Category Archives: Sauces

P.K.’s Winter Pasta Sauce: On Canned Tomatoes and Carb-Loading

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So you think I’m only about whatever is at my local farmers’ market? Sure, as much as possible, but I live in New England, and I take nutrition and cooking far too seriously to limit my diet to only what’s in season. That’s why I’m calling today’s post…

It May Be Winter, But I Still Want Tomato Sauce

Chunky tomato sauce bursting with onions, peppers, spinach and zucchini over whole grain pasta is crazy nutritious way to carb load. Or just makes a great dinner!

Chunky tomato sauce bursting with onions, peppers, spinach and zucchini over whole grain pasta is crazy nutritious way to carb load. Or just makes a great dinner!

It’s about this time of year that I start dreaming of sweet summer corn and tomatoes, two of my favorite foods that I consume prolifically for the better part of three months when they’re in season. Indeed, there is nothing I love more than a homemade sauce made lovingly from mounds of fresh summer tomatoes. And I do even chop up a few fresh tomatoes in the winter now and again for a quick pizza sauce or marinara. That said, I’m ever grateful the supermarket provides delightful canned tomatoes, which are a high-quality, nutritious, and delicious alternative when fresh aren’t in season.

Or, er, if you simply don’t feel like doing all that chopping, which is okay, too.

Simmering this sauce for a few hours will turn it from a compilation of canned, frozen, and fresh vegetables into a rich, thick, chunky pasta sauce.

Simmering this sauce for a few hours will turn it from a compilation of canned, frozen, and fresh vegetables into a rich, thick, chunky pasta sauce.

Enter today’s dish, which is one of my favorite go-to dinners since I usually have a container of “summer” sauce sitting in my freezer. My supply is now tapped, however, so this past weekend I whipped up a new batch the night before my 20-miler using canned products and a selection of fresh and frozen veggies I had on hand. This version included no-salt canned tomatoes (diced, crushed, sauce) and frozen spinach along with white onions, three kinds of peppers (red, green, poblano), and zucchini.

For more cooking details, click here for step-by-step instructions and photos, simply substituting canned for the fresh.

Pasta and tomato sauce is such a filling, comforting dish, and my version takes a kid-friendly favorite and makes it a whole lot better for you. And, yes, pasta can be part of a nutritious diet, if it’s whole grain; more on paleo and gluten free diets here. As well, it’s a much healthier way to carb-load if you are an endurance athlete or runner training for the marathon, as I am. (More here and here on that.)

Better-for-you Carb Loading

In general, food decisions are based on taste, cost, and convenience. Nutrition and health considerations also matter for some people, like many of you reading this piece, no doubt. (Yay!) “Pasta and tomato sauce” is a classic meal used for carb loading, which boosts your glycogen stores in preparation for a long race.

While a great meal whether you’re “carb-loading” or not, today’s article also encourages athletes to take this familiar dish and make it even healthier by exchanging white pasta for whole grain and adding a whole slew of veggies for a nutrient boost that you won’t get from a store-bought sauce and white pasta. The latter dish will provide the carbs, yes, but can be loaded in salt and extra sugar and lacks the nutrients of unrefined grains. You get all the carbs you need from my version along with other fabulous vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients to fuel your body and race.

Side Bar: Tomatoes in Winter? Anathema!

I love tomatoes and corn so much that a number of my posts are dedicated to these very topics. In case you are looking for a little extra reading from The Nutrition Doctor, just search “corn” or tomatoes” from the “specifically speaking” word cloud on my home page and dream with me of Spanish grilled corn or heirloom tomatoes sandwiches with garlic aioli…

And guess what? My love of these foods doesn’t disappear once the autumn harvest is over.

Thus, as much as I enjoy eating seasonally, and do so as often as I can, I am ever grateful for the Spaghetti_Cropvast array of foods I can attain when I want or need them, as this generally keeps my diet healthier and more interesting. Yes, my meals are often dominated by all the great stuff I get at my local markets, but, as you can imagine, not so much on the tomato front in March. So I eat fewer of them, for sure, but tomatoes and other fresh veggies remain part of my repertoire during the other nine months of the year. The simple fact is that most Americans don’t eat enough vegetables, and frozen and even canned are fine sources assuming you read the ingredients and avoid brands with added salt and/or sugar.

