Earlier this week, I decided that I would start eating healthier. It isn’t a “New Year’s Resolution”  and I’m not “on a diet” but when possible, I’m making a commitment to myself to eat fresh whole foods, fruits and vegetables and drink plenty of water.

To help inspire you, I posted six recipes that anyone can cook (which for the most part are all figure-friendly). Then what do you know? But the next day all I can talk about is chocolate chip biscotti.

Even though it’s no secret that I am easily distracted by all things chocolate chip it’s a new year and people are trying to eat healthy. There’s been a lot of debate on the internet lately about whether weight directly affects a person’s health: can someone be overweight and still healthy?

I’m not a doctor or a scientist (or a size 4) but all I do know is that I feel better when I am working out regularly and eating a healthy, balanced diet. And what I also know is that I like me some sweets.

So to balance out my share of treats like chocolate chip biscotti I make sure that most of my meals are nutritious and have reasonable calories. That doesn’t stop me from having my way with a bowl of butter-soaked gnocchi on an occasional Saturday night, but it does propel me to prepare salads, wraps and lean meats for weeknight meals.

Recently, this salad made the line-up. Brown rice isn’t an ingredient I use often; I don’t love rice. So when it wound up in my pantry this weekend I took the opportunity to boil a bag – ten minutes in the microwave in a glass or microwave-safe bowl – that I could stretch into a few meals fror the week.

Warm Spinach Salad with Brown Rice & Feta

Serves one as a main dish, 2 as a side

Ingredients

1 teaspoon olive oil
3 cups baby spinach, rinsed and torn
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1 oz sliced almonds
2 ounces reduced-fat feta cheese

Directions:

1. In a heavy-bottomed saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat until pan begins to appear shiny. Add spinach and cranberries and cook about 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until spinach begins to wilt.

2. Reduce burner heat to medium-low. Add brow rice, stirring until incorporated. Cook 2-3 minutes longer

3. Remove pan from heat, stir in almonds and then feta. Serve with crusty bread or your favorite soup as a main dish or share with a friend or special someone as a side dish.

Note: It should also be said that this dish is perfect for the dishwasher-free like me, because you need one bowl to cook the rice in and one pan for the spinach on the stove top. You can use measuring cups for the ingredients but if you trust your chef-ly instinct, feel free to eyeball estimates.

Tagged as: brown rice, dried cranberries, spinach