Wasabi Brisket: So good you'll want to slap yourself

This recipe is somewhat adapted from an award winning recipe originally published in the Chicago Tribune. In general I like to publish original recipes on this site, but the Wasabi Brisket is such a stunning example of some of the basic Skinny Gourmet principles, it had to be included. This tender meat is so unbelievably flavorful that a small serving is very satisfying. Better still, it makes

Arugula salad with goat cheese and summer fruits

I am profoundly sorry, but no picture on this one. I realize it is one of the grave sins of food blogging not to provide a mouthwatering photo. But I was starving for lunch, and those farmer's market peaches were just calling to me. And I've been on such an obsessive arugula kick lately that the salad began to take shape before I knew what was happening and then it just looked so mouthwateringly

Rainier Cherries and Chevre Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette

This is a sweet and tangy summer salad topped with a naturally fat free dressing that will have you licking the bowl. The dressing gets its thickness from the pectin in natural raspberry preserves and omits oil from the dressing all together. The fats you need to maximize nutrition from all those fruits and greens comes in the form of creamy and smooth soft chevre cheese. The sweetness of Rainier

Chicken Cobb Salad

In my world a salad is, almost by definition, an invitation to experiment. Some of the best salads come by combining what is on hand. Some of my favorites have a few predictable elements I always like to include, with enough room for variation to keep things interesting. And so it is with a Chicken and Cobb salad. Some form of Cobb salad can be found on many restaurant menus, but beyond the

A twist on a classic salad

There are some salads that are classics: they are always delicious, but rarely surprise. On Sunday my husband and I were invited over to have dinner at our friends' house. Since she quit smoking five months ago, Berit has taken up cooking, and with impressive results. Dinner was delightful. They started us off with a bruschetta appetizer similar to my bruschetta essenziale. Our main course was a

Heidi's Salad

Many of us understand intuitively that food is deeply laced with meaning and memory. A particular smell or taste has the power to conjure nostalgia like nothing else. That power of food can be mastered to make a dish that is a living memory. When I want to remember my summer living in a Costa Rican village, I make Gallo Pinto, the simple combination of rice, beans and local seasonings that is the

Salad Love: Part II

Falling into a rut—optimistically called “doing what’s working”—is another frequent beginner’s mistake that can lead to plateau, decreased health, and eventually falling off the wagon. Why? Many people find patterned eating is an easy key to resisting temptation. They eat the same thing for breakfast every day. Some people go so far as to eat the same things for breakfast lunch or dinner. They

Salad Love: Part I

I grew up in the Midwest. If you are anything like me, you grew up thinking salads were something you ate before a meal, not for a meal. Salads were something to be endured, a punishment even. But bit by bit I discovered how truly delightful salads can be. A great salad is an assault on the senses: bursting with color, the strong scent of vinegar and herbs, that delightful crunch of lettuce