Are you tired of eating turkey sandwiches for lunch?  If your are anything like many of my nutrition clients, you are looking for simple meal ideas that are healthy, yet taste good!

I just tried a recipe that may be a solution to your deli-meat doldrums.  Edamame Pate' Sandwiches are a simple, nutritious, and easy way to change up your lunch routine.  Simply blend up the ingredients and store for the coming week.  Then dollop on whole grain bread, tortillas, pita, or crackers.  It's a great vegetarian swap for chicken salad. 

The edamame and walnuts are excellent sources of fiber, protein, and anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids.  Enjoy!  I did. :)

Edamame Pate' Sandwiches (courtesy of Vegetarian Times*)

1 1/4 cups frozen shelled edamame, thawed (You can buy frozen, shelled edamame at any grocery store.  I have bought it locally at Trader Joe's and Market Basket.  Simply run under cold water to quickly thaw.)
1/2 cup walnuts
1/3 cup mint leaves (packed)
1 green onion, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbs. lemon juice (I recommend fresh, and with lemons .33 a piece, why not?)
3 Tbs. water

Puree the first 5 ingredients in a food processor until finely chopped.

Add lemon juice and water then process until smooth.

Eat with any whole grain of your choosing and make it tasty with toppings of your choice.  Consider arugula, avocado, roasted peppers, tomato, cucumber, and goat cheese.

I ate mine rolled in a whole wheat tortilla with arugula, roasted peppers, and cucumber. MMMmmmm.

*For more simple, nutritious, seasonal, and scrumptious recipes consider subscribing to Vegetarian Times.

*If you are looking for other ideas for your frozen edamame, check this old blog post.

It's been a while since I posted a recipe and I could not resist sharing both of these with you.  Kale is a stellar veggie that most people have no idea how to prepare.  Kale is a form of cabbage (Brassica oleracea Acephala Group), green or purple, in which the central leaves do not form a head. It is considered to be closer to wild cabbage than most domesticated forms.

Kale is full of powerful antioxidants and rich in beta carotene, Vitamin K, Vitamin C, lutein, zeanthin, and calcium. And when prepared correctly, it is delicious!

Recipe 1: Crispy Kale Leaves from Vegetarian Times
*I served this with Ginger Honey Glazed Salmon and my husband exclaimed "I love Kale! Kale is my new favorite food!"

INGREDIENTS
1 lb kale, rinsed and patted dry
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat oven to 325. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray (I used foil).

• Tear kale into 3″ pieces, removing tough stems. Transfer leaves to a bowl.
• Toss kale leaves with the oil, until well coated.
• Spread on a baking sheet and bake 15 mins.
• Turn kale with tongs and bake another 10-15 mins or until edges are browned and leaves are crispy. Sprinkle with salt. Serve warm or cold. Enjoy!

Marci's Note: I drizzle a bit of balsamic vinegar on top of the kale leaves- scrumptious.

Recipe 2: Portuguese Kale Soup from Food Network
*After I finished dinner I was looking forward to my leftovers for lunch.  So so yummy.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1/2 cup diced onions
1/2 diced turnips (*didn't use)
1/2 cup diced carrots
1 bunch kale, stemmed and roughly chopped
6 ounces chopped chourico (spicy Portuguese sausage), or chorizo (*I used Trader Joe's Soy Chorizo)
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
6 cups beef stock (*I used vegetable broth, it's more flavorful and not as heavy)
1 cup kidney beans
6 ounces diced tomatoes (*I used a 14 oz can of diced spicy tomatoes- yum!)
10 ounces diced potatoes (*I used 1 medium)

Directions
In a large stock pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onions, turnips and carrots and cook for 5 minutes. Add the kale, chourico, bay leaves, parsley and thyme and mix well. Add the beef stock, beans and tomatoes. Bring the soup to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring salted water to a boil and add the diced potatoes. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes and add them to the soup.

Remove the bay leaves and serve hot.

Since it's Heart Month, I thought it would be appropriate to highlight a whole grain food product I absolutely love.  A few months ago I found Kashi's 7 Whole Grain Pilaf in the hot cereal aisle.  It looked interesting so I bought it.  And to my delight, it is an absolutely scrumptious grain that cooks a lot like brown rice.  Warning, it does take 25 minutes so you may want to make it ahead of time.  Because it is plain, I recommend consulting Kashi's website for recipe ideas or get creative and spice it up on your own.

Did you know that this week is National Salt Awareness week?  Weird, but true. If you're interested in learning about the effects of a high salt diet, check out this link. Salt is usually a guilt by association kind of ingredient. It tends to be excessive in highly processed and packaged food items. On the flip side, it tends to be low in minimally processed whole grains, fruits, and veggies.

I just discovered that January is National Soup Month.  I guess it makes sense.  It's absolutely freezing outside and the idea of a nice comforting bowl of soup is exactly what I was craving while walking home from work today.  Lucky for me, a friend of mine had recently passed along one of her favorite soup recipes and I decided to give it a try.  In one word, the soup was FABULOUS.  So I am here, to pass it along to you.

Delicously steamed veggies often play center stage in many of my meals.  And after talking to a lot of clients, I realized that many of you are cooking veggies in a pot.  Stop!  Pot cooked veggies deplete many of the precious vitamins and minerals and leave your veggies soggy and overcooked.  Ugh.

I highly recommend buying an affordable food steamer.  Mine practically stays on my kitchen counter we use it so much.  It's awesome for perfectly cooking broccoli, green beans, asparagus, sweet potatoes, you name it!  I often give my veggies a light steam, then transfer to a pan with a bit of olive oil and crushed black pepper for a bit of flavor.

