All posts by chefmichelle

One-Pan Salmon with Orange and Herb Vinaigrette

December 21, 2016Dairy-Free, Dressing/Rub/Sauce, Entree, Gluten-Free/Wheat-Free, The Recipe Reduxchefmichelle

One-Pan Salmon with Orange and Herb Vinaigrette

Recipe Redux – December, 2016: Grab a Book and Cook

This month’s Recipe Redux recipe challenge theme was to “grab your nearest cookbook and ReDux the recipe on page 201, 16, 216 – or any combination of the number ‘2016”. For this challenge, I am excited to introduce our guest blogger for this post – Liana Waybright. Liana was an intern with us here at Healthy in the Kitchen in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, as a part of her dietetic internship and Master’s program with Eastern Illinois University. By the time you are able to read this post, Liana will have graduated her program and be RD-eligible. A big congratulations goes out to her for all her immense dedication and hard work. Great job Liana, and delicious recipe too! – Michelle Moreau, RDN, LD, CC

nutrition, dietitian, nutritionist, healthy kitchen, chef, recipe, salmon, wellness, health — Liana Waybright, CC and soon-to-be MS, RDN!

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I knew exactly what cookbook I wanted to grab for this Recipe Redux as soon as I learned of the theme – America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook.

nutrition, dietitian, Healthy in the Kitchen, recipe, chef, Omega-3, Health, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, salmon — A resource full of healthy and foolproof recipes.

ATK is one of my go-to resources for reliably delicious food, and on page 216 of their healthy recipe book, I found “Poached Salmon with Herb and Caper Vinaigrette”. I decided to focus on modifying the recipe by changing the flavor profile, making it perfect for a cold winter weekday meal. Orange, sage, thyme, and a hint of maple syrup pair nicely with salmon and are more seasonal ingredients than the original recipe. I also added Kalamata olives and roasted almonds to boost the nutritional value of this dish with sources of healthy fats.

nutrition, dietitian, nutritionist, cooking, recipe, chef, health, healthy kitchen, salmon, omega 3 — Ingredients full of flavor and good nutrition.

This recipe is a quick, one-pan wonder that preserves flavor by turning the liquid used to steam the fish into a sauce. The orange slices act as a “rack” to elevate the fish while it steams, and at the same time infuses citrus flavor into the dish. Also, you can use the same orange that you zested for the orange slices!

nutrition, dietitian, nutritionist, recipe, salmon, chef, orange, herbs, healthy kitchen, Portsmouth, New Hampshire — Layers of flavor!

This recipe will be sure to impress your family or friends, but you can keep it a secret how easy it is to prepare. I found wild rice and roasted Brussels sprouts to be the perfect pairings to make this a balanced meal, but feel free to mix up the starch and veg sides to your preference. Cheers!

nutrition, dietitian, culinary, nutritionist, chef Portsmouth, New Hampshire, healthy kitchen, wellness, salmon, orange, herbs, entree, dinner — One-Pan Salmon with Herb and Orange Vinaigrette.

INGREDIENTS
1 Orange, sliced into ¼-inch-thick rounds
Zest of 1 Orange
2 tablespoons Sage, fresh, minced, stems reserved
2 tablespoons Thyme, fresh, minced
2 Thyme sprigs, whole
1 Shallot, minced
½ cup Dry white wine (like sauvignon blanc)
½ cup Water
4, 6-ounce Salmon fillets, about 1 ½ inches thick
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons Kalamata olives, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Maple syrup
2 tablespoons Almonds, roasted and chopped
1 tablespoon Extra-virgin olive oil

PREPARATION
Arrange the orange slices in a single layer over the bottom of a 12-inch skillet. Scatter the whole thyme sprigs, sage stems, and half of the shallots over the orange slices. Add the wine and water.

Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Lay the salmon fillets on top of the oranges. Set the pan over high heat and bring liquid to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the fish flakes apart when gently prodded with a paring knife, 10 to 15 minutes.

In the meantime, combine the remaining shallots, minced sage, minced thyme, olives, maple syrup, almonds, orange zest, and oil in a bowl.

Once the salmon is finished, transfer the fillets to a serving tray and cover with aluminum foil. Discard the orange slices.

Return the cooking liquid to medium-high heat and simmer until it has reduced to 1 tablespoon, 3-5 minutes. Strain the reduced cooking liquid into the bowl with the shallot-herb mixture, whisk to combine, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon the vinaigrette over the top of the salmon and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

dietitian, nutrition, nutritionist, recipe, salmon, chef, health, wellness, healthy kitchen, orange, herbs, dinner, entree, omega-3 — This salmon pairs perfectly with wild rice and roasted Brussels sprouts.

nutrition, dietitian, nutritionist, healthy kitchen, chef, health, wellness, salmon, dinner, entree, orange herbs, diet, fresh — Enjoy on a cold winter weekday night!

