Eating Healthy In The Office

Chef and author Curtis Stone joins us today to talk about a truly dreaded topic: how to eat healthy and well at work. He gives us his favorite meals to prep for lunch at work (including an amazing recipe, listed below), to why snacking throughout the day can actually be a good thing (assuming you’re not just like eating nachos all day). Then, Liz and Rico chat with listener Tabitha, who might be going too far with her efforts to separate her job from the rest of her life. Plus, we discuss the best and worst ways to send passive-aggressive emails in today’s Lingo Bingo, and talk with someone who’s made a career out of kitchen fashion in today’s “You Get Paid To Do What?”

Don’t forget! We’re working on a bunch of special episodes (Liz & Rico AMAs, your ultimate office, and a very NOT Safe For Work episode), so if you have a question, don't hesitate to send us an email. You can reach us at [email protected], or you can leave us a voicemail at 424-224-5711. You can also find us on Twitter — we’re @SafeFor Work — and don't forget to follow our sage hosts on Twitter, too; they're @SSLiz and @RicoGagliano.

Curtis Stone’s Recipe for Butternut Squash Soup with Smoked Parsnip Cream & Jamon Chips

Serves: 4 to 6

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 1.5 hours

Make-ahead: The jamon chips can be made up to 1 day ahead, stored airtight at room temperature. The soup and parsnip cream can be made up to 2 days ahead, covered separately and refrigerated. Reheat the soup and parsnip cream over low heat.

-- Ingredients:

Soup:

1 teaspoon canola oil

2 shallots, finely chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper

1 ¼ pounds (600g) peeled, seeded butternut squash, cut into 1inch/3cm pieces

4 cups chicken stock

2 blood oranges, juiced (¼ cup/60ml)

1 cara cara orange, juiced (⅓ cup/70ml)

1 navel orange, juiced (¼ cup/60ml) and zested (1tbsp)

Smoked Parsnip Cream:

7g wood chips, preferably applewood

1cup/250ml full fat milk

1cuo/230ml cream

4tbsp/40g butter

8 ounces/240g (~2 medium) peeled parsnips, inner core removed and cut into 1in/3cm pieces

-- Method:

1. Heat a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil, then the shallots and a large pinch of salt, and sauté for about 2 minutes, or until the shallots are tender. Stir in the squash and season with white pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until the squash begins to soften.

2. Add the chicken stock and cook for about 40 minutes, or until the squash is tender and the stock has reduced by one-fourth. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the orange juices and zest. Working in batches, puree the squash mixture in a blender on high speed until smooth. Strain the soup through a fine sieve. Makes about 1 quart.

3. Meanwhile, place the wood chips in the bottom of a medium heavy saucepan. Using a kitchen torch, set fire to the wood chips and allow them to burn for about 1 minute, or until they have turned black all over. Immediately pour in ¼ cup of water to extinguish the flames. Add the milk and cream and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the cream mixture is infused with a smoky flavor. Strain the mixture, discarding the wood chips. Set the infused cream mixture aside.

4. Rinse out the saucepan and pat dry. Return the saucepan to medium-high heat and add the butter. Cook the butter, stirring often, for about 3 minutes, or until it has browned, but not burned. Add the parsnips to the browned butter and cook for about 1 minute. Add the infused cream mixture and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 25 minutes, or until the parsnips are very tender.

5. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend on high for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture is very smooth. Season with salt. Transfer the hot parsnip cream to a whip cream dispenser, and charge once. Keep the dispenser warm in a hot water bath until ready to serve.

-- To serve:

6. Divide the soup among four bowls. Pipe the parsnip cream over the soup. Place 2 or 3 jamon chips on each serving.

-- For the jamon chips:

4 paper-thin slices jamon Serrano

1. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C.

2. Place the sliced jamon on a heavy baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place in the oven. Cook, turning the jamon slices over halfway through cooking, for about 5 minutes, or until they are very crisp and brittle.

3. Immediately transfer the jamon chips to kitchen towel to absorb any excess oil. When cooled, break into 1½inch/4cm pieces. Store the chip in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to serve.

-- For parsnip chips:

¼ cup/5g caster sugar

1 navel orange, juiced and strained (⅓ cup/80ml)

1 tbsp/15g fine sea salt

1 small parsnip, peeled and very thinly sliced lengthwise on a mandolin

1. In a small heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, juice, and salt with 2 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the sliced parsnip. Carefully pour the boiling water mixture over the parsnips, fully submerging them. Set aside at room temperature for about 1 hour, or until cool.

3. Lay the parsnip slices in a single layer over a dehydrator sheet. Cover with an empty dehydrator sheet to act as a weight. Dehydrate overnight. Alternatively, place the parsnip strips on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Place the tray in the center rack of an oven that has been preheated to 212°F/100°C. Bake for about 80 minutes, or until the parsnip strips are crips and dry but do not take on any color.