As seen on Channel 7 KMGH
Recipes posted under "Recipes" section
December 21, 2010
Introduction
Be nice instead of naughty and concentrate on the healthful foods of this holiday season. Naughtiness doesn’t always have to doom you to those extra pounds. But unabashedly indulging in the seasonal treats from now until those resolutions kick in may mean facing an exclusively elastic-waistband wardrobe in the New Year.
How much weight does the average person gain each holiday season?
• The good news is that it is an urban myth that we gain a traditional 5-7 pounds every holiday season. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) it is actually closer to only one or two pounds.
• The bad news - we seldom ever lose those pounds, adding to the weight season after season.
• And for people already overweight, the gain is an average 5 or more pounds each holiday.
So should we stay away from all those tempting holiday foods?
• Absolutely not. An outright ban of a favorite holiday food simply intensifies craving for it.
• Try eating a very small amount of the item, be it Christmas cookies or candy, and then get it out of the house. Take it to work for your co-workers to share and enjoy.
• I’m here to talk about what to add to your diet rather than what to take away. There are plenty of good-for-you foods lurking in between the calorie bombs.
• Portion control the high calories foods and find ways to enjoy the healthier foods of the season.
Examples of holiday foods that will add both enjoyment and good nutrition.
• Pomegranates are at their peak during the holidays. Their rich red color and tart flavor can add a lot to hot soups, cold salads and beverages.
• They are high in vitamin C, fiber and potassium
• You can sprinkle on a salad or use to make a granite as a nice counterpoint to the heavier dishes on you menu.
Can chocolate actually be a part of healthy holiday food?
• Yes, this sweet treat in moderation is connected with many health benefits.
• Clinical studies show that eating small amounts of chocolate each day- about 30 calories' worth-helps lower blood pressure that in turn may reduce your risk of stroke or coronary heart disease.
• Several long-term studies have found the benefits in dark chocolate may contain at least 70 percent cocoa solids, which contain higher levels of the antioxidant flavonoids responsible for its heath benefits.
• Caution: Chocolate may help to prevent heart disease, but only if it replaces other energy-dense foods, such as snacks, in order to keep body weight stable.
Of course cranberries are popular during Thanksgiving. Ideas for its appearance on the Christmas table as well. Why are they good for you, and are canned cranberries as healthy as the raw?
• Cranberries are low in calories and rich in fiber, and potassium, which makes them a perfect part of a healthy diet. These holiday colored berries contain unique compounds with antibacterial properties that may help prevent urinary tract infections.
• Cranberries are among the berries that are the richest in antioxidants, believed to fight the free radicals which damage cell structures, help the immune system and possibly ward off potential cancer cells from forming.
• Fresh cranberries the highest levels of beneficial nutrients, but most people will not eat because of the sourness. Dried cranberries and cranberry sauce are the next highest source of nutrients.
Cocktails, mixed drinks, eggnog and other holiday drinks can quickly add up in calories. Suggestions to celebrate with holiday spirits that are better for you.
• Good alternatives for celebrations can include sparkling or hot apple cider, light eggnog or seltzer mixed with fruit juices.
• If you’re going to drink, wine is the most calorie-friendly selection with approximately 20 calories per ounce.
• Of the wines, studies have shown that that certain components in red wine, resveratrol and polyphenols, might play an important role in preventing damage to blood vessels, reducing bad cholesterol, preventing blood clots, improving blood flow, and inhibiting the development of certain cancers.
• Add a cinnamon stick to stir hot mulled wine. Cinnamon has the highest antioxidant capacity of any spice. Sprinkle extra cinnamon on those holiday dishes and cocktails this year.
These foods are at their peak popularity from October through December, just in time to add to the festivities of the season, and flavor and numerous health protective effects to your holiday meals.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Really Simple Really Bold Ways to Boost Flavor
Myths about Flavor
• Old school thought was that we needed fat or salt to give flavor to foods.
• While these do add some taste notes, too much can be unhealthy in terms of extra calories, saturated fat, trans fats.
• Too much sodium is linked with hypertension or high blood pressure
In a recent survey, when people were asked what are the major factors they consider when choosing food: Taste reigned supreme at number one.
• Not surprising in these cost conscious times, price ranked second.
• Then health of the food and convenience rounded out the top four factors
What is Taste vs. Flavor?
• Traditionally we identify four tastes = sweet, sour, salty, bitter
• And now taste scientists and chefs recognize a fifth taste called umami. In English, it is sometimes described as "meaty" or "savory". In the Japanese, the term umami is used for this taste sensation, whose characters literally mean "delicious flavor."
• Umami doesn't have a pleasant taste alone, but makes the taste of foods more pleasant. High levels of free glutamate are found in dried seaweed, tomatoes, parmesan cheese, anchovies, fish sauce and mushrooms, as well as in meats.