Holiday Pumpkin Pie

November 21, 2016Dairy-Free, Dessert, Gluten-Free/Wheat-Free, The Recipe Redux, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)chefmichelle

Holiday Pumpkin Pie
the Recipe Redux – November, 2016: Trimming the Table

Nothing says holidays more than a pumpkin pie on the dessert table. While it’s a tasty end to a meal, most recipes call for it to be loaded with sugar.

Here we sweetened things up with dates and orange juice instead of brown sugar and sweetened condensed milk. You will love the flavor of the dates with the pumpkin, so you and your holiday guests won’t miss all the missing sugar one bit!

nutrition, dietitian, nutritionist, healthy kitchen, pumpkin pie, dairy free, gluten free, holiday baking — Pumpkin Pie – a sweet little slice of heaven

We also took out the dairy and replaced it with coconut milk. If you use a gluten-free crust, then this recipe is free of 7 of the 8 major allergens (hard to omit egg in a custard). This may prove helpful when feeding guests with allergies at your holiday dinner.

Use water to soak the dates for a more traditional pumpkin pie. Use orange juice to add a little extra burst of flavor. Either way is delish!

INGREDIENTS
1 cup Dates, pitted
1/4 cup Orange juice or Water
1/2 cup Coconut milk, lite
1 can Pumpkin, 15 ounces
2 large Eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons Molasses
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1 1/4 teaspoons Cinnamon, ground
3/4 teaspoon Ginger spice, ground
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg, ground
1/4 teaspoon Allspice, ground
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 pie crust, gluten-free, par-baked

PREPARATION
To a medium bowl add the dates and orange juice (or water). Let dates soak 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Add dates, soaking liquid and coconut milk to a blender and blend on high until date mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds.

To a large bowl add the blended dates with the pumpkin, eggs, molasses, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and salt. Stir until fully combined.

Pour pumpkin batter into pie shell. Bake until pie is set and bounces back to touch, about 45-55 minutes. Remove from oven.

Serve warm or allow to completely cool before serving.

Serves 8-10.
Serving size 1 slice

nutrition, dietitian, healthy kitchen, wellness, health, pumpkin pie, nutritionist, Portsmouth, New Hampshire — Your family will never know all the sugar is missing from this pumpkin pie (well, unless you tell them!)

nutrition, wellness, dietitian, Portsmouth, new Hampshire, gluten free, dairy free, pie, pumpkin — This is the gluten-free pie crust I used. I par-baked it for 7 minutes before filling it with the pumpkin mix.

How to Cook Eggplant

September 21, 2016Appetizer, Dairy-Free, Entree, Gluten-Free/Wheat-Free, The Recipe Redux, Vegan, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)chefmichelle

How to Cook Eggplant
The Recipe Redux – September, 2016: First Cooking Recollections

Growing up I was lucky enough to have a dad that was a real wiz in the kitchen. He was Classical French trained, and he even cooked in a couple restaurants during college to help pay for his tuition. I remember him being really good at creating tasty dishes made up from whatever he found on hand in the kitchen. And since my mom did most of the grocery shopping, for him it really was a surprise of what foods he would have to work with in the refrigerator.

Health, wellness, eggplant, nutrition, nutritionist, dietitian, recipe, dinner, entree, vegetable, Portsmouth New Hampshire, chef — Roasted Eggplant tossed with Chicken Sausage, sauteed spinach and gluten-free Pasta. Topped with fresh grated Italian Parmesan.

One of my favorite foods dad prepared was eggplant. Whether grilled, roasted, baked or fried, his eggplant was always delicious. Sometimes he would restuff the eggplant shell with eggplant and other vegetables and roast – incredible!

Outside of the home, there have been many times where eggplant tasted on the bitter side. But never was one bite of my dad’s. He always managed to avoid that issue entirely.

How? His secret: before cooking, always make your eggplant “weep”.

Health, wellness, nutrition, dietitian, nutritionist, Portsmouth new Hampshire, Healthy kitchen, chef — Weepy Eggplant makes the tastiest dishes!

Yes, weepy eggplant makes for happy diners! Simply salt and rest your eggplant slices, and soon the salt will draw out all the bitterness from your eggplant. It’s so easy.

