The Voice of Reason

Ode to the Tomato

There’s a tiny little green market on the Upper East Side of Manhattan that I enjoy going to on Saturdays.  Actually, it’s held behind an elementary school on the blacktop intended for playing hoops and jumping rope.  Modest as the market might be, the farmers sell the most unbelievable tomatoes I’ve ever tasted, and I always leave with a bushel. 

My friend Lauren on the other hand, doesn’t have to go farther than her back yard garden to find juicy, tasty tomatoes.  She lives in upstate New York and grows them with apparent ease despite drought, blight, flooding and infestation.  She can coax them into heart shapes (like the one shown here which she just picked) and harvests bushels when neighbors yield none.  Clearly, she’s blessed with a green thumb.

Whether you buy your tomatoes from a market or cultivate them yourself, nothing tastes better than the homegrown variety, and the time to enjoy this wonderful fruit is now.

While tomatoes are versatile in the kitchen, they’re also a nutritional powerhouse, and rich in lycopene which stands out as a potent weapon against cancer. Being one of the carotenoid phytochemicals (related to beta-carotene), lycopene appears to protect our cells’ DNA with its strong antioxidant power.  Lycopene has also shown the ability to stimulate enzymes that deactivate carcinogens.

So, how do I enjoy my bushel of tomatoes?  Very, very simply.  I’ll cut a few tomatoes into chunks, coarsely chop a handful of fresh basil and mix the two ingredients together.  I’ll toss in some black olives (I like the marinated, bitter variety.), then dress the salad with a bit of oil and balsamic vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper.  That’s it.  I enjoy that savory vegan salad with toasted artisan bread smeared with a bit of roasted garlic and wash everything down with a small glass of white wine.  It’s heaven.  I promise.

Fabulous Five-Minute Salad

Salads can sometimes get boring, so I’m always looking for ways to spice things up a bit.  Case in point: my curried almond and chickpea salad.

This salad is inexpensive and quick to prepare, and it packs lots of protein, fiber and flavor.  If you want to add leftover chicken, feel free.  Tossing apple chunks into the mix also works well.  Here’s my recipe:

Ingredients:

6 T plain, low-fat yogurt
2 T extra virgin olive oil
½ t curry paste
1 t turmeric
1t garlic, minced
16 ounces canned chick peas (drained well)
4 ounces almonds, unsalted, whole
3 ounces dark raisins, soaked in hot water and drained
Chicory or red or green-leaf lettuce
2 large, whole wheat pita pockets, cut in half
Salt and pepper to taste

 Procedure:

1. Whisk together the yogurt and olive oil.  When combined, stir in the curry paste, turmeric and garlic.
2. Stir in the chickpeas, almonds and raisins until all ingredients are coated with the yogurt mixture.
3. Line a large serving bowl with chicory or other lettuce.  Top with chickpea mixture.
4. Scoop mixture into pita pockets and serve.

Makes four servings

Simple Smoothie

Sometimes, when I return from a bike ride (This morning, I rode 70 miles.), I enjoy a refreshing smoothie.  I drink about 60 ounces of water on a long ride, so I look forward to a flavorful beverage alternative.

I've been whipping up this great Mango-Banana shake lately, and it's so simple to make.  Here are the ingredients:

1 cup lite vanilla soy milk
3/4 cup frozen mango chunks
1 scoop protein powder (vanilla flavored)
1/2 banana 

Blend all ingredients in a blender on HIGH until thick but smooth.

That's it.  It's fabulous and filling at just 330 calories, contains lots of potassium, vitamins A and C, no fat and is a good source of calcium and protein.

Enjoy!

Low-Cal Mixology

If you're like me, you enjoy entertaining - and a few cocktails - but not at the expense of your waistline.  That said, I created a sensational drink that's big on flavor and skinny on calories.

For more drink ideas and recipes, just click here to see my latest appearance on WFLA where I mix and blend some yummy, low-cal drinks.  Salute!

Mexican Bikini
Makes 1 Cocktail
130 Calories

Ingredients:

½ oz. tequila
½ oz. citron vodka
3 oz. diet lemon-lime soda
1 ½ t. agave syrup

Procedure:

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake for 10 seconds.
Strain cocktail into a chilled, five-ounce martini glass.

Note:  To enhance drink presentation, rim the glass with sugar.  To rim a glass, run a lemon wedge around the rim.  Next, invert the glass and dip it into a plate of superfine sugar.  This will only add about 16 calories to the cocktail.

Dinner on a Shoestring

Looking for healthy fish, chicken and burger recipes?  Just click these links to see some delicious options for dinner!