January is a good time to go greener on your body

  • By Jan Roberts-Dominguez Special to The Herald
  • Tuesday, December 30, 2014 4:39pm
  • Life

Now that we’re well into the new year, there’s something you’re just going to have to face: The party’s over. In other words, if your diet in recent weeks has been organized around what I consider to be the Basic Four December Food Groups — egg nog, fudge, Christmas cookies and hors d’oeuvres — your system’s in for a shock.

I mentioned this to a friend and she said, “I know what you mean. Last night I tried to slice fudge into my salad.”

But that doesn’t change the fact that if you’ve been eating too many naughty things it’s time to start being nice to your body. Within reason, of course. The diet pendulum needn’t swing wildly in the other direction. You simply need to approach the process in a sensible manner: A little more fruit, a lot less cake.

At the dinner table, the concept could include a variety of meals based on the salad theme. Plenty of crisp leafy greens, tossed with just a little bit of meat or other protein items such as cheese or eggs, then laced with a simple homemade salad dressing (one in which you control the oil and salt content). One of the benefits is that when serving flavorful main-dish salads, the perfect accompaniment is a simple loaf of French bread or whole grain dinner roll, so you’ll naturally be avoiding higher caloried pasta and potato dishes.

I’ve put together a collection of what I consider to be terrific shock-free diet options. I think you’ll agree they’re far from rabbit food, but healthy enough that you can feel good about eating them.

Greens and apples salad with honey mustard vinaigrette dressing

5 to 6 cups of mixed greens, including hearts of romaine leaves (the light green, crisp inner portion of a head of Romaine lettuce), and baby arugula

2 to 3 flavorful apples (such as Braeburn, Fuji, or Honeycrisp), peeled, and cored, then sliced as described below

1 cup of crumbled blue cheese

1 cup coarsely chopped roasted and skinned hazelnuts

1/2 cup red or white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon Sweet Honey Mustard (I use the Inglehoffer brand made by Beaverton Foods)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup hazelnut oil (if available)

1/3 cup canola oil

Everything clicks in this mixture, as long as you select apples with exceptional flavor and crispness. Among the things it goes wonderfully with is Dungeness crab, which just happens to be in season right now.

To prepare the peeled and cored apples, cut each half into 1/4-inch thick slices, then cut each slice into thirds. Place the apples in a small bowl and toss with enough of the vinaigrette to coat the pieces. You can prepare the apple mixture up to an hour ahead. If you coat the apples with the dressing any longer than that they will absorb too much of the vinaigrette, which overwhelms the apple flavor

For the vinaigrette, whisk together the vinegars, sugar, mustard, salt, and vanilla in a container, then whisk in the oils.

I designed this vinaigrette to go with the salad of fuji apples, baby greens and roasted hazelnuts. It’s also a wonderful dressing to have on hand for any number of your winter salads incorporating fresh greens, fruits and nuts. The hint of vanilla gives it a lovely toasty quality that compliments the nuts and some cheeses. Even shavings of a good-quality Swiss or extra-aged Gouda would work.

Makes about 1 1/4 cup.

Note: If you have trouble finding the hazelnut oil, or you don’t want to invest in the expense, simply use all canola oil.

To serve, arrange the mixed greens on individual salad plates. Divide the apple mixture among the salads. Top each serving with a portion of the cheese and then a portion of the hazelnuts. Drizzle an extra bit of the vinaigrette over the greens and around the edges of the salad.

Alternatively: You could substitute Feta or cheddar cheese for the blue cheese. Another serving option would be to assemble the entire salad on a large platter instead of individual salad plates.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Tossed salad with chicken, almonds and curry vinaigrette

1/2 head romaine lettuce

1/2 head iceberg lettuce

3 cooked, cooled and diced chicken breast halves

1 cup shredded red cabbage

1 cup sliced toasted almonds

2 tart green apples (peeled if desired), cored and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/2 cup diced red or white onion

1/3 cup white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh chives

1 tablespoon curry powder

2 teaspoons light brown sugar

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 clove minced garlic

1/2 cup virgin olive oil

In large salad bowl, combine lettuces, chicken, cabbage, almonds, apples and onion. Toss desired amount of the vinaigrette with the salad and serve. Yields 4 servings.

For the curry vinaigrette, combine the white wine vinegar, fresh chives, curry powder, light brown sugar, soy sauce and minced garlic; mix well. Whip in the virgin olive oil until well blended. Adjust seasonings. Yields about 3/4 cup dressing.

