NOURISH HEALTH + TASTE + STYLE

Fixed On :: Quinoa Salad with English Peas, Arugula Mixed Herbs and Feta

This salad made it's tasty debut a few weeks ago over at the Equals Record (an eloquent, inspiring site you should already be hooked on), but it's worth bringing back for another post as it is quickly becoming my go-to easy, breezy salad of the summer.  If you need a refresher, quinoa's an energizing nutritional powerhouse, crammed with protein, fiber, antioxidants, omega 3 fats and a load of vitamins.  Mix in a variety of spring/summer herbs, peas and fava beans and then throw in some red chili and feta for a little heat and tanginess...you'll be eating this stuff for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Well, at least until you get sick of it.  Make a big bowl of the stuff and keep it in the fridge throughout the week for a quick lunch or a side with dinner.  Reminds me of summertime as a child when my mom would, without fail, keep a vat of tabouleh salad in the fridge at all times.  So get in the kitchen and let good food make summer's hectic schedule a little easier!   

Fresh Summer Reading :: Hero Food

Hero Food: How Cooking with Delicious Things Can Make Us Feel Better.

I've been meaning to post about this book ever since it landed on my desk and page after page, I couldn't stop gasping over the gorgeous photos and enticing recipes that lie within.

Seamus Mullen is among NYC's most notable chefs.  Known for his beautiful, fresh take on Spanish food - his most recent restaurant Tertulia, doesn't disappoint.  Seamus also was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis about 5 years ago.  This book chronicles how he's since come to use food to fight a painful, potentially-debiltating disease.  He's highlighted 18 "hero" ingredients throughout the book, known for their anti-inflammatory, restorative properties, and has taken a chef's angle to turn them into brilliantly fresh, simple and wholesome dishes.  I love how he splits chapters by ingredient and further splits section by season.  A few recipes in the book I'll definitely be testing this summer...

Chilled Carrot Soup with Yogurt and Tarragon, Corn and Crab Salad, Stone Fruit Gazapacho with Scallops, Line-Caught Atlantic Cod with Sorrel Sauce.

And without further adieu, here's Seamus's list of "hero foods" along with a recipe to whet your appetite and boost your health:

Olive Oil | Dried Beans | Almonds | Grains | Anchovies | Good Eggs | Good Birds | Sweet Peas | Parsley | Berries | Carrots | Corn | Stone Fruit | Good Fish | Squash | Mushrooms | Greens | Good Meat

Catch another Hero Food recipe for Chilled Sweet Pea Soup here.