So do what you need to do to eat more produce, however you can. Adding chopped veggies to something like tomato sauce is a great way to increase your intake while giving a major nutritional boost to your favorite foods.

And, you know, if it tricks your children or someone else you love into eating more vegetables, that’s great, too.

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!

SummerCornTomatoes

I’m dreaming of warm days filled with green-leafed trees and summer-sweet corn and tomatoes…

Make Your Own Tzatziki (Greek Yogurt Sauce)

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TzatzikiI was first introduced to Greek food as a child growing up on Long Island, New York: I, like other kids, loved the sandwiches served at the local eatery then called “Shish Kebab.” A Port Washington landmark, it grew from a small, two room dining room into a much larger space, part of a veritable enterprise now including several restaurants as well as a Mediterranean food shop. Though we already ate a lot of seafood on the east coast, Ayhan’s made Mediterranean cuisine accessible and approachable to Long Islanders more than three decades ago. I used to always make sure I went there for a fix when visiting my parents before I started whipping up my favorite meals in my own kitchen.

Greek food is just one example of Mediterranean cuisine, which otherwise incorporates flavors and ingredients from a number of different countries on the seaboard. It features all kinds of wonderful dishes with its focus on olive oil, vegetables, beans and legumes, seafood, and wine, among other things. And let’s not forget about spanakopita, Greek spinach pie, which I haven’t made in ages. Who can resist that with its garlicky spinach, creamy feta, and flaky, buttery phyllo … so delicious …

But not at all the point of today’s post.

Let’s just take it one step at a time, shall we?

Rather, today’s piece begins with a basic Greek condiment, tzatziki, otherwise known and recognized as that very tasty yogurt sauce that often comes alongside sandwiches or souvlaki. Simple to make, just start with yogurt, stir in a few more ingredients, and you’re on your way to enjoying a number of fabulous Mediterranean-inspired dishes.

Ingredients. Nonfat yogurt (preferably Greek but regular really is fine), freshly squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, crushed garlic, fresh dill, black pepper. (Note: some people add diced cucumbers; I don’t. Feel free.)

Instructions. Yogurt is the main ingredient, clearly, and the recipe can take on the body and flavor that suits your palate. You know how I feel about specific quantities on my blog, as it varies by how much you’re making and your own preferences; just don’t add too much liquid, which will result in runny sauce. Here’s a rough description: Spoon 16-24 oz of nonfat, plain yogurt into a bowl. Add the juice from 1/2-1 lemon (how juicy is it?), a good drizzle of olive oil a (~1-3 tsp), 1-3 cloves of crushed garlic (how much do you like garlic?), and a few grinds of freshly cracked black pepper. Next, toss in 2-4 tablespoons of chopped dill (it really does need to be fresh, not dried). A tablespoon of finely minced white onion or scallions is optional.

Notes. Mix and let sit for 20-60 minutes (in other words, at least 20) to allow the flavors to come together. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired: it’s not uncommon for me to add more lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, or dill, depending on how the flavors came together, how good my initial estimations were (I don’t measure anything), and how I’m feeling. Retaste, and you’re ready to go. (Note: Salt is generally not necessary, I find, but add a pinch if you find it bland.)

You’ve got your sauce now, which is key. Good job.

Of course, you need something to serve it with—assuming there’s still some left once you’ve used it as a dip for veggies or whole wheat pita chips.

Here’s one suggestion, which is a little preview of my go-to, open-faced Greek sandwich.

GreekSand_Half

More details on that and a few other Greek dishes I have up my sleeve coming soon.

Stay tuned!

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!

P.K.’s Szechuan Sauce: The Key to Chinese Stir-Fry

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Serving suggestion: Summer stir fry with yellow squash, red pepper, Chinese broccoli, and roasted cashews.

Serving suggestion: Summer stir fry with yellow squash, red pepper, Chinese broccoli, and roasted cashews.

There was a time many, many years ago before I learned to cook global cuisine when I thought a “Chinese stir fry” involved simply adding soy sauce to some sautéed vegetables.

Ah, what little I knew.

It was the Frog Commissary Cookbook that taught me better, and I’ve been been making variations of this fabulous recipe ever since. Using veggie rather than chicken stock and employing low-sodium soy sauce (Bragg’s amino acids can be used if you prefer) also make my sauce heart- and planet-healthier without any compromise whatsoever on flavor.

