey). (Freezes great!)

In a mixing bowl, combine the margarine, brown sugar, oatmeal, flour and pecans. Crumble the mixture with your fingers to make a coarse crumb.

Scatter the crumbs evenly over the fruit. Bake for 45-60 minutes, till the top is beginning to brown. It will look quite liquidy but will 'gel' as it sets. Let it rest for at least 1/2 hour or up to four hours.

Cranberries, cooking up into a sauce

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Ahhh...the beauty of a perfect hardboiled egg

I am not a picky eater. I enjoy most foods, especially if they are wholesome and natural. But there is one thing that I cannot tolerate: hard boiled eggs with even the slightest tinge of green. They look nasty, they taste nasty, and I will have no part in preparing or eating them.

There are lots of techniques out there for perfectly yellow eggs, but here's the one that works for me. And, a tip that makes the peeling go so much more smoothly: add a bit of baking soda to the water. It raises the pH of the water and prevents adhering. (No, I don't really know what that means. But, it definitely makes the eggs easier to peel!) Finally, if you want a great party trick, try learning to blow the eggs out of their shells. Here's a quick video.

Tonight's dinner involved perfectly boiled eggs next to a lovely brown rice dish with lentils. I'll blog about it another day. Time to get the kids to bed!

Egg

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Simple acorn squash

This simple recipe allows the flavor of the winter squash to come through. It's a snap to prepare, and is oh-so-pretty!

Simple Acorn Squash
1 acorn squash
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Preheat the oven to 425*. Slice the acorn squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Cut it in slices about 1-inch thick.

Line a large flat aluminum pan with foil for easier cleanup. Spread the oil over the foil and then lay the squash down on the oil. Sprinkle the squash slices with half the salt and sugar, and then turn them over and do the same to the other side.

Roast uncovered for 15 minutes and then flip the slices over. Roast for 15 minutes longer. Serve warm or at room temperature. (Make a meal out of it by serving it with plain yogurt and some pita.)

Acorn Squash

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Easy honey mustard salmon

Prepare this salmon for any occasion - a simple family dinner or even a more elegant night of entertaining. It takes just a few seconds to prepare, and feels so much more sophisticated than a plain piece of fish. And, a bonus, because of the oil and honey that gets smeared on it, this fish won't get dried out if you leave it baking for a bit too long.

4 salmon fillets of even thickness
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon canola oil
1/4 cup breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 350*.

Put the salmon fillets in a small glass or disposable aluminum pan. Be sure the fillets are not touching each other. (I always use disposables for fish so I can put them right in the trash when I'm done and get rid of the fish smell!)

Combine the honey, mustard and oil in a small cup or bowl. Spread the mixture evenly over the salmon fillets.

Sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly on top of the honey-mustard paste.

Bake the salmon uncovered for about 30 minutes for medium rare. Serve immediately.

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Thai chicken with peppers

What's amazing about this dish is that EVERYONE in my family likes it. From me and my husband to our very youngest. 

about 1.5 pounds of chicken cutlet

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 dry white wine

1 yellow onion, diced

5 tablespoons oil

2 stalks celery, sliced in 1 inch pieces

3 bell peppers (use a mix of red, yellow and orange for the prettiest results), sliced in strips

1/2 bunch basil, sliced in strips

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup corn starch

Cut the chicken cutlet into one-inch chunks. Try to make them pretty even. Combine the soy sauce, white wine and 1 tablespoon of oil and then let the chicken sit in the marinade while you proceed with the recipe.

In a large frying pan or wok, saute the onions in 1 tablespoon of oil until golden. Add the celery and peppers and saute a few minutes later until they are beginning to cook through. Add basil and salt, stir to combine, and then remove from the heat. 

 Empty the frying pan so you can use it to brown the chicken. Drain the chicken and toss it into the corn starch, trying to coat each piece on all sides. Heat half the remaining oil and brown the chicken on all sides, on a medium flame. The chicken should not be cooked, just browned lightly on all sides. This should take about five minutes but you will need to do it in batches. Be sure not to crowd the chicken in the pan. You want it to stay nice and crisp. 

When all the chicken is browned, combine it in a medium pot with the vegetables. Add a cup of water and cook over a medium-low flame for about 45 minutes until it's well heated through. Serve next to orzo, rice, or pasta.

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Simple macerated oranges

This simple fruit dessert goes from delicious to sublime if you use an incredible homemade strawberry balsamic vinegar. I keep it stocked in my fridge. If you don't have any on hand, try it with regular vinegar. It's still delicious.

