Roasted Broccoli with Feta

based on a recipe in The Ultimate Mediterranean Diet Cooking for One Cookbook by Kelly Jaggers

serves 1

1 cup broccoli florets
2 teaspoons olive oil
Penzeys Northwoods seasoning, or other blend, to taste
1 lemon wedge
2 Tablespoons crumbled feta cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place broccoli on a small baking dish and drizzle with the oil. Stir it around to coat the broccoli. Sprinkle with the seasoning and stir it again. Roast for 10 minutes, then turn the broccoli over and roast the other side for 5-10 more minutes until broccoli is slightly charred and the stems are crisp-tender. Put the broccoli on your plate, squeeze the lemon wedge over the broccoli, top with the feta, and serve.

Blistered Tomato, Spinach, & Feta Frittata

Slightly modified from the Trader Joe’s website

Serves 6. 45 minutes.

olive oil
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ cup Sugar Plum Tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, or other small tomatoes
4 cups baby spinach
¾ cup of chopped fresh herbs: chives, basil, dill, parsley, thyme, oregano, what have you got?, divided
6 large eggs
½ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 block TJ’s Feta Cheese, crumbled and divided

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil over high heat in a large skillet, until shimmering. Add 1 cup of the tomatoes. Toss until the tomatoes begin to blister and pop, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the onion and garlic.  Stir occasionally, until the onions begin to soften, about 3-5 minutes.
4. Add the spinach and cover pan with a lid.  The pan will be very full, but in a few minutes the spinach will cook down and wilt. Remove the lid and stir spinach every few minutes until most of the spinach is wilted, then remove from heat.
5. Add ½ cup of the herbs to the pan.
6. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, salt, and pepper, then stir in half of the feta cheese and the spinach mixture.
7. Grease a 7×11″ casserole dish with 1 teaspoon of olive oil.   
8. Pour the egg mixture into the casserole dish, distributing the tomatoes as desired.
9. Sprinkle the remaining feta cheese over the top.
10. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the frittata is set in the center.
11. Cut the remaining tomatoes in thin slices; drizzle with remaining ½ tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper (or use the vinaigrette of your choice) add the remaining ¼ cup of herbs, and stir. Cut the frittata into 6 pieces and put on plates. Top each serving with the dressed tomatoes & herbs.

Winter Salad with Roasted Beets & Citrus

Sent out by Kaiser on 1/18/24. My thoughts: I am really surprised/disappointed in Kaiser for sending out a recipe that calls for such expensive and hard-to-find ingredients. This does not inspire the average person to make this healthy and delicious salad. And the ingredient list doesn’t even include the chicory! Harumph. Instead of the escarole, head of radicchio, and chicory, I used Trader Joe’s Champs Elysees salad mix (and I will add some arugula next time). I used toasted slivered almonds instead of hazelnuts. I added goat cheese. My beet took a full hour to roast.

Simple advice for eating a more healthful diet: eat fruits and vegetables of a variety of colors. This salad’s color palette may vary with different combinations of beets and citrus, but it will certainly make fresh fruits and vegetables the star of the meal. Salads of the chicory family are especially hearty. This salad keeps well for leftovers even after being dressed; think entrée salad one night topped with fish, and leftovers for lunch the next day.

Servings: 6 Prep time: 45 minutes

• 4 medium beets
• 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 1 medium fennel bulb
• 3 citrus fruits
• 1 head escarole
• 1 head Treviso radicchio
• 1/4 cup mint leaves
• 1/4 cup tarragon leaves
• 1/3 cup roasted hazelnuts, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling on beets
• 1/8 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Trim the beets of their tops and scrub clean. Pat beets dry and place cut side down, along with the garlic cloves, on a large rectangle of aluminum foil.
3. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Wrap foil tightly, place the packet on a small baking sheet, and roast in the oven until beets are tender, about 45 minutes to one hour.
4. Carefully open foil and let cool briefly. When able to handle, wear gloves or use a paper towel to rub the skins off the beets. Cut each beet into quarters, then into 1/3″ slices.
5. Reserve the roasted garlic cloves for the vinaigrette.
6. For the fennel, trim the green stems and cut bulb in half through root. Trim away most of root. Thinly slice the fennel and reserve in cold water. Drain before using.
7. For the citrus fruits, cut a little bit off each end, exposing the flesh below. Place cut side down on cutting board and trim away the pith and zest (the white and colorful stuff, respectively) by following the contour of the fruit with your sharp knife. Next, cut crosswise into round slices (pop the seeds out if you can) or cut out segments by trimming alongside the inner membranes.
8. Cut the radicchio into one-inch-wide pieces and tear the escarole into smaller pieces. 
9. Pick the mint and tarragon leaves off the stems and wash along with the chicory. 
10. For the vinaigrette, remove the roasted garlic from the cloves and whisk together with the lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, and olive oil. Season with a 3-finger pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. 
11. Combine all of the ingredients together in a large bowl. Start by using about 1/2 to 3/4 of the vinaigrette, adding more to taste.