Flavor is the works
• Taste + aroma + texture + mouthfeel + color all together equal flavor
So how can we achieve great flavor without adding unhealthy amounts of fat and salt?
There are five really simple, really bold ways to boost flavor
1. Layering umami
2. Adding aromatics
3. Using rubs
4. Drying it
5. Adding sauces
I have brought three mouthwatering dishes that illustrate these ways to add flavor without compromising your health.
Peppery Dijon Parsley Rub on Beef Filet
From Chef Dave Zino, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
1. Umami. Beef and other meat contain an umami providing protein. Free glutamate, which results when glutamate is released during the breakdown of a protein molecule, occurs naturally in many foods.
2. Rub. Rubs boost flavor without adding fat. Apply 2 hours before grilling or up to two hours in advance.
3. Aromatics. Add aromatic vegetables and herbs which give off deep, well-rounded flavors and pleasing aromas when cooked such as onions, celery, carrots, garlic and parsley. This rub is made with two large cloves of garlic in addition to flavorful Dijon mustard, parsley
Grilled Tuna with California Golden Raisin Chutney
From californiaraisins.org
4. Drying it. Drying food boosts and concentrates flavors. Example of California raisins which are dried grapes.
a. California raisins are a fruit. And just ¼ cup counts as a fruit serving and is a tasty way to help meet recommended daily fruit servings.
b. Raisins are fat- and cholesterol- free, naturally low in sodium, and deliver dietary fiber and anti-oxidants.
c. It’s a 2 for 1 benefit- great flavor and good nutrition at the same time.
5. Add salsa, chutneys and sauces. Turn simple grilled meat or fish or any basic dish into an impressive restaurant-style meal. Elegant touch, and this chutney contains California golden raisins as well as flavorful spices such as red pepper, and ginger to boost flavor.
Tomato Soup with Arugula Pesto
From epicurious.com
Tomatoes contain high levels of the umami provider glutamic acid, and as the fruit ripens these levels of glutamic acid increase.
The fresh ripe tomatoes are also dried in the oven to concentrate their umami flavor.
Keep your pantry stocked with
Umami such as tomatoes and parmesan cheese
Dried mushrooms, dried tomatoes and raisins
Aromatics like onions and garlic
Combinations of these used to make rubs, salsas and sauces
• Old school thought was that we needed fat or salt to give flavor to foods.
• While these do add some taste notes, too much can be unhealthy in terms of extra calories, saturated fat, trans fats.
• Too much sodium is linked with hypertension or high blood pressure
In a recent survey, when people were asked what are the major factors they consider when choosing food: Taste reigned supreme at number one.
• Not surprising in these cost conscious times, price ranked second.
• Then health of the food and convenience rounded out the top four factors
What is Taste vs. Flavor?
• Traditionally we identify four tastes = sweet, sour, salty, bitter
• And now taste scientists and chefs recognize a fifth taste called umami. In English, it is sometimes described as "meaty" or "savory". In the Japanese, the term umami is used for this taste sensation, whose characters literally mean "delicious flavor."
• Umami doesn't have a pleasant taste alone, but makes the taste of foods more pleasant. High levels of free glutamate are found in dried seaweed, tomatoes, parmesan cheese, anchovies, fish sauce and mushrooms, as well as in meats.
Flavor is the works
• Taste + aroma + texture + mouthfeel + color all together equal flavor
So how can we achieve great flavor without adding unhealthy amounts of fat and salt?
There are five really simple, really bold ways to boost flavor
1. Layering umami
2. Adding aromatics
3. Using rubs
4. Drying it
5. Adding sauces
I have brought three mouthwatering dishes that illustrate these ways to add flavor without compromising your health.
Peppery Dijon Parsley Rub on Beef Filet
From Chef Dave Zino, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
1. Umami. Beef and other meat contain an umami providing protein. Free glutamate, which results when glutamate is released during the breakdown of a protein molecule, occurs naturally in many foods.
2. Rub. Rubs boost flavor without adding fat. Apply 2 hours before grilling or up to two hours in advance.
3. Aromatics. Add aromatic vegetables and herbs which give off deep, well-rounded flavors and pleasing aromas when cooked such as onions, celery, carrots, garlic and parsley. This rub is made with two large cloves of garlic in addition to flavorful Dijon mustard, parsley
Grilled Tuna with California Golden Raisin Chutney
From californiaraisins.org
4. Drying it. Drying food boosts and concentrates flavors. Example of California raisins which are dried grapes.
a. California raisins are a fruit. And just ¼ cup counts as a fruit serving and is a tasty way to help meet recommended daily fruit servings.
b. Raisins are fat- and cholesterol- free, naturally low in sodium, and deliver dietary fiber and anti-oxidants.
c. It’s a 2 for 1 benefit- great flavor and good nutrition at the same time.
