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Category: Recipes

Wild Rice, Kale, and Grape Salad, With Citrus Dressing

Looking for a new side dish? Take advantage of fresh citrus with this easy make-ahead salad.

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Wild Rice, Kale, and Grape Salad

Salad Ingredients:

  • 3 cups cooked wild rice
  • 2 cups chopped kale
  • 1 cup grapes, halved
  • 1/4 cup toasted walnuts
  • 1/4 cup feta cheese

Dressing Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup shallot, minced
  • 2 Tbsp Olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp honey
  • 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
  • 1/2 orange, zested and juiced

Directions:

  1. For salad: Prep all ingredients, if not already pre-made. Cook rice. Toast walnuts in a 350 degree oven for ten minutes. Thinly chop kale and slice grapes in half. Now put all these babies in the fridge to chill.
  2. For dressing: Saute shallot on low, in 1/2 tbsp olive oil, for two minutes.
  3. When cool, place shallot in a food processor with the remaining olive oil, honey, vinegar, salt, and juices. Pulse to combine.
  4. Taste dressing and adjust seasoning if needed.
  5. In a large bowl, combine rice, kale, grapes, walnuts and feta. Pour dressing over salad and toss well to coat.
  6. Enjoy!

 

Anne McCranie is a Portland (Sellwood), Oregon based personal trainer and licensed massage therapist. She offers this recipe to tickle your taste buds. Please see your medical professional for specific dietary advice.

 

Spicy Italian Sausage, White Bean and Kale Soup

I saw this soup recipe on the New Seasons website and decided to try it out.

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It fit my criteria of a short ingredient list, easy preparation, and a healthy combo of protein and veggies. I was temped to add more hot peppers as I really like things spicy, but stuck to the recipe and I’m glad I did. It is just the right amount of spicy. This is a great weekend make-ahead meal, in fact I doubled the recipe and froze half of the soup. I also let it simmer on low for about an hour once I had all my ingredients in the pot.

Try it this week and let me know what you think in the comments below…

Sausage bean and kale soup 2.17

Spicy Italian Sausage, White Bean, And Kale Soup

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb of spicy Italian pork sausage
  • 1 cup onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 quart chicken broth
  • 2 cans of white beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 bunch kale, washed and thinly sliced

Directions:

  1. In a large stock pot or heavy pan brown the sausage for about ten minutes on medium/high heat.
  2. Add onions and cook until translucent.
  3. Add broth and beans and bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to low.
  4. Add kale and simmer for ten minutes.

 

Anne McCranie is a Portland (Sellwood), Oregon based personal trainer and licensed massage therapist. She offers this recipe to tickle your taste buds. Please see your medical professional for specific dietary advice.

Garlicky Baked Tilapia With Tomatoes, Olives, Spinach, and Parmesan

Looking for a quick and easy weeknight meal? This easy baked fish recipe takes only a few minutes to prep and cook.

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I tend to eat the same foods regularly (I’ve been on a roast chicken loop lately), and was looking to branch out. Plus, we went to Costco over the holidays, so I have a freezer packed with enough fish fillets, ground bison, chicken breasts, berries, and chopped mango to get me through the next earthquake or zombie apocalypse. I have been experimenting with variations on this tilapia dish all week and wanted to share it with you. It is fairly forgiving, so feel free to sub cod or your favorite whitefish.

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You can use fresh tomatoes in summer, or canned diced tomatoes or tomato paste in January. I put on some wild rice before starting my fish. You could also serve this with pasta or a nice piece of crusty bread.

