Category Archives: Beans

Moroccan Red Lentil Soup: It’s a Soup Miracle! (Video)

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RedLentilSoup_closeupFollowing soy and hemp, Lens culinaris has the highest amount of protein by weight compared to any legume or nut. This tasty bean comes in many shapes and colors and can be used in all kinds of things, from salads and soups to stews and pilafs.

In today’s video, I make a rich, satisfying, red lentil soup bursting with the warm flavors of cumin and cinnamon common in North African cooking. It’s incredibly easy, quick, and you can make it with just a few ingredients and spices. Further, while I love using my homemade vegetable stock—the basis for all my soups—you can easily use just plain water if you prefer.

(I’m pretty sure that’s what I did before I became obsessed with making veggie stock.)

And did I mention how inexpensive it is to prepare? The dried lentils cost only a couple of bucks, the water is from your tap, a few cents for the spices, and about three dollars’ worth of vegetables easily serves dinner for four or lunch for more. A dollop of sour cream or yogurt (non-dairy for vegan versions, or just omit) makes a perfect garnish along with a few chives or scallions. In this photo I’m using pretty purple radish microgreens I had picked up at the farmers’ market; it’s usually not quite that fancy on a Tuesday, just for the record.

(Alright, fine. It is, when I can find them. I adore microgreens.)

Anyway, check it out.

While the weather is finally warming here in New England, happily, I always enjoy my hot soups no matter the temperature outdoors. I hope you love this dish as much as I do!

P.K. NewbyDr. P. K. Newby is a nutrition scientist and educator with expertise in the prevention of obesity and chronic diseases through diet and the relations between agriculture, food production, and public health. She brings together her passions for food, cooking, science, and sustainability through her writing and videos to help people eat their way towards better health, one delectable bite at a time. If you like what you see here at The Nutrition Doctor is In the Kitchen, please subscribe to my blog from the home page, become a fan on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, check out my food porn on Pinterest, watch my cooking videos on YouTube, and peruse my recipe page for soups, salads, seafood, sweets, and more. Thanks for reading and watching!

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Meatless Monday Goes Mexican: Taco Filling, the P.K. Way

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This taco filling is perfect on a Mexican salad. Click on the pic for more details.

That Meat Smells Delicious!

That’s what a friend said to me upon wandering into my kitchen one evening as I was making tacos for six, unprompted by me whatsoever. He had looked down at the pan—it looked like meat—and smelled the familiar scents of Mexican food, like cumin and chili powder—it smelled like regular taco filling—and he just assumed it was ground beef.

And then he remembered I don’t eat meat.

Taco Filling, Meet TVP

I last spoke about TVP (texturized vegetable protein) when I made chili and nachos—yet another occasion where no one could tell it wasn’t beef, and that was in a crowd of thirty. This soy-based food really is a wonder: similar in texture to ground beef, it’s the perfect substitute for animal protein in a broad array of dishes and works especially well in Mexican dishes with its strong flavors and seasonings. Plus, when you add the various yummy toppings, as one is wont to do in Tex-Mex meals, there is less attention focused on the meat itself. Perhaps for both of these reasons, whenever I’ve used used TVP in my dishes no one could ever tell a difference. They simply said “Mmmmm.”

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Today’s taco filling features onions, green peppers, and black beans; the mix varies with mood alongside what I’ve got in my fridge and pantry. Seriously, doesn’t that look like ground beef?

So What Do I Do?

Easy as can be.

In a medium-hot pan with a few tablespoons of canola or olive oil, sauté a bunch of chopped yellow onions until soft. Feel free to add additional ingredients to the mix to boost the flavor and nutrition, such as peppers (e.g., green, poblano, red, jalapeño, etc), corn, and beans. When the veggies are soft, stir in several cloves of crushed garlic until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Season generously with cumin and chili powder—these are the main spices—along with garlic powder and a bit of oregano, salt, black pepper, and cayenne (optional, for heat); avoid using a store-bought flavor packet, which is often loaded in sodium. Crumble in a meat substitute of your choosing. (I prefer Smart Ground; there is variability among brands so don’t give up if your first batch isn’t as good as hoped.) Mix everything together until heated. Stir in a few tablespoons of tomato paste to achieve the flavor and texture you desire. Taste and reseason with the spices as needed.

Now your “meat” is ready to be slapped into taco shells, tossed on a salad, stuffed into a pepper, or incorporated wherever else you’d like to use this wonderfully nutritious, better-for-you-and-the-environement-too Mexican filling that you and your family will love.

