Wellness for Life with G. Jamie Dougherty – Fennel, Citrus and Radish Salad

The wellness videos are rolling out… aren’t you just loving it?   Here is a video we shot in February discussing metabolism boosting recipes.  F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S!  The great thing about this fennel, citrus and radish salad is that you can find most of the ingredients in both winter and summer.  Just one of the amazing perks of living in California.  If you did not want to use citrus, summer stone fruit like plum, peach or nectarine will work beautifully, though I would choose a more tart piece of fruit to stay true to the slight tartness of the citrus.  I prefer my peaches and plums a bit tart anyway so it works out well.  The key to this salad is keeping the fennel thinly sliced.  Fennel can have a strong licorice flavor which is easily calmed when the fennel is shaved into strips rather than haphazardly chopped.  You can certainly do this with a knife, as shown in the video, however using a mandoline will certainly save you time.

Also if you are a fennel-hater, this salad is for YOU.  During the taping of the video I had 2 audience members profess their distinct dislike of fennel.  After the shoot, while in line for second helpings, they both said I had made fennel converts out of them.  The combination of sweetness from the fruit and saltiness donated by the olives mitigates any overwhelming licorice taste and leaves you simply with a crunchy, well-balanced and well-textured salad.  Voila!

This salad comes together easily and is a colorful addition to any picnic, BBQ or quick summer dinner.  It pairs well with grilled fish or meat and if you feel like staying in the vegetarian camp, serve it along side a warm bean salad, farro pilaf and roasted broccoli.  So freakin’ good!

Fennel, Citrus, and Radish Salad

Serves 4

1 fennel bulb

8 radishes, trimmed

1 orange, peeled and segmented

Black olives, pitted  (Look for the imported olives at your grocery’s olive bar.  No canned black olives here!)

1 lemon, halved and seeded

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

A splash of balsamic vinegar (optional)

Cut off the stems, feathery tops and any bruised outer layers of the fennel bulb. Cut the bulb in half lengthwise and then again into quarters.  Core the quarters and thinly slice the fennel and place in a large bowl.  Wash and thinly slice the radishes and place them in the bowl.

Using a small, sharp knife, cut a slice off the top and bottom of the orange to expose the flesh.  Peel the orange and place upright on a cutting board. Moving from top to bottom, slice off the white pith in strips, cutting around the contour of the orange to expose the flesh. Holding the orange over a small bowl, cut along either side of each section to free it from the membrane, letting the sections drop into the bowl. Remove and discard any seeds.

Toss the fennel, radishes, orange segments, and olives together in the large bowl. Season with salt and pepper, juice from half of the lemon and olive oil.   Add balsamic vinegar if desired.  Taste and adjust the seasonings and serve.

Wellness for Life with Jamie G. Dougherty – Curried Kale with Mushrooms from ami capen on Vimeo.

It may seem like I’m on a curry kick and…well, I am. I love using curry powder in the winter when I need a little something warm in my tummy. And please don’t think curry has to be a big production (as in creating an entire Indian buffet because you somehow thought it was necessary when you promised your husband curry). I sneak a zesty addition of curry powder into my tahini tuna fish, onto roasted butternut squash and grilled zucchini, as well as into my dark leafy greens.

Now I haven’t spoken of my favorite vegetable for a while so I think it’s time for an ode to kale. First know however, that the first 21 years of my life were dedicated to broccoli. Yes, I ate lettuce, greens beans, asparagus and boy choy but none of these held my attention like broccoli. Its textured crown and crunchy stalk were forever welcome on my plate, whether steamed, roasted or, in my favorite childhood fashion, drowned in my mother’s curried mayo and lemon sauce. So when I started cooking for myself, not surprisingly broccoli was the first item on my shopping list. I strolled down the vegetables aisle looking at the chard, spinach and a leafy unknown named kale, and always ran back to the safety of my broccoli. So what changed? Well I did’t get bored if that’s what you’re thinking. As a creature (and

eater) of habit I would have happily stayed a sole broccoli eater had I not ventured into macrobiotics. In adjusting my food to a more plant-based diet, I was forced to branch out a bit. Truly, when half your plate is required vegetables, there is honestly only so much broccoli you can eat.

