Healthy Recipes For The New Year From Kathy Gunst

Now that the year is six days old, have you given up a resolution to eat healthier? Here & Now resident chef Kathy Gunst says: don’t despair! She’s had to modify her own eating habits, due to an acid reflux diagnosis.

But as she tells Here & Now’s Jeremy Hobson, “you have to focus on what you can eat, as opposed to what you can’t eat, so you always want to balance color and texture.” Kathy brings us recipes that not only work for her, but can also fit into a low-fat or low-meat diet.

• Sautéed Sea Scallops with Tangerine-Basil-Parsley Glaze
• Brown Rice Bowl with Roasted Vegetables, Grated Carrot and Parsley
• Miso-Ginger Sauce
• Roasted Salmon with a Ginger-Miso Glaze

See more recipes from Kathy Gunst here and more information on the acid reflux diet here.

Sautéed Sea Scallops With Tangerine-Basil-Parsley Glaze

Kathy’s Note: This dish takes about ten minutes and is packed with flavor and almost no fat. Find the freshest winter scallops you can locate and you are in for a treat. Serve with brown rice or on top of salad greens with tangerine juice and just a touch of olive oil.

The sweetest winter scallops come from Maine. For a real treat, order sustainably harvested scallops from Downeast Dayboat.

Serves 2.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 pound fresh sea scallops

2 tablespoons parsley, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons basil, coarsely chopped

1 tangerine, cut in half and juiced

1 tangerine, cut into tiny pieces, optional

Salt to taste

Instructions:

Heat a medium skillet over moderately high heat. Add the oil and heat for 15 seconds. Add the scallops and cook 2 minutes, gently flip over and cook 1 minute. Add the parsley and basil and the tangerine juice and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt to taste. The tangerine juice should slightly thicken. Serve with tangerine sections, if desired.

Brown Rice Bowl With Roasted Vegetables, Grated Carrot And Parsley

Kathy’s Note: An oversized bowl of cooked brown rice, topped with roasted vegetables, grated carrot and raw parsley, combines great textures and flavors for this winter lunch or dinner. You can substitute any winter vegetables you like and add chopped or very thinly sliced herbs – coriander, thyme, mint, etc. – on top.

Serves 2.

Ingredients:

1 cup prepared brown rice (cook according to package directions)

1 medium fennel bulb, cut into quarters

1 small turnip, quartered

1 carrot, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces

1 to 2 thin parsnips, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces

1 small winter squash, like butternut, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch rounds or wedges

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt to taste

1 small head radicchio, quartered, optional

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 small carrot, grated

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a small roasting pan or medium ovenproof skillet, mix the fennel, turnip, carrot, parsnip, and squash. Add the oil and salt to coat thoroughly. Roast on the middle shelf for 15 minutes. Add the radicchio if using. Roast another 10 to 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are just tender and golden brown. Remove.

Place rice in the middle of a medium bowl. Surround with the roasted vegetables. Top with parsley and grated carrot. Serve with the miso-ginger sauce.

Miso-Ginger Sauce

Kathy’s Note: The sauce will keep in a covered jar for up to 5 days. It's delicious served with the rice bowl, grilled salmon or any other fish or chicken.

Serves 2 to 4.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons white miso

2 tablespoons grated or finely chopped fresh ginger

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

In a small jar mix the miso, ginger, soy and vinegar.

Roasted Salmon With Ginger-Miso Glaze

Kathy’s Note: Considering how few ingredients go into this roasted salmon dish it packs a lot of flavor. Look for miso paste at your grocery store or an Asian food market.

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds salmon, preferably organically raised

1 teaspoon olive oil or canola oil

1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons miso paste

2 tablespoons boiling water

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Spread oil in the bottom of a roasting pan or baking sheet with high sides. Place salmon in middle, skin side down. In a small bowl mix the ginger, soy sauce, miso paste and water. Spread on salmon.

Place salmon on middle shelf and bake for 10 minutes. Broil for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through and the glaze is golden brown.

Guest

• Kathy Gunst, resident chef for Here & Now and author of “Notes from a Maine Kitchen” and the video series “Simple Soups from Scratch.” She tweets @mainecook and is on Instagram @kathygunst.

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