P.K. NewbyDr. P. K. Newby is a nutrition scientist and educator with expertise in the prevention of obesity and chronic diseases through diet and the relations between agriculture, food production, and public health. She brings together her passions for food, cooking, science, and sustainability through her writing and videos to help people eat their way towards better health, one delectable bite at a time. If you like what you see here at The Nutrition Doctor is In the Kitchen, please subscribe to my blog from the home page, become a fan on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, check out my food porn on Pinterest, watch my cooking videos on YouTube, and peruse my recipe page for soups, salads, seafood, sweets, and more. Thanks for reading!

Fifteen Minute Soup Begins with Leftovers

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VeggieSoup_closeNope, I’ll never understand why people don’t like leftovers. Not only are they incredibly efficient—who has time to cook from scratch every day?—they present a culinary challenge when I look to create an evening’s meal from what’s hanging around.

That’s why when I saw leftover garbanzo beans, chunky tomato sauce, and veggie stock in the fridge alongside kale and collard greens I knew I had the makings of a great soup. Although edited somewhat to cut out some of the chopping, this video is almost in real time, which is why it’s longer than most—but shows you all the steps in more detail than I usually do. In other words, this meal really was ready in less than thirty minutes.

Which means I didn’t get in trouble for dragging my husband into making a video on a rainy Monday night when all he wanted to do was eat dinner.

And, for the record, if I had omitted the pasta, it would have been ready in fifteen minutes, per today’s title. Check it out, learn about why this soup is so powerful, and make it soon.

P.K. NewbyDr. P. K. Newby is a nutrition scientist and educator with expertise in the prevention of obesity and chronic diseases through diet and the relations between agriculture, food production, and public health. She brings together her passions for food, cooking, science, and sustainability through her writing and videos to help people eat their way towards better health, one delectable bite at a time. If you like what you see here at The Nutrition Doctor is In the Kitchen, please subscribe to my blog from the home page, become a fan on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, check out my food porn on Pinterest, watch my cooking videos on YouTube, and peruse my recipe page for soups, salads, seafood, sweets, and more. Thanks for watching and reading!.

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Mixed Greens with Avocado, White Beans, and Watermelon Radish

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Salad for Supper? Yes, Please.

Salad_FullI just don’t know what I’d do without my regular salads for dinner. Quick, easy, nutritious, delicious, and beautiful to boot. Less expensive than most other meals, too. For this reason I plan to dedicate one short post each week to the topic of salad with the sole purpose of inspiring you to bring more colorful veggies and healthy foods into your life on a regular basis. Each article will mainly comprise a picture and the ingredients, a little tangible “eating the P.K. Way” evidence for how I stay healthy and in shape. This should also be a nice break from my usual verbosity: a picture is worth a thousand words, so they say.

For my newer readers—thank you!—I’ve written specifically about the concept of a “big salad for dinner,” so please refer to that for the “why” (think: healthy weight and chronic disease prevention). And as for the “how,” well, I have an entire post dedicated to that, too, titled “Spring into Salad” written last year about this time. In that article, I provide all kinds of ideas for making your salad interesting and appealing, both visually and texturally. Sure, most of them start with a gorgeous bed of greens, but as to what else is on there? The sky’s the limit, with tons of options for making your meal more or less calorific depending on your energy needs on the day in question.

Today’s salad: mixed greens and spinach with avocado, white beans, watermelon radishes, and scallions. Dressing: extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

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So. Salad for supper. It’s time.

P.K. NewbyDr. P. K. Newby is a nutrition scientist and educator with expertise in the prevention of obesity and chronic diseases through diet and the relations between agriculture, food production, and public health. She is currently training for the Boston Marathon, her third (more here, and here). She brings together her passions for food, cooking, science, and sustainability through her writing and videos to help people eat their way towards better health, one delectable bite at a time. If you like what you see here at The Nutrition Doctor is In the Kitchen, please subscribe to my blog from the home page, become a fan on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, check out my food porn on Pinterest, watch my cooking videos on YouTube, and peruse my recipe page for soups, salads, seafood, sweets, and more. Thanks for reading!

Colorful Chopped Salad Starring Chick Peas

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Don’t let this simple-looking salad fool you. It’s incredibly flavorful when you start with your favorite stuff and simply toss everything together with oil, vinegar, and crushed garlic.

Everyone knows how much I love my salads, which comprise my dinner in full at least twice a week. Most frequently, my salads include a broad array of vegetables and such piled on top of a big bed of lettuces in all kinds of combinations like those discussed here. I love salad greens, and it’s low-calorie way to add tons of fiber and valuable nutrients to a salad. Even so, the chopped salad is a really nice change and makes a lovely side dish to many a meal.

