Salsa is a terrific snack. Its primary components are vegetables and its acidity, heat, and natural sweetness satisfy in a guilt-free way. It is no wonder that every grocery store sells so many varieties of salsa. We can walk down the condiment aisle and expect to be able to choose from a variety of roasted, tropical, and green salsas, each one suiting a different menu and mood.

For those savvy to a few tricks in the kitchen, salsa is also appealing because it is so easy to prepare. And the beauty of making fresh salsa is that you can combine the sweet roasted flavor of tomatoes with the soul-appeasing crunch of fresh peppers and onions.

With the recipe below, you will be such a star of your next Cinco de Mayo party with so little effort that you will find yourself trying your own tropical and tomatillo versions of this recipe. When you do , share them with us, because there is always occasion for a good salsa.

Ingredients

• 3 fresh tomatoes
• 2 sweet bell peppers, preferably a some combination of red, orange, or yellow
• 1 sweet white or yellow onion
• 1 jalapeno
• The juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• Salt, to taste

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  Cut your tomatoes into quarters and remove the core.   Toss them in the olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Spread them on a baking sheet and roast for 40 minutes or until they are caramelized and soft.  When you remove the tomatoes from the oven, allow them to cool and then, using a pairing knife, gently remove the skins.  Place in a bowl and gently crush.

Cut your sweet peppers and onions into 1/4 inch dice and place into a mixing bowl.  Finely dice your jalapeno and cilantro and add them to the mixing bowl.  Add the roasted rushed tomatoes and lemon juice.  Season with salt to taste.

Serve with chips or with your favorite Mexican entree.  Yields 3 cups.

As the last scrumptious jars of Green Goddess Organics Heirloom Tomatoes disappear from my shelves I am reminded of the misty fresh sea air in Monterey. Last fall, just before moving back east, my buddies Katie, Robin, Gerick and I canned a heaping pile of the most juicy ripe tomatoes we could find to carry us through the winter.

The tomatoes of choice were a mixture of the five heirloom varieties (Red Brandywine, Yellow Brandywine, Marvel Stripe, Black Crimson and Cherokee Purple tomatoes)  grown by Green Goddess Organics in Hollister and Salinas. This exquisite farm is owned by Madeleine Clark and run by Jerry Simpson. This 3-year-old farm is certified by the Tri-County Organic Farmers’ Cooperative, growing a variety of delicious orange-flesh honeydew melons, icebox watermelons, broccoli, peppers, green onions, summer squash and beets.

We canned about 80 pounds – most of which were “seconds”, secured by our awesome friend Aretah. “Seconds” usually have some surface blemishes, splits or cracks on them. Since they cannot be stored as well and don’t look as pretty as the “firsts,” farms will often sell them at reduced prices when tomatoes are in abundance. The cracks in the tomatoes are usually caused by too much water, when I see them I know it means the tomato is super juicy!  So these are perfect for canning.

It took an entire evening of chopping and sterilizing. Gerick and Robins generous use of their kitchen complete with functioning dishwasher made sterilizing the jars a cinch! We ended up with about 50 quart size jars which we’ve been cooking into soups, pizzas, sauces and salsas throughout the winter – stay updated for recipes!

Photos:  Green Goddess Organics tomato fields off Riverside Road near Hollister, CA; canning galore

I use the term “stew” loosely in titling this recipe. The result is not so much a stew as a braise, as I use whole chicken thighs and the broth is rich and thick. However, I find it to be delicious and satisfying as a stand alone dish, and as I am always chatting with people looking for ways to cut back on carbohydrates, I thought I would offer this as a nice alternative to the chicken breast and broccoli meal.

Beans, often referred to as “slow” carbs, add a lot to a dish that doesn’t include pasta or grains. The fiber and protein aid in long term fullness, and they have a buttery flavor without adding fat. In this recipe, I chose to use cannellini beans as they have a sweet, mild flavor. Black eyed peas (rumored to be lucky) or giant white beans would also be delicious.

Finally, the addition of the eggplant makes this a hearty, thick stew and balances the savory flavor with a smokey sweetness. I cut my eggplant into small cubes and leave the skin on, both for the nutritional value and the color, but if you prefer, you can peel the eggplant before you cut it.  I also added Kale to this dish because I love it and I know it is so good for me.  To be honest, I add kale to just about as many dishes as I can get away with for both of those reasons.

For those of you who can’t do a meal without pasta or grains, throw the stew over your favorite pasta or some brown rice. Or, grab a crusty loaf of sourdough and call it dinner.  Either way, make extra because it’s even better left over.

