In the middle of winter, that rundown feeling can overwhelm even the sturdiest of immune systems. A restorative dish or two can be positively therapeutic.
We’re not necessarily talking about traditional comfort foods like au gratin potatoes loaded with gooey goodness–and calories. Instead, we’ve come up with some nourishing recipes for the in-between times. One is low in fat and calories; the others are more moderate, but all will make you feel good.
Michelle Cave, a nutrition consultant in Alameda, Calif., says her clients get too much starch and fat and not enough fiber, vegetables or fruits. Cave always recommends buying produce in season, which brings a bonus with it right now.
“It’s cold and flu season. If you look at what fruits are in season now, kiwi is super high in vitamin C, and so are oranges and grapefruits,” she says. Root vegetables and squashes, though they require more cooking, are warming to the body and very nutritious.
“Most people have only limited time to cook healthful meals for their families,” Cave acknowledges. “My biggest philosophy is to make a big pot of something, put it in containers and freeze it for later.”
You can do that with soups and stews, but long-cooked dishes aren’t the only therapeutic ways to enjoy foods.
For a lunch or light dinner, the warm lentil salad with seared tuna satisfies winter cravings for salads when the garden is bereft of tomatoes and cucumbers.
Tuna is very high in essential fatty acids, which are important in so many functions of the body, Cave says. “(They) are one type of fat that you cannot get too much of.”
For a soothing dessert, we’ve frozen brewed tea into granita. Add a second ice made of lemon juice, and you’ve got the perfect pairing to ease winter ills.
Warm lentil salad with seared tuna
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
This salad is easy to prepare, and very nutritious. The lentils are a good source of phosphorus, potassium and fiber.
1 cup lentils, preferably French green lentils
1 bay leaf
4 cups water
2 teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint or parsley
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound fresh tuna
6 ounces mixed salad greens
1. Combine lentils, bay leaf and water in a medium saucepan. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt; heat to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer until lentils are barely tender, 20-25 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, whisk together the shallot, mint, vinegar, 1/8 teaspoon of the salt and pepper to taste. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Set aside.
3. Combine remaining salt with about 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper. Season tuna on both sides with this mixture.
4. Place a non-stick grill pan or lightly oiled skillet over high heat. Sear tuna about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a warmed plate.
5. Toss greens with about 2 teaspoons of the vinaigrette. Drain lentils; combine with remaining vinaigrette.
6. Portion greens among serving plates; pile the lentils on top. Slice tuna into thin strips; fan out over the lentils.
Nutrition information per serving:
455 calories, 39% calories from fat, 20 g fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 45 mg cholesterol, 1,230 mg sodium, 30 g carbohydrate, 39 g protein, 8 g fiber
Lemon and tea granitas
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Freezing time: 3 hours
Yield: 8 servings
The repeated freezing of this dish makes it a bit of a hassle, but it is great for a fat-free winter dessert. The lemon granita is tart; the tea version is sweet.
Lemon granita:
4 to 6 lemons
1 cup water
5 tablespoons sugar
Tea granita:
2 black tea bags, or 2 teaspoons loose tea leaves, such as Earl Grey or English Breakfast
1 1/2 cups boiling water
5 tablespoons sugar
1. For the lemon granita, remove the colored zest in wide strips from 2 of the lemons. Place in small saucepan with the water and sugar. Cook, stirring, over low heat until sugar dissolves. Place in metal bowl; refrigerate until cold. Remove the zest. Squeeze 2U3 cup juice from the lemons; stir into chilled syrup.
2. For tea granita, steep tea in the boiling water 5 minutes. Remove tea bags or strain out leaves. Stir in the sugar to dissolve. Refrigerate until cold.
3. Pour granita bases into separate ice cube trays. Freeze until firm, about 1 1/2 hours.
4. Place lemon granita ice cubes in food processor; process until slushy. Spoon into a container; return to freezer until ready to serve. Repeat with the tea granita, placing it in a separate container.
5. Rake the granitas with a fork to loosen the mixture. Portion granitas evenly among glass ice cream bowls or cocktail glasses.
Nutrition information per serving:
65 calories, no calories from fat, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 mg sodium, 17 g carbohydrate, 0 g protein, 0 g fiber
Beef-mushroom stew with barley
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: About 3 1/2 hours
Yield: 10 servings
The smells that fill your house when you make this weekend stew are intoxicating. Using barley instead of noodles or polenta gives the dish a boost in fiber content.
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
2 cups boiling water
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 2-inch pieces
Salt, freshly ground pepper to taste
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups dry red wine
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves
2 strips orange zest, each about 3 inches long
1 cup pearled barley
3 cups water, plus more if needed
1. Place porcini in medium bowl. Pour boiling water over. Let stand 30 minutes. Drain mushrooms. Pour soaking liquid through coffee filter; reserve.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in large, non-reactive Dutch oven over high heat. Sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper. Working in batches, brown meat on all sides in Dutch oven; remove to large bowl.
3. Heat remaining oil in same Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions; cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine; heat to boiling, scraping up any browned bits in the bottom of the pan.
4. Add tomatoes, broth, rosemary, filtered mushroom liquid, bay leaves and orange zest. Return meat to Dutch oven along with its juices. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to very low. Cover; simmer 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Stir in mushrooms; simmer, covered, until meat is tender, 1- 1 1/2 hours, adding more liquid if needed.
5. Transfer meat to a bowl using a slotted spoon. Tent with foil to keep warm. Add barley and 3 cups of water to Dutch oven. Heat to boiling. Cover; cook until the barley is tender and the mixture is thick, stirring frequently, about 45 minutes. Add water if needed.
6. Return meat to the stew. Remove rosemary, bay leaves and orange zest. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
Nutrition information per serving:
415 calories, 59% calories from fat, 27 g fat, 10 g saturated fat, 95 mg cholesterol, 320 mg sodium, 11 g carbohydrate, 30 g protein, 2.8 g fiber