It’s also a fantastic way to use up whatever vegetables and beans you have left in the fridge as the week nears its end and you haven’t yet replenished.

Sort of like tonight.

Into the bowl goes garbanzos (chick peas), purple carrots, watermelon radishes, red and green peppers, and onions. Add a couple of cloves of crushed garlic, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and white wine or white balsamic vinegar. (Use whatever oils and vinegars you like – I don’t like using red simply because it turns the beans red, that’s all.) I often add a handful of roughly chopped herbs to a chopped salad as well if I have any, which I didn’t in this particular case other than a solitary sprig for this photo. Parsley, basil, cilantro, mint, dill—whatever you like that seems  a good match to you other veggies. Toss and let sit for a few minutes to let the flavors come together, if you can. Reseason as needed.

I often have this salad alongside an omelet or I’ll whip it up for a light lunch for my husband and me on the weekends. And, of course, this salad is equally lovely atop a small bed of greens if you just can’t bear to be without them…

However you make it, and whenever you eat it, enjoy!

P.K. NewbyDr. P. K. Newby is a nutrition scientist and educator with expertise in the prevention of obesity and chronic diseases through diet and the relations between agriculture, food production, and public health. She is currently training for the Boston Marathon, her third (more here, and here). She brings together her passions for food, cooking, science, and sustainability through her writing and videos to help people eat their way towards better health, one delectable bite at a time. If you like what you see here at The Nutrition Doctor is In the Kitchen, please subscribe to my blog from the home page, become a fan on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, check out my food porn on Pinterest, watch my cooking videos on YouTube, and peruse my recipe page for soups, salads, seafood, sweets, and more. Thanks for reading!

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Chili: Three Tips for the Meal That Keeps on Giving

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Though I hadn’t been planning on it, all of the food media and then my own post ruminating on Super Bowl favorites finally got to me, and I simply had to make chili this past weekend. I took it up a notch with homemade cornbread, too, which I haven’t made in about five years. Ah, the power of suggestion, eh? Goodness knows I’ve written enough about chili, though, so today’s post is rather short, with just three tips and reminders pertaining to this dish and cooking in general.

1. Get creative and make it your own! The reason I love making chili so much is because there’s always a different variation I employ based on my mood and ingredients on hand. The version here has a Southwestern slant with corn, black beans, and tomatillo salsa, for example. This week’s included kidney, pinto and black beans, but no corn. (Both employed texturized vegetable protein, a fabulous soy-based protein alternative that takes on the flavor, texture, and semblance of ground beef. Stop rolling your eyes and give it a shot some Meatless Monday.)

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Meal 1: My regular chili dinner is rice-less, but this time included corn bread for a special Super Bowl treat.

2. Stretch it out by serving with brown rice. Cooking can be pricey, and while chili is certainly economical, your dollar will go even further by serving it with a grain, like brown rice. (Remember: whole grains are far more nutritious than refined grains, and can be part of a healthy diet for most people.)

Chili_TwoBowl

Meal 2: Serving the chili with a whole grain such as brown rice bumps up the nutrition and stretches your meal and dollar even further.

3. Make a big batch and use or freeze for another meal. Chili freezes beautifully, and making more for later is a time saver. This time around I didn’t freeze it myself because my freezer is jam-packed. Instead, we enjoyed chili for two separate dinners, shown above, and my husband enjoyed it twice for lunch.

With this weekend’s snow storm here in Boston, it’s actually the perfect time (again) to make chili, although I have Indian food on my mind, with more to come on that topic very soon.

What’s your favorite thing to cook on wintry weekends?

P.K. NewbyDr. P. K. Newby is a nutrition scientist and educator with expertise in the prevention of obesity and chronic diseases through diet and the relations between agriculture, food production, and public health. She is currently training for the Boston Marathon, her third (more here, and here). She brings together her passions for food, cooking, science, and sustainability through her writing and videos to help people eat their way towards better health, one delectable bite at a time. If you like what you see here at The Nutrition Doctor is In the Kitchen, please subscribe to my blog from the home page, become a fan on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, check out my food porn on Pinterest, watch my cooking videos on YouTube, and peruse my recipe page for soups, salads, seafood, sweets, and more. Thanks for reading!

Farm to Fork Finale: Photo Montage

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Sustainable Eating: Putting Theory into Practice

One of the classes I teach that focuses on food production, nutrition, health, and sustainability is “From Farm to Fork: Why What You Eat Matters” at Harvard Extension School. The final assignment is a cooking project that challenges students to bring together the concepts we’ve discussed in class into a meal that considers the impact of our food behaviors on the environment, economy, society, and health (our own as well as that of farmworkers and others). No better way to apply what we’ve learned in class than in the kitchen, eh?