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Try this easy, healthy recipe and let me know what you think in the comments below…

Garlicky Baked Tilapia With Tomatoes, Olives, Spinach, and Parmesan

Ingredients:
  • 4 tilapia fillets
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 handfuls of raw spinach leaves
  • 2 tablespoons of tomato paste (or a 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes)
  • 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped olives plus a little bit of juice
  • juice and zest from 1/2 lemon
  • 4 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
  1. If your fish fillets are frozen, take them out the night before and place them in the fridge to thaw.
  2. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
  3. Oil an 8 X 11 baking dish, and while you’re at it, rub some oil, salt and pepper on both sides of your fish fillets, then set on a plate.
  4. Spread the spinach out in an even layer in the pan.
  5. Smear tomato paste on one side of the fish and place them tomato side down on the spinach (or sprinkle tomatoes on the spinach, then top with the fish).
  6. Sprinkle garlic, olives, lemon juice, and lemon zest over the fish. Spoon a little bit of olive juice over them as well.
  7. Sprinkle Parmesan on top of the fish.
  8. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fish (check after 15 minutes, it should flake easily with a fork).
  9. Take the fish out of the oven and place a piece of foil on top. Let the fish rest for five minutes.
  10. Plate one fish fillet and scoop up a few spoonfuls of the spinach/ olive mixture to drizzle on top.

Anne McCranie is a Portland (Sellwood), Oregon based personal trainer and licensed massage therapist. She shares this recipe to tickle your taste buds. Please see your medical professional for specific dietary advice.

Green Bean, Hazelnut, and Feta Salad

One of my ladies has a tradition of bringing me hazelnuts from a local farm (thanks Jan!). Included in her holiday hazelnut delivery last week were several hazelnut recipes, including the green bean salad below. I brought this tangy, citrusy salad to Thanksgiving dinner. It’s quick, easy and delicious!

 

First blanch and chill your green beans. Roast your hazelnuts and let them cool. The rest of the salad you can assemble right before dinner.

Green Bean, Hazelnut, and Feta Salad

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Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. trimmed, washed, and blanched green beans
  • 1 cup chopped, roasted hazelnuts
  • 1/2 small sweet onion, fine dice
  • 1/2 orange, zested and juiced
  • 1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
  • 3 Tbs olive oil
  • 4 oz crumbled feta cheese
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 8 oz salad greens

To Prepare:

  1. In a large bowl whisk together the juice, zest, olive oil, salt and pepper.
  2. Add onions and green beans to dressing and toss to coat.
  3. Add cheese and hazelnuts and toss again.
  4. Serve over fresh greens.

 

Anne McCranie is a Portland (Sellwood), Oregon based personal trainer and licensed massage therapist. She offers this recipe to tickle your taste buds. Please see your medical professional for specific dietary advice.

 

 

Pesto, Corn And Tomato Salad

People have been bringing me tomatoes (and tomato soup – thanks Concetta!) all month. Hooray for end of summer produce! Last week at the farmers market I found fresh corn, garlic and basil and decided to put them all together. First I made a pesto with basil, pecans, parmesan, garlic and olive oil, then I added the pesto to chopped corn, tomatoes and onions. Yum!

 

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Homemade pesto is so easy and versatile. Traditionally made with pine nuts, you can also use walnuts or pecans. You can toss any leftover pesto into warm pasta, or serve it over mashed potatoes like they do at La Buca. Try this recipe and let me know what you think…

Pesto, Corn and Tomato Salad

First make your pesto:

  • One bunch of fresh basil (about two cups of packed leaves)
  • 3-4 cloves of garlic
  • 1/4 cup pecans
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

If you have the time and would like a great arm workout, chop all ingredients by hand. Otherwise place basil, garlic, nuts, and cheese in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Slowly add the olive oil until the mixture is incorporated. Taste it to see if you need any salt (the cheese may be salty enough) then add salt and pepper to taste, stir to combine.

Now assemble your salad:

  • 2-3 ears of fresh corn
  • 4-5 tomatoes
  • 1/2 of a large red onion

Boil corn for 5-10 minutes and let cool. Meanwhile chop tomatoes into bite size pieces and finely dice your onion. Once the corn is cool enough to handle take a sharp knife and carefully slice off the kernels. Mix your corn kernels, tomato and onion together. Add pesto to taste (you may have some pesto leftover. Spread it on sandwiches, use it as a veggie dip…).

I served my corn salad over a bed of arugula and shredded chicken for a delicious farmer’s market lunch!

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Like this recipe? Share it with a friend or leave a comment below.

 

Anne McCranie is a Portland (Sellwood), Oregon based personal trainer and licensed massage therapist. She offers this recipe to tickle your taste buds. Please see your medical professional for specific dietary advice.