stew & snow

from warm and sunny friday to snow and sleet today, east coast weather is so confusing! it's a good day to stay inside, read a book with a cup of tea and make a pot of this hearty warming fish stew. it's light and healthy while still being satisfying. and it's versatile - throw in whatever combinations of vegetables, beans, grains and fish you have on hand.

check out this article i worked on for the nest with a few other members of the big leo family. did you see the beet detox spread our friend jen, shot for the new issue of rue - it's beautiful! ready for a fun weekend in boston to celebrate a great friend's birthday - including a wine tasting event here.

Cod & White Bean Stew

serves 2

1 tbs olive oil

3 leeks, white and light green parts, sliced and cleaned well

2 celery stalks, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

3 tomatoes, chopped

1 can cannellini beans, rinsed

2 cups chicken stock

1 small bunch thyme

8 oz cod, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

2 tbs chopped parsley

salt & pepper

heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium high heat. add leeks saute for 5 minutes or until they begin to soften. add celery and garlic and saute a few minutes more. add tomatoes, beans, stock and thyme and bring to a boil. reduce to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender and warmed. add cod and simmer 5 to 8 minutes or until white and flaky. remove from heat, stir in parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. enjoy!

curry & lentils

here are two more images and another recipe from the sustainable eating article that didn't get published in Healing Lifestyles & Spas. it was so interesting to research and write - i learned a lot more about the choices we make when it comes to ingredients. the ethical gourmet and animal, vegetable, miracle are two fantastic books that i highly recommend for more information and other great resources to learn more about how to eat in a way that betters our environment. this curry is so good and uses black cod which is similar in texture and taste to chilean seabass but not as overfished.

Black Cod Curry with Lentils

2 tbs olive oil

2 carrots, peeled & chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

3 yukon gold potatoes, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbs grated fresh ginger

2 tbs madras curry powder

1 cup vegetable or chicken stock

14 oz. light coconut milk

2 kefir lime leaves

1 lb. black cod, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

salt & pepper

2-4 cups cooked lentils

in a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium high heat. saute carrot, onion and potato for 5 minutes until starting to soften and brown. add garlic, ginger and curry powder and saute 1 minute until fragrant. stir in stock, coconut milk and lime leaves and bring to a boil. reduce and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. add fish and simmer until cooked, about 5 minutes. season with salt to taste and serve in a shallow dish or bowl over cooked lentils.

herbs & nuts

i'm not exactly sure if pesto has to be made with basil & pine nuts to be called pesto but you can really make it with all kinds of other herb & nut combinations and it's equally as amazing. for this recipe i didn't have quite enough spinach so i threw in a little parsley too. one of my favorite vessels for pesto is farro (a nutty italian grain) - try it with pesto and roasted butternut squash! here are two recipes from the photo - pesto farro and a really easy yogurt sauce that's perfect on salmon. enjoy!

Farro with Spinach Pesto

1 cup spinach

1 cup parsley

4 cloves garlic

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup walnuts, toasted & cooled

1/4 cup olive oil

1 lb farro

3 cups chicken broth

in a food processor, combine spinach, parsley, garlic, cheese, lemon and walnuts. pulse a few times and then slowly add oil while running. cook farro with chicken broth and 2 cups of water, simmering for 20 minutes. toss warm farro with desired amount of pesto.

Yogurt & Dill Sauce

1 cup greek yogurt

3 tbs dill, chopped

2 tsp lemon zest

1 tsp olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

combine all ingredients and serve with baked, grilled or pan fried salmon.