My stir fry mix generally includes some tantalizing combination of veggies that inspire, toasted nuts, water chestnuts or bean sprouts, and occasionally a protein like tofu. Serve over brown rice or toss with whole grain udon or soba noodles (or spaghetti) and you’ve got an authentic-tasting, mouth-watering meal packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients.

Make no mistake, though, as much as I love creating different mixtures that suit my mood and season, this recipe is all about the sauce, which will fill your house with the pungent fragrancy of your favorite Chinese take-out and make your taste buds rejoice in wonderment.

And I don’t care how ridiculous you think that sounds, because it’s true.

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp garlic, crushed
  • 1-2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated or minced
  • 1-1 1/2 cup vegetable stock, low- or no-sodium, preferably homemade
  • 1/3 cup sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce or Bragg’s amino acids
  • 1-2 tbsp brown sugar
  • Juice from 1/2 lemon or lime
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne
  • 1 tsp sriracha or tabasco
  • 2-3 tsp corn starch
  • 2 tbsp rice wine or vinegar

Instructions

StirFrySauceIn a saucepan, sauté the garlic and ginger in the sesame oil over medium-high heat for 30-45 seconds, until fragrant. Pour in veggie stock and sesame oil. Season with soy sauce, brown sugar, and citrus, adding pepper(s) and sriracha or tabasco as desired. Stir and bring to a boil. Dissolve corn starch in rice wine or rice vinegar and whisk into the sauce, boiling until thickened. If the mixture is too thin, add additional corn starch/wine.

Cooking Notes

The quantities of the ingredients are shown for magnitude and aren’t exact: you need a goodly amount of the liquids like stock and sesame oil, but the seasonings are very much to taste. Like it sweeter? Use the higher amount of sugar, or more. Like it spicier? Include more sriracha and use less sugar. Enjoy more tang? Use a bit more lemon juice or rice wine/vinegar. This recipe rarely requires salt given soy sauce is salty (even the low-sodium variety), so I don’t recommend adding salt unless you really need it at the end.

And have fun! As long as you remember to always begin with the lesser amount and taste as you proceed, the seasonings can easily be adjusted to suit your palate, as can the viscosity of the sauce.

Happy Belated Chinese New Year!

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!

Marinara From Heaven

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Look simple? It is. But don’t let that fool you. If you could scratch and sniff you’d be jumping up and down right now, like I was. All that’s missing from the photo is a bright piece of basil, but I hadn’t plan to write this post and had none left!

First: Did you miss yesterday’s post on corn-on-the-cob and a to-die-for salad? Wordpress sent out a weird email that I fear ended up in your spam folder, and I spent a whole bunch of time updating it with pretty photos. It’s a fairly entertaining and informative post, so click here if you missed it.

Now: Marinara. As in, the best marinara sauce ever. EVER. (And I loathe when people use all capital letters in writing, so you know I’m not kidding around here.)

Seriously, again with the tomato sauce, you ask? This is real-time cooking, my friends, and I just made my first batch of fresh tomato sauce this past weekend. (What? You’ve not made it yet? It’s a labor of love but it’s so gratifying and delicious. Check out the how-to; lots of details and photos to guide you.) This is not about that. Rather, I was SO EXCITED about this marinara I made as part of the process - note again the shouty capitals – and it’s important to share with you my unfettered joy. Why? Three reasons:

  1. It was insanely, insanely good. (That should be obvious by now.)
  2. It’s so easy. SO easy.
  3. It’s incredibly versatile: it can be used in fresh tomato sauce as a thickener, on its own, or in other tasty dishes like penne a la vodka, eggplant parm, or pizza sauce.

Let me be even more emphatic here, if I may. Had I not already begun prepping for my chunky veggie tomato sauce – which was made from fresh-frozen veggies, by the way – I would have immediately made penne a la vodka or just threw this sauce over pasta itself for fresh, bright flavors that scream summer. The heady aroma of basil- and garlic-inflected fresh marinara was almost too much to bear, and I had to force myself to stop “tasting” it before I had none left, for any purpose.

All you need is just three steps with 10 minutes of prep and 10 minutes on the stove if plain. (Penne a la vodka is super easy, too, but that’s a recipe for another day.)