I prefer to layer the eggplant slices in between sheets of paper towels or coffee filters to help absorb all the moisture that will be drawn out of the eggplant by the salt. If you prefer not to use either option, you could just salt the eggplant slices, wait 30 minutes, and then rinse eggplant.

Whether grilled or roasted, having cooked eggplant on hand is great. Toss it with pasta, layer it into sandwiches, or serve it up on its own as a delicious side dish.

Did you know that eggplant is technically a berry fruit and part of the nightshade family? Well, now you do!

INGREDIENTS

eggplant, nutrition, nutritionist, dietitian, recipe, cooking, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, Portsmouth New Hampshire, healthy kitchen, chef — Eggplant slices, “wept” and ready for cooking

2 medium Eggplants, stem removed, sliced
1/3 – 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Olive oil OR
2-3 cups Tomato sauce, low sodium

PREPARATION
On a large plate lay out a paper towel sheet or 2 coffee filters. On top of the towel/filters place slices of eggplant in a single layer. lightly salt the eggplant, then cover salted slices with another paper towel sheet or 2 more coffee filters. Add another eggplant layer on top of your first pile, salt, cover and repeat process until you have used all the eggplant slices.

Let eggplant slices sit for 20-30 minutes, so that the salt draws out some of their moisture into the paper towels or coffee filters.

Separate the eggplant slices from the towels/filters. Discard the used paper towels and coffee filters. Rinse the eggplant to remove any excess salt and towel dry.

To grill eggplant: Toss eggplant in olive oil. Grill eggplant over medium-high heat until cooked thoroughly.

To Roast Eggplant: preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add a small layer of tomato sauce to a large baking dish. Add a single layer of eggplant slices on top of the sauce. Add more sauce on top of the eggplant slices. Add another layer of eggplant in the dish. repeat the process until you have no more eggplant, making sure to have enough sauce to cover the top layer of eggplant.

Bake until eggplant is thoroughly cooked, about 45-55 minutes.

health, nutrition, dietitian, nutritionist, wellness, recipe, eggplant, roasted, Portsmouth New hampshire, chef, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian — Delicious Roasted Eggplant with Fresh Basil Tomato Sauce

What’s your favorite way to eat eggplant?

Asian Noodle Zoodle Salad with Peanut Sauce

July 22, 2016Appetizer, Dairy-Free, Dressing/Rub/Sauce, Entree, Gluten-Free/Wheat-Free, Multi-Veggie, Salad/Side, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)chefmichelle

Asian Noodle Zoodle Salad with Peanut Sauce
The Recipe Redux – July, 2016: Get your Fruits and Veggies in Shape

Here’s the problem with pasta in a healthy, balanced diet: When properly portioned, a single serving is so ridiculously tiny on your plate, you think someone is trying to starve you. That’s why with pasta it is really easy to find yourself overeating your starch portions.

Here’s my easy solution: mix in delicious veggie noodles, or “zoodles,” along with the grain-based pasta. Now you can have your big plate full of noodles, and feel good about it too. It is really fast and easy to make zoodles out of zucchini, as long as you have the proper slicer or spiralizer tool on hand. If fact, you can probably make the zoodles faster than you can bring the pot of pasta water to boil for the noodles!

salad, vegetable, pasta, noodles, zucchini, zoodles, buckwheat, multiveggie, gluten, celiac, nutrition, health, wellness, diet, registered dietitian, michelle moreau, Portsmouth, NH, chef, healthcare, medical, diabetes, celiac, weight loss, multiveggie, fiber, rainbow, healthy kitchen, chef, recipe — Salad and Sauce ingredients awaiting mixing and tossing

I love the color contrast between the black rice noodles and the zoodles. They sure do taste great together too.

zoodle, noodle, asian, zucchini, pasta, multiveggie, vegetables, vegan, vegetarian, diet, registered dietitian, michelle moreau, healthy kitchen, health, wellness, cardiac, diabetes, weight loss, celiac, gluten, healthcare, medical, counseling — Asian Noodle Zoodle Salad with Peanut Sauce

Can’t find black rice noodles? Then substitute with buckwheat pasta; you won’t have as much color contrast but it will still have delicious flavor (do make sure there’s no wheat in either noodle variety if you want dish gluten-free). If you are using brown or white pasta noodles I suggest substituting black sesame seeds for the white for more color contrast on your plate.

rice, pasta, zoodles, health, wellness, fiber, multiveggie, diet, salad, registered dietitian, nutritionist, healthcare, insurance, medical, michelle moreau, healthy kitchen, weight loss. diabetes, celiac, cardiac, gluten, vegan, vegetarian — Black Rice Pasta – fresh out of the package!

