Easy Recipes for a Fresh Start
Kick off the New Year with Simple Healthy Flavor
Happy New Year! Here’s to another trip around the sun and another chance to put our best foot forward, or should I say best FOOD forward! My wish for you is that you skip the punishing deprivation diets with their false promises, and instead focus on nourishing yourself well with delicious food that gives you real pleasure. As always I’m here to help with simple recipes that are crave-ably delicious and good-for-you too. Enjoy!
Green Smoothie with Yogurt, Pear and Ginger
Photo by Scott Suchman and food styling by Carolyn Robb; for The Washington Post
This nourishing, no-sugar-added smoothie is cool, creamy and gently tangy with a base of plain yogurt softly sweetened with whole fruit — a very ripe pear and few dates — and with a refreshing zing of ginger. A handful of almonds adds texture, protein and fiber, and spinach leaves provide gorgeous green color and nutritional benefits without any detectable flavor, making it an ideal way to stealthily incorporate leafy vegetables.
Tortellini Vegetable Soup
Photo by Laura Chase de Formigny and food styling by Lisa Cherkasky; for The Washington Post
Soup is my preferred way to load up on vegetables in the New Year. This one has all the familiar comfort of a classic minestrone, but with the unexpected addition of fresh tortellini instead of the typical beans and elbow macaroni. Packed with vegetables and made hearty with the cheese-stuffed pasta, it’s a nourishing bowl with a fresh, fun appeal.
Roasted Salmon with Shallot Grapefruit Sauce
Photo by Christopher Hirsheimer
If you love salmon but need some new flavor inspiration, this one’s for you. It’s a delightfully different, champagne-pink pan sauce with a tangy, sweet, and spicy balance that pairs perfectly with the rich fish. And it’s super easy to make too.