1. Chop 8 (or so) roma tomates and place in food processor. (The chunks needn’t be small.)

2. Roughly process the tomatoes, then add a handful of fresh basil, several garlic cloves, and 4-6 oz tomato paste; process until incorporated.

3. Season with a touch of sea salt, black pepper, and olive oil, give another whir, and done. (On a rare occasion, a touch of honey or agave nectar might be needed for balance depending on how good your tomatoes were; totally unnecessary in this case given my farmers’ market-fresh fruits.)

Taste the love.

That is all.

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.

Don’t See Red: Expand Your Horizons with Salsa Verde

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Salsa is amazing, and not just in a “dancing under the stars on the boardwalk in breath-taking Sydney Harbor with handsome men I just met my first night in Oz” kind of way. (True story.) Nope, I’m talking about the versatile condiment that can be prepared using a variety of fruits and vegetables – tomato, black bean, corn, peach, mango, and so forth – and has many more uses beyond chips ‘n’ dip. There are likely as many different varieties of salsas as there are ways to utilize them. The first use that comes to mind for most is tasty complement to tacos, burritos, enchiladas, fajitas, chili, nachos, huevos rancheros, and the like. (I love Mexican food!) There are many other terrific ways to use salsa, too, like on a gorgeous piece of grilled fish. Whatever your pleasure, the upcoming Cinco de Mayo holiday is a great time to try a new salsa. And, since it’s way too early in the season for some of my favorite fruit salsas, we’ll begin with salsa verde, or tomatillo salsa.

Toma-who now? I’ll bet not everyone knows what a tomatillo is, so let’s begin with a brief intro before moving on to the recipe and a few serving suggestions (healthy food porn!). A staple of Mexican, Southwestern, and Latin American cuisine, the tomatillo is a tart culinary vegetable (botanical fruit), which is a member of the nightshade family, as is eggplant and tomato. It looks like a small green tomato and comes in its own cute little wrapper. The inedible papery husks are removed to reveal a firm, usually green fruit most commonly used to make salsas and sauces. About 20 calories in half a cup, the tomatillo has a bit of fiber and pro-Vitamin A carotenoids important in eye health as well as a few other vitamins and minerals. It’s no nutritional powerhouse like kale or squash, but who else knows what’s in there that we nutrition scientists just haven’t discovered yet? The broader your intake of vegetables and fruits, the better off you’ll be. Regardless, it’s a low-calorie veggie that makes a fun alternative to red salsa and brings zing to a variety of dishes.

Roasting Tomatillos. Start by unwrapping and washing 7-9 tomatillos; they are naturally sticky. Toss them in a bit of EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil) and season with a touch of salt and fresh black pepper. Pierce gently in 2-3 places to avoid an improbable but not impossible exploding tomatillo situation. Roast for 15 minutes in a 400 degree oven. When the bottom surface is brown toss them onto a different side for another 15 minutes or so. Prod with a sharp knife. If it enters easily, they’re done, if not, toss onto another side and continue roasting until soft. Depending on the size of the tomatillos, total roasting time will be between 20 and 40 minutes; you may need to remove the smaller ones first.

Making Salsa. Roughly chop 1/2-1/4 an onion and a few cloves of garlic and scrape into a food processor. Add the tomatillos. Pulse until the salsa is the desired degree of chunkiness. Squeeze half a lime into the mix. (As when making guacamole, start with half and, depending on how much juice there is, add more if desired.) Add a small splash of white balsamic vinegar and pulse again. If you like heat, add finely diced jalapeño. Some people also include cilantro. You can further adjust the seasonings with a touch of agave nectar or EVOO, if you like. Note: you can chop the tomatillos by hand to save yourself some dish washing; I’ve done both, and either works perfectly fine.

Cooking Notes. If  you’ve never tried tomatillo salsa, be forewarned that, unlike its sweet red counterpart, tomatillos are quite tart. This is why it’s such a great accoutrement to so many dishes, of course, especially savory-cheesy things like Mexican food. However, if you find yourself puckering – but go you for giving it a shot! – you could try adding some less-acidic foods for balance and texture. Corn kernels work great, for example, and so does chopped avocado. Or, you could add some tomato and do a “best of both worlds” salsa, which is also very pretty. I’ve made all of these variations either for presentation purposes (i.e., color) or simply to keep things interesting. In these cases, however, I recommend chopping everything by hand to avoid blending yourself up a brownish smoothie instead of colorful, chunky salsa. No one wants to eat that.