My next trip to the market I begrudgingly bought a head of kale. The large leaves flattened in the middle and attached to a hearty stalk while the outer edges curled up, making each leaf look like a large green fan. “What the hell am I going to do with this? ” I thought. Broccoli was simple. Rinse, chop, saute, done. This looked way more complicated. My macrobiotic cookbook recommended I steam the kale then drizzle sesame oil and tamari over the top. The preparation was easy enough: rinse, chop then steam, and the result was okay, even good actually. Though not as sweet as broccoli, I enjoyed its chloroform-filled taste and if I didn’t steam the kale to death, I could get a nice al dente (almost broccoli-like) texture. And with that one recipe, I was kale-inspired! I soon branched out and tried red kale, lacinato kale and red Russian kale. I sauteed kale with garlic and onions, tossed it into soups, threw it into smoothies, and mixed it in with my beans and rice. (Now that I eat meat, I love it with braised beef, or chicken, or fish or well, any animal protein actually.)

Though I’ve never lost my broccoli love, “culinarily” speaking kale goes where broccoli just can’t. Sure I can put broccoli into a soup or a stir-fry but it has to be at the last minute to make sure the broccoli doesn’t turn to mush. Kale, alternatively, somehow always holds its physical integrity, making it a much more versatile vegetable. Rarely does a day go by when I do not eat kale in some form or another. I simply adore it, though will admit I should probably branch out a bit…you know, give chard a chance, perhaps. I actually partook in my ole’ buddy broccoli last night and it was a nice change of pace. I guess when it comes down to it, I’m just a greens freak!

The key to falling in love with greens is preparing them the right way. Rarely do plain vegetables entice the taste buds, but if prepared well with spices and good fats, there is no end to the delicious possibilities. Here is my current favorite way to make kale. I made this recipe at a cooking demo just last week where a 10-year old told me it was “the best thing she has ever eaten!” She might have been exaggerating for my ego’s sake, but hey I’ll take it. It also went over well with a 5 and 7-year old pair of siblings whose father told me neither of them will eat kale. After one bite the 7-year old proclaimed, ” Dad, we’d eat kale if you made it like this!” And with those kinds of endorsements, there is not much else to say. Enjoy!

Curried Kale and Shiitake Mushrooms

Serves 4 as a side

Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the onions. Cook until translucent and a bit golden, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, mushrooms, curry powder and a pinch of salt, stir well, and cook until the mushrooms have softened.

Add the kale and combine with the mushroom mixture. Reduce the heat to low, add another pinch of salt, pepper, nutmeg and the water and cover and cook for about 7 minutes. The kale should be nicely wilted and bright green and the liquid mostly evaporated.

Wellness for Life with Jamie Dougherty (Episode 1) from ami capen on Vimeo.

Three years ago I mustered all the courage I had and called the marketing director at my local Whole Foods. “Hi!,” I said, in an intensely perky voice. “My name is Jamie G. Dougherty, Health and Lifestyle Coach, and I would LOVE to provide wellness lectures and cooking classes for Whole Foods.” “Really,” he replied. “As it turns out we are working with the Alta Bates Summit Medical Center to create a wellness series and we are looking for a nutrition component, ” he continued. “Let’s set up a time to talk.” And so it was that I became the co-creator of the Whole Foods and Alta Bates Summit Wellness for Life Series! Since its inception we have provided nutrition lectures, health food store tours, and cooking classes for Alta Bates employees and the general public. It’s an amazing program that I am so very proud of. Every month I give a cooking class that covers a specific topic. The following video is from my February “Heart Healthy” class where I blew everyone’s mind with a Roasted Kabocha Squash and Lentil Soup recipe. I made a triple batch, hoping to take some leftovers home for dinner. After ladling thirds and fourths to some participants, I was left with an efficiently cleaned out pot. Thankfully, my initial perturbation gave way to gratitude. What better compliment than to have all the soup slurped up?? Enjoy!

Roasted Kabocha Squash and Lentil Soup

Serves 4

1 red onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 cups French green lentils, picked over and washed
6 cups water, organic vegetable or chicken stock
3 cups Swiss Chard, washed and chopped (feel free to use spinach or kale in its place)
2 cups kabocha squash, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
3 teaspoons sea salt

Preheat the oven to 415 degrees. In a large stock pot over medium heat, sauté the onion, carrots, and celery in 3 tablespoons of oil until they are soft. Add the garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes. Toss in the lentils and water (or broth), bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes (cook for 20 minutes if the lentils have been soaked overnight.)

While the lentils are cooking, roast the kabocha squash. Peel and seed the squash and chop it into 1-inch cubes. Mix with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of salt, place in a Pyrex dish, and bake for 40 minutes. Stir once at the 20 minutes mark for even cooking. The squash should be golden brown and soft on the inside.

Once the lentils are cooked, add the chopped chard and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Next, add in 2 cups of the roasted kabocha squash. (Place extra squash in the fridge for a quick snack.) Mix the soup thoroughly and add fresh parsley and salt to taste. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and serve with a big green salad. Enjoy!