Richard and I, along with many other folks we know, are "detoxing" after a month of holiday indulgence. Celebrating yummy food and good times, our eating habits have veered off-course but now it's time to trim the sails. The recipes for Bacon & Chocolate Truffles, Yin-Yang Cookies and butter-laden Stuffed Potatoes will be shelved away, at least for the time being.

Counting calories for us, however, is a nuisance; we know it works for some, but we lack the discipline. Besides, Richard and I have been professionally studying food and nutrition most of our lives, and believe we have a knowledgeable understanding of what we should be eating for good health.

Nutritious home cooking, like whatever else that you may believe in, involves a time commitment. For many of us, healthy cooking and eating is not only a priority, it's entertaining and deliciously satisfying.

When cooking with time constraints recipe ingredients must work overtime, providing not only good health, but satisfying flavor. Locally produced Al Dente Whole Grain Pasta with Flax is a good nutritious example. It has a lovely "baked bread" aroma and flavor after cooking. Antioxident rich extra virgin olive oil is another pantry staple that satisfies our criteria for good flavor that is a healthy food source.

Green, red or rainbow chard is a delicious way to get more greens into your diet. The stems take longer to cook so I blanch or begin sautéeing them prior to cooking the leaves. With a sharp knife, I cut out the stem of each leaf, then chop the stem into the desired size.

Even though a dish may have the healthier ingredient attributes we appreciate, we must consider total caloric intake. To do this, I remind Richard we should follow the Okanawan's advise, "Hara Hachi Bu", which translates to "Eat until you're eighty percent full".

Here's a little Haiku I wrote for us (in jest, I assure):

Hara Hachi Bu Okanawan Sage Advice Twenty left for wine

Yield: 2-3 servings Cost: apx. $8.50 Time: apx. 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 bunch Swiss chard, washed, tough ends removed 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided 2 tablespoons pine nuts 8 ounces whole grain pasta Parmigiano Reggiano Red pepper flakes

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for cooking pasta. 2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Toast pine nuts until golden; remove from oil and reserve. 3. Remove chard leaves from stems and chop stems into 1-inch pieces. Sauté stems in oil, with a pinch of kosher salt, until wilted, about 4 minutes. Add chopped leaves to pan and sauté an additional 3 minutes or until the leaves are limp. Season to taste with kosher salt and red pepper flakes. 4. Boil pasta until just cooked through, according to package directions. Drain and toss cooked pasta with remaining olive oil. Serve greens over pasta and garnish with slivers of Parmesan.