Belgian Endive with Apple, Pomegranate, Pecans and Goat cheese

Another great winter salad: endives, celery, apple, toasted pecans, pomegranate seeds and goat cheese with a Galeo dressing.

Red red red salad

One of my favorite salads that I had a few years ago at Legal Seafood in Boston: the red red red salad. Radicchio, dried cranberries and cherry balsamic vinaigrette, with some pecans and goat cheese.

1 head radicchio, cut in thin stripes
2 TB dried cranberries (or black cherries)
1 TB goat cheese, crumbled (or gorgonzola)
1 TB pecans, toasted and/or spiced (or walnuts)
Black cherry balsamic vinaigrette

Prepare salad and ingredients, and serve with vinaigrette.

Black cherry balsamic vinaigrette:
very good olive oil
black cherry balsamic vinegar (available @Fiore, Bar Harbor, ME)
1 garlic clove, grated (microplaned)
1 TS honey
1 TS mustard
salt, pepper

Fill all ingredients in a jar, and shake well.

Penne with Smokey Tomato Sauce and Goat Cheese

Penne with smokey tomato sauce, goat cheese and sunflower seeds

2 oz fiber gourmet penne

1 garlic clove, grated or microplaned
1 ts extra virgin olive oil
1 ts red pepper flakes
salt, pepper to taste
1/2 ts dried rosemary
1/2 large can of organic diced tomatoes
8-10 kalamata olives, sliced (+ 1 TB brine)
2 TB capers, drained (+ 1 TB brine)
some red wine
1 big ts smoked sweet paprika
1 TB soft goat cheese
1 TB dry roasted sunflower seeds

Cook pasta according to instructions. Heat canned tomatoes and add all other ingredients. Simmer for 10 min on low. Serve over pasta and add goat cheese and sunflower seeds.

Health food that might not be so healthy

Interesting article in "Cooking Light": why some health food might not be as healthy as we think.

• Smoothies are only healthy and skinny when made with mostly fresh fruit and low-fat yogurt (w/o the ice cream, sugar, cream etc.)
• "Multi-grain" bread does not mean it is "whole-grain". It might still be refined flour.
• Turkey meat is lean protein, but deli turkey slices contain a high percentage of sodium.
• Low-fat peanut butter might not be lower calorie, and make up the lower fat with more sugar.
• Store-bought salads can be loaded with mayo, nuts, meats and contain a whopping 600kcal.
• Muesli bars can contain a high degree of sugars, corn syrup and saturated fats. It is healthier to eat trail mix, and low-fat cottage cheese.

For more information, see "Cooking light".

Baked Apples with Beets

several apples, washed and cored
1 beet, peeled and cut into sticks
1/2 cup beef stock (or vegetable stock)
1 TB balsamic vinegar
1/2 ts whole cloves

Core apples and place in baking dish. Stuff with beet sticks. Fill the area around the apples with the mix of beef stock, balsamic vinegar and cloves. Bake at 430F for 30 min.

Serve with goat cheese and pinenuts.

Stoofpotje with Vegetarian Meatballs

Now, this is a great idea for portion control: using mini baking dishes (or cocottes, potjes in Dutch). This recipes includes 2 TB of dry FiberGourmet light elbow pasta, 1 TB corn, 3 Trader Joe's meatless meatballs, and a 1/2 cup of water, 1 TB low-carb ketchup and 1/2 teaspoon liquid beef bouillion. Sprinkle with ff cheese. Bake in toaster oven for 20min at 400F.