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Authors: Giada De Laurentiis

Giada's Feel Good Food (30 page)

BOOK: Giada's Feel Good Food
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Christmas Seafood Salad

christmas seafood salad
Despite the name of this recipe, you can make it year-round; it's just a traditional part of an Italian Christmas Eve dinner. Instead of making a pasta with seafood, which is what happens a lot of the time, I lightened it up by turning it into a seafood salad. The seafood is poached and then dressed in classic, simple flavors that complement fish so well: lemon, garlic, rosemary, and olive oil. Just-cooked vegetables—carrots, cauliflower, and green beans—mimic the colors of the Italian flag. I often dress up a platter of this with a ring of beet wedges for their beautiful color (you can use canned or I've included a Cook's Note for how I like to cook them) and serve it with thick slices of toasted country bread for those who want it.
serves 6
dressing
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
Grated zest of ½ large lemon
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
vegetables
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally into ⅓-inch-thick ovals
½ pound green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
½ (2-pound) cauliflower, cut into florets (about 2½ cups)
seafood
½ cup dry white wine, such as pinot grigio
¾ pound skinless cod fillets, cut into 1½-inch cubes
¾ pound extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined
¾ pound small clams, such as Manila, scrubbed
Lemon wedges
for the dressing:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, garlic, rosemary, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until blended. Gradually whisk in the oil to emulsify.
for the vegetables:
Add enough cold water to a heavy large pot to reach a depth of 2 inches. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat and add the salt. Add the carrots, green beans, and cauliflower. Cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the vegetables and transfer to a bowl to cool. Reserve the water in the pot.
for the seafood:
Add the wine to the vegetable cooking water. Adjust the heat so the liquid is barely simmering. Add the cod and simmer until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the cod and set aside on a plate. Add the shrimp and clams to the pot. Cover and cook until all the clams have opened and the shrimp are cooked through and opaque in the center, 4 to 5 minutes. Discard any unopened clams. Drain the shrimp and clams and transfer to the plate with the cod.
to assemble the salad:
Arrange the carrots, green beans, and cauliflower on a large platter. Arrange the shrimp, clams, and cod on top and drizzle with the dressing. Arrange the lemon wedges around the edge of the platter and serve.
cook's note
To cook beets, put them in a medium saucepan. Fill the saucepan with water until the beets are covered. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and cover the pan. Simmer until the beets are cooked through, about 30 minutes. (Alternatively, place the beets in a large microwave-safe bowl. Add 1 cup water. Cover with plastic wrap and cook on high power until tender, about 15 minutes.) Peel the beets under cold running water and cut each into 6 or 8 wedges.
per serving:
Calories 302; Protein 22g; Carbohydrates 9g; Dietary Fiber 3g; Sugar 4g; Total Fat 20g; Saturated Fat 3g; Sodium 256mg
salmon
with lemon, capers, and rosemary
Slip this super-easy dish into your weeknight rotation. Cooking fish in foil seals in all the flavor and keeps the fish extra moist. This recipe also has some bright citrus and briny capers complemented by fragrant rosemary. Salmon takes to these bold flavors really well and this smells just great while it cooks.
serves 4
4 (4-ounce) skinless salmon fillets, each about 1 inch thick
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
4 lemon slices
4 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
8 tablespoons Marsala wine
4 teaspoons capers, rinsed and drained
Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill.
Put each piece of salmon on a piece of aluminum foil large enough to fold over and seal. Brush the salmon fillets on both sides with olive oil and season with the salt, pepper, and rosemary. Top each piece of salmon with 1 lemon slice, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoons wine, and 1 teaspoon capers. Wrap the salmon tightly in the foil packets.
Put the foil packets on the hot grill pan or grill rack and cook until medium, about 10 minutes. Transfer the foil packets to plates or shallow bowls and serve, letting everyone open up the foil.
per serving:
Calories 341; Protein 23g; Carbohydrates 6g; Dietary Fiber 0g; Sugar 4g; Total Fat 21g; Saturated Fat 4g; Sodium 265mg
garlic-roasted chicken and
root vegetables
This is a great recipe to make in fall on the weekend; I like to have leftovers during the week for lunch or to reinvent for dinner. I puree any leftover root veggies in a blender or food processor with a little olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and turn them into a dressing for a salad. You get a
completely new dish
.
serves 6
chicken
1 (4½- to 5-pound) chicken, rinsed and patted dry
5 sprigs fresh rosemary, plus 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
5 sprigs fresh thyme, plus 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 lemon, quartered, plus ½ teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
vegetables
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 baby red potatoes, halved
4 medium carrots, peeled and halved lengthwise
2 large parsnips, peeled and quartered lengthwise
2 large shallots (about 8 ounces), peeled and halved
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
Position an oven rack just below the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
for the chicken:
Put the chicken in a large roasting pan and stuff the rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs, and lemon quarters into the cavity.
In a small bowl, combine the butter, garlic, chopped rosemary, chopped thyme, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until smooth. Smear the butter mixture over the outside and under the skin of the chicken, being careful not to tear the skin.
for the vegetables:
In a large bowl, toss together the oil, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, shallots, garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper.
Arrange the vegetables around the chicken in a single layer. Pour in the broth. Roast until the vegetables are tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken thigh registers 160°F to 165°F, about 1½ hours. Let the chicken rest for 20 minutes. 
Transfer the chicken to a platter. Arrange the vegetables around the chicken. Scrape the juices from the roasting pan into a 4-cup measuring cup. Spoon off the layer of fat that rises to the top. Serve the chicken with the pan juices.
per serving:
Calories 520; Protein 33g; Carbohydrates 41g; Dietary Fiber 6g; Sugar 8g; Total Fat 24g; Saturated Fat 7g; Sodium 495mg
Sometimes my bag feels like a suitcase, not a handbag! Like most moms, I manage to pack a lot in there so I am always prepared:

•
ALMONDS
for me and, for Jade,
TRAIL MIX
with nuts, raisins, and mini chocolate chips

•
A little
DARK CHOCOLATE
; the chocolate-covered espresso beans from the Hôtel de Paris in Monaco are a recent favorite!

•
Packets of
AGAVE NECTAR
and
OLIVE OIL

•
GREEN TEA BAGS

•
VITAMIN C
packets—an essential for frequent flyers!

•
PROBIOTICS.
When you're eating funny things, at odd times, and have jet lag, these are a must. A lot of the pitfalls of traveling can be prevented by keeping your tummy happy.

•
TIC TACS
or
MINTY GUM
for a quick refreshing fix

•
Intensely creamy
HAND CREAM

•
CRAYONS
for Jade

•
Lemon-scented
HAND WIPES

•
Travel-size
PERFUME
, such as tuberose and jasmine

•
Travel-size day-to-night
MAKEUP ESSENTIALS
: tinted moisturizer with SPF (great for touchups after work; perks you up), cream shadows (wash hands and use your fingers on eyelids, glowy), lip gloss plus clear gloss with SPF, mascara, cream blush, little mirror with blotters

•
TISSUES

•
IPHONE
for keeping in touch with photos and Twitter, and for my favorite app, Daily Meditation, which takes just five minutes a day

•
IPAD
with books and games

•
PASHMINA WRAP
: it's my scarf, blanket, and pillow in one!

BOOK: Giada's Feel Good Food
12.79Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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