Ballet Beautiful: Transform Your Body and Gain the Strength, Grace and Focus of a Ballet Dancer (40 page)

SERVES FOUR

I love salmon! It’s great for your skin, and for your waistline too. When I eat out, I always look for salmon on the menu, and it’s a favorite to prepare at home.

2 medium-sized sweet potatoes

1 medium-sized sweet onion

Olive oil

Sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 ½ pounds wild salmon, organic, cut into ½ pound or ¾-pound pieces

¼ cup of your favorite high-quality olives (I look for low-sodium pitted versions)

½ cup grape tomatoes or one whole tomato, chopped

1 box of organic spinach

1.
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cube the sweet potato and chop the onion. Combine in a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil, sea salt, and fresh pepper. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.

2.
Rinse the salmon and place it in a baking dish with the olives and grape tomatoes (or chopped whole tomatoes). Drizzle with olive oil, on both sides of the fish, and finish with freshly ground pepper. Bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

3.
Meanwhile, steam a handful of spinach until it is soft and still a rich green color. (As it overcooks, spinach turns darker.) (
Note
: Kale makes a great substitute for spinach here.)

Vegetable Soup

SERVES FOUR

This vegetable soup is one of my favorites, especially in the winter months. Serve with whole-grain crackers, fresh fruit, and sharp cheddar cheese.

1 large sweet onion

3 stalks celery

½ small cabbage

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1 cup fresh tomatoes, diced

1 cup butter or baby lima beans

1 cup green peas

1 cup okra

1 cup green beans, sliced

1 large baking potato, diced

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

4 tablespoons light soy sauce

Pinch fresh ground pepper

Pinch sea salt

1.
Bring two quarts of filtered water to a boil.

2.
Finely chop or blend the onion, celery, and cabbage to create a thick base for your soup and add to the boiling water.

3.
Add the cherry tomatoes and tomatoes, finely chopped but not peeled. Mix well and cook on medium heat.

4.
Add all remaining ingredients. Simmer slowly and add filtered water as needed, stirring often for two to three hours.

Gazpacho

SERVES FOUR TO SIX

Gazpacho is a favorite during the summer months. It’s not enough for a full meal, but it makes a great starter to a light, healthy meal of grilled fish and vegetables!

½ large sweet onion

½ cup fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded

½ cup green pepper

½ cup cucumber

½ cup celery

½ clove garlic

2 cups tomato juice

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil

Fresh pepper

Sea salt

1.
Finely chop all of the vegetables. Mince and add the garlic.

2.
Add the tomato juice to the vegetables, along with the Worcestershire sauce, rice wine vinegar, and olive oil. Season to taste with freshly ground pepper and sea salt.

3.
Mix well and refrigerate 24 hours or overnight in a glass container. Enjoy served cold in chilled bowls.

Pasta with Broccoli Rabe and Tomato

SERVES FOUR

My husband introduced me to broccoli rabe—his family is part Italian and wow! Do they love broccoli rabe! Once I tried it, I realized that I love it too! It’s now a staple of our weekly meals. The leafy dark greens are full of vitamins, antioxidants, fiber, and calcium. Look for it as a side when eating at Italian restaurants.

1 box whole-wheat pasta (spaghetti or your favorite kind)

1 head broccoli rabe

2 large, vine-ripened, organic tomatoes

1 head garlic

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 lemon

Organic mixed salad greens

½ red onion, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

Freshly ground sea salt and pepper

Parmesan cheese, for garnish

1.
Boil the spaghetti for five minutes or until almost cooked—al dente. Drain, reserving a quarter-cup of the water.

2.
Rinse and chop the broccoli rabe and tomatoes. Chop the garlic and sauté over medium-high heat until golden brown.

3.
Slowly add the broccoli rabe to the olive oil and garlic, stirring as you go. Turn the heat down to medium and add the quarter-cup of pasta water and the pepper flakes. Stir, then cover for three minutes.

4.
Add the chopped tomatoes, the pepper, and a dash of sea salt. Stir and add the juice of half a lemon. Cover, turn the heat down to low, and simmer for 15 minutes.

5.
Turn off the heat and mix in the pasta. Serve topped with freshly grated parmesan and pepper. (
Note
: Spinach makes a great substitution for the broccoli rabe.)

6.
Assemble the salad greens with one-quarter of a thinly sliced red onion. Top with freshly ground pepper and a dash of sea salt. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the juice from the other half of the lemon. Toss and serve.

Pan-Seared Flounder with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Sautéed Kale

SERVES FOUR

It’s hard to beat fresh flounder! It’s a light, flaky fish without a lot of fishy flavor. Paired with Brussels sprouts and kale, it really tastes terrific!

2 pounds fresh wild flounder, washed and dried, cut into ½-pound pieces

1 lemon

3 medium-sized organic carrots

½ pound organic Brussels sprouts

¼ cup walnuts

Organic kale, one bunch

6 cloves garlic

Olive oil

Freshly ground pepper

1.
Heat the olive oil in a stovetop pan. Place the flounder in the oil and sprinkle with the pepper. Add lemon to taste. Cook each side for three to four minutes, or until golden brown, over medium-high heat.

2.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and slice the carrots and cut the Brussels sprouts in half. Chop the walnuts. Combine everything in a large pan with the olive oil and bake for 35 minutes. Stir as needed.

3.
Rinse and chop the kale and chop the garlic. Sauté the garlic in olive oil over medium-high heat, add the kale, and cook until golden brown. Stir and add freshly ground pepper and sea salt.

Baby Butter Beans

SERVES FOUR

½ cup sweet onion, chopped

1 stalk celery

1 pint lima beans or 16 oz. package of frozen lima beans

1 tablespoon olive oil

Sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

1.
In a sauce pan, cover ½ cup finely chopped, sweet onion and 1 stalk finely chopped celery with filtered water. Bring to a slow boil. Cook about 5 minutes.

2.
Pour 1 pint shelled lima beans or one 16 oz package of frozen lima beans in with onions and celery. Cover with water. Cook 45 minutes on low heat until beans are tender.

3.
Season with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Collard Greens