Meals: Four to Add to Your Rep

When it comes to meals, what I have found is that all of us need a few simple, easy recipes in our repertoire. Recipes that require no thought, almost no preparation, and deliver a good nutritional punch. These are four standby meals from my kitchen; I always vary the side vegetable depending on the season. Sometimes I add a whole grain like wild rice or a risotto, depending on how hungry we all are, but the basic meal is here.

• Salmon with Green Beans and Almonds

  Salmon

  1. Rinse salmon fillet in water and pat dry with paper towel

  2. Place salmon (skin side down) in frying pan

  3. Squeeze lemon juice on top (or skip it if you don’t have any)

  4. Add salt and pepper

  5. Cover with lid and turn heat to medium.

  6. Set timer for 15 minutes.

  Beans

  1. While the salmon is cooking place 2 inches water in a medium saucepan

  2. Turn heat to high

  3. Rinse green beans

  4. Add to water when boiling

  5. Cover with lid and set timer for 4 minutes

  In the meantime, open package of sliced or slivered almonds.* Plate salmon when cooked. Drain beans and return to pan. Add a squeeze of lemon juice, a bit of olive oil, and salt to taste. Toss with almonds.

  *If you’re really feeling fancy, you can toast the almonds: just place them in a small frying pan without oil on medium heat and toss regularly till lightly toasted. Toasting really brings out the flavor. 

• Cod Fillet with Spinach

  I like either Italian breadcrumbs or Panko for my cod. They both produce a nice thin crust that fancies up the fish just enough.

  Cod

  1. Place a pat of butter or oil (peanut and olive are nice) in frying pan over low-medium heat.

  2. Rinse cod fillet in water and pat dry with paper towel.

  3. Place fillet in breadcrumbs and turn to coat well.

  4. Place fillet in frying pan and set timer for 3 minutes.

  5. Flip cod and reset timer to 3 minutes.

  Spinach

  1. Place another pat of butter or oil in a saute pan.

  2. When melted, add prewashed baby spinach.

  3. Toss until all is wilted.

  4. Add salt and pepper to taste.

  The cod can be eaten as is or with a spritz of lemon juice or ketchup or even tartar sauce if that’s how you like it.

Salads

Meals don’t have to be on plates with separate components; sometimes our evening meal is a giant salad in a bowl. It’s a good idea to always have some salad or leafy greens in your fridge for just this purpose. I like the prewashed ones because… it’s easy! If you’re hungry for more, there are some great boxed soups out there these days that can be heated up in a few minutes. Here is one of my favorites.

• Protein-Packed Salad Bowl – version 1

  First, toast pumpkin seeds (and/or walnuts) in small frying pan on low-medium heat, then:

  1. Place prewashed salad greens (or baby kale, baby spinach, arugula, whatever) in large bowl

  2. Add chopped tomatoes

  3. Drain and add canned cannellini beans

  4. Add leftover grains from fridge (quinoa and any rice works great in a cold salad)

  5. Add raisins or dried cherries

  6. Crumble blue cheese over top

  7. Add toasted seeds/nuts

  8. Toss with balsamic vinegar and olive oil

  9. Salt and pepper to taste

• Protein-Packed Salad Bowl – version 2

  1. Place prewashed salad greens (or baby kale, baby spinach, arugula, whatever) in large bowl

  2. Add drained canned tuna

  3. Add leftover grains from fridge (quinoa and any rice works great in a cold salad)

  4. Add chopped cherry tomatoes

  5. Add kalamata olives (buy them pitted)

  6. Add chopped cucumber

  7. Crumble feta cheese over salad

  8. Toss with red wine vinegar and olive oil

  9. Add a pinch of dried oregano

  10. Salt and pepper to taste