A Practical Guide To Healthy Living

We are in that strange nether-place called March here in the Boston area.  It’s still quite chilly, but not thatcold.  It snows, but it doesn’t really stick.  And yet if you head into a store, it’s all about SPRING!  Bright colors, light fabrics, flowers, strappy shoes . . . really, it just serves to irritate me.  I want nothing more to be there, but, sigh.  I have to wait.  Just like every other year.

When it comes to food, I also feel in-between this time of year.  I’m all set with heavy comfort food.  I’ve got my sights set on fresh, light, leafy veggies and grilled meats.  Huge salads and big cold drinks.  Hell, I’d even settle for asparagus.  But even that’s a little premature.  So right now I’m doing in-between food.  Lightened up, but not all the way. 

This chicken, pilaf and salad combo will help tide you over ’til the really good stuff comes.  Like NO snow whatsoever.  Like birds chirping in the morning and dewy grass and patio parties.  Hang on with me, we’ll get there!

Honey Mustard Chicken

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Place the chicken breasts on a large plate and sprinkle them with salt and pepper.  Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl, and spread on both sides of the chicken (some will come off on the plate, that’s OK).  Let sit for 15 minute to marinate.  Transfer the breasts to a large oven-safe baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Smear any leftover honey-mustard sauce over the top of the breasts.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until the breasts are no longer pink.

Serves 4.

Barley Pilaf (adapted from the Food Network)

Bring the broth to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Add the barley, 1 t. oil, and salt. Bring back to a boil, adjust the heat to a simmer, cover and cook until tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk the lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, then gradually whisk in the oil.

Drain any excess liquid from the barley and transfer to a large bowl.  Toss with the remaining salad ingredients and the dressing.  Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 4.

Fruity Spinach Salad

Divide the spinach amongst 4 salad plates or bowls.  Divide the oranges among the plates. In a small bowl, whisk the oil and vinegar and add salt and pepper to taste.  Dress the salads immediately before serving.

Serves 4.

*Fig vinegar is my new love.  I found mine at Whole Foods, and it is fruity, tangy, and delicious on salads.  Tomorrow I’ll share with you the salad I’ve been eating over and over again since I found this stuff!

© 2010, Semi-Sweet. All rights reserved.

I know the blog’s been lean on posts lately.  Last week was “vacation” week, and then this Tuesday night L. came down with a high fever and stomach thing that threw us under the bus.  Those of you with kids know how this works . . . you lose entire days of your life tending to these poor kids.  When you can finally leave the building, it’s like being re-born, and then there is just so much to do to catch up . . . .

But enough whining.  I did cook for myself while this was going on.  A mama’s gotta keep her strength up, right?  For whatever reason, last weekend I was craving sweet mango chutney, so I was cruising the Indian foods section at Whole Foods.  While I was there, I couldn’t resist buying a 2 lb. bag of dried, split desi chickpeas, (Chana Dal); split chickpeas with the skin removed. They’re pretty and yellow and small.  They caught my eye as a legume I hadn’t yet tried, and their small size lead me to believe they’d be quick to cook.  They are, and I am hooked.

First off, though, let’s talk about the health benefits of chickpeas . . . so if you make this easy recipe, you’ll feel even better about yourself as you munch. Chickpeas are a good source of fiber, which has cholesterol-lowering benefits.  Their high fiber content also prevents blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly, so they’re an especially good choice for folks with diabetes, insulin resistance or hypoglycemia. And when combined with whole grains like rice, chickpeas provide virtually fat-free high-quality protein.  They’re cheap, too.  Really, no downside to these puppies – so eat up!

Easy Chana Dal

Rinse and pick over the dal.  Place the dal in a bowl and cover with cool water.  Let soak for 2 hours.  Drain and rinse the dal again and place it into a medium saucepan with 3 c. of water.  Bring to a boil, lower the heat and cover. Simmer for approximately 20 minutes, or until the dal is tender.  Remove from heat and drain. (Note:  you could soak & drain the dal the night before and keep the dal in the fridge to cook the next night if you want to speed this up.  You can also cook your dal in the pressure cooker – I don’t have one!)

Meanwhile, sauté the onion in the olive oil until translucent.  Set aside.

Place the dal in a large bowl.  Add the sautéed onions, garam masala, salt and pepper and mix.  Serve over rice with chutney to taste.

Serves 4.

Now – if I hadn’t been freaked that I was getting a stomach virus, I would’ve added a bunch of steamed baby spinach to this mix.  I’d steam a 5-6 oz. box of the stuff (maybe more, if you’re a spinach lover like me) and season it with salt and pepper.  I’d add it to the dal mix, and probably up the garam masala because of the added spinach.  Taste it and see what you think.  Other steamed, chopped greens would be tasty too, I’m sure.  If you fool around with this, let us know what you did and how it turned out in the comments below!

© 2010, Semi-Sweet. All rights reserved.