I googled steamer options and found what looks like a fantastic and highly affordable option at Target.  Check it out.

Here is a recipe created by yours truly for deliciously steamed green beans.

Marci's Nutritious & Delicious Zesty Lime Green Beans

Green Beans
Olive Oil (couple of tsp.)
Fresh lime juice (couple of squeezes)
Freshly minced garlic (1 clove)
Crushed red pepper (to taste)
Crushed black pepper (to taste)

Steam green beans to desired consistency (10-15 min.)
Heat remaining ingredients in a pan for 30 sec. over medium heat
Place steamed beans in pan and saute on high for a couple of minutes.
Serve hot and ENJOY!

Marci Anderson, Registered Dietitian, Licensed Nutritionist
Cambridge, MA

My friend Kate shared her fabulous Black Bean and Sweet Potato recipe and it tasted so good I wanted to share it with all of you.  It's packed full of smoky flavor and I love the contrast of the sweetness from the potatoes and creaminess from the beans.  Mmmm!  It's also packed with natural sources of high fiber and plant-based antioxidants.  Pair it with some steamed broccoli for a delicious winter meal.  Plus it makes great leftovers.  Enjoy!

Kate’s Black Bean Sweet Potato Enchiladas

3 cups raw sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (I used one large)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups cooked black beans (I used one can)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
8 flour tortillas (I use whole grain)

Saute sweet potatoes and onion in a large frying pan in olive oil just until tender. Add cumin and cinnamon and cook until fragrant. Add beans and cook until heated through. Divide bean mixture among the tortillas and roll up. Place in a 9 x 13 inch baking pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Smother with prepared enchilada sauce (see below). Cover pan with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Garnish with avocado, etc.

Enchilada Sauce
From Cooks Illustrated

1 medium onion , chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
3 medium cloves garlic , minced
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons sugar
2 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce
1 cup water

Combine the onion, oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the onions have softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and sugar, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce and water, bring to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

Your neighborhood dietitian in Cambridge,
Marci

I was recently invited to a friend's house for dinner and wanted to bring an appetizer that was tasty, easy to transport, and something different from my usual chips with bean salsa.  So I pulled this recipe from my "Recipes to Try" binder.  It was very simple and a great change of pace.  The flavors meld really well together, without being too overwhelming.  I served it with sliced sourdough bread. This recipe makes for a great party dip but my husband and I also enjoyed leftovers for a light lunch.  Enjoy!

Cashew-Mushroom Pate'
Ingredients
1/2 cup cashews
1 1/2 tablespoons nonhydrogenated vegan margarine
4 cups sliced mushrooms (buy pre-sliced this is the most time-consuming part of the recipe)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced (1 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons cooking sherry
2 teaspoons chunky peanut butter
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Roasted red pepper strips, for garnish
Sourdough toast points, optional

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread cashews on baking sheet, and toast 7 to 10 minutes, or until pale brown, shaking pan occasionally.

2. Heat margarine in large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, onion, garlic, curry powder, garlic salt, and cumin, and saute 10 to 12 minutes, or until mushrooms are browned and most of liquid has evaporated. Add sherry, and cook 1 to 2 minutes more, or until alcohol has evaporated. Transfer to blender or food processor, and add cashews and peanut butter.

3. Puree mixture in blender or food processor until relatively smooth. Transfer to bowl, and chill 2 hours, or overnight. Scoop pate into center of plate or bowl, sprinkle with parsley, and decorate with red pepper strips. Surround with sourdough toast points, and serve.

Here is a link to the recipe from the Vegetarian Times website.

Your food lovin' dietitian in Cambridge,
Marci

This recipe is great for so many reasons:
1.) It tastes delicious
2.) It's a great source of whole grains, fiber, and plant-based phytochemicals
3.) It makes great leftovers
4.) It's easy
5.) It's gluten-free and vegan

Don't be intimidated by the long list of ingredients.  It's all basic stuff you probably already have (or might want to think about having!) in your pantry.

Dressing Ingredients: Combine in a large bowl, whisk together well.
3 T extra-virgin olive oil
3 T canola oil
3 T balsamic vinegar (or any other vinegar you have on hand, probably not white though)
2 tsp honey or agave
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (more if you like spice!)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 clover garlic, minced

Salad Ingredients:
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can cannelini beans, dranied and rinsed
1 15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 cup green bell pepper, diced
1 cup celery, chopped (I didn't use and don't think I missed it either)
3 scallions (green onion), finely chopped
2 T fresh parsley, chopped (I didn't have on hand, again it tasted great without it)

Add salad ingredients to the dressing, mix well, and chill for about an hour.  Store in the refrigerator for up to five days.  I ate my salad with corn chips and some fruit.  Delicious!

I had the pleasure of dining on the most scrumptious sweet potatoes this past Thanksgiving.  My friend Amelia got the recipe from NPR, where they promised we'd 'love them.'  And love them we did!  They are actually vegan and a nice break from the traditional dish which is typicaly covered in lots of marshallow and brown sugar.  The trick is coconut milk.  Enjoy!

Here is the link to the recipe.

You may be a bit worried about the fat profile of coconut milk, which is actually a highly debated topic among dietitians and nutritionists.  I can assure you that an approrpriate portion (1/2-1 cup) will not be harmful to your heart health.  And you can even buy Light Coconut Milk at many shops in Cambridge including Trader Joes, Whole Foods, and even Market Basket!