Serving Suggestions: Beyond Chips

Tacos aren’t just for dinner. Softly scrambled eggs stuffed in a whole grain corn tortilla with black beans, red peppers, cilantro, and tomatillo salsa make a fabulous breakfast taco.

Southwestern chili with tomatillo salsa. See how much prettier the green looks?

One of my favorite Mexican dishes is black beans and polenta garnished with cheddar cheese, tomatill0 salsa, and scallions. (You can substitute brown rice if you prefer.)

Another brunch preparation, Tex Mex eggs are served on a crispy whole grain corn tortilla with two salsas, tomatillo and black bean & corn. A bloody (or virgin) Mary is the perfect accompaniment.

Final words of tomatillo encouragement. In addition to the above non-chip preparations, you can of course also dollop a bit of tomatillo salsa on individual nachos, just as you would with tomato salsa or heart-healthy guacamole. If you’re still nervous about trying the tomatillo, go for guac! It’s an acquired taste, but once developed avocados are down-right addictive. Whichever, I encourage you to expand your horizons beyond the same-ole standard tomato salsa. Live a little! That is, in fact, what Cinco de Mayo is all about.*

–

*Yeah, I just made that up, poetic license and all. But here’s the real scoop on Cinco de Mayo, and if you read the article you’ll see that apparently in Vancouver there is a sky-diving event to commemorate the holiday. I feel like that puts into proper perspective my humble request for you to, er, get a little crazy by trying a new salsa. And if you’re still reluctant, there’s always celebrating Caribbean-style with an air-guitar contest. (Huh?) Doesn’t anyone just drink Mexican beer, for goodness’ sake? Yes, apparently, in Malta – and certainly here in the US.

Ah, Wikipedia.

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!

Swordfish Piccata with Smashed Cauliflower

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Seafood dish number two, of five in the pipeline. (The first was Monday’s post on New Bedford sea scallops; there’s an earlier piece on seared tuna puttanesca around here somewhere, too.)  My goal is to suck you in with the suppers so you’ll stick around for the science.  Who can work on an empty stomach, after all?

If I’m using a white fish I usually try and avoid a white vegetable to keep things aesthetically interesting, but it doesn’t always work out for an impromptu Monday night dinner (i.e., I had a head of cauliflower that I wanted to use and had already defrosted the swordfish). There were specks of green due to the capers and parsley, at least, and I also garnished the dish with a few roasted Brussels sprouts.  I’d probably gussy it up a bit further if I were serving this at a dinner party – a confit of red and yellow peppers around the perimeter, perhaps? Speaking of which, this is actually a perfect meal for company as it doesn’t need much active prep right before serving.

I’m sure you’re familiar with swordfish, that meaty white fish with fabulous flavor and versatility? Along with some of the white flaky fishes, swordfish is a great “starter” fish because it’s fairly mild. It’s one of my favorites, so although certain types should be avoided I’m glad it’s no longer on the endangered list. (More on the sustainability of swordfish and other environmental considerations here.)

But are you acquainted with smashed cauliflower?  It has a remarkably similar taste to mashed potatoes, which are obviously quite luscious. However, the cauliflower version has arguably more flavor and texture and is certainly more nutritious and lower in calories. At the very least, it’s a creative preparation for cauliflower and a great way to mix things up. Finishing the dish with a light sauce of white wine, garlic, capers, lemon, parsley, and a bit of butter – aka, piccata, the P.K. way – brings this savory meal over the top.

Roast the cauliflower, as described here.

Cook the swordfish. Read here for more sure-fire methods on cooking seafood. Here are specific details for this dish:

  1. Sear. Season the fish with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. (Omit the salt if you prefer; see yesterday’s notes about this. )In a hot skillet, sear the swordfish over high heat on one side. After 2-3 minutes, you should have a lovely brown sear on it, like the picture. If you don’t, turn up the heat and give it another minute. Turn over to achieve the same outcome.
  2. Roast.
  3.  Place the fish into a small pan and pour ~1/4 cup of white wine over the fish and into the pan, using enough such that a small amount coats the bottom of the dish. (You can omit the wine if you prefer.) Cover the dish with tin foil and place into the oven. Roast the fish for about 12-20 minutes (time varies with thickness) at 325 degrees F.

