Heart n Soul Soup.

Like all foodies, I look forward to my monthly subscriptions to various food publications, but Bon Appetit has to be my most favorite (especially since the untimely death of Gourmet). This month's issue includes a section devoted to LEAFY GREENS!!!! I'm trying to include more leafy greens in my cooking and every recipe in this section will make your mouth water.

I'm a soup groupie. Especially living on my own, I find making soups and stews on the weekends is a great way to save money on lunch during the week and most of them freeze well. And I look for recipes that are substantial enough as an entree. It's the kind of soup is warms your heart and soul. Your body will thank you.

Recently, I gave the Mixed-Greens and Sausage Soup with Cornmeal Dumplings a good ol' college try. I made it with chicken andouille sausage I found at Trader Joe's and think it turned out fabulous. The cornmeal dumplings are sweet and savory, without feeling heavy in your belly. The chicken sausage added a lil' kick and paired nicely with the mixed leafy greens called for in the recipe. Take advantage of the all the leafy greens available to you this season and give this recipe a whirl!

Shhh...it's Forbidden....

For a couple of weeks now, I have been making better choices when it comes to food, one of my personal goals is to eradicate (as much as possible) highly processed foods, soda and America's favorite, fast food. Essentially, I'm aiming for a "whole foods" approach to cooking and eating. I was introduced to J&P Seafood at the Hollywood Farmer's Market a couple of weeks ago, and bought some of their sea scallops.

Last week I found a recipe at Bon Appetit for Seared Scallops with Bok Choy and Miso and I gave it a college try. Scallops are delicate creatures and one must handle them with a lil' TLC when preparing them. If you overcook them, they become tough and dry, like mini hockey pucks. Admit it, you don't want to be caught dead eating a scallop hockey puck.

What brings this easy weeknight meal together is a simple and fresh sauce made of miso paste, mirin, rice vinegar and ginger. The scallops are seared for about 2 minutes on each side and the bok choy is sauteed. Upon completion, you throw the sauce in the pan for a minute or two til it sizzles and pour over the scallops and bok choy. The sauce is super tasty and I think it would go well with any piece of mild fish, like tilapia, halibut, swordfish or cod.

My nutritionist, Jessica Hilton, introduced me to a new rice, at least it's new to me - forbidden rice. In the package this rice is black but when you cook the rice it meta morphs into a deep aubergine color. It's quite beautiful and adds a nice "wow" factor when it comes to presentation. While this rice is "pretty", it's also really good for you. Forbidden rice is high in fiber and iron, and it contains the same antioxidants as berries do. Besides, it's just so darn pretty.