Get inspired with a brand-new season of WCNY’s Cycle of Health. Listen to emotional, first-hand accounts of medical stories, join informative discussions with health professionals, explore the latest in medical science and technology, and learn how the medical community in Central New York is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in healthcare today.

Hosted by Dr. Rich O’Neill, Cycle of Health explores the topics most important to Central New Yorkers through dynamic story telling. Viewers are treated to new ways to improve your physical and mental health, tips about nutrition, fitness programs that will get the entire family up and moving, and a new segment “Eat Like Your Grandmother Ate.”

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Cycle of Health Cooking Recipes 

In episode 7 of season 13 Dr. Rich and his longtime friend, Margrit Diehl, are back in the kitchen cooking up some quick, healthy meals to help us get back on track after the holidays. Below you will find recipes for all the dishes cooked.  Dr. Rich and his longtime friend, Margrit Diehl, are back in the kitchen cooking up some quick, healthy meals to help us get back on track after the holidays.

Carrot Red Lentil Ragout

German-style Frittata

Salad

Virgin Mojito

Cooking Tips by Margrit Diehl

Roasted Carrot and Red Lentil Ragout

If you cook the ragout uncovered it will get thicker and less soupy. It makes a good topping for rice or farro, an extremely nutritious ancient grain. Red lentils are handy because they cook quickly. They do fall apart, which is okay in soups and stews or ragouts. Brown, green, and black lentils hold their shape and are good for salads.

You don’t have to soak dried lentils, and actually, you don’t have to soak any dried beans. If you soak them they will cook a little faster. (Check this out online for a lot more tips on cooking beans.)

Roasting vegetables is a great way to bring out flavor. Cut the vegetables in uniform pieces so they roast evenly. Toss in oil and sprinkle with a little salt and freshly ground pepper. Roast in a hot oven 450, turning occasionally, until soft and perhaps a little bit charred, about 30 minutes.

Roasting cauliflower: Cut out core, break into florets, if necessary, cut some so the pieces are the same size and will roast evenly. Toss with some olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste. 

A quick recipe: roasted cauliflower, a can of cannellini beans, some small pasta, all tossed with pesto

Roasting brussel sprouts: Take off bruised outer leaves, slice off bottom, cut large sprouts in half.  Toss with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Try whisking together a little honey and Dijon mustard and tossing the sprouts in the mixture before roasting.

Brussel sprouts can also be thinly sliced and tossed raw in a salad.

Frittata

Use a waxy potato—Yukon Gold potatoes are good. Russets are good for baking. You can use them in a frittata, but they won’t hold their shape as well.

Start frying the vegetables for the frittata with the ones that take the longest. For example, start with the onions, add peppers, then perhaps some zucchini, some mushrooms, and finally the cooked potatoes. You might also throw in some leftover ham or chicken.

Salad

Basic vinaigrette for salads: 6 tablespoons oil to 2 tablespoons vinegar (or 3 oil to 1 vinegar), salt and pepper. You can add garlic, mustard powder or Dijon mustard. For Asian flavor, instead of the mustard, add freshly grated ginger, a little soy sauce, and a dash of sesame oil.

Balsamic vinegar is sweet, authentic balsamic is thicker, more syrupy than a red wine vinegar.

Mocktail

Rolling a lemon or lime a few times before cutting releases the juices.

When muddling herbs, do it gently and just enough to release the flavor. Do not mash to a pulp.

You can use club soda or seltzer in a mocktail. Seltzer is plain carbonated water, club soda has added sodium.