I’m here post-emotional breakdown to tell you that eating healthy is a roller coaster. For me, food is a solace that finds me at my worst. When I’m feeling blue, I medicate with pizza and lick my wounds with a plate of nachos. I use food as a crutch to not only make me feel better, but to celebrate, to numb, and to punish myself after a week of eating unhealthy. My attitude towards food hovers somewhere between addiction and joy. I love cooking so much that I will habitually make a cobbler on a weekday, not because I want cobbler, but because the act of making cobbler heals me all by itself. But the problem every time is that I eat said cobbler in its entirety.
So if this journey looks anything like yours, I’m here to tell you that you’re not alone! Healthy food can be joyful and cathartic, too. Like going to the whole foods salad bar–which happens to be my new favorite haunt. I’ve felt more creative in front of a few boring vegetables than I have in months. We all know how to make steak taste good, but can we really make a brussels sprout less disgusting? You can and will!
This past week’s dinners have been mostly vegetables, but it has in no way been boring. It’s been a challenge to make some things taste really good and to feel better about what I’m putting in my body. Eating isn’t just a joyful act, it’s nourishment, and we’re doing something hopefully kind to our bodies by eating more of what we really need.
I put together what I’m eating these days. These are all healthy recipes and mostly salad! It’s a great way to focus yourself on eating thoughtfully and well. Here’s what I’m making…
Roasted Carrot Tahini Salad
I posted this one last week! Read the whole post here if you’d like to see.
Ingredients:
1 lb carrots, peeled and halved longways
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp za’atar
1 tsp salt
2 oz arugula
1 cup of cooked wild rice
For the dressing:
2 tsp grainy mustard
1 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit.
On a large baking sheet, toss the carrots in 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt and za’atar. Spread evenly on the baking sheet, cut side down and roast for 20 minutes. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together the arugula and wild rice. Set aside.
For the dressing:
Whisk together the mustard, tahini, vinegar, salt, and olive oil in a small bowl. Pour half this mixture over the arugula and rice and toss.
Place the arugula mixture on a large serving platter. Top with the carrots. Drizzle with the remaining dressing. Serve immediately.
Avocado Quinoa Bowl
Ingredients:
2 Avocados, diced
1 cup diced cherry tomatoes
2 large handfuls of arugula
½ cup drained rinsed black beans
½ cup cooked quinoa
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
a pinch of salt
a pinch of black pepper
1 tsp grainy mustard
Directions:
In a large salad bowl, add the arugula, avocado, cherry tomatoes, black beans and quinoa. Toss.
Mix together the vinegar, oil, salt, pepper and mustard in a small bowl. Pour over the salad to coat. Makes two dinner salads.
Salmon Salad with Chimichurri Sauce
This is an update to my favorite salmon recipe that I refer to as “the salmon.”
Ingredients:
2 salmon filets
1/2 cup olive oil, plus 2 tbsp
1 shallot, peeled and quartered
juice of 1 lime
1 bunch of cilantro with stems
1 jalapeno (optional)
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
3 cups arugula
1 cup cooked cous cous
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Put the salmon on a foil lined baking sheet. Set aside.
To make the chimichurri, use a food processor to pulse the shallot, lime juice, cilantro, jalapeno, 1 tbsp of the red wine vinegar, and 1/4 tsp of the salt. While the food processor is running, pour in the 1/2 cup of olive oil until the chimichurri is more liquid. Use a spoon to spread the chimichurri generously over each salmon filet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until salmon is to your liking.
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tbsp red wine vinegar, remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil, dijon mustard, and remaining 1/4 tsp salt. Add the arugula and cous cous to a salad bowl and toss. Pour in the dressing and toss to coat. Divide between two bowls and top each with a salmon filet.
Broccoli and Beans
Recipe from Shutterbean! I love this so much, I’ve been
Ingredients:
2 broccoli crowns
1 can of great northern beans, drained and rinsed
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes
juice of 1 lemon
1 egg, cooked to your liking! Poached, fried, or whatever
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Cut the broccoli into florets. Spread them on a baking sheet with the white beans, red pepper flakes, garlic, and lemon juice. Coat with olive oil and salt and pepper generously. Toss to combine and spread into an even layer on the sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes or so. Sprinkle the top with grated parmesan cheese. Turn the broiler to high and broil on the top rack of the oven until cheese is melted. Top with a fried egg.
Tabbouleh with Greens and Chickpeas
Ingredients:
1 bunch parsley
1 bunch fresh mint leaves (about 1/4 cup)
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 cucumber
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 lemon
6 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp grainy mustard
1/2 tsp oregano
salt and pepper
2 handfuls of Spinach or arugula
1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted
15 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
feta cheese, optional
Directions:
To make the tabbouleh: Chop the mint and parsley, dice the cherry tomatoes, and deseed the cucumber and dice it. In a large mixing bowl, add the parsley, tomatoes, cucumber, mint, and quinoa. Toss. Halve the lemon and squeeze both halves over the salad. Add 4 tbsp olive oil to the salad and toss to coat. Salt and pepper to taste.
To make the dressing: In a small bowl, mix together the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil, red wine vinegar, mustard, oregano, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
In two salad bowls, divide the arugula or spinach. Top each with a heaped portion of the tabbouleh, chickpeas, olives, and feta. Add the dressing to each and toss to coat.
Leave a Reply