Farro and Kale Soup

This recipe comes to you from the files of a lovely lady and loyal blog reader whom I’ve known since I was born! A dear friend of my mother’s, and a sweet presence in my life for nearly forty years, Louise is a bundle of energy and the picture of health and vibrancy, even now well into her eighties. She wakes up early to swim, regularly cooks lunch for a cast of family, friends and neighbors, and generally makes the world a better place with her very presence.

I have so many fond memories of enjoying of the bounty of her garden, sharing in her Italian feasts, and indulging in her famous holiday cookies. This dear woman can  cook.

One half of a pair of lifelong best friends known by nearly everyone in town as “Day Day and Louise,” she holds a special place in my heart.

This delicious soup will hold a special place in yours – enjoy!

Farro and Kale Soup

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup farro
6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 cups peeled butternut squash cubes (1/2 inch)
1 (28-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes with juice
1 (2-inch) piece Parmigiano cheese rind
1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups coarsely chopped green kale
Grated Parmiagiano Reggiano cheese (optional)

Directions:

1.  Heat oil in a soup pot over medium heat.  Add onion and saute until softened 2-3 minutes.  Add garlic and saute 1 minute.  Add farro and stir to coat.  Add broth, squash, tomatoes, cheese rind, thyme and salt.  Bring to a boil, breaking up tomatoes with a wooden spoon.

2.  Reduce heat, partially cover and simmer until squash is tender and farro is cooked, about 30 minutes.  Stir in kale and simmer 2 minutes.  Discard cheese rind.  Ladle into bowls and sprinkle grated cheese on top.

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Tilapia with Roasted Vegetables

Baked Tilapia and Vegetables

With the holidays behind us and a commitment to healthier habits in hand, here’s a recipe for a simple, clean dinner that will leave you feeling satisfied without any guilt. The key to eating well is simple, really.  You’ll want lots of vegetables, reasonable portions of lean proteins, and some high fiber, whole grain carbs. This dish doesn’t have grains included, so you could pair it with a simple quinoa, or wheatberries, or whole wheat pasta if you’d like, but I think you’ll find it doesn’t need anything extra to make a lovely meal.

If you’re curious, I’ve included the nutrition information at the bottom because it’s even lower in calories than you are probably imagining.

 

Tilapia with Roasted Vegetables

serves 4

Ingredients:
½ lb. fresh asparagus spears, cut in half
2 small zucchini, halved length-wise, cut into ½ inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into ½ inch strips
1 large yellow onion, cut into ½ inch wedges
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. Lemon Pepper seasoning
4 Tilapia filets (about 1 ½ lb. total)
1 Tbsp. butter, melted
½ tsp. Paprika
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450.
2. Prepare vegetables and combine in a large bowl with olive oil and 1 tsp. of Lemon Pepper Seasoning. Spread vegetables on a sheet pan and place in oven on lowest rack, bake for 5 minutes.
3. Spray a 13×9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Pat dry the tilapia fillets, place in baking dish and brush with butter and sprinkle remaining 1 tsp. of lemon pepper seasoning and paprika.
4. Take the vegetables out of the oven and stir, place back in oven on the lowest rack. Place tilapia on the middle rack and continue to bake for 17 to 18 minutes or until the fish flakes and the vegetables are tender.

Nutrition:
This recipe is for 4 servings. Total calories per serving: 290 (110 from fat), Total fat: 12 grams, Cholesterol: 100 mg, Sodium: 520 mg, Carbohydrate: 11 grams, Protein: 35 grams, includes Vitamin A, C, Calcium and Iron.

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Getting healthy. The HOW mattters.

Eager bodies wanting to look and feel better quick make words like “detox, diet, 7-day cleanse, and licorice tea” sound like a immediate way to get the ball rolling toward 2015 health goals.New Year Resolution List Image

But let’s take a moment to consider what makes a New Year Resolution more likely to stick… for good! You’ve likely heard of SMART Goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-Bound). While this method is helpful in identifying WHAT your goal is, it misses perhaps the greatest struggle in all change-making: THE HOW.

  • HOW are you going to get more fruits and vegetables into your daily meals – if you skip breakfast or eat out often to save time, how will you fit more in?
  • HOW are you going to have more sit-down family meals – what about the kids’ calendar of extracurricular activities?
  • HOW are you going to take the time to meal plan, go to the grocery, learn how to cook AND clean up after?

It is ineffective to know WHAT the problem is and WHAT you want to change about it; you must also have a realistic HOW figured out.

Using a personal cooking service can be a real, drumbeat solution that can be implemented and then sustained for weeks and weeks on end. It’s a dependable, repeating solution that is new, exciting and functional. A personal cooking service (like Nourish) pairs you with a passionate and talented cook who prepares oven-ready meals that you’ve ordered from an extensive menu. On a repeating schedule a cook grocery shops, prepares fresh and healthy meals, and cleans up. All you have to do is heat, eat and repeat!

More fruits and veggies – check!
More sit-down family meals – check!
And it didn’t demand any extra time of you – check!

Here’s to a healthier, happier, MAKING-IT-HAPPEN New Year!

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