We’re all about eating healthy here at Murad, so in honor of Labor Day, we asked our employees to share some of their favorite recipes. All of these creations include fresh ingredients that will help you look, live and feel better every day.
Wheat Berry Salad
Submitted by Chelsea Mutovic—PHR, Manager, Human Resources
Ingredients
1 ½ cups hard wheat berries
¾ cup chopped walnuts
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
½ cup tart dried cherries, chopped
1 scallion, white and green parts, chopped
½ cup finely chopped parsley leaves
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
In a large pot, combine the wheat berries and enough water to come 2 inches over the wheat berries. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered for 1 hour, or until tender. Drain and let cool. Toast the walnuts in a medium dry skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the wheat berries, walnuts, celery, dried cherries, scallions, parsley, olive oil and lemon juice. Season to taste, with the sea salt and pepper.
Adapted from Ellie Krieger’s recipe here.
Brownies with Spinach
Submitted by Kristen Robinson—Director, New Product Development
Ingredients
½ cup organic whole wheat pastry flour (I use Garbanzo bean flour)
½ cup almond flour
1 cup organic raw sugar (I reduce this by ½ cup and they are still plenty sweet!)
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup water
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups raw spinach
¼ cup dark semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use vegan chocolate chips)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
In a large bowl, stir together the flours, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
In blender, whip the water, olive oil, vanilla, and spinach. Mix until smooth.
Fold wet ingredients into the flour mixture until it forms a uniform batter. Add chocolate chips.
Spread evenly in a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Bake for 15–20 minutes in preheated oven or until the top is no longer shiny. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting.
This recipe is adapted from FitSugar.com
Corn and Avocado Salad
Submitted by Dina Geiger—Certified Skincare Specialist
Ingredients
6 ears of corn
2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
½ cup thinly sliced red onion
1 large avocado, cut into ½ inch cubes
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Boil corn. Rinse with cold water and cool.
Combine tomatoes, onion, avocado and basil in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients to make the vinaigrette, whisking until blended.
Cut corn kernels off cobs and add to salad, then pour in vinaigrette and toss gently to combine.
Fresh Juice
Submitted by Andi Faye—Account Executive
Ingredients
3-4 carrots
1 beet
5 celery stalks
6 big strawberries
1 orange
1 apple
Dime size piece of ginger
Combine all ingredients in a juicer and enjoy!
Avocado Salad for One
Submitted by Bonnie Serino—Market Educator, New England
Ingredients
1 ripe avocado (diced or sliced)
1 diced plum tomato
1 tablespoon diced onion
For the dressing, mix the following ingredients together:
¼ cup of organic plain yogurt
2-3 tablespoons of fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon of minced garlic
1 teaspoon of lime juice
A pinch of salt and pepper
Directions
Toss avocado, tomato and onion in a bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and enjoy.
Smoked Salmon and Avocado Tartine
Submitted by Yeshume Limenih—Certified Skincare Specialist
Ingredients
1 slice naan bread (I use a brown rice tortilla because I try to eat gluten free.)
Chilean olive oil
½ avocado, pitted and sliced
2-3 ounces smoked salmon
1 tablespoon capers or more to taste
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
Salt to taste
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush the naan with approximately 1 teaspoon of olive oil.
Toast in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until lightly browned and crisp. (If using a tortilla, just warm for a few minutes)
Layer the avocado slices evenly across the bread. Add a light sprinkling of salt on top.
Layer the smoked salmon on top of the avocado. Brush lightly with more olive oil.
Top with the capers and dill.
Adapted from Savory Simple here.
Greek Salad
Submitted by Hilary Weitzman—Print Production Manager
Ingredients
Persian cucumbers (8-10), peeled and sliced
Tomatoes on vine (6), cut into cubes
Kalamata olives (12), cut in half (that assures no pits)
Feta Cheese (1/2 cup)
Oil and vinegar dressing, to taste
Directions
Toss all ingredients in a large bowl and drizzle on your favorite oil and vinegar dressing. Serves 4.
Adapted from EatingWell.com
Roasted Lemon-Parmesan Cauliflower with Capers
Submitted by Hilary Weitzman—Print Production Manager
Ingredients
1 lemon
1 large head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into bite-size florets
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
½ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
Directions
Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 450 degrees. Coat a large-rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
With a sharp knife, remove skin and white pith from lemon and discard. Working over a small bowl, cut the lemon segments from their surrounding membranes, letting the segments drop into the bowl. Drain the juice from the segments.
Toss the lemon segments, cauliflower, oil, salt and pepper on the baking sheet and spread evenly. Roast until starting to soften and brown, stirring once halfway through, 25 to 30 minutes. I usually cook a little longer as I like it well done.
Sprinkle parmesan and capers over the cauliflower; stir to combine. Serve garnished with more parmesan, if desired. Serves 4.
I love this cauliflower recipe and I don’t usually like cauliflower. It’s yummy!
Adapted from EatingWell.com
Halibut Mango Ceviche
Submitted by Andrea Amaya—Assistant Manager, Direct Brands
Ingredients
1 ½ pounds skinless, boneless halibut, cut into ½ inch cubes
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup tequila (optional)
3 jalapeno chile peppers, seeded and minced
2 mangos, peeled, seeded and diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
½ cup finely chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion
½ cup finely chopped red onion
½ bunch chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Directions
Combine cubed halibut, lime juice, lemon juice, tequila, minced jalapeno peppers, and 1 diced mango in a non-metallic bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 1 ½ hours.
Take out of the fridge and add the green pepper, sweet onion, and red onion. Mix well, then recover and refrigerate another 30 minutes.
Fold in the remaining diced mango, cilantro, and parsley; season to taste with salt. Serves 6.
Source: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/halibut-mango-ceviche/
Grilled Brussels Sprouts with Whole Grain Mustard
Submitted by Jill Neil—Senior Manager, Digital Marketing
Ingredients
1 pound Brussels Sprouts
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt & pepper, to taste
Directions
Blanch the sprouts (i.e. cook them in boiling water) for 3-4 minutes then rinse with cold water.
Remove sprouts from cold water and pat dry. Trim the bottom stems of the sprouts, and remove the outer leaves. Mix together the mustard, olive oil, salt, and pepper. In a small bowl, toss the Brussels sprouts in the mustard sauce. Allow to marinate for 30 minutes.
Once sprouts have marinated, prepare them for grilling. Skewer sprouts, placing 3-4 sprouts on each skewer. (You can also place the sprouts directly on the grill without a skewer, if they are large enough to not slip through the grill grate.)
When the grill is nice and hot, place the skewered sprouts on the grill. Grill for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until the sprouts are nicely charred on all sides. When ready, remove the sprouts from the grill and toss with a bit more mustard sauce. Enjoy immediately!
I’m not a huge fan of Brussels sprouts, but these are simple and amazing!
From: http://rosemarried.com/2012/03/11/grilled-brussels-sprouts-with-whole-grain-mustard/
Remember what Dr. Murad says, “Before there was medicine, there was food.” Each of these recipes contains fresh fruits and vegetables so you can “eat your water.” We hope you try them out, or create a healthy variation of your own. Thank you to all our employees who contributed their recipe ideas, and bon appétit!