Nutrition information (per serving)

• Calories: 264
• Total fat: 20 g
• Saturated fat: 2.5 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Sodium: 154 mg
• Total carbohydrate: 19.5 g
• Dietary fiber: 7.3 g
• Total sugars: 10.3 g
• Protein: 4.7 g

Green Chile Turkey Chili

Modified from the Penzey’s website

3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 lb. ground turkey
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 fresh pasilla/poblano pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup Penzey’s Bold Taco Seasoning*
2 bay leaves

*Or substitute
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt to taste

1 4-oz. can diced green chiles
1/2 12-oz. jar Trader Joe’s salsa verde
2 cups water
15-oz. can Navy beans

sour cream for serving

Heat 2 TB. of the oil in a stock pot or large saute pan over medium heat. Add the ground turkey and brown, turning and breaking up frequently to make it as fine as possible.  Once the turkey is no longer pink, transfer it to a bowl and set aside. Add the remaining oil, diced onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the pasilla and bell pepper and stir until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the taco seasoning (or cumin, oregano and cayenne) and stir until combined. Add the turkey, bay leaves, canned green chiles, salsa, beans, and water.  Stir to combine and then bring to a simmer.  Once simmering, cover and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for at least 30 minutes. Taste and add salt as needed. Ladle into bowls and garnish with sour cream if desired.

Turkey (or pork) Lettuce Wraps

Slightly modified from Lynda Balslev

Serves 4

Sauce

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Filling

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat (or ground pork)
1 large carrot, finely diced
1 large celery stalk, finely diced
1 small red bell pepper, finely diced
2 to 3 scallions, white and green parts divided, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced or pushed through a press
1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped

Butter lettuce leaves
Sriracha sauce, for drizzling

Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl and whisk to blend.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the turkey (or pork) and cook, stirring to break up any clumps, until no longer pink and beginning to brown in color, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the meat to a bowl.

Add 1 tablespoon oil to the same skillet. Add the carrot, celery, red bell pepper and white scallions. Saute over medium heat until the vegetables are bright in color and crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Return the meat to the skillet and stir in the sauce. Cook until the sauce thickens and to blend the flavors, 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the cilantro and green scallions.

To assemble, spoon the filling into a lettuce leaf. Drizzle with Sriracha if desired. Wrap and eat.

I actually like it better as a rice bowl, with shredded stir-fried zucchini and drizzled with Trader Joe’s Chili Onion Crunch.

Mediterranean-Style Chicken Stew

Slightly modified from themediterraneandish.com. Similar to Catalonian Chicken, but simpler prep.

1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 8 thighs)
Kosher salt & black pepper, or Penzeys Tsar Dust seasoning
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 28 ounce can chopped tomatoes in juice
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 cup chopped parsley leaves (optional)

Pat the chicken dry and season well with salt & pepper, or Penzeys Tsar Dust seasoning, if you have it.

In a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the chicken, starting with the seasoned side down. Sprinkle the top with salt, pepper (or Tsar Dust). Cook until browned on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook until golden on the second side, about 3 minutes more. Remove the chicken and set aside on a plate for now.

With the heat still on medium-high, add the onion, garlic, carrot, bell pepper, and zucchini. Season with the paprika, coriander, oregano, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies have softened and lightly charred, about 7 to 8 minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes, chicken broth, and thyme sprigs. Raise the heat to bring to a boil, then add the chicken back to the pot. Cook on high heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low and cover the Dutch oven part-way. Let simmer until the stew has thickened and the chicken is nicely tender, 30-60 minutes.

Turn the heat off, remove the thyme sprigs, and stir in the vinegar. Top servings with fresh parsley if desired.

Catalonian Chicken with Spiced Lemon Rice

from The Mediterranean Slow Cooker Cookbook (but I make it on the stove)

Serves 4

3 Tbs all-purpose flour
2 Tbs paprika
1 Tbs garlic powder
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/4 cup olive oil
one 15 oz can diced tomatoes, with the juice
2 green bell peppers, in 1″ dice
1 large yellow onion, in 1″ dice
2 Tbs tomato paste
3 cups chicken stock (divided)
1 cup uncooked rice
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 lemon, zested, then cut in half
1/2 cup pitted green olives, sliced

In a large paper bag, place the flour, paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper and chicken. Close the top of the bag and shake to coat. (You can also do this in a bowl.)

