Chicken, Carrot, and Bok Choy Coconut Curry

This recipe came about when I wanted to use a bunch of fresh, young carrots that I picked up at the farmers’ market. It goes together quickly, uses easy-to-find ingredients, and it’s loaded with vitamins, minerals, and crunch. Depending on the chiles you use, this can be made hot or mild. Give this recipe a try when you have limited cooking time but want to create something healthy.


Chicken, Carrot, and Bok Choy Coconut Curry

1 T. coconut oil
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 bunch young carrots, sliced into thin rounds
1-3 chiles, chopped*
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 15-oz can coconut milk
1 T. freshly grated ginger
1 T. coriander seeds, toasted and ground
1 t. cumin seeds, toasted and ground
2 t. coarsely ground black pepper
1 bunch bok choy, chopped
Sea salt to taste
Sesame oil

Heat the coconut oil over high heat in a large pan. Once it has melted, add the chicken pieces and begin to cook, stirring occasionally. When the chicken pieces are barely showing any pink, add the carrots and chiles. Keep stirring until no more pink shows in the chicken.

Next, add the coconut milk, ginger, coriander, cumin, and black pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 8-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the carrots have lost their crunch but are still firm.

Add the bok choy. Cover and cook until the green tops are barely wilted. Add sea salt to taste and blend, then serve over cooked rice with a drizzle of sesame oil.


* You can make this as mild or as hot as you prefer. If you like it mild, use chiles such as cubanelles or poblanos; if you prefer hot, use a cayenne, Serrano, or even a habanero or scotch bonnet.

Salmon with Ginger Chutney & Blueberries

This recipe was born from Things Whole Foods Had On Sale This Week. No restaurant replica, no convoluted tale of inspiration, just a girl trying to save a few bucks on sustainable seafood and produce that wasn’t sprayed with Big Ag’s latest science fair project.

Salmon with Ginger Chutney & Blueberries

¼ c. ginger chutney
1 cup water
4 4-oz portions wild salmon fillet
1 cup organic blueberries

Cooked basmati rice, to serve
Braised Escarole, to serve (recipe below)
Nigella seeds, for garnish

Blend the ginger chutney and the water together in a shallow baking dish, whisking with a fork to remove any lumps from the chutney. Place the salmon fillets in the baking dish, skin side up, and marinate for 30 minutes up to 4 hours. 

Preheat the oven’s broiler to high. Line another large, shallow baking dish with foil and place the salmon fillets skin side up, with plenty of room between each fillet and room between the salmon and the edges of the dish. Pour the ginger chutney marinade into the dish alongside the salmon. Add the blueberries.

Broil for 4-6 minutes, or until the salmon skin starts becomes crispy and develops a slight char. Remove from heat.

Place about ½ c. cooked basmati rice in the center of a dinner plate, creating a round bed. Place braised escarole around the rice like a ring, and place one of the cooked salmon fillets, skin side down, on top of the basmati rice. Spoon some of the cooking liquid and the blueberries on top of the salmon, and sprinkle with the nigella seeds. Prepare three additional plates in the same manner and serve piping hot.


Braised Escarole

2 heads escarole, chopped
1 clove garlic, smashed with the side of a knife
1 allspice berry, smashed with the side of a knife
Pinch salt

Escarole grows best in sandy soil, so it must be thoroughly washed before using or you may end up with gritty greens. To wash the escarole, place the chopped leaves in a large bowl and cover with water. Using your hands, slosh the escarole around in the bowl for a minute or so, wiggling the leaves through your fingers so that any sand falls to the bottom of the bowl.

Place the crushed garlic clove and allspice berry in a large pot with a lid. Without draining, lift the escarole out of the water-filled bowl and place directly into the pot. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, place the lid on the pot, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the escarole has wilted but still retains a firm texture. Pay close attention during cooking—the water that clings to the leaves after washing isn’t always enough; the pot should never be dry, so you may need to add a tablespoon or two of extra water while cooking.

Remove the garlic clove and serve with a slotted spoon to drain away any excess moisture.

* Nutritional info: serves four. 537 calories, 11.5 g fat, 63 g carbohydrates, 32 g protein.

Sweet Potato, Kale, and Shiitake Mushrooms with Miso Sauce over Millet

Recently, during a trip to Central Square in Cambridge, I passed what I thought was a café called Life Alive. I didn’t stop in, but I looked it up on my train ride back to the city and discovered that Life Alive is a vegetarian/vegan restaurant. I checked out the menu and a few Yelp reviews, and I wished I’d stopped in! Instead, I did what I thought was the next best thing—I cooked a vegetarian dish full of nutrient-rich vegetables and whole grains, seasoning it with a sauce made from soy sauce, sake, miso, and pungent ginger & garlic paste, a condiment that can be purchased at Indian markets or grocery stores with a good selection of ethnic foods.

Next time you feel the need to clean up your diet, give this recipe a try!


Sweet Potato, Kale, and Shiitake Mushrooms with Miso Sauce over Millet

For the millet:
2 ½ c. / 550 mL water
1 t. / 15 g salt
1 c. / 230 g millet

For the vegetables:
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
12 shiitake mushrooms, halved
1 bunch kale, mid-ribs removed, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. / 15 g salt
2/3 c. / 150 mL water

For the sauce:
½ c. / 115 mL sake
¼ c. / 60 mL low-sodium soy sauce
¼ c. / 60 g miso
2 T. / 30 g ginger & garlic paste

1-2 sliced green onions, to garnish
Butter or vegan butter substitute

First, cook the millet by bringing the water to a boil. Add the millet, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes, covered. Let stand for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

In the meantime, add the sweet potatoes, kale, garlic, salt and water to a large stockpot with a lid. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the kale has wilted and the sweet potatoes are fork-tender.

While the vegetables and millet are cooking, make the sauce by combining the sake, soy sauce, miso, and ginger & garlic paste in a small saucepan over high heat. Whisk until the miso and the garlic & ginger paste have dissolved completely.

Once all the components are cooked, serve in individual bowls by adding the millet, then the vegetables, then the sauce, and finally, finish with a few sprinkled green onions and a pat of butter or vegan butter substitute.

Nutritional information: serves four. 340 calories, 2.2 g fat, 65.8 g carbohydrates, and 11 g protein per serving.

Marinated Salmon with Lemongrass & Mint

I’ve really slacked on posting lately, and I've mentally exhausted every conceivable excuse to sit on my ass and watch the replay of this weekend's NHL All Star Game.  I can't justify going another day without sharing with my readers, so I’ll give you a simple, quick recipe - no backstory, no history, no flowery description, just a wonderful, health-conscious recipe that requires under 10 minutes of prep time. Enjoy!


Marinated Salmon with Lemongrass & Mint

1 lb. wild salmon fillet, skin removed, sliced ¼” thick across the grain
¼ c. thinly sliced red onion
¼ c. Boston Olive Oil Company Lemongrass Mint White Balsamic Vinegar
1 t. coarse kosher salt
1 t. cracked black peppercorns


Combine all the ingredients in a large, nonmetallic bowl with a lid. Secure the lid tightly, shake vigorously, and let marinate for 4-24 hours in the refrigerator, shaking occasionally. Serve cold, either on a dramatic black serving plate, or on a bed of looseleaf lettuce.

If you are not comfortable with the idea of eating uncooked fish, you can lightly steam or lightly broil the fish for an equally delicious dish!