Warm lamb and black-eye pea salad

12 1-ounce slices of rare, roasted leg of lamb (cold) sliced 1/8-inch thick

1 cup fresh black eye peas, blanched (or, see note below)

2 or 3 slices bacon, diced

1 small red onion, diced

1 tablespoon chopped shallots

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/8 cup Champagne vinegar (if unavailable, use white wine vinegar)

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

1/4 cup tomato concasse (see note below)

Pinch of cayenne pepper

8 to 10 ounces of frisee (another term for “curly endive”; see note below) scallions

Salt &pepper to taste

This was one of the daily specials I enjoyed several summers ago at Bistro Roti, a wonderful downtown San Francisco restaurant overlooking the Bay Bridge. Chef Manuel Goodman was kind enough to share his wonderful creation. The lamb they used was grown to order on a Napa Valley farm, and then carefully grilled right there in their dining room on their custom-made rotisserie. Although you don’t have access to the same supplier, it’s worth selecting the finest quality lamb you can to prepare this dish, it’s worth the effort.

Saute bacon gently to render fat, add onions, shallots and garlic, and simmer to allow flavors to bloom. Add peas, thyme, olive oil, vinegar, and cayenne. Cook for 3 minutes, then reduce heat and add tomatoes, scallions, salt and pepper. Keep warm.

Arrange slices of lamb, three slices on each plate. Warm slightly in oven. In a large bowl, toss black eye pea mixture with the frisse. (The black eye pea mixture acts as a warm vinaigrette for the salad.) Remove frisse from the bowl and place in center of the plate. Sprinkle any remaining pea mixture over the frisse and lamb. Drizzle remaining oil over the plates and serve immediately.

Notes: Fresh black eye peas are the best, but dried peas can be used. Cook first by following package directions. … From the French, “concasser”, the coarse chopping of food with a knife. This means simply peeled and seeded tomatoes that are chopped in preparation for cooking. In this instance, the tomatoes should be cut into small dice. … If unavailable, I suggest a mixed collection of baby dandelion greens (or very tender mature dandelion greens), arugula, radicchio, and escarole.

Recipe created by Chef Manuel Goodman, Bistro Roti, San Francisco.

Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis food writer, artist, and author of “Oregon Hazelnut Country, the Food, the Drink, the Spirit,” and four other cookbooks. Readers can contact her by email at janrd@proaxis.com, or obtain additional recipes and food tips on her blog at www.janrd.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Sarah Jean Muncey-Gordon puts on some BITCHSTIX lip oil at Bandbox Beauty Supply on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Langley, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Bandbox Beauty was made for Whidbey Island locals, by an island local

Founder Sarah Muncey-Gordon said Langley is in a renaissance, and she’s proud to be a part of it.

A stroll on Rome's ancient Appian Way is a kind of time travel. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves on the Appian Way, Rome’s ancient superhighway

Twenty-nine highways fanned out from Rome, but this one was the first and remains the most legendary.

Byrds co-founder Roger McGuinn, seen here in 2013, will perform April 20 in Edmonds. (Associated Press)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

R0ck ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Roger McGuinn, frontman of The Byrds, plans a gig in Edmonds in April.

Mother giving in to the manipulation her daughter fake crying for candy
Can children be bribed into good behavior?

Only in the short term. What we want to do is promote good habits over the course of the child’s life.

Speech Bubble Puzzle and Discussion
When conflict flares, keep calm and stand your ground

Most adults don’t like dissension. They avoid it, try to get around it, under it, or over it.

The colorful Nyhavn neighborhood is the place to moor on a sunny day in Copenhagen. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves: Embrace hygge and save cash in Copenhagen

Where else would Hans Christian Andersen, a mermaid statue and lovingly decorated open-face sandwiches be the icons of a major capital?

Last Call is a festured artist at the 2024 DeMiero Jazz Festival: in Edmonds. (Photo provided by DeMiero Jazz Festival)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Jazz ensemble Last Call is one of the featured artists at the DeMiero Jazz Festival on March 7-9 in Edmonds.

Kim Helleren
Local children’s author to read at Edmonds Bookshop

Kim Helleren will read from one of her books for kids at the next monthly Story Time at Edmonds Bookshop on March 29.

Chris Elliott
Lyft surprises traveler with a $150 cleaning charge

Jared Hakimi finds a $150 charge on his credit card after a Lyft ride. Is that allowed? And will the charge stick?

Inside Elle Marie Hair Studio in Smokey Point. (Provided by Acacia Delzer)
The best hair salon in Snohomish County

You voted, we tallied. Here are the results.

The 2024 Kia EV9 electric SUV has room for up to six or seven passengers, depending on seat configuration. (Photo provided by Kia)
Kia’s all-new EV9 electric SUV occupies rarified air

Roomy three-row electric SUVs priced below 60 grand are scarce.

2023 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE Premium AWD (Photo provided by Toyota)
2023 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE Premium AWD

The compact SUV electric vehicle offers customers the ultimate flexibility for getting around town in zero emission EV mode or road-tripping in hybrid mode with a range of 440 miles and 42 mile per gallon fuel economy.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.