Smart Life Health Coaching

with Ronit Kalman

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One-Pot Chicken Thighs with Chickpeas & Herbs

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Ingredients:

  • 3 Tablespoons avocado oil (or grapeseed oil)
  • 1 Tablespoon cumin seeds (or one teaspoon ground cumin)
  • 1 Tablespoon Baharat Spice Blend or Hawaij Spice Blend 
  • Salt
  • Black Pepper
  • 2 cups Basmati rice, rinsed
  • 2 bunches parsley or cilantro (or one bunch of each)
  • 1 can chickpeas, rinsed
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 cups boiling water
  • 1 lbs. chicken thighs, boneless and skinless

Directions:

  1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Mix together in a small bowl the oil, cumin seeds, Hawaij spice, salt and pepper.
  3. Rinse the rice and place in a large skillet. Top with the chopped onion, chopped herbs, rinsed chickpeas, and half of the spiced oil mixture. Add the 3 cups of boiling water and mix together.
  4. Add the chicken thighs on top of the rice and brush the chicken with the remaining spiced oil mixture.
  5. Cover the pot and bake in the oven for 50 minutes.
  6. Uncover and bake for extra 10 minutes until chicken thighs are browned.
  • An aerial view of waves crashing against a shore.

Baked Salmon with Fennel and Herbed Dressing

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Ingredients:

  • 4 pieces of salmon
  • 4 fennel bulbs, quartered

For the dressing:

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh Thyme, chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh Rosemary, chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Directions:

  1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Brush a baking dish with olive oil and place the salmon pieces and fennel bulbs.
  3. Brush the fish and fennel with the herbed dressing.
  4. Bake for 20 minutes. Roast for 2-3 additional minutes.

Chickpea Patties

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These chickpea patties are made with simple ingredients and easy prep. They are gluten free and dairy free. They pair well with tahini dressing and chopped vegetable salad.


Ingredients:

  • 1 15-ounce canned chickpea rinsed, drained
  • ¼ cup chickpea flour
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 Tablespoons water
  • 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil


Directions:

  1. In a medium bowl, combine the chickpeas, flour, nutritional yeas, parsley, cumin, salt, pepper. Add 3 Tablespoons water and use a masher to combine the ingredients until they are well blended.
  2. Form 6 patties from the mixture.
  3. Heat a large pan with oil and add the patties. Cook until browned, 3-5 minutes per side.
  4. Serve with tahini or any other sauce of choice.

Shredded Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad

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Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon minced shallot
  • 1 small garlic clove, grated
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 cups finely shredded Lacinto kale
  • 3 cups finely shredded Brussels sprouts
  • 3 cups finely shredded red cabbage
  • ¼ cup sliced almonds or pumpkin seeds

For the dressing:

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, mustard, shallot, garlic and honey. Slowly stream in the olive oil while whisking the dressing until well combined. Season the dressing with salt and pepper. Adjust the lemon juice or honey to your personal taste if necessary.

For the salad:

In a large bowl, toss together the shredded kale, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and toasted almonds. Add a few tablespoons of dressing and toss well. Taste and add salt and pepper or more dressing if desired. Sprinkle the almonds or pumpkin seeds over the top and serve.

Lemon Chicken with Kale and Brussels

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This meal was a breeze to make in a single pan and it comes out so juicy, sweet and tangy!

Ingredients:

  • 3-4 boneless chicken breast, cut into thirds
  • 2 cups kale, chopped
  • 1 cup shredded brussels sprouts
  • 1/3 cup sweet onion, diced
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1-2 tablespoons capers
  • 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Spices: garlic powder (1 tsp), paprika (1/2 tsp), kosher salt & black pepper

Directions:

  1. In a large bowl, season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika. Add a drizzle of olive oil and juice of half a lemon. Coat both sides with seasonings.
  2. In a large non-stick pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat. Add diced onion, wait for it to sizzle for 1 minute, then reduce to low heat. Let onions caramelize for 5-7 minutes.
  3. Increase heat to medium and add the chicken breasts. Cook on medium or medium high for a few minutes until one side of the chicken reaches a nice golden brown. Flip the chicken and reduce heat to medium-low.
  4. Add the kale and brussels sprouts to the pan and season with salt and fresh ground pepper. Add the juice of ½ a lemon. Let cook for about 5 minute or until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is cooked all the way through.
  5. Sprinkle with capers all over, to taste. Enjoy!