Students employ diverse perspectives when creating their meals depending on their cooking experience, goals, and imagination. Some design all-out vegan dinners, others convert traditional meaty dishes to vegetarian meals, and others strive to transform family favorites with the goal of helping a loved one eat a bit healthier to manage a chronic disease. Just for fun and a little cooking inspiration, below is a slideshow of last night’s culinary feast. (And check out the student who brought her own plate and bowl to reduce waste! Talk about motivation!)

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Now it’s your turn! For more healthy cooking ideas, check out the photos from last year’s class here or peruse my recipe page. Wherever you find inspiration, keep it plant-based if you can and try to think beyond your own body when deciding what to eat. You vote with your fork and food dollars, and your choices have a much greater impact beyond your own body.

And, as importantly, have fun and enjoy.

P.K. NewbyDr. P. K. Newby is a nutrition scientist and educator with expertise in the prevention of obesity and chronic diseases through diet and the relations between agriculture, food production, and public health. She brings together her passions for food, cooking, science, and sustainability through her writing and videos to help people eat their way towards better health, one delectable bite at a time. If you like what you see here at The Nutrition Doctor is In the Kitchen, please subscribe to my blog from the home page, become a fan on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, check out my food porn on Pinterest, watch my cooking videos on YouTube, and peruse my recipe page for soups, salads, seafood, sweets, and more. Thanks for reading!

Five-Minute Homemade Hummus (Video)

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Topped with parsley oil and toasted pine nut plus rye crispbread, purple carrots, red peppers. and watermelon radishes for dipping. Perfect.

Years ago, hummus used to be limited to circles of hard-core vegetarians and vegans seeking a nutritious source of non-animal protein. Somewhere along the line, the mainstream public caught on to its creamy deliciousness and hummus now shows up in lots of omnivorous circles here in the US. Of course, it’s been around for ages on tables in the Middle East, home of its origin. Is it time for you to see for yourself what all the fuss is about? Or perhaps you already enjoy this savory spread but haven’t yet tried your hand at making it from scratch? So easy, and all you need is five minutes and a few ingredients to whip it up at home. Go for it! You’ll be glad you did.

(Preparation notes: that was about 1 cup water with about 1/3 c or so of olive oil. It drips very s l o w l y.)

Artichoke Hummus to Go, Please

This video is from several months ago, but I just made hummus again last night, on a whim, to send my husband off to the theatre with a healthy snack to munch on during dress rehearsal for our production of Tom Stoppard’s Rock ‘n’ Roll opening tomorrow. This is my subtle way of saying “Please don’t eat pizza for dinner again.”

I may have less-than-subtly also said “Please don’t eat pizza for dinner again.”

Anyhow, I don’t always have “homemade” garbanzos on hand—i.e., those prepared from dried—so I simply grabbed two cans of a no-sodium brand from my pantry. (I always have canned beans on hand in my pantry. For chili, Southwestern scrambled eggs, to throw on a big salad, or whatever. Great source of protein, fiber, and many other nutrients that always comes in handy.) This is to say that you can certainly use a good quality canned garbanzo for homemade hummus to make things even speedier if you’re not up to preparing them from dried: still makes a mighty delicious hummus. As well, I was able to use the garbanzo liquid from the cans. (Yay, less food waste!)

In yesterday’s recipe I mixed up the flavors, too, including canned artichokes that gave an additional phytonutrient and fiber boost with a subtle artichoke-y flavor that was the different complement: artichoke is now my favorite kind of hummus. Roasted red pepper, cilantro, pesto—play around and make it your own! You can vary the legumes, too; white beans work beautifully. (The parsley oil and toasted pine nuts are a delightful garnish, but not at all necessary.) Finally, do let the hummus sit for a few hours if you can. I can’t always make that happen, either, but there is a gustatory difference as the flavors develop over time. In other words, I liked the hummus I made yesterday, but I adore it today.

And it’s far healthier than take-away pizza.

Especially for the fourth night in a row.*

Dr. P. K. Newby is a nutrition scientist and educator with expertise in the prevention of obesity and chronic diseases through diet and the relations between agriculture, food production, and public health. She brings together her passions for food, cooking, science, and sustainability through her writing and videos to help people eat their way towards better health, one delectable bite at a time. If you like what you see here at The Nutrition Doctor is In the Kitchen, please subscribe to my blog from the home page, become a fan on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, check out my food porn on Pinterest, and peruse my recipe page for soups, salads, seafood, sweets, and more. Thanks for reading!