Ingredients

• 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 1 large Italian eggplant, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 3 cups chopped kale
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• 4-5 cloves of garlic, peeled and cut into quarters
• 10 oz. crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 28 oz. can chopped tomatoes (or 3 cups chopped fresh tomatoes)
• 1 15 oz. can of cannellini beans (or 2 cups pre-soaked dry beans)
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons chopped basil
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Salt and crushed red pepper to taste

In a heavy-bottom pot with a tight fitting lid (such as a dutch oven), heat the olive oil over medium high heat.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Place it in the hot pot skin side down and do not touch it until the underside is well browned and slides easily in the pot.  Turn and brown on the other side.  Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate lined with a paper towel.

Add the butter, thyme, garlic, and onions.  Reduce the heat to medium and saute the onions until they become translucent and golden, about 7-8 minutes.  Add the cubes of eggplant and mushrooms.  Stir to coat with remaining oil and butter, season well with salt and add red pepper if desired, and then place the lid on the pot.  This will allow the eggplant to steam and cook through without adding more oil to the pan.  Every five minutes or so, remove the lid, give it a stir, and then cover again until the eggplant and mushrooms are soft and moist.

Add the chopped kale and stir well.  Add the wine and, with the lid off, allow it to reduce by at least half.  While the wine is reducing, scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Once the wine has reduced, add the tomatoes, beans, and chicken stock.  Return the chicken thighs to the pot, covering each thigh completely in the liquid.  Cover the pot with the lid, and reduce the heat to low.  Cook on low for 45 minutes to an hour.

After 45 minutes to an hour, the chicken thighs should be tender enough that the meat should slip easily from the bone.  At this point, I like to (carefully) remove them from the cooking liquid, and with tongs and a fork remove the chicken meat from the bones.  I return the chicken meat to the liquid, stir in the chopped basil, and the stew is ready to serve.  Serves 4-6 people.

Anadama – what a weird name for a type of bread.  I think I was first interested in making this bread because of the name.  After sampling some of it for the first time at The Friendly Toast in Portsmouth, NH years ago – it’s been a great go to bread for me ever since.  It’s also super easy to make, a good introductory bread recipe for anyone who doesn’t have a lot of experience baking breads.

The origin of the name itself is a funny story – this told from Wikipedia:

There are several popular myths about the origin of the name, which mostly take this form:

“A fisherman, angry with his wife, Anna, for serving him nothing but cornmeal and molasses, one day adds flour and yeast to his porridge and eats the resultant bread, while cursing, “Anna, damn her.” The neighbors baked it because it was so delicious and coined it Anadama or Anadamy.

With that fine intro, onto the recipe!  This recipe comes out of the Moosewood Cookbook from the awesome Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca, NY.  Keep in mind that this will make a bunch of dough – enough for 2 big loaves or 3 medium sized loaves.  Also keep in mind that this bread does freeze well, so bake it all and then save it for later!

• 2 cups cool water
• 2 cups whole (or 2%) milk (or soy milk)
• 2 cups yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 packs of active dry yeast (the standard kind you find in the baking aisle)
• Around 10 cups of unbleached bread flour – more as needed for dusting, etc…
• 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
• 2 Tbsp. kosher salt
• Butter for glazing (optional)

Combine the 2 cups cool water and milk in a pot and bring to a boil.  STIR in the cornmeal, then the brown sugar to make a thick mush-like goo – this will be really thick and hard to stir.  Once combined, set aside off the heat.

In a separate bowl, add the warm water and and molasses and whisk lightly to combine.  Add the yeast and dissolve it in the water/molasses mixture.

The temperature of the cornmeal mush should be around 110F – once it’s there, add the mixture to a mixer along with 2 cups of the flour and beat for around 100 strokes with the paddle attachment (or my hand of course).  Cover with a damp cloth and set aside in a warm place (around 80-90 degrees if possible) and let this mixture sit for 45 minutes.  I use my oven to let the dough rest and rise – sometimes even turning the broiler on for a minute to give it some warmth – this trick works well if your house is cool to begin with like mine.  The mix should bubble and rise slightly – this is called a “sponge”.

Stir the oil, salt and gradually cup after cup of flour to the sponge after it’s been bubbling for a while.  I did this with the dough hook of my mixer, but you can also do it by hand.  You may not need to add all of the flour – but you want to end up with a slightly sticky yet fluid dough that you can knead.  Turn it out onto your board and knead it for around 10 minutes by hand, adding flour as necessary.

Oil your large bowl and return the dough to your bowl, cover with the damp cloth and place again in the oven to rise for 45 minutes or until the dough doubles in size.  Punch down the dough and shape it to your liking – I made standrad shaped loaves, as well as round boules – both were delicious.