Vegetable Soup with Cannellini Beans

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This heartwarming, healthy soup will comfort you during the coldest wintery days. It is a bowl of nutrition that can stand as a full meal. Add your favorite herbs to this flavorful veggie soup.

Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup diced yellow onions
  • ½ cup diced fennel
  • ½ cup diced celery
  • ½ cup diced carrots
  • 1 cup diced tomatoes
  • ½ cup diced zucchini
  • ½ cup diced yellow squash
  • 6 cups vegetable stock
  • ½ teaspoon minced fresh oregano
  • ½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cups chiffonade spinach or kale
  • 1 cup canned cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Heat oil in large saucepan. Saute onions, fennel, celery and carrots until onions are translucent. Add tomatoes and cook 5 minutes. Add zucchini and yellow squash and cook 5 more minutes.
  2. Add stock and herbs and simmer for 1 hour.
  3. Add spinach or kale, beans, vinegar, salt and pepper and mix well. Remove and discard bay leaf.

Ronit’s Asian Salmon

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This is a family favorite – even my kids’ friends request it!

    • 1 1/2 pounds salmon filet with skin
    • Sesame oil to brush on fish
    • ½ cup nama shoyu or tamari
    • ½ cup water
    • ¼ cup ponzu
    • 1 tablespoon agave nectar
    • 1 teaspoon crushed pepper

Place fish in pan and brush with sesame oil. Turn over to marinate with skin down.

Mix remaining ingredients and pour over the salmon. Marinate for at least one hour or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover salmon and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and broil for an additional 5 minutes.

Warm Green Salad with Ginger

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Warm salads are the perfect way to spice up an otherwise boring bowl of greens. Make extra servings of this zesty dressing to use on salmon, over Asian rice bowls or on veggie sides.

Dressing ingredients:
½ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
Pepper
Sea salt

Salad ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 pounds greens, chopped
2 red or orange peppers, stemmed, seeded and diced
8 mushrooms of your choice, sliced
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds

To make the dressing:
1. Whisk the ingredients and adjust salt and pepper to your taste.

To make the salad:
1. Sauté the greens in olive oil until their “greenness” peaks.
2. Add the peppers and mushrooms.
3. Mix with the dressing and top with the seeds before serving.

Lemon Chicken Kale Soup

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(Adapted from Skinny Meals by Bob Harper)

This lemony, garlicky soup with chicken and kale is a great all-in-one nutrition boost that can be enjoyed all year round.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons refined coconut oil (or olive oil)

1 cup chopped yellow onion

4 garlic cloves, crushed

8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into cubes

2 teaspoons herbes de Provence (or combination of dried thyme, rosemary, oregano and basil)

2 bay leaves

2 1-quart boxes of organic low-sodium chicken broth

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

3-4 cups chopped kale

Directions

Heat the coconut oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic; sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken, dried herbs, and bay leaves, raise the heat to medium-high and cook for 6-8 minutes.

Pour in the broth and lemon juice. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes.

Turn off the heat and remove the bay leaves. Add the kale and stir until slightly wilted.

Baked Fish in Tomato-Caper Sauce

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This is a great recipe that even people who aren’t fish lovers enjoy. It’s also one of my favorite dishes for dinner parties because the sauce is easy to prep in advance, so all that’s left to do is bake the fish when guests arrive.

This dish is always a winner at my house and with Smart Life clients. What I love about it is that I can pre-make the tomato sauce a day or two ahead and bake it with fish right before serving.  I can also use the sauce to bake fish or shrimp for different meals.
Give this Mediterranean flavored dish a try and elevate your fish dinner to a new level of YUM!

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large yellow onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh oregano
2 tablespoons capers, drained
2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
2 cups fresh tomatoes (with seeds and juices), chopped
1 to 2 zucchinis, chopped
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon Himalayan or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 ½ pounds fresh white fish like cod or sole

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a sauté pan. Add onion and sauté until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until lightly colored, about 1 minute. Stir in oregano, capers and zucchini.

Add crushed tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Lower heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Spread one quarter of tomato sauce on the bottom of a large baking dish.

Arrange fish in a single layer on top of sauce. Bake in over for 15 to 20 minutes, or until fish is just done and opaque. Garnish with lemon and fresh herbs and serve.

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