Put a large saute pan (that has a lid) or small Dutch oven on medium heat and add the olive oil. When hot, add the seasoned chicken and brown on both sides, 3-4 minutes per side. Add the tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, tomato paste, and 1 cup of the chicken stock and stir to combine.

Put the lid on and cook over low heat for 4 hours or until the chicken is extremely tender.

Make the rice
In a 2 qt saucepan with a lid, ombine the remaining 2 cups of chicken stock, rice, red pepper flakes, and lemon zest. Add the juice from one half of the lemon and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, covered, until the rice is tender and has absorbed all the liquid, about 25 minutes.

To serve
Spoon the rice onto plates and lade the chicken and vegetables over the top. Garnish with the olives and squeeze the other half of the lemon over servings as desired.

Orzo Garden Pilaf with Lemon and Herbs

slightly adapted from a recipe by Ellie Krieger

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 scallions, thinly sliced, white and light-green parts only
1/2 cup whole-wheat orzo pasta
1 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup sliced grape tomatoes
1/2 cup grated zucchini (3 ounces)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Optional:

crumbled goat cheese or grated parmesan or asiago

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, stir in the scallions; cook until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the orzo and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

Pour in the broth and increase the heat to high; once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until the orzo is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.

Stir in the tomatoes and zucchini; cover and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in the parsley and basil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and serve topped with cheese if desired.

Makes 4 servings

Per serving: Calories (using low-sodium vegetable broth and no cheese) 240; Total Fat 8g (Saturated Fat 1g); Cholesterol 0mg

Sodium 240mg; Total Carbohydrates 36g; Dietary Fiber 8g; Protein 7g

Smitten Kitchen Slow-simmered Lentils with Kale and Goat Cheese

from Smitten Kitchen Keepers: new classics for your forever files, by Deb Perelman

Serves 4-6

1/4 pound kale, preferably lacinato or dinosaur kale (half a standard bunch) – I used curly kale and it came out fine
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small yellow onion, diced small (1/4″)
3 garlic cloves, minced (I used 1 large)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup (150 grams) small green lentils (ideally French du Puy), rinsed
2 1/2 to 3 cups vegetable broth, the more robust the better
Kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or red-wine vinegar
one 4-oz log goat cheese, cut into four 1″ segments
thick slices of country or sourdough bread, toasted or grilled, for serving

Strip the leaves from the stems of the kale and tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces. Thinly slice the stems and set them aside with the diced onion.

Place 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium-sized heavy pot that has a lid (I used our 3 qt. Green Pan sauce pan) over medium heat. Add the kale stems, onion and garlic and cook until the onion softens, 5 or 6 minutes. Add the kale leaves and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften down, 1-2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute; then add the rinsed lentils, 2 1/2 cups broth, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and many grinds of black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a very low simmer and cover. Cook for 60 minutes, until the lentils are tender but not collapsed. If the lentils look thirsty, like they may dry out before they cook through, add the last 1/2 cup of broth.

Remove from the heat and stir in the sherry vinegar. Make 4 little divots in the lentils with a spoon and drop a piece of goat cheese into each. Replace the lid and let the lentils rest for 4-5 minutes until the goat cheese has softened. Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Use wide flat bowls for serving, if you have them. Using a large spoon, scoop out each serving to include one piece of goat cheese. Serve with the grilled or toasted bread.

Low Sodium Mushroom Barley Soup

From Mayo Clinic. For those on a low-sodium diet.

Serves 9

1 tablespoon canola oil1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 cup sliced mushrooms
3/4 cup chopped carrots
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
8 cups vegetable stock
3/4 cup pearl barley
3 ounces dry sherry
1/2 small potato, chopped
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

In a large stock pot, heat the oil to medium-high heat. Add the onions, mushrooms, carrots, thyme, pepper and garlic. Saute until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the vegetable stock and barley and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Test the barley and see if it is as tender as you’d like it – if not, cook longer. When barley is just about the texture you want, stir in sherry and potato. Continue to simmer until potato is cooked, about 15 minutes. Garnish with sliced green onions and serve.

Nutritional analysis per serving

Serving size: 8 ounces

• Calories 121
• Total fat 4 g
• Saturated fat 0 g
• Trans fat 0 g
• Monounsaturated fat 3 g
• Cholesterol 0 mg

• Sodium 112 mg
• Total carbohydrate 19 g
• Dietary fiber 3 g
• Total sugars 2 g
• Protein 2 g