Lightly oil your baking dishes, then add the dough, cover with the damp cloth again and let rise in the baking vessels for another 30-40 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 350 F, brush the tops of your loaves with a little melted butter and bake for 40 minutes or until the dough is golden brown.  Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

Brandade is something that I ate for the first time at Craigie on Main in Cambridge, MA – served in a small ball that had been lightly fried and served on top of squid ink aioli.  Ok, so that was my introduction to the stuff – and obviously I didn’t set out to replicate that dish.  Instead I wanted to learn a more rustic style of brandade, so I turned to a recipe from a great restaurant up in Portland Maine called Caiola’s in the West End.

Caiola’s brandade was easy to make and delicious.  I really liked the idea of keeping some of the ingredients more course and less of a puree.  The salt cod is actually really delicious, adding a subtle but present fishiness that’s not overpowering, but instead comforting and delicious.  I added a bit of both lemon and orange zest, which added a really nice freshness.  This stuff is pretty rich and delicious, a good go to for any appetizer, but especially in the winter.  Here’s what to do:

• 1 medium fillet of Salt Cod (around 3/4 lb.) – soaked in cold water for 24 hours at least, changing the water multiple times.  Once soaked, drain and dry and reserve.
• 2 lb potatoes – Yukon golds or fingerlings work here – peeled and roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1/4 extra virgin olive oil + 1-2 Tbsp.
• 1/2 white onion – large dice
• 1 tsp. orange zest (more to your taste)
• 1 tsp. lemon zest (more to your taste)
• 1 clove fresh garlic – finely minced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Cured black (pitted) olives to finish
• Bread for crostini – sourdough baguette or even focaccia work well

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Start with the salt cod.  Once it’s drained, add it to a pan of water and bring the water to a boil.  Cook the cod in the water for 15 minutes or so, or until it nicely flakes apart.  Remove the cod from the water with a slotted spoon, dry, then add the cod to a food processor and gently pulse until the cod is mostly broken apart.  I decided to leave some larger pieces in the cod and it was really good!!  But it’s totally up to you.

Once the cod is done, add some salt to the water, then add the potatoes to the pan and cook those until they’re cooked through – 10-15 minutes.  Remove the potatoes from the water and rice or mash them in a separate bowl.  Add the riced potatoes to the cod mixture and mix together gently.

In a separate pan, add the 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil and then the onion and gently saute until soft but not browned.  Remove the onion and add it to the potatoes and cod.  Then add the 1/4 cup of olive oil to the hot pan and warm it until it’s fairly hot, then add it to the cod and mix.  Finally, add the cream to the heated pan (make sure the pan is over low heat) and heat it gently before adding it to the code mixture.

Finish by mixing in the garlic and zests, then taste the mixture and adjust seasoning as necessary.  Once you’re happy with it, place the brandade in an oven proof dish and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until the top begins to brown and the middle is hot and bubbly.  Toast the bread and arrange on the plate.  Finish the brandade with the olives and a little more zest and serve with the toasts!

What do you do when you feel like you’re dragging your feet and its hours until your next meal?  If your answer has something to do with caffeine, a vending machine or nibbling on some of the chocolates or cookies that are ubiquitous this time of year, I encourage you turn over a new leaf and try thoughtful snacking instead. This is a sustainable way to boost your energy and keep you going for the long run.

The key is how you snack, not what you snack on. When you feel like reaching for something to munch on, check in with your brain to verify that you are actually hungry- not just bored, thirsty or tired. If that is the case, act accordingly instead of eating. Making the effort to take a deep breath and listen to what your body is telling you will give you more confidence and control over your actions.

As far as the snack goes, avoid very sugary foods and those with many ingredients on their label. Try choosing nutrient-rich snacks one with fiber that will healthfully release energy into your bloodstream at a steady rate. A fun way to do this is to combine at least two food groups together, packing the most nutrition in per bite.

Here are some snacks I like:

✴ Whole wheat pita chips & cottage cheese, drizzled with a little honey & cinnamon

✴ Cucumber slices with hummus & olives

✴ Yogurt with some peanuts and grapes mixed in

✴ Celery sticks with natural peanut butter & dried cranberries

✴ Whole wheat tortilla with salsa & black beans

✴ Apple slices with cheddar cheese on wheat crackers

✴ Homemade “trail mix” made by combining nuts, raisins & whole grain cereal

Once you decide on the snack your body is asking for, prepare it and put it on a plate. Do not eat your snack standing up or in the drivers seat! Sit down and enjoy it in a civilized manner, appreciating it and the little break you’re allowing yourself to have from whatever is on your mind. Eating a well rounded snack in a calm environment will reduce your stress levels.  Although thoughtful snacking may be more difficult to do away from home or in a noisy place, it is worthwhile to improvise with your surroundings and find a way to treat yourself right (carrying basic utensils and a key-chain knife prepares you for hungry situations whenever they hit). At first, thoughtful snacking is a little more difficult than scarfing on a bag of chips, but with some practice your mind and body will feel the difference and thank you for making the effort in the long run.