Hey, wait: why sear and then roast? Aren’t both just forms of cooking? Good question, glad you asked. Read here for more sure-fire methods on cooking seafood. Searing fish creates a lovely brown crust, especially when using a spice rub that caramelizes, as with the scallops, but even when simply cooked over very high heat in a bit of olive oill. However, swordfish is thick and needs to be cooked through, so while you could sear over high heat then turn it down to low on the stovetop, I find roasting in the oven at a low temperature is less likely to result in overcooking.  Now, some dishes can just be seared to reach a rare or medium rare temperature, like scallops or tuna.  With other dishes, I’ll skip the searing and go right to the roasting, which almost never fails to produce incredibly moist, perfectly cooked fillets. (And, frankly, I don’t always feel like taking the time and creating another pan to wash. Slow roasted salmon is just fabulous on its own, for example; it certainly doesn’t require searing every time.)

Smash the cauliflower, as described here.

Prepare the sauce. Once the fish comes out of the oven, let it rest for 5 minutes or so— which is all the time you’ll need to make the piccata. Reheat on high the same pan you used to sear the fish, along with a tablespoon of olive oil. Add 1-2 cloves of crushed garlic, stir until fragrant, then add ~1/2 cup white wine to deglaze the pan. (You can use vegetable stock if you prefer.) It will quickly come to a boil. Next, stir into the sauce juice from 1/2 of a lemon, 1-2 tbsp capers, and 1-2 tbsp chopped parsley. Turn the heat to low at this point so all the liquid doesn’t evaporate, else you’ll be left with burnt bits of garlic rather than a sauce. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of butter and/or a bit of cream to add body to the sauce. Taste, and adjust the seasonings (salt, pepper) as necessary. If you used too much acid (white wine, lemon), you might add a touch of honey or agave to readjust. The sauce should not be sweet, but if you find yourself puckering go ahead and grab a sweetener, it’s fine. Likewise, if the sauce seems too thin you could add a bit more butter. It’s a creative process, right? It could take some futzing your first time, so give it a little taste every time you make an adjustment. Just make sure you save some for the fish…

Add the fish to the sauce (or not). Once you are satisfied with your sauce, and assuming there is still some left, place the fish into the pan to coat one side, then turn it over to coat the other side. Feel free to omit this step if you like and proceed to the final step below. (I just happen to like things saucy.)

Plate the dish. Mound a portion of smashed roasted cauliflower onto the plate, then artfully place the fish atop the vegetable. Spoon the tangy sauce over the fish, allowing it to pool on the bed of the plate. Garnish as desired (shown here with caramelized Brussels sprouts I had on hand). Wait for kisses from your partner.*

* No partner? No problem. Look into the closest mirror and say “I’m awesome,” then dig in.

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 videos on YouTube, and peruse my recipe page for soups, salads, seafood, sweets, and more. Thank you for reading!

Seared Tuna Puttanesca with Creamy Corn Polenta

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Savory, with a hint of sweetness, a sprinkle of microgreens is a nice finishing touch.

Nope, it’s not just soup and salad every night for supper. That would get boring. I love creating pretty, plated meals that star seasonal produce so here’s a serving suggestion for you. The puttanesca featured summer tomatoes, onions, and herbs. The polenta was enhanced by the addition of fresh corn. (Polenta is creamy cornmeal, and it’s better than it sounds if you’ve never had it before. In fact, it’s delicious.) Tuna is a meaty fish with big flavors, so it can stand up to the sauce. Pairing the bold flavors of puttanesca and tuna with the sweetness of creamy corn polenta made a divine dish with flavors that perfectly complimented each other. A succulent dish for the eyes and tastebuds.

See my recipe for homemade tomato sauce to get you started, since puttanesca is simply a variation on the basic ingredients to which olives, anchovies, and capers are added. I wasn’t initially planning on making puttanesca, but as I was prepping my tomato sauce I decided to get some double-duty action from my chopping to make two different sauces. I’m so glad I did! Puttanesca is a rich, toothsome sauce – umami describes the flavors perfectly. Familiar with the word? Umami (think: savory) is the fifth taste humans perceive, along with sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. Wikipedia has a nice description of it.

