The New Year: ‘virtuous’ food

IN THE KITCHEN by Faith Bahadurian:  After a series of festive (and high calorie) holiday meals, it’s time to pay the piper by trying a balanced meal with a minimum of saturated fat, some protein and carbohydrate, and plenty of green stuff.

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Illustration by Judy Martin

   After a series of festive (and high calorie) holiday meals, it’s time to pay the piper.
   Well, what did we think? That if we ate something standing up at a cocktail party or a tempting buffet that those calories didn’t count? That a cookie in each hand was a balanced meal? There’s no getting around it: It’s time for more modest meals, the kind that don’t leave us dazed and sluggish for hours.
   Now I know a lot of you are into the low carb thing, in which case try this: In a sauté pan with a lid, lightly sauté some halved (lengthwise) heads of baby bok choi in a bit of peanut oil and slivered ginger to taste (I like lots) for about 2 minutes. Pop a small piece (or two) of salmon fillet on top of the bok choi, sprinkle with 1-2 tablespoons of soy sauce, cover, and steam on low heat about 8 minutes. Drizzle with a little sesame oil before serving.
   Now that is very virtuous, but if I don’t have some rice with it, I’m noshing on cookies or chips by 9 p.m. So I usually go for a more modest goal — to eat a balanced meal, with a minimum of saturated fat, some protein and carbohydrate, and plenty of green stuff.
   The rustic pasta dishes below fit the profile for me and are quick to prepare. I’ve been making them for enough years that I’ve lost track of the original recipes. But Marcella Hazan has a version of pasta with broccoli and anchovy, which I have tweaked to reflect the way I’ve been making it, such as including garlic and using the broccoli stalks along with the florets because they make pretty scalloped rounds when sliced. Ms. Hazan also suggests adding some butter to create a smoother sauce, but I prefer the more rustic all-olive oil route.
   Broccoli is a most virtuous vegetable. Anchovy is for protein, calcium and healthful fish oil. Olive oil is desirably high in monounsaturated fats. Ms. Hazan suggests making this with orecchiette ("little ears"), a typical pasta of Apulia. Another version I found, called Fusilli Pugliesi, is made using spinach fusilli for the pasta and a full cup of olive oil for four servings. I’ve leaned more towards Ms. Hazan’s version below, using reserved pasta water if more moistness is needed.
   Pasta with Swiss chard and walnuts is one of my favorite uses for whole-wheat pasta, which I don’t generally find interchangeable with white pasta (especially in tomato-based sauces). But here it is the perfect choice for the rustic quality of the dish with the bite of red pepper and the nuttiness of walnuts.
   Some similar recipes I found recommend blanching the Swiss chard before adding it to the sauce, but I never have, since I don’t like the chard too cooked down. However, if you prefer your greens on the milder side, try blanching, as it does soften the flavor a bit.
   Other versions recommend adding Gorgonzola cheese — I’m sure that’s a delicious addition, but for now I will try to be virtuous and resist.
BROCCOLI AND ANCHOVY SAUCE FOR ORECCHIETTE AND OTHER PASTA
adapted from The Classic Italian Cookbook by Marcella Hazan
Serves 6
   3 cups washed broccoli florets with pared, sliced stalks
   Salt
   6 tablespoons olive oil
   2 cloves garlic, minced
   1 2-ounce can flat anchovy fillets, chopped
   Freshly ground pepper, 8 to 10 twists of the mill
   6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
   6 tablespoons freshly grated Romano pecorino cheese
   1 pound freshly cooked orecchiette or other short pasta, such as fusilli, with about ½ cup of the boiling water reserved as you drain the pasta.
   Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil; add ¼ teaspoon salt and florets. Cover and cook at a moderate boil until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside. (Or steam the broccoli in the microwave.)
   Put the oil in a skillet with the garlic. Sauté for a moment and then add the chopped anchovies. Cook over medium heat, mashing the anchovies with a wooden spoon until they dissolve into a paste. Add the broccoli florets and the pepper. Turn the broccoli in the anchovy sauce as you sauté it lightly for 4 to 5 minutes. Taste and correct for salt. (If the anchovies were very salty, none may be needed.)
   Add the sauce to the cooked pasta. Mix in a little of the hot reserved pasta cooking water if it seems dry, then mix the grated cheese thoroughly into the hot pasta. Serve immediately. No additional cheese is required at the table.
PASTA WITH SWISS CHARD AND WALNUTS
Serves 6
   4 tablespoons olive oil
   3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced
   ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste
   1 pound (1 large bunch usually suffices) Swiss chard, rinsed, with water clinging to leaves
   ½ cup vegetable broth or water
   ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
   ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt, to taste
   1 pound linguini, freshly cooked al dente
   1 cup walnuts, lightly toasted and chopped
   About ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
   Strip the chard leaves off stems and slice leaves into broad ribbons about ½ inch wide. (Reserve stems for another use, or slice into thin julienne strips and include in recipe.)
   In a large heavy skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil, then add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the chard, with water still clinging to leaves, and sauté until wilted. Add the vegetable broth, and simmer a few moments.
   Either add the cooked pasta to the pan, or pour the chard mixture into the drained pasta. Add walnuts and toss. Serve with grated Parmesan.