Everyone loves to eat cookies during the holidays and these will make you very popular.  You can bake them tomorrow and they will still be soft and chewy on Christmas.  I brought them in to work because it was too dangerous to keep them at home, and they were gone before 9am.

If you want to make a cookie that everyone will love, and that is fun to make with kids, here is your winner!  If I were you, I would consider doubling the recipe and bestowing these cookies on all of your most treasured friends, or keeping the extra dough in your fridge to bake at all of your holiday dinners over the next few weeks.

Note:  The recipe below is made with a stand mixture.  However, with plenty of will power and arm strength, it can certainly be made by hand.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 extra-large egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• Course granulated sugar (for coating cookie dough before baking)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Begin by sifting the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger into a large bowl.

In a stand mixer, beat the eggs and brown sugar together until it becomes light and fluffy.  On low speed, add the molasses and mix until combined.  Slowly, add the flour mixture, about one cup at a time, until it is all combined into the dough.

Place the course sugar in a shallow bowl.  Using a teaspoon, scoop out a heaping spoonful of dough.  Roll into a ball using your palms, and then roll through the sugar.  Place on the baking dish.  Repeat to make the rest of the cookies (makes about 2 dozen).  Leave plenty of room between cookies on the baking sheets, as they will spread out during baking.

Bake for about 8 minutes, or until the cookies have spread and begin to crack slightly on top.  They should still be quite soft, and they will continue to firm as the cool.  Carefully, with a spatula, transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool for at least fifteen minutes (this is the hardest part of this recipe because they will look and smell so delicious).  Store in an air tight container for up to 5 days.

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) will be released any day now.

What are the Dietary Guidelines and how do they affect my life? The Dietary Guidelines are essentially a report created by a committee of experts who reviewed the most up to date nutrition science and boiled it down to a series of summaries. The summaries are available for public comment, updated according to comments and lobbying and then published.  The process of updating the science and releasing guidelines occurs every five years (the last go around in 2005 was 80 pages worth of guidelines), and it forms the basis of our nation’s nutrition policies and education as we progress into the next decade.

Most people are probably more familiar with the educational materials that are developed by experts using the dietary guidelines, like the food guide pyramid (the updated consumer facing materials and messages generated from the DGA won’t be in effect until next spring).

While no one knows exactly what the next version of guidelines will say, there are rumblings of salt, sugar and saturated fats restrictions, although experience tells us that the USDA probably won’t actually tell anyone to avoid any foods when the new consumer materials are published.  One article in the Boston Globe piqued my interest because Dr. Nancy Cohen of UMASS Amherst reported that she expects the new guidelines to emphasize fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds and foods with omega-3 fatty acids.

Omega-3 fatty acids, found in abundance in plant and sea foods are an ear-perking topic for me a Registered Dietitian that researches the environmental impacts of fish farming. I was not surprised to learn that the next version of the DGA might include omega-3 fats. Anyone who goes grocery shopping or watches TV has probably heard something about the health benefits of eating omega-3 fats. We all are consuming more and more seafood, particularly fish because of their purported health benefits, right? Whether omega-3s are a miraculous cure all or just another nutrient depends on your perspective, as NYU nutrition professor Marion Nestle has so eloquently pointed out some of the hype is due to industry health claims that may or may not be based on reputable science. I believe that even if omega-3s are never proven to be the panacea some are painting them as, fish is still an incredibly healthful food and have wide nutritional and ecological properties that no one can deny.

The US government has not historically recommended any levels of omega-3 consumption, and although there is a growing body of research being conducted on the health effects of omega-3s, I think it is unlikely that the new dietary guidelines will set allowable amounts or limits for us to eat. It is likely that the guidelines will emphasize that we Americans eat more omega-3s. If this is the case, it is an important time in our history for ocean conservation. I believe that healthcare professionals like doctors and dietitians are just as responsible for pushing the consumption of fish as are the industries associated with selling omega-3 rich seafood products. This is good in some respects because many fish and shellfish products are an excellent food for people to eat and the substitution effect alone (for example eating trout instead of steak) could be responsible for decreasing the risk of heart disease for many Americans. Unfortunately, there are some consequences, particularly negative environmental ones from growing more of certain types of omega-3 rich foods. We could be in trouble if the government overlooks the negative implications and just make blanket recommendations to increase consumption of omega-3 rich foods. The effect of telling people to eat more omega-3s could cause more harm than good.

