Getting Back to Basics

Have you been feeling that, since the holidays, there hasn’t been a lot of room to regroup with your diet? Although January was a month of new yearly goals and resolutions, it seemed to zip by before we could say 2011.  Then, as January walked out the door, February entered and we were handed Valentine’s Day. Holiday, after celebration, after party, where has there been a reprieve? Are you feeling as if you’ve been around rich foods, decadent candies, and sweet desserts around the clock?

Before March’s tempting merriments, like Mardi Gras, March Madness, and St. Patrick’s Day, this week is a chance to cleanse and eat clean.  What does that mean? Clean eating means choosing and consuming foods that are healthy, fresh, and whole, as well as ones that are void of fatty and oily condiments. It’s not difficult.  And, the process of eating clean includes common sense steps most of us already know. Here are some quick tips:

• Think nature.  Foods that come straight from nature, off plants, bushes, and vines, help your skin and body rejuvenate from the inside out. 
• Avoid meat that has been prepackaged. Your local butcher can help you choose which whole meats are best, can cut it to your preference and can even ground the meat for you without adding the preservatives.
• Embrace grains. Grains that are whole and not enriched/processed, like brown rice, steel cut oats, farro and barley are rich in nutrients, are filling, and worth the extra cook time.
• Lastly, read nutrition label.  When it comes to what is listed on the label, or while making a meal, less is more. For the most part and not including spices and herbs, the fewer ingredients, the better a dish can be for you.  (Now, keep it all in prospective. S'mores only have three ingredients, but chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers are not part of the clean eating regimen).  And, remember, if you can’t pronounce an ingredient, it may not be something you want to ingest. (Just saying).

So, before the spicy, rich and robust foods of Mardi Gras, the deliciously carbo-loaded, fried snacks of March Madness, and alcoholic filled days of St. Patrick’s Day approach, here are a couple of healthy meals that will help make you feel energized as you move about your week.

The salads keep well for about four days and are easily transportable to and from work.

Corn with Tomatoes and Edamame Bean Salad
from Quick & Easy Chinese: 70 Everyday Recipes by Nancie McDermott. 

2 Tbsp. vegetable or canola oil
2 tsp. chopped garlic
2 slices ginger
1 tsp. salt
3 cups corn kernels, fresh, frozen, or corn
1 cup shelled edamame beans (or lima or tiny peas)
3 Tbsp water
½ cup halved cherry/grape tomatoes
½ tsp sugar
1 tsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

Heat a wok or large, deep skillet over high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the garlic, ginger, and salt and stir to coat well. Add the corn and stir to mix with the seasonings and oil, then add the edamame beans. Toss together. Add water and cook, stirring often, until corn and edamame are hot and tender.  ( If using fresh corn, add a little extra water, and cooking time.) Add tomatoes and sugar, gently mix and heat. Add sesame oil and cilantro, toss well.  Transfer to a serving plate.  Serve hot or warm. Yields about 4-6 cup servings.

Cooks Note: Roma tomatoes work well, chopped, seeded and strained of juice.

Minty Black Bean, Jicama and Cucumber Salad
The Get Healthy Go Vegan Cookbook by Neal Barnard, MD & Robyn Webb

1 medium jicama (about 1 - 1 ½ cups), peeled and chopped
1 large cucumber (about 1 cup), peeled, seeded and chopped
1 small white onion (about ½ cup), finely chopped
1 (15-oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 Tbsp. fresh mint, chopped
¼ cup rice vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients, cover, and refrigerate several hours to allow flavors to marry before serving. Yields about 4-6 cup servings.

Cooks Note: Amounts will vary with the sizes of vegetables available. Jicama is a crispy, sweet, edible legume looks like a turnip but with a brownish skin that can be peeled. It adds a great crunch and lovely texture to salads, or is a comparable substitute for water chestnuts.  Be sure to choose a jicama that is firm, medium sized, and dry (without visible wet or soft spots that will speed up rotting). may indicate rot, and don't be drawn to overlarge examples of the tuber, because they may not be as flavorful. Refrigerate for up to two weeks. Eden’s Soy Black Beans were used here.

Sweet Potato Hash
A Mele Cotte recipe

1 Tbsp. sesame oil
3 shallots, diced
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and grated (raw)
¼ tsp. salt
pepper to taste
2-3 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until softened, stirring often, 3 to 4 minutes. Bring heat to medium and add potatoes. Cook until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Be sure to stir often to prevent sticking/burning. Add salt & pepper and mix well. Stir in thyme and cook another minute or so. Yields about 10-12 ½ cup servings

Cook's Note:  If shallots are not available, substitute with a mild onion. Extra delicious when served with a poached egg.