To your tomato sauce base, add the three key ingredients: 6 or so chopped anchovies, chopped olives (1/2 to 1 cup), and a couple of tablespoons of capers. Don’t forget fresh parsley and/or basil, or dried, if that’s all you have.  The classic recipe uses Kalamata olives, in case you were wondering, but I’d use whatever you like or have on hand. I also always add a bit of crushed red pepper, for a little kick (optional). The exact quantities depend on how much sauce you are making, though, so consult some recipes online if you’d like more precise proportions, as you know my philosophy on recipes. Or, start off using small quantities, cook for awhile, and you can always add a bit more later. You can never go back. As it simmers (an hour or more), the flavors really come together to create a complex, multi-layered sauce.  Even the color is a much deeper red compared to regular tomato sauce.

Because the olives, capers, and anchovies are fairly salty, I do not recommend adding any salt to the sauce when making it. You know that I’m always concerned with excess sodium in the diet, and this is not my regular, stand-by tomato sauce. Definitely for a special occasion. I will discuss the sodium issue in greater depth another time, but a key point is that the majority of sodium in the diet comes from prepared and processed foods. You’ll see the sodium issue is a common thread in my posts when choosing what to cook and eat. And check out my earlier post on tomatoes for more about the health benefits of eating tomatoes – for both you and the planet.

What if I don’t like olives, anchovies, and capers?

Puttanesca has some really big flavors and you may not be accustomed to using them in cooking. Perhaps you loathe them all. This dish would also be delicious with a classic, chunky tomato sauce if you’re not ready to go there. You could also leave out one of the ingredients though obviously it wouldn’t really be puttanesca by definition. (But so what?)

At some point, though, I’d encourage you to try it because the flavors are wonderful.  Taste is actually quite adaptive, and if you want to expand your palate for either culinary or heath reasons (or both!), you gotta try new things. And try them often, if you want to make a real change (e.g., from white bread/pasta to whole wheat, full-fat to non-fat milk, or whatever)  Not only is there research to support the “try, try again philosophy,” I’ve seen it work on friends, family, and me. I didn’t grow up eating olives, for example. But after acquiring a taste for them in my late twenties, I could not get enough. I LOVE olives now.

Delicious with pasta!

A final note on puttanesca is that it can be enjoyed so many ways. This dish is a fancier serving suggestion, but it’s commonly served atop pasta. I enjoyed a plate a few nights back with whole wheat spaghetti. Such a satisfying dinner. (With a mixed green salad on the side, of course. I eat a salad with dinner just about every night, and if you don’t that’s another thing you can do to help you on your way towards better health.)

(And if you don’t care for polenta, you can serve this same exact dish on a bed of pasta, although you won’t get the same mix of flavors.)

By the way…

Oh, are you wondering about the health benefits of tuna? And its potential risks, among other issues?  I can only cover so much in one post if I am to sustain your attention amidst busy schedules. We’ll get there, I promise.

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 videos on YouTube, and peruse my recipe page for soups, salads, seafood, sweets, and more. Thanks for reading!

Fresh Tomato Sauce. Because It’s Just Better.

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Summertime Favorite: Fresh Tomato Sauce

I love summer for its glorious tomatoes, and this tomato sauce recipe has tons of applications from pairings with pasta and beyond. I describe a few of these in my post on the tomato trifecta.  Stay in touch for many more dishes that I make using this basic sauce. (A grilled vegetable parmigiana comes to mind, for example.)

The Recipe & Photos

Start with a slew of tomatoes. I used 10 large beefsteak tomatoes and 9 heirloom red zebra roma tomatoes, as shown. (They cook down. A lot.) Feel free to select those that suit you and/or chat with your local farmer about which make the best sauce. I personally like to keep to 2-3 varieties or so, making sure at least one of them is roma, which are meaty, thick, and classically used in tomato sauce.

Begin with chopped onion (I used 1.5 large yellow onions) and sauté in medium heat with EVOO – extra virgin olive oil – until soft but not browned. (I’m going to have to use that acronym, along with everyone else. Just easier.) Add veggies of your choice. I like red and green peppers, and used one of each, but sometimes I like to make a more serious veggie version that includes zucchini and eggplant, especially if my main use will be as a pasta sauce. Olives are also a great addition, if you like them. If you like it spicy, you could also use a hot pepper in here as well at this point.