From my experience working as a Registered Dietitian, I have noticed that the grand majority of doctors and dietitians – trusted sources for food and nutrition advice – are not knowledgeable in food production, especially for seafood. Because of this, these well-meaning health care professionals, dedicated to improving the health of their clients/patients/consumers/other audiences are not aware that their recommendations could be harming the environment. We could be in deeper trouble if the dietary guidelines do not emphasize consumption of sustainable seafoods, the related consumer materials do not include this message and furthermore the qualified nutrition and health educators are not equipped with this information either.

Let me just stop here and explain I am not advocating to ‘save the planet.’  Ecosystems within the ocean, the rainforests, the wetlands and everywhere else in between on the planet is not just some cute campaign that environmentalists are trying to save for fun. Everyone and everything on this planet is connected, when we produce food in ways that damage the ocean there are implications that affect, like dominos, the air we breath and the climate that sustains us. The earth itself, a floating ball of rock and gas, is here to stay in the universe, but it is our existence on the planet that needs to be respected.

I do realize that if the Dietary Guidelines say ‘eat more omega-3s’ that this will not necessarily become a message that is be destructive instead of helpful.  I found hope in one sentence in the Dietary Guideline Advisory Committee’s report published last June which said:

The quantity and frequency of seafood consumption is important, but the type of seafood (those providing at least 250 mg of long-chain n-3 fatty acids per day) also is critical. Increased consumption of seafood will require efficient and ecologically friendly strategies be developed to allow for greater consumption of seafood that is high in EPA and DHA, and low in environmental pollutants such as methyl mercury.

Now I wait with bated breath to see the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and continue to brew ideas about my next steps as an RD who cares about improving the  health of people in my community and my country as well as the land and water that supports us.

When visiting New York City recently, we got an opportunity to head to Momofuku Noodle Bar in the Village, which after going through the cookbook, was a big draw for me. Going in, I knew that the two dishes I was going to have the most difficult time choosing between would be the Momofuku Ramen (which I did end up ordering) and this dish below: Ginger Scallion Noodles.

The dish is totally simple to prepare, really not much effort, but the flavors are complex and delicious.  The base of the dish is the Ginger Scallion Sauce, which for the most part is just that, minced ginger and scallions along with some soy, vinegar and grapeseed oil.  It’s less sauce and more of a rub or condiment.  Whatever it is, you’ll love it, trust me.  As David Chang of Momofuku says:

“Improvise to your needs, but know that you need ginger scallion sauce on your noodles, in your fridge, and in your life.”

Here’s how to pull it together – first for the Ginger Scallion Sauce.  Make this first, as it gets better with age:

• 2.5 cups scallions.  Basically 2 standard bunches finely diced
• 1/2 cup finely diced ginger
• 1/4 cup grapeseed oil – make sure you use grapeseed, don’t substitute here!
• 1.5 tsp. light soy sauce (I used the low sodium version).
• 3/4 tsp. Sherry vinegar
• large pinch kosher salt (3/4 tsp. or so)

Mix all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl, then set aside to rest, letting the flavors blend together.  Let this mixture sit for at least 15 minutes or up to a day or two in the fridge.

Quick Pickle Cucumbers:

• 1 Tbsp. kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp. organic sugar
• A bunch of thinly sliced cucumber slices – standard cukes were cool with us.

Combine all ingredients thoroughly with your hands and let marinate for 5-10 minutes before using.

Pan-Roasted Cauliflower:

• 1 medium head of cauliflower – broken down and sliced into small florets.
• Grapeseed oil
• Kosher salt to season

Get the oil ripping hot in your pan, then add the cauliflower (careful, the oil may splatter!!) cut side down and toss letting all sides caramelize before seasoning to taste with salt and removing from the pan.

Ginger Scallion Noodle Dish: (for 3-4 people)

• All 3 condiments from above
• 1 package of store-bought ramen noodles (around a 1 lb package, like standard pasta)

Boil the noodles for just a few minutes in unsalted water, breaking them apart the best you can.  Keep in mind these ramen noodles cook MUCH faster than their Italian counterparts, so don’t overcook them!!

Drain the noodles and place in a large bowl.  Toss in the sauce and the rest of the ingredients/condiments, along with anything else to your liking!  Serve and enjoy once well combined.