Giada's Feel Good Food (14 page)

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Authors: Giada De Laurentiis

BOOK: Giada's Feel Good Food
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This is my take on a wedge salad like one you'd find as a side in a steak restaurant—a salad that often seems heavier than the steak itself! I replaced some of the ingredients with ones that are still tasty but you can feel good about eating, and I turned it into a chopped salad. But it still reminds me of a steakhouse salad! It's meaty from the tuna, avocados and hazelnuts add richness to replace the usual gobs of cheese, and diced pear adds sweetness along with a light fresh pear dressing. Yum.
serves 4
dressing
½ large ripe red Bartlett pear, peeled, cored, and diced
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons pear nectar
1 tablespoon plus 1½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
salad
1 head butter lettuce, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
½ large ripe red Bartlett pear, peeled, cored, and diced
1 avocado, diced
⅓ cup hazelnuts (preferably skinned), toasted (see
Cook's Note
) and coarsely chopped
2 (4-ounce) cans tuna packed in olive oil, such as Flott, drained and flaked into ½-inch pieces
for the dressing:
In a blender, blend together the diced pear, oil, pear nectar, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, salt, and pepper until smooth.
for the salad:
Put the lettuce, pear, avocado, hazelnuts, and tuna in a bowl. Toss with the dressing and serve.
cook's note
To toast hazelnuts, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven until lightly toasted, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely before using.
per serving:
Calories 408; Protein 10g; Carbohydrates 15g; Dietary Fiber 5g; Sugar 8g; Total Fat 35g; Saturated Fat 5g; Sodium 184mg
Even if i am rushing out of the house
with my hair up in a clip, I always wear some kind of tinted moisturizer or light foundation (with SPF 30) to even out my skin and some concealer under my eyes. (Between being a mom, working, and traveling, I don't often get to catch up on my beauty rest!) A bit of blush works wonders for perking up cheeks and I think a quick brush of black mascara (preferably thickening, as opposed to lengthening) and a shimmery colored lip gloss are a bare minimum for me. If I have a bit more time, I like a little bronzer on the top of my face and on my neck.
When I am working or going out, I often go for a full-on smoky eye with liner and shadow. In that case, I stick with lip gloss. If I have on only mascara—no liner or shadow—I opt for a lipstick to get a little more color on my lips. But to tell you the truth, I prefer lip gloss; it's so much more moisturizing than lipstick.

Clockwise from top right: eyeliner, perfume, bronzer, lipstick pencil, shimmery lip gloss, blush brush

Farfalle with Chicken, Cremini Mushrooms, and Swiss Chard

farfalle with
chicken,
cremini
mushrooms, and swiss chard
It's no secret that I love pasta. But lately I've been eating it more at lunch instead of at dinner. That way I have the whole afternoon to use the energy. In the fall and winter months, I crave this hearty pasta salad. I like it warm but it is also good at room temperature; I make it the day before and then pack some up for Todd to take to work.
serves 6
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large or 2 small shallots, sliced
1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
¼ cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (12-ounce) bunch of Swiss chard, center stems removed, leaves chopped into 1-inch pieces
⅓ cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1 pound farfalle pasta
2 cups (½-inch) diced cooked skinless chicken breast
In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and mushrooms and cook until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the wine, thyme, ½ teaspoon of the salt, and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper. Simmer until the wine has mostly evaporated, about 3 minutes.
Pour in the broth and bring to a simmer. In batches, add the chard and cook until wilted, about 7 minutes. Season with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the mascarpone.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but still firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta water. Transfer the pasta to a large bowl.
Add the mushroom sauce and chicken to the pasta along with a little of the reserved pasta water, if needed, to loosen. Toss until all of the ingredients are coated and then serve.
per serving:
Calories 515; Protein 30g; Carbohydrates 64g; Dietary Fiber 4g; Sugar 6g; Total Fat 16g; Saturated Fat 5g; Sodium 460mg

Stuffed Bell Peppers

stuffed bell peppers
These vegetarian stuffed peppers are nice hot on the weekends for lunch at home and at room temp as leftovers for a quick weekday lunch. The filling is a cross between a Sicilian pasta sauce and ratatouille, with a bit more texture than both. I roast the eggplant before combining it with tofu, tomato sauce, olives, and capers.
serves 6
peppers
Vegetable oil cooking spray
3 medium red bell peppers, halved lengthwise, cored, and seeded
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
filling
Vegetable oil cooking spray
2 (8-ounce) Japanese eggplants, trimmed and cut into ⅓-inch pieces
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ (26-ounce) jar tomato-basil sauce
4 ounces firm tofu, drained, patted dry, and cut into ⅓-inch pieces
¼ cup medium black olives, chopped
½ cup medium green olives, chopped
1 tablespoon rinsed and drained capers
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
topping
¼ cup sliced almonds
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400ºF.
for the peppers:
Spray a small baking dish or baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray. Arrange the peppers, cut side up, on the baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Bake until the peppers are tender but still holding their shape, 30 to 35 minutes.
for the filling:
Spray a 9-inch pie dish with vegetable oil cooking spray. Add the eggplant pieces and toss with the olive oil and salt. Roast next to the peppers until tender and golden, about 30 minutes.
In a medium saucepan, combine the tomato sauce, tofu, olives, capers, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in the eggplant.

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