How Keen

Have you tried quinoa? It's this fantastic, crunchy little grain that's native to the Andean region of South America (largely Bolivia and Peru). It's light and fluffy, and each tiny grain pops just so in your mouth. It's very mild tasting, so it's perfect with nearly any flavor you want to give it.

Sometimes I make it, plain, cooked in chicken broth, as an alternative to rice. It cooks in a flash (just 20 minutes) and it contains more protein than any other grain. It's also great as the base to salads. In short, it's a really great pantry staple. You can find it in bulk bins, some grocery stores, and health food stores. Whole Foods sells a big bag of it for around $3.


For a healthy Friday afternoon lunch, I made a pot of quinoa, tossed it in a gingery vinaigrette, and loaded it with veggies for a colorful, healthy, and filling one-bowl meal.

Asian Quinoa-Vegetable Salad
Makes about 3 lunch servings or 2 dinner servings

1 cup quinoa
1 small bag frozen shelled edamame, corn, and red pepper mix
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 teaspoon sriracha (Asian chile-garlic sauce)
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 handfuls washed baby spinach

Wash quinoa in a fine-mesh seive until water runs clear. In a large saucepan of boiling, salted water, cook quinoa for 10 minutes. Drain in the fine-mesh seive, and fill the saucepan with 2 inches water; bring to a boil. Set the seive with quinoa over the saucepan (don't let seive touch water). Cover with a clean kitchen towel, and the pan lid, and steam for 10 minutes, or until quinoa is dry and fluffy.

Meanwhile, cook edamame mix according to package directions.

Combine vinegar and grated ginger in a large bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes. Add sriracha and soy sauce, and whisk in oil until dressing is uniform in consistency. Add cooked quinoa and spinach, and toss well. Add the cooked edamame mix, and toss again. Add extra soy sauce and sriracha to taste.

An Old Favorite, Revisited

When I was in high school, I decided for about a year that I was a vegetarian. In fact, for a while, I was vegan. Then I realized that my 100-pounds-soaking-wet self didn't do so well without any animal protein at all. So I put the milk and eggs back in rotation. Then one day, I missed chicken, and I indulged in a PF Chang's chicken lettuce wrap. After that, I realized that food was just more delicious when you eat meat.

Anyhow, my wonderful parents, while secretly knowing this was just a phase, made my eating preferences a priority in the house. We had this cookbook and leaned heavily on the dishes listed in it, especially the Eggplant Parmesan. Unlike many Italian-American dishes, it was super light and fairly healthy save for the layers of melty, gooey mozzarella cheese. I still enjoy making this dish when I have time to let it bubble away in the oven...on weeknights, though, that's not always possible. So I did a little eggplant parm remix, and turned it into a pasta sauce. It was perfect with whole-wheat pasta, which I find a little too hearty for lighter sauces. Unfortch, not the most photogenic of dishes, but you get the idea...

Eggplant-Tomato Sauce with Whole-Wheat Pasta
serves 2 with leftovers

Olive oil nonstick cooking spray
1 medium eggplant, peeled and diced
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
Handful fresh basil, torn
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 box whole-wheat rotini, penne, or other short-cut pasta
Garnish: 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 450. Generously coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Place eggplant on the baking sheet in one layer, and spray again with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, tossing halfway through.

Meanwhile, cook pasta per package direction. Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, and cook, stirring often, until softened and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, dried oregano, and salt and pepper. Gently simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove eggplant from oven, and add to tomato sauce; stir to combine. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup cooking water. Add pasta to sauce, and add pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, until the consistency of the sauce is to your liking. Stir in fresh basil and Parmesan. Serve, topped with mozzarella cheese, if desired.

A Solo Birthday Meal

This year on my birthday, I was alone for dinner. Before you think I’m complaining, I must say, I was really tired from a crazy weekend, so the solo time was actually appreciated. Plus I’d had a totally indulgent Belgian waffle and a side of sausage-cheese grits. (Yes, that’s right. And it was amazing.)

However, it was my birthday, so I did want to treat myself to something delicious for dinner. I chose some beautiful salmon from Whole Foods, a bundle of soba noodles, a package of nori, some veggies, and a bottle of Asian-style dressing. (I was feeling indulgent, but also too lazy to make my own dressing.) The salmon seared quickly, the veggies didn’t require much besides a little bit of chopping, and the noodles cooked in a lightning-fast dunk in boiling water—this is my kind of fast, easy, but totally delicious birthday dinner. I call it a sushi bowl because all the sushi flavors are represented. You could definitely substitute sticky white rice for the noodles for an even more sushi-like concoction.

Sushi Bowls with Soba Noodles
serves 1 birthday girl with leftovers for lunch (though it would easily double)
This was great the night of, and actually even better the following day, cold. You could make this ahead, chill it, and serve it cold for an easy, satisfying summer dinner when it’s just too hot to cook.

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 (8- to 10-ounce) salmon fillet (make sure you ask for the thickest piece available)
Pinch of salt
6 ounces soba noodles
3 to 4 tablespoons store-bought Asian soy ginger sauce*
1/2 cucumber, peeled, and chopped into matchstick pieces
1 ripe avocado, peeled, and chopped into bite-size pieces
2 green onions, cut thinly on the bias
3 sheets nori (look for it in the Asian section of the grocery store)
1 to 2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted

Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Rinse and pat dry salmon fillet, and sprinkle with salt. When oil is very hot and shimmering, carefully place salmon in pan. Sear for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden brown. Turn and continue cooking until salmon is just cooked through, about 3 minutes more.**

Meanwhile, add soba noodles to a medium saucepan of boiling, salted water, stir gently, and cook for 4 minutes, or until al dente. Drain noodles, and rinse well with lukewarm water.***

In a small dry skillet, toast nori sheets until they are warm and crisp to the touch, about 2 minutes.