While the veggies are cooking, ~8 minutes, chop or dice the tomatoes to the size of your liking. I prefer a chunky tomato sauce, so I do a small-medium chop. If you don’t feel like chopping so many tomatoes, you could always throw some of them into a food processer, similar to what you’d get from crushed tomatoes in a can. Be careful, though, as they will thin out considerably during this process, but it’s fine. If you start making homemade sauce, play around with chopping/dicing/food processing and you’ll figure out what you like and how much time you feel like investing to get the desired result. I personally enjoy chopping vegetables, but I know lots of people hate it. (And there’s always canned crushed and diced tomatoes and frozen veggies if you want to spend even less time. Still better for you and the planet than store-bought.)

After the veggies are tender, add crushed garlic to the pot and stir for about 45 seconds; I love garlic and used 5 cloves or so. Up to you. It takes very little time to cook garlic, so don’t let it burn. I also add some other spices at this point, such as oregano, basil, parsley, crushed red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. Again, this is all to taste, but I’ll remind you not to add too much salt, because you can’t go back and with all the big flavors in there you don’t need as much as you think. I’d start with 1 teaspoon or less – depending on how many tomatoes you are using – and adjust later as necessary. (It will also be perfectly lovely if you don’t add salt at all, by the way; I’ve made it that way, too.) I also added some fresh basil and parsley (chopped) at this point, along with a few tablespoons of tomato paste for good measure, which adds both intense tomato flavor and body.

Add all the chopped tomatoes and stir everything up. Pour in some red wine (or balsamic vinegar, if you don’t consume alcohol), about 1/4 to 1/2 cup depending on how much sauce you are making and your own preferences. Bring everything up to a boil, then turn the stovetop down to simmer. It’s looking good at this point, but now everything needs to cook for awhile, which is when a lot of that water will leave the dish and it will thicken up. Give it as much time as you can, remembering that the bigger the batch you make, the more time it will take. We’re talking about hours here. If it’s a smaller batch, an hour could suffice, but the longer it simmers, the tastier and thicker the sauce will be as the flavors develop and the sauce reduces. And it really does reduce substantially over time. In about 1.5 hours the height of my sauce dropped by around 1.5 inches. Seriously.

Stir the sauce every 10-15 minutes or so and make sure it continues to simmer actively, which is needed for it to reduce. You’ll note that it looks somewhat watery on the top, since water is less dense than the sauce contents below.  In other words, it’s supposed to look that way and will do so between stirrings. Don’t cover the pot – you need the steam to escape for the sauce to thicken.

Note that people differ in their tastes for a “thick and rich” tomato sauce versus a “fresh and chunky” tomato sauce. If your sauce is not as thick as you would like, you have a couple of options. The first is to add tomato paste (a few tbsp to 1/2 cup), which will thicken it up quite nicely. Another option is to purée lightly some of your tomatoes in a blender to create a “crushed tomato” effect rather than to only add chopped (pictured below). You would add this alongside the chopped tomatoes.

You’re almost there, but don’t forget to sample the sauce along the way! Tasting is a critical component of cooking. Does it need more seasoning? Not sweet enough? Adjust the spices as you like, and sometimes I’ll add a little honey to balance the flavors and acidity but it depends on how sweet the tomatoes were to begin with. I also usually add a little more wine along the way as well (but that’s just me…).  Finally, if you like a less chunky sauce, get out the blender – a hand / immersion blender is easiest and it’s a fantastic kitchen tool to have, er, on hand – to obtain a more homogeneous texture, or simply to get it less chunky. Make it however you like it! It’s your sauce, after all.

One of my favorite flavors is spicy pepper, pictured here, and includes red and green peppers and crushed red pepper flakes. I transferred the finished sauce to this clean sauce pan simply to make a prettier photograph. See how thick and delicious it looks? There’s simply nothing better than fresh tomato sauce made in the heart of the season. Nothing.

When everything is done, I sometimes add some fresh parsley, basil, and/or oregano to brighten up the flavors.  It will give the sauce some earthy, herbal notes, so whether you like that or not is up to you. And remember there are so many variations on this that you can make. Spicy pepper is one of my favorites, but I also mentioned I sometimes use zucchini and eggplant. Mushrooms. Olives. Sometimes just tomato and basil. Whatever.

So there you have it. Make it as you like. Make it your own. Make it this weekend.

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 videos on YouTube, and peruse my recipe page for soups, salads, seafood, sweets, and more. Thanks for reading!