Fueling your New Year's goals

The New Year is a time to reflect on the year behind us and plan for exciting months ahead. For many of us, it’s a chance to re-evaluate our food choices and set new healthy goals. To help you kick start your resolutions and refuel after a season of indulgence, try adding superfoods to your everyday recipes.

“Creating a salad bursting with superfoods is one of the easiest ways to recharge after a hectic and sweets-filled season,” says Chef Cory Vitiello, a restaurateur and star in Food Network Canada’s Chef in Your Ear. “Combine your superfoods with a homemade dressing that uses nutrient-rich Florida grapefruit to boost your salad’s taste. Florida grapefruit is the juiciest at this time of year, so I try to add its bold flavour to every dish I can.”

The salad recipe below created by Chef Vitiello is the perfect way to add superfoods and refreshing taste to your lunch or dinner, while keeping your New Year aspirations on track.

Serves 4

Prep time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

Florida Grapefruit Superfood Salad

• 1 butternut squash

• 1 cup organic red quinoa

• 2 Florida grapefruit

• 1/2 small Napa cabbage

• 2 cups baby romaine leaves

• 1 cucumber

• ½ cup goji berries

• ½ cup hemp hearts

• ¼ avocado

Dressing:• 1 small carrot• 2 green onions• 2 tablespoons white miso• 100 mL fresh Florida grapefruit juice• 1 inch piece of peeled ginger• 1 tablespoon lemon juice• 1 teaspoon salt• 75 mL olive oil• 75 mL canola oil

Directions:

1. Peel and cut the butternut squash into 1 inch pieces. Blanch in boiling water for about 4 minutes or until just tender. Drain, pat dry and set it aside until ready to use.

2. In a small pot, bring 2 cups of lightly salted water to boil. Add the quinoa and turn heat down to medium. Cook the quinoa for 20 minutes or until the quinoa triples in size and becomes tender. Drain and set aside to cool.

3. Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a blender and puree on the highest speed for several minutes until very smooth. This can be done a day in advance and held in the refrigerator.

4. Using a sharp paring knife, cut the ends off of the Florida grapefruit so it sits flat on the cutting board. Carefully run the paring knife under the peel and trim away all of the pith, leaving just the grapefruit flesh. Slice the grapefruit into 8 even segments.

5. Cut the Napa cabbage into quarters and remove the core. Cut the cabbage crosswise into thin shavings. Hold this in a large salad bowl suitable for serving.

6. Cut the baby romaine leaves into bite sized pieces and add them to the salad bowl.

Slice the cucumber lengthwise and remove the seeds. Cut the cucumber on an angle into very thin slices and transfer to the salad bowl.

7. Combine the squash, Florida grapefruit slices, hemp hearts, goji berries, avocado and quinoa into the salad bowl and toss liberally with dressing.

Credit: News Canada