This pasta salad includes a rainbow in veggie colors. Any meal you can squeeze in a whole bunch of antioxidants I say is a meal put to good use!

pasta, multiveggie, salad, vegetables, vegan, vegetarian, gluten, health, wellness, rainbow, healthy kitchen, chef, diet, registered dietitian, nutrition, nutritionist, medical, insurance, counseling, healthcare, diet, weightloss, celiac, cardiac, diabetes, gluten — Great for your next picnic, lunchbox or group gathering

The secret to the best peanut sauce is using a great Asian spice blend. Here’s the one I usually use:

health, wellness, diet, dietitian, nutritionist, new hampshire, NH, Portsmouth, michelle moreau, chef, wellness, healthcare, diet, medical, insurance, celiac, cardiac, diabetes, gluten, vegan, vegetarian — Shichimi Togarashi (Red Pepper Mix) with Red Pepper, Roasted Orange Peel, Black Sesame Seed, Yellow Sesame Seed, Japanese Pepper, Seaweed, Ginger

I love this stuff! It adds great flavor and heat to practically any Asian dish, and a little goes a long way. It is one of my kitchen’s secret weapons, and now it can be one of yours too. I have seen it for sale in some regular grocery stores down South and out West in the US, but in the Northeast I only seem to find it available in Asian specialty stores. It’s worth the trip to the specialty store to have this included in your culinary arsenal.

INGREDIENTS

peanut, health, wellness, diet, registered dietitian, nutrition, nutritionist, multiveggie, chef, recipe, rainbow, fiber, salad, healthcare, insurance, Portsmouth, NH, medical, diet, counseling — Asian Noodle Zoodle Salad with Peanut Sauce

4 ounces Black Rice Pasta
2 teaspoons Olive oil
2 large Zucchini
1 large Red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1/2 cup Tomatoes, grape, yellow, sliced
1 large Carrot, shredded
2 large Scallions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup Cilantro, fresh, minced
1 tablespoon Sesame seeds, white

for the sauce:
2 tablespoons Tamari, low-sodium
2 tablespoons Peanut butter, creamy
2 tablespoons Lime juice
1 tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar
1 tablespoon Water
2 teaspoons Honey
1 teaspoon Sesame oil
1 tablespoon Ginger, fresh, minced
2 medium Garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon Asian spice blend

PREPARATION
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Break pasta in half to shorten, add to boiling water and cook until al dente.

While pasta cooks, cut zucchini into long, thin, noodle strands. Set aside.

Once cooked, strain pasta from water with a colander, then add pasta to a large mixing bowl. Toss pasta with olive oil to coat. Add the cut zucchini, pepper, tomato, carrot, scallion, cilantro and sesame seeds and lightly toss to mix.

In a medium mixing bowl add all the sauce ingredients. Whisk everything together until thoroughly combined.

Pour sauce over noodles. Toss to coat salad entirely with sauce. Refrigerate for at least an hour so that the flavors meld. Serve cold or room temperature

Makes 6 servings.

zucchini, zoodles, noodles, pasta salad, multiveggie, gluten, vegan, vegetarian, celiac, diabetes, cardiac, weight loss, diet, registered dietitian, nutrition, nutritionist, michelle moreau, Portsmouth, NH, seacoast, diet, recipe, healthy kitchen, wellness, healthcare, medical, counseling — Making fresh Zoodles with special slicer

health, wellness, diet, dietitian, nutrition, nutritionist, michelle moreau, chef, healthy kitchen, healthcare, medical insurance, Portsmouth, NH, seacoast, celiac, cardiac, diabetes, diet, weight loss, recipe, chef, couneling, healthcare — Tip: Use a mushroom scrubber to help clean special noodle slicer

Buffalo Cauliflower

July 12, 2016Appetizer, Dairy-Free, Entree, Gluten-Free/Wheat-Free, Multi-Veggie, Vegan, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)chefmichelle

Buffalo Cauliflower

It’s amazing how some foods seem to pair so perfectly with certain events – like that box of popcorn in the movie theater, the candy apples on a stick at the carnival, or the big tower of cake at any wedding. For many sports fans no gathering is complete without a batch of Buffalo Wings within the food mix. But with all that saturated fat and salt, traditional Buffalo wing recipes can be far from heart-healthy.

