Not a vegetarian, but...

Am acquaintance recently commented that she thought I was a vegetarian. I'm not. In fact, I've got a freezer full of organic grass-fed beef right now. It comes from my friends' farm in Trumansburg, NY. But I have been slowly reducing my family's meat intake over the past few years. We often go days without eating meat. Instead, we eat whole grains, legumes, and, of course, a variety of fruits and vegetables. We've also been trying to add fish to our diet because of the healthy omega-3 fatty acids they contain. Neither my husband nor I are big fish lovers. We especially avoid the real fishy fish. There was a time when the only fish I could get my husband to eat was a greasy fish fry. But we've grown to love salmon and can tolerate other mild fish, such as tilapia and orange roughy.

Tonight's meal was a good example of the type of meal that I feel good about preparing for my family. I made Moroccan-Steamed Salmon with Quinoa and Carrots. I got the recipe from the January/February 2011 issue of Whole Living, my new favorite magazine, and served it alongside simple microwaved store-bought frozen peas. Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is technically a seed, but it is similar in consistency to rice. It has a nutty flavor and is a great addition to any diet. It provides a complete protein, rich in amino acids, and is a good source of iron, which is important to me since I tend to be borderline anemic when I'm not careful. It is also a good source of magnesium and riboflavin.

I loved all of the flavors in this meal, but the tastiest part was the cilantro sauce that topped the fish and helped me meet another of my goals: to eat more herbs and spices. More on that another time...

Fresh local heirloom tomatoes!

Spring is still a little ways off here in Rochester, but my family had a taste of summer on our table last night thanks to the folks at Bolton Farms in Hilton. They had fresh hydroponic heirloom tomatoes at the Winter Farmer's Market at Cornell Cooperative Extension last night. I got about a dozen tomatoes of varying sizes (including some cherries) and hues, ranging from yellow and green to orange-red and even a striped variety, all ripe and ready to eat. They were so beautiful and aromatic, I just couldn't resist! The price: $5 and worth every penny. If you enjoy tomatoes, you know that most of the ones you can buy in the supermarket during the winter months have little to no flavor. I almost never bother. But these were juicy and favorful!

I've been getting lettuce and herbs from Bolton Farms for several weeks now, as they sell at both the Rochester Public Market on Saturdays and the Wednesday night market. A nice big bag of mixed lettuces sells for $3.50 or two for $5. It made a nice bed for the sliced tomatoes, topped off by some fresh mozzarella pearls and a light vinaigrette. The only thing that would have made it better would have been some fresh basil, but Bolton did not have any and neither did the supermarket.

The best part? I still have some tomatoes left over for tonight! I'll be serving them alongside my friend Nell's Maple-Parsnip Soup. So what if the winter root vegetable and the summery tomatoes make an odd juxtaposition? It will be delicious! And if we're not too greedy tonight, we might even have a few tomatoes left for tomorrow.

Welcome to My Healthy Soul

I've decided to step into the world of blogging. This is all new to me. To be honest, I'm not much of a blog reader myself. But I guess it's time I jumped into the 21st century! I'm doing this for a few reasons:

1. I'm looking for new tools to use to promote the work I do at my job and need to learn more about the  potentials of blogging.
2. I'm looking for a creative outlet for my obsession with healthy food and body and sustainability.
3. I'm a writer by nature and profession, but most of the work I've been doing lately has been rather drab. I needed to find a writing project that was less intense and more fun.

So what will this blog be about? Well, it will be mostly about my efforts to ensure that my body and soul (and those of my family) are healthy and well-nourished. I had some health problems a few years ago that forced me to rethink my diet and environment. Since then, I've been striving to eat healthy food -- organic, local, and sustainable to the greatest extent possible, exercise, reduce my exposure to unhealthy chemicals, and reduce my impact on the environment. So these are the topics I expect to write about most often. But as a working mother and wife, as well as a graduate student trying to complete a Ph.D. dissertation, I suspect that the challenges of balancing the many tasks in my life will also find their way into this column from time to time.

So, welcome to My Healthy Soul. I hope you enjoy the ride!