In a wide serving bowl, toss together the cooked noodles and the dressing, to taste. Toss in the veggies, then top with the salmon. Crumble the toasted nori on top, sprinkle on sesame seeds, and drizzle with additional dressing, if desired.

*I used 365 Organic Soy Ginger Sauce
**I like my salmon on the just-barely-cooked side. If you like yours more done, cook 1 to 2 minutes longer, but don’t let it go too long or it will be dry.
***Rinsing the noodles is very important; otherwise they will stick together and lose their delicious texture.

Fiber? I barely know her!

We hear it all the stinkin’ time—fiber is an uber-important part of maintaining good health. But seriously, sometimes fiber is just not tasty. Though Jason and I do enjoy the new(ish) Fiber One bars (check out the oats and chocolate kind), it’s not always the easiest task to cook a high-fiber meal that doesn’t taste like a bucketful of horse feed.

Recently, though, I discovered medium-grain bulgur, which is coarser and chewier than the fine-grain kind used in tabouleh. It’s seriously delicious. It’s kind of like brown rice’s way better looking and more impressive cousin. Bulgur has more than twice the fiber, less fat, fewer calories, and nearly four times the folate as brown rice. Plus it cooks in half the time. It’s nutty, pleasantly chewy, and inexpensive, too. Oh, and topped with roasted veggies, this dish packs a ton of vitamins and fiber—a superstar of a meal.

Bulgur Bowls with Roasted Veggies
serves 2
Toss in some prepared rotisserie chicken or sautéed tofu (if you’re into that kind of thing) for some protein, if desired.

1 cup bulgur
2 cups chicken broth or water
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 lb broccoli, chopped into small florets
1 large zucchini, chopped into bite-size chunks
1 red bell pepper, cut into bite-size chunks
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 tablespoon olive oil

Sauce
1 (1-inch) piece of ginger, grated
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice or rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the bulgur and the broth. If using water, add 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir and cover, and bring to a boil. When bulgur boils, lower heat to medium-low, and let cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed and bulgur is tender.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°. Place vegetables on a large rimmed baking sheet, and toss with pepper, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and olive oil. Roast for 10 to 12 minutes, tossing about halfway through cooking, until vegetables are tender and caramelized in places. Remove from oven and set aside.

To make the sauce, whisk together ingredients in a medium bowl, adding vegetable oil to reach desired taste and consistency. When bulgur is cooked, spoon an even amount into each serving bowl. Top with roasted vegetables, and drizzle with about 1 tablespoon sauce, or to taste.

Breakfast, To Go

There might be three words that seem to be the key to maintaining a healthy weight, having energy in the morning, and starting your day off right. Don't. Skip. Breakfast. Even Jason, who used to claim he "just wasn't a breakfast person" has noticed a difference since he started eating a regular morning meal.

Though it can take an extra few minutes in your morning routine, breakfast is something everyone should make time for. And making something portable for breakfast is always a good idea—either something that you can eat at your desk, or even better, as you walk out the door/in your car/on the train.

Breakfast sandwiches are nothing new. Actually, some of the absolute worst-for-you breakfasts are contained in sandwiches. But the concept is, well, pretty brilliant. While most of us are familiar with the savory bacon-egg-and-cheese bagels or sausage biscuits, I bet you haven't seen many sandwiches that lean toward the sweet side of things.

I made this recipe to accomplish a laundry list of ideal breakfast goals. Filling but not heavy, check. Nutritious, check. Protein-plus-grain, check. It also hits the all-important mobile breakfast quality—you can eat it with one hand. Good morning!

Peanut-Butter Waffle Breakfast Sammy
makes 1 sandwich

2 whole-grain waffles (such as Van’s)
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1/2 banana, sliced or 6 thin apple slices
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Toast waffles and top each half with one tablespoon of peanut butter. Top one half with banana or apple slices, sprinkle with cinnamon, and top with other waffle.

Deliciously Healthy

As some of you know, for my master's thesis, I created a healthy eating magazine for parents with young kids. I developed a handful of healthy but yummy recipes that would get lots of good-for-you things into kids but still taste delish.

They were a hit with my tasters (a bunch of 13-year-olds) and I think they do a pretty good job of being healthy. But just because kids would like them doesn't mean grownups won't. I had sort of forgotten about these recipes, but now that it's so darn hot outside, lighter, healthier fare just seems appropriate. Hope you enjoy!

Sweet and Savory Chicken salad
serves 4
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1/2 cup fat-free plain yogurt
1 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons agave nectar*
1/2 apple, diced
1/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. Place chicken breast in shallow pan. Add chicken broth and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer 5 minutes. Turn off heat, and allow chicken to cook 10 minutes more, or until the middle is no longer pink.
2. While chicken cooks, whisk together mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice, and agave nectar in a large bowl.
3. Remove chicken from broth, and set aside until cool enough to handle. When cool, cut chicken into bite-size cubes, and place in bowl. Add fruits, almonds, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.
4. To pack for lunch, put 1 cup of the chicken salad inside a whole-wheat pita pocket or place leaves of bibb lettuce at the bottom of a resealable plastic container, and mound 1 cup of chicken salad on top.

*Agave nectar is a sweetener made from the agave plant that doesn’t cause spikes in blood sugar. You can substitute with honey.