This Buffalo Cauliflower recipe gives you the best of both worlds – a spicy, flavorful treat that is also more heart-friendly. There’s much less saturated fat (especially if you leave out the butter entirely), it’s and lower in sodium than traditional Buffalo wings. It’s also nice to have a homemade buffalo sauce on hand of which all of it’s ingredients you can pronounce.

I like to serve this dish with typical Buffalo wing sides: raw carrot and celery sticks and a bit of crumbled blue cheese. But even all on its own, this Buffalo Cauliflower is quite tasty. The Chili peppers give it a really nice heat.

If you want, make the Buffalo sauce ahead of time. Store it in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 6 days. Also, for this recipe you will need to use only about 1/2 of the sauce. So, there will be plenty leftover to turn just about anything Buffalo throughout the week! Toss the extra Buffalo sauce with more roasted cauliflower, or with chicken breasts, shrimp or tofu, or use it as a dip with your favorite corn chips or toasted tortillas.

INGREDIENTS
5 medium Plum tomatoes
1 medium Red bell pepper
1 medium Onion, peeled, sliced in quarters
2 large Garlic cloves, peeled
6-8 Cayenne pepper pods, dried
2 teaspoons +2 tablespoons Olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon Water
1/4 teaspoon Salt
*3 tablespoons Butter, unsalted
*(or substitute another 3 tablespoons Olive oil for butter)
2 large Cauliflower heads, cut to small “wing”- sized pieces

PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Add tomatoes, red pepper, onion, garlic and cayenne pods to a medium roast pan and toss with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Cook for 1 hour, or until red pepper is soft. Peel and seed red pepper, discarding its peel and seeds. Add roasted veggies, water and salt to blender and blend smooth. Slowly drizzle in 2 tablespoons of olive oil while continuing to blend. Blend in the butter (or slowly drizzle in additional 3 tablespoons olive oil).

Toss the cauliflower with 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large roast pan. Lightly season with salt. Cook in oven 20 minutes, or until cauliflower is slightly softened.

Toss the cauliflower with about 1/2 of the Buffalo sauce. Roast the Buffalo Cauliflower another 15-20 minutes, or until cauliflower is al dente.

Serve alongside sliced, raw carrots and celery, plus blue cheese and/or blue cheese dressing.

Serves 8-12 people.

Summer Zoodles with Creamy Walnut Pesto Sauce

June 9, 2016Appetizer, Dressing/Rub/Sauce, Gluten-Free/Wheat-Free, Multi-Veggie, Raw Food, Salad/Side, The Recipe Redux, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)chefmichelle

Summer Zoodles with Creamy Walnut Pesto Sauce
Recipe Redux: We Heart Walnuts! Recipe Challenge

Disclaimer: I received free samples of California walnuts mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by the California Walnut Commission and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

Summertime is a perfect time for getting active outdoors. Nothing beats a long day of hiking, biking or group sports out in the warm sun and fresh air. On these high activity days I often find myself craving a hearty meal, yet don’t want to fill my kitchen up with a bunch of heat from the stove.

This dish is a perfect and simple solution to this dinner dilemma. The Creamy Walnut Pesto sauce is so rich and satisfying, and everything- even the noodles- need no cooking!

“Zoodles” is my name for zucchini noodles. Making them is super easy if you have a spiralizer peeler. This fun, timesaving tool has blades that run in two directions. With it, you can cut out perfect noodle strips with every slice you make. Serve the zoodles uncooked so that they have a nice al dente texture. Making summer pasta will never get easier than that!

I love using walnuts in my pesto because I know they give my dish a big boost of Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s are anti-inflammatory, and especially beneficial on a long, hard day of exercise and play. Just one ounce of walnuts has 2.5 grams of Omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) Bonus: they taste delicious in it too. Now that’s something to get nutty over.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup Walnuts
5 cups Basil leaves, fresh, rinsed
3 large Garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, chopped
1/3 cup Olive oil, extra virgin
4 large Summer Squash, cut into noodles
4 large Zucchini, cut into noodles

for the garnish
1/4 cup Walnuts
1/3 cup Cherry tomatoes, sliced

PREPARATION
To a high-powered blender add the 1 cup walnuts plus the basil, garlic, and Parmesan cheese. Blend on high, using a damper to help feed in ingredients as needed. While blending, slowly add in the olive oil. Blend until all the basil is chopped and you have a creamy sauce consistency.

Add summer squash and zucchini noodles to a large mixing bowl. Add Walnut Basil Pesto sauce to noodles and gently toss to combine. transfer noodles to serving bowl(s), top with remaining walnuts and cherry tomatoes and serve.

Makes 4 entree servings.