The best six doctors anywhere
And no one can deny it
Are sunshine, water, rest, and air
Exercise and diet.
These six will gladly you attend
If only you are willing
Your mind they'll ease
Your will they'll mend
And charge you not a shilling.
~Nursery rhyme quoted by Wayne Fields, What the River Knows, 1990

All About Greens

My column in the paper last week was about making (and keeping) New Year's resolutions and about the benefits of eating greens. In an effort to inspire you to try some new recipes and to eat more greens, here are several ways to prepare them. Enjoy!

Roasted Kale or Brussels Sprouts
1 bunch kale or 1 pound Brussels sprouts
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

For kale: Tear washed and dried kale from center stem in bite-size pieces. Place on cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Using your hands, toss kale around on cookie sheet, rubbing oil on each piece. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Roast in a 400-degree oven for about 10 minutes, or until kale is light and crispy. (Edges may look black.) Remove from oven and serve immediately. (This recipe is courtesy of our own Sue Ann Luna Jones, via Martha Stewart. Matt and I have had this and love it!)
For Brussels sprouts: Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour on a sheet pan and roast at 400 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly. Serve immediately.

Sauteed Greens
½ cup thinly sliced onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound greens (mustard, collard, beet or turnip)
2 to 3 tablespoons chicken broth or vegetable broth
Salt and pepper, to taste
¼ teaspoon dark sesame oil (optional)
Red pepper flakes (optional)

Sauté onions in olive oil over medium heat in a large pan until the onions begin to brown and caramelize, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook a minute more until fragrant. Add the greens and broth and cook until the greens are just barely wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Toss with sesame oil or add red pepper flakes, if you like.

Vegetable and Bean Soup
1 bunch Swiss chard, thick stem ends removed and discarded
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3 cups low-sodium tomato or vegetable juice
1 can unsalted diced tomatoes
1 can white beans (great northern, cannellini or garbanzo), drained and rinsed
½ teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper, to taste

Submerge chard in cold water and rinse thoroughly. Thinly slice stems and coarsely chop leaves. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add celery and onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add juice, tomatoes with juice, beans and oregano; bring to low boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add chard and cook 5 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.

Bok choy chicken soup
3 cups chicken broth
10 leaves bok choy, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped

Bring the chicken broth to boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in red pepper flakes, soy sauce, sesame oil and chopped garlic. Add the bok choy. Simmer for up to 10 minutes, until the bok choy leaves turn dark green and are wilted and tender.

Spinach and Romaine with Feta and Cranberries
2 cups fresh spinach leaves
2 cups romaine lettuce
Crumbled feta
Dried cranberries
Chopped walnuts
1 medium apple or pear, chopped
Olive oil and vinegar salad dressing
Juice of 1 orange

Mix washed and dried spinach and romaine in bowl. Sprinkle with crumbled feta, cranberries and walnuts—however much you like. Add apple or pear. Squeeze juice from one orange over top. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar salad dressing. Toss just before serving. (We eat this ALL the time at our house.)

Okra and Corn Maque Choux

I’ll admit: I haven’t made this yet. I’m planning to make it for friends this weekend, and I couldn’t wait to share the recipe — that’s how confident I am that it’s going to be delicious. I saw this recipe in Southern Living Magazine, and I altered it a little. (I’m using turkey sausage instead of pork sausage, and I’m adding crushed red pepper for a little kick.) It’s so simple, and it sounds so fresh and tasty. Not to mention, it’s different from the same ol’ side dishes we see at all the summer barbecues.

My first thought was, what the heck is a Maque Choux (pronounced mock-shoe)? I Googled it and found that it’s a traditional Cajun dish made with the freshest of fresh corn kernels, scraped off the cob. Also in my search I found another recipe that called for butter and bacon (instead of sausage), and it certainly looked a lot creamier than this one. However, I’m opting to go with the recipe below because it’s lighter.

Let me know what you think!

1/4 pound smoked turkey sausage, diced
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups fresh corn kernels
1 cup sliced fresh okra
1 cup peeled, seeded and diced tomato
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Crushed red pepper (optional)
Olive oil

Drizzle sauté pan with olive oil; sauté sausage over medium-high heat until browned. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic, and sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add corn, okra, and tomato; cook, stirring often, 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add crushed red pepper flakes for an extra kick. Enjoy!

Grill It!

Here's a great article with lots of yummy tips for utilizing your backyard grill this summer... grilling is fun AND it's a healthy way of cooking!

The most important meal of the day

Today's health tip has to do with breakfast, and I can't agree more!

Eat breakfast so that you don't pig out later on.

Skipping meals will not help you lose weight. Eating well-balanced, regularly-spaced-out, small healthy meals throughout the day will!

Today's health tip...

...is a good one! Especially with summer right around the corner.

Don't forget to drink plenty of water! When you are participating in vigorous physical activity, it's important to drink before you even feel thirsty.

I would be willing to bet a lot of people don't drink nearly enough water every day. And, if you think you do... drink more! You'll be amazed how much better you feel when you're properly hydrated.

15 Smart Snacks to bring to work

Every morning I gather up some snacks to take with me to work. I'm the hungriest in the mornings, it seems like, so I usually eat these up before lunchtime. I typically bring an apple (already cut up at home, so it's easy to eat!), reduced-fat string cheese, nuts (almonds or peanuts), yogurt and other miscellaneous things, such as strawberries (when good and in season, like now!), clementines or "cuties" and whole wheat crackers with cheese. Here are 15 ideas (from today's South Beach Daily Dish):

1. Raw veggies, such as celery, green or red bell pepper strips, cauliflower, and broccoli florets. Use hummus or two tablespoons of natural peanut butter for dipping.
2. Cold cuts (turkey, chicken, lean roast beef, boiled ham)
3. Part-skim mozzarella cheese sticks
4. Nuts (15 almonds, 20 peanuts, or 30 pistachios), but be sure to stick to one serving
5. Cottage cheese (reduced fat or fat-free) with salsa or chopped cucumber
6. Dry-roasted or boiled, ready-to-eat edamame (green soybeans)
7. Sunflower seeds (count these toward your daily nut/seed allowance)
8. Greek yogurt (plain, fat-free)
9. Tomato juice or vegetable-juice cocktail, single-serving cans
10. Water-packed tuna and salmon (individual cans or pouches)
11. Carrot sticks with hummus
12. Whole-grain crackers and reduced-fat cheese
13. A serving of high-fiber whole-grain cereal (a great snack without milk)
14. Dried apricot halves with almonds (seven apricot halves and seven almonds)
15. Microwavable popcorn, individual pack (check the label to make sure it does not contain trans fats)