* Poetic license, people. Like I would ever allow my husband to eat pizza that many nights in a row. You all know how much I love pizza—garlicky white, heirloom tomato, and a red and white pie, not to mention the classic NYC slice—but… Come on.

Seared Scallops with Roasted Squash, Brussels Sprouts, and Cranberry Beans

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Today’s recipe is another way to enjoy a few fall favorites like butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, and fresh cranberry beans. Throw in a few sweet scallops and drizzle with a maple dijon vinaigrette and you’ve got one more dish in your repertoire to celebrate autumn’s glorious flavors.

If this recipe is reminiscent of my butternut squash salad with dried cranberries, rosemary roasted onions, and mustard greens with that very same vinaigrette, that’s because the idea stemmed from my leftover squash sitting in the fridge. But I hadn’t yet made Brussels sprouts this season and I had also picked up a few cranberry beans (i.e., borlotti) from my local market. Put it all together and you have a fantastic dinner that’s plant-based, includes a lean, sustainable protein, and screams out autumn in a seafood-y kind of way.

Waaaaah! I Hate Brussels Sprouts and Beans!

What are you, ten? It’s time to bring your palate into adulthood and the 21st century. These are fantastic, healthy foods that are really tasty if prepared the right way. Roasting brings out flavors—these sprouts are caramelized, crispy, and sweet—and a zesty maple dijon vinaigrette brings all the ingredients together beautifully. Give it a chance, friend. Give it a chance. (And that generally means more than once as your palate adjusts to new tastes.) For the how-to and nutrition notes, check out the following posts:

After roasting and simmering, toss the non-scallop ingredients together in a bit of vinaigrette before plating. You can omit the beans if you like, but the cranberry variety adds such a pretty color and wonderful texture to the dish. (And fiber. And other good stuff found in beans.) You can use canned if you prefer, but make sure to select a no-salt added brand. Fresh will give a firmer, less mushy texture, though, and all you need to do is remove them from the pods, rinse, and simmer on the stove for 20 minutes or so until cooked. Easy. 

This mixture would make a lovely little salad all on its own with a few greens, now, wouldn’t it?

So that’s what happens when you start with a leftover ingredient and obtain a little cruciferous and leguminous inspiration from the local market. Oh, and have a husband who’s crazy about scallops. Though I’ll bet tofu would work just as nicely in this dish if you want to keep it all veggie, especially in a warm salad. Hmmm…

P.K. NewbyDr. P. K. Newby is a nutrition scientist and educator with expertise in the prevention of obesity and chronic diseases through diet and the relations between agriculture, food production, and public health. She brings together her passions for food, cooking, science, and sustainability through her writing and videos to help people eat their way towards better health, one delectable bite at a time. If you like what you see here at The Nutrition Doctor is In the Kitchen, please subscribe to my blog from the home page, become a fan on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, check out my food porn on Pinterest, watch my cooking videos on YouTube, and peruse my recipe page for soups, salads, seafood, sweets, and more. Thanks for reading!

Breakfast Taco: Eggs, Black Beans, and Salsa

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Today’s post is the sister to yesterday’s, which was dedicated to Southwestern scrambled eggs with two salsas. To balance out that on-the-long-side post with its multiple steps, which said most of what I need to say about the flavor delights and nutrition of bringing Mexican flavors into your morning, today’s is simply a photo of another Southwestern-style breakfast option: the breakfast taco. Still made with a soft corn tortilla, black beans, and salsa verde (you can obviously use red salsa if you prefer), this one ditched the black bean/corn salsa and instead just included a few beans, scallions, and red peppers in the scramble itself to keep things a bit simpler (i.e., less time consuming). Truth be told, there would have been more veggies in the mix but what happened is I made the Southwestern scramble as a special dish for my husband and sort of ran out of most of the ingredients, so I just threw the remaining ones into a taco for myself. (Aren’t I a nice wife?) In other words, should you make this on your own try to make it even more nutritious by adding more colorful veggies and beans.

Not quite as involved as the scrambled egg dish, but a quicker version that’s still really, really good.

Olé!


P.K. Newby Dr. P. K. Newby is a nutrition scientist and educator with expertise in the prevention of obesity and chronic diseases through diet and the relations between agriculture, food production, and public health. She brings together her passions for food, cooking, science, and sustainability through her writing and videos to help people eat their way towards better health, one delectable bite at a time. If you like what you see here at The Nutrition Doctor is In the Kitchen, please subscribe to my blog from the home page, become a fan on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, check out my food porn on Pinterest, watch my cooking videos on YouTube, and peruse my recipe page for soups, salads, seafood, sweets, and more. Thank you for reading.