3 seedless navel oranges
1 tablespoon vinegar, preferably strawberry balsamic
1 tablespoon sugar, preferably raw cane Turbinado sugar

Cut the ends off of each orange. Place the fruit cut end down and cut away the peel by following the orange's shape. Then, use a sharp knife to cut each orange into about four round slices.

Anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour before serving, drizzle the orange rounds with the vinegar. Then, sprinkle with the sugar.

Let the fruit sit until you're ready to serve. Be sure it sits for at least 15 minutes so it gets really flavored and sweet.

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Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar

We are nearing the bottom of the barrel! :(

This summer, I discovered a wonderful vinegar recipe to use up the few pints of hand-picked strawberries that were left after we ate our bellies full. I have been using the vinegar several times a week for almost three months, so I suppose I got my money's worth, but I am so sad to see it nearing its end. I just may try it with supermarket berries this winter. I don't think I can wait eight months for a fresh supply!

2 pints of strawberries
1 cup of balsamic vinegar

Clean the strawberries and cut them in half. (Cut them in quarters if they're large.) Place the strawberries in a large non-reactive bowl (glass is good). Pour the vinegar over the berries so they are mostly covered. Let the mixture sit for about an hour at room temperature.

Use a sieve to separate the berries from the vinegar. Press down on the berries to be sure you get all the vinegar out. It's ok if a little berry juice gets squeezed in. Discard the berries (or sprinkle them with sugar and devour them). Store the vinegar in a glass jar in the fridge for up to 3 months and use it in vinaigrettes and other recipes that call for vinegar. (Click here for a great dessert recipe that uses this vinegar.)

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One pan weekday dinner

Am I the only one who can't manage a protein, starch AND vegetable dish on a weekday? Tonight's inspiration was partly motivated by the almost turning butternut squash and leeks, but also by a desire to offer up a good balanced meal without ending up with a sink full of pots and pans.


Roast chicken and veggies

1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped coarse (I confess, I used a pre-cut package rather than wrestling with a squash)
2 Idaho potatoes, chopped coarse
3 leeks or 1 onion, cleaned and chopped coarse
A couple of bundles of fresh sage if you have it
1 head of garlic
8 chicken thighs
Paprika
Garlic powder
Cinnamon
Curry powder

Combine the vegetables and herbs in a very large roasting pan (or divide in two).You can just tuck the sage in with the other vegetables.
Layer the chicken on top of the vegetables. Sprinkle the chicken generously with paprika and garlic powder. Dust lightly with cinnamon and curry.
Roast uncovered at 350* for about an hour and a half.

For another great recipe with butternut squash, click here.

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Drop the diet! My healthy eating secrets, revealed!

I've been on my share of diets over the years: Weight Watchers, South Beach, Atkins, and quite a few others. Maybe it's the fact that I'm past 30, have four kids, and am less vain than I used to be. Or maybe I'm just tired and burnt out from counting calories, measuring portions, and watching every ounce on the scale.

Whatever the reason, I'm officially through with dieting. I've been diet-free for almost a year now and I FEEL GREAT. Great about myself and how I look (yes! I lost 25 pounds since I stopped dieting!) but also great about how I can finally enjoy food without the guilt.

How'd I do it? Just a few lifestyle changes:

• I eat what I enjoy. Bread, pasta, pizza, salads. Dark chocolate. Nothing is forbidden. (There is one caveat: I do my best not to eat commercial or processed foods with weird ingredients that I can't read and don't stock in my kitchen. As Mark Bittman puts it in one of my favorite books Food Rules, if your grandmother wouldn't know the ingredient, it isn't real food and you shouldn't be eating it.) 
• I enjoy what I eat. I savor every bite of every meal and snack. I indulge when I want to, and then make up for it later. Last week, I had a huge ice cream cone one afternoon and then skipped lunch and ate a light dinner to make up for it. The main rule when I indulge is to ENJOY IT and feel NO GUILT.
• I load up on as many fruits and veggies as I want and try to eat mostly what's in season. Yesterday I had three apples, two oranges, and a cup of melon. And that was just the fruit. I had about 4 cups of salad too. I do not believe in counting portions when it comes to fruits and vegetables.
• I eat VERY little of everything other than produce. Breakfast is a half cup of cereal. An eighth of a chicken plus a half a potato is dinner (plus several portions of salad or veggies). If I want more, or if it isn't meal time, I reach for a fruit. I do my very best to eat nothing but fruit between meals.Overall, after all is said and done, I probably take in about 1000 calories a day. But I don't count or measure!

And that's it! What's your secret to healthy eating?

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