A wealth of tomato recipes

One of my favorite healthy-foodie writers -- Martha Shulman, who does the "Recipes for Health" column in the New York Times -- has produced a roundup of her current (summer 2013) favorite ways to prepare tomatoes. Remember, the season for fine tomatoes is fleeting, so it's time to buy lots of them and cook (or not) in many different guises.
Click here to see what Martha has in store for us this summer! You'll find such treats as Super Tomato Sandwiches, Soft Tacos with Roasted Tomatoes, and Amazingly Sweet Slow-Roasted Tomatoes.

You'll love this salad

This salad is adapted from the health-food writer for the New York Times, Martha Shulman. She published it a couple of years ago, and it's a family favorite. She uses farro, a nutty and nutritious grain, but quinoa, brown rice or even couscous can work, too. 

Martha writes: "Farro is a sturdy grain that stands up well to such lusty ingredients as beet greens. The flavor is sweet and nutty, and it contrasts nicely with salty feta or goat cheese. The farro will absorb the color from red beets, giving this salad a pinkish tint. Be sure to cook the farro until tender, or else the salad will be chewy."

RECIPE: Grain Salad with Beets and Goat Cheese

INGREDIENTS:

2 medium, roasted; with greens, stemmed and washed in two changes of water

1 cup farro, soaked for one hour in water to cover and drained (other grains may be substituted)

Salt to taste

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1 small garlic clove, minced 

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (somewhat less than the original recipe)

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese, crumbled (plus more to pass at the table)

1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, thyme, chives, mint

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Fill a bowl with ice water. When the water comes to a boil, add salt to taste and the greens. Blanch for two minutes, and transfer to the ice water. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then drain and squeeze out excess water. Chop coarsely and set aside.

2. Bring the water back to a boil, and add the farro. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes, stirring from time to time, or until the farro is tender. Remove from the heat and allow the grains to swell in the cooking water for 10 minutes, then drain.

3. While the farro is cooking, make the vinaigrette. Whisk together the vinegars, salt, garlic and mustard. Whisk in the oil(s). Add to the farro. Peel and dice the beets and add, along with the beet greens, feta or goat cheese, herbs and walnuts. Toss together, and serve warm or room temperature with a little more cheese sprinkled over the top if you wish.

Yield: Serves eight

Advance preparation: The roasted beets and cooked beet greens will keep for three or four days in the refrigerator, and the cooked farro for five days. You can assemble this salad hours or even a day ahead; it will redden with time.

Cutting Back on Starches (aka "carbs") -- Part 1

Let's get real about good carbs/bad carbs, because "cutting carbs" (or cutting them out) is not only close to impossible, it's also a really bad idea. Carbohydrates are as important in the building blocks of nutrition as is protein, and the other of the trio, fat. No carbs would mean no vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, dairy products -- and of course, no grains or starchy foods such as pasta and cereal. That's ridiculous.
As part of my PT work, I'm trying to increase consumption of protein and decrease some of the carbs in my diet. But truly, it's just the starchy carbs that I'm trying to eliminate or reduce.
Bring on the veggies and fruits!

Here are several links to recipes for interesting pesto creations, as well as interesting ways to use your pesto on less-starchy-than-pasta, higher protein meals.

Pesto and Pistou: Fall is the perfect time to make big batches of puréed basil with olive oil, which can be frozen for later use as pesto or pistou.


Quinoa With Roasted Winter Vegetables and Pesto: This combination of sweet vegetables with pungent pesto is great for a simple grain and vegetable bowl.

Broccoli Pesto: Use this bright mixture as a dip, a spread or a sauce with pasta.


Pesto Portabellos: Portobello burgers and roasted pesto-stuffed portobellos are two great ways to combine pesto with mushrooms.


SOURCE: New York Times Recipes for Health