Healthy by Marlowe

Learn to use food as medicine to heal.

Entrees

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I went absolutely bananas at the Union Square Farmer’s Market this weekend! Everything looked so good!

Farmers Market

farmers market As I was stuffing my tote with all this seasonal goodness, I realized that absolutely everything that’s in season also happens to be on the ingredient list for Ratatouille, one of my favorite dishes.

It smells amazing and instantly transports me back to my summers spent in the South of France. It’s a classic French dish usually served as a side, but you know how I like my veggies, so I usually pile it on. I didn’t this time, but you could add in chickpeas for protein and serve over brown rice or another whole grain for a complete and well balanced plate.

Every ingredient for this ratatouille recipe is currently in season in the Northeast, which means you’ll find the tastiest (and often cheapest) at your local Farmer’s Market. Eggplant, summer squash, onions, garlic, tomatoes, basil, flat-leaf parsley, thyme…just imagine how good your kitchen will smell! Traditionally, the recipe also calls for bell peppers, but I wasn’t able to find any organic local ones, so I just subbed okra in, which happens to be abundant (and tasty) this time of year.

I will warn you, this recipe is a bit labor intensive. If you’ve ever had good ratatouille, though, you know it’s worth it. On the plus side, it makes a ginormous batch, so it should last you a few days. It’s also a great dinner party dish.

Ratatouille

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0 from 0 votes
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours
Servings8

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Cut an X in bottom of each tomato with a sharp paring knife and blanch together in a 4-quart pot of boiling water 1 minute. Transfer tomatoes with a slotted spoon to a cutting board and, when cool enough to handle, peel off skin, beginning from scored end, with paring knife.
  • Coarsely chop tomatoes and transfer to a 5-quart heavy pot with garlic, parsley, basil, and 1/3 cup oil. Simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes break down and sauce is slightly thickened, at least 30 minutes.
  • While sauce is simmering, toss eggplant with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large colander and let stand in sink to drain until ready to use.
  • Meanwhile, cook onions in 2-3 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer onions with a slotted spoon to a large bowl, then add 2-3 tablespoons oil to skillet and cook 1 cup okra over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer peppers with slotted spoon to bowl with onions. Add 2-3 tablespoons oil to skillet and cook zucchini with 1/4 teaspoon salt over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 6 to 8 minutes. While zucchini are cooking, pat eggplant dry with paper towels. When done, transfer zucchini with slotted spoon to bowl with other vegetables.
  • Add 2-3 tbsp. oil to skillet and cook eggplant over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Add to vegetable bowl.
  • To the tomato sauce, add vegetables, and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Cool uncovered, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe Notes

·Stew can be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature or reheat before serving.

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Upgrade your BBQ with a black bean and quinoa burger.

I’ve got summer on the brain, particularly beaches, bikinis, and burgers. In the recipe below, the BBQ staple gets a plant-based makeover. This vegan black bean burger is packed with protein, and while it may seem like a lot of steps, it’s relatively easy to make. It’s even easier if you have leftover quinoa prepared the day before.

Experiment adding in veggies like corn, carrots, or beets for a flavorful vitamin boost.

Black Bean & Quinoa Burger

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5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings3

Ingredients

Quinoa

Burger

To Serve

Instructions

  • First, make quinoa: bring water and quinoa to a boil, then reduce heat and cook covered for about 10 minutes, until all water is absorbed. Let cool completely.
  • Meanwhile, mix flax in a small bowl with warm water. Set aside.
  • Using medium-low heat, warm up about 2 tsp. of oil in a pan, or enough to coat the bottom.
  • Sauté shallot, garlic, and all spices (except salt) for about 2 minutes. Stir occasionally. The shallot and garlic should not brown, you just want them lightly cooked and translucent. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for a minute.
  • Put black beans, parsley, salt, and cooled shallot mixture into a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend until just combined. (You could stop here and have a delicious black bean mash.)
  • Add the quinoa, flax mixture, and a heaping ¼ cup of the oat flour into the blender, and continue mixing, until thoroughly combined and you have a paste.
  • Scoop out the paste, roll into balls and then press into a patties. It will be slightly sticky. Coat the patties thoroughly in the remaining oat flour, as if you are breading it.
  • Heat a pan to medium-low, and put just enough oil to cover the bottom. Let patties cook for 3 minutes, flip over, and cook an additional 3 minutes on the other side. You may have to cook in batches depending on the size of your pan.
  • Serve on a salad of chopped romaine lettuce, and dress with a little bit of salt, pepper, olive oil, and whole grain mustard. If reserving additional servings for use late in the week, wait to prepare romaine lettuce salad for them until just before serving.

Recipe Notes

*If you use olive oil, be sure to use a medium-low temperature, so that the oil doesn’t smoke.

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Clear Skin is more closely tied to what you eat than what you put on your face. Acne – and other inflammatory skin conditions – are a reflection of what is going on inside the body, and are a sign of internal inflammation and imbalance, as I outline in my Clear Skin Plan.

Below is a recipe for my Complexion Perfection Salad, which is packed with the nutrients needed for clear skin.

Complexion Perfection Salad Benefits

Arugula: This spicy, peppery, and slightly bitter green is great for boosting digestion. It’s packed with a wide array of vitamins and antioxidants which provide anti-inflammatory benefits. It provides 10% DV of Vitamin A per cup, or about 40% DV when using 4 cups like in this salad. Vitamin A is a critical nutrient for clear skin.

Red Onion: Prevents inflammation. Including sulfur-rich vegetables like red onion on a regular basis is important for healthy skin.

Radishes: Radishes provide both sulfur and silica, two beauty minerals that support clear, ageless skin from within. They’re also a good source of Vitamin C, which aids in collagen production and supports the immune system to help repair your skin.

Cucumber: This water-dense fruit is also a great source of silica, the beauty mineral that supports healthy hair, skin, and nails. Choose pickling cucumbers if you can find them- the kind with bumps on the skin, often grown in backyard gardens – as research shows they contain more silica than their smooth counterparts. (1)

Clementine: Clementines provide 60% DV of Vitamin C, which supports collagen production, the immune system, and ageless, clear skin.

Avocado: A filling source of healthy fats, fiber (one medium avocado provides a significant 9g per avocado!), and Vitamin E, an antioxidant that plays a role in healthy skin.

Pumpkin Seeds: Provide zinc, a critical nutrient for clear, radiant, glowing skin.

Sunflower Seeds: Offer Vitamin E, Vitamin B1, and a number of anti-inflammatory nutrients.

Flax Seeds: Provides fiber which aids in digestion and helps clean the colon, as well as omega-3s which provide anti-inflammatory benefits.

Hemp Seeds: Deliver complete plant-based protein and anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats to clear your skin from within.

Complexion Perfection Salad

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0 from 0 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

Salad

Protein of choice (choose 1)

Dressing

Instructions

  • Place all salad ingredients in a large bowl, including the protein of choice.
  • Drizzle olive oil and lemon juice on top, along with a little salt and pepper. Toss the salad well and add additional oil, lemon, salt or pepper to taste, if needed.

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