5. Add salsa, chutneys and sauces. Turn simple grilled meat or fish or any basic dish into an impressive restaurant-style meal. Elegant touch, and this chutney contains California golden raisins as well as flavorful spices such as red pepper, and ginger to boost flavor.
Tomato Soup with Arugula Pesto
From epicurious.com
Tomatoes contain high levels of the umami provider glutamic acid, and as the fruit ripens these levels of glutamic acid increase.
The fresh ripe tomatoes are also dried in the oven to concentrate their umami flavor.
Keep your pantry stocked with
Umami such as tomatoes and parmesan cheese
Dried mushrooms, dried tomatoes and raisins
Aromatics like onions and garlic
Combinations of these used to make rubs, salsas and sauces
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Dazzle your family with color! Put a rainbow of colors on your plate
As seen on Channel 7 June 29, 2010
What is an easy and simple way to ensure our families get the variety of fruits and vegetables they need in order to eat healthy?
• Eating fruits and veggies in a variety of colors — red, dark green, yellow, blue, purple, white and orange — not only provides eye candy but mixing things up also provides a broad range of nutrients.
• Think variety and think color by creating a rainbow on your plates.
What is so important about eating a wide variety of colors?
• According to a recent analysis of U.S. food intake data, 80 % of Americans aren't getting enough variety in the colors of fruits and vegetable they eat to provide adequate anti-oxidants, phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals that provide a broad range of health benefits for our bodies.
• Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of these valuable nutrients.
• The brighter, deeper colored fruits and vegetables contain higher concentrations of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants—and different colors provide different benefits
Show us the colors!
• The color of each food represents a beneficial nutritional value needed to keep a well-rounded diet.
• Red-colored foods contain high amounts of lycopene, which has been thought to help prevent some cancers and heart disease. They also contain anthocyanins which are antioxidants that can protect us from cell damage.
o Blood oranges, cherries, red grapes, pomegranates, beets, watermelon, radishes, tomatoes, red beans and rhubarb
• Orange-colored foods have carotenoids and high amounts of beta-carotene in particular. Carotenoids help repair DNA, prevent cancers and heart disease. They also help keep our skin and eyes healthy and protect us from infections by boosting our immune system.
o Cantaloupe, mangos, peaches, carrots
o Pumpkins and gourds can be more than just fall decorations!
• Yellow foods - high doses of antioxidants and vitamin C. Vitamin C helps to keep our dental health good as well as helping us heal cuts, improves circulation, prevents inflammation and prevents heart disease.
o Pineapples, lemons, rutabagas, and corn
• Green foods: the darker the color the better they are for you.
o Greens are packed with calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc, vitamins A, C, E and K, and they help strengthen the blood and respiratory systems.
o Be adventurous with your greens and branch out beyond bright and dark green lettuce—kale, mustard greens, broccoli, Chinese cabbage are just a few of the options.
• Blue and purple foods have a pigment called anthocyanins which is a powerful antioxidant that protects cells from damage; reduce risk of cancers, stroke and heart disease. Also remember that dark blue and purple foods are thought to help with the signs of aging by improving memory function, skin health, and reducing damage caused by free radicals in the body.
o Blueberries, blackberries, concord grapes, plums, eggplant
• White-colored/Brown/Tan foods, such as onions, garlic and potatoes are rich in potassium which proves healthy for your heart.
o Cauliflower, jicama, potatoes, ginger
Summer is the perfect time to enjoy the bounties of the garden. Where should we shop to get the best fruits and vegetables?
• In the summer, it is always fun to shop at our local famer’s market. You can purchase fresh foods, and it’s great to come out and be part of the community, see and talk to people, spend some time outdoors, as well as support local farmers.
• Supermarkets are meeting produce demands and providing a wealth of tropical fruits and vegetables that are not grown in our climate.
• And while fresh is good, it is not always better. Contrary to popular opinion, fruits and vegetables that are canned, frozen or dried are as nourishing and nutrient-rich as fresh-sometimes even more so.
• The important point is to color-coordinate your plate and make it fun to eat both tastefully and visually.
Get recipes and ideas to get more of these into meals in easy, creative and tasty ways. Go to www.denverchannel.com and click on “Links mentioned on 7 News.”
• Make a tropical rainbow fruit salad with fruits of each color: oranges, pink grapefruit, mango, papaya, kiwifruit, bananas, and purple grapes.
• Make fruit-sicles: Puree your favorite fruit such as melon, peaches, banana, and/or berries with 100% fruit juice. Freeze in ice cube trays or paper cups or popsicle molds for a refreshing treat. Use fresh, frozen or canned.
• Sauté your own medley of mixed vegetables using each color: red onions, carrots, corn, jicama, broccoli and black beans.
• Try a spinach salad with dried cranberries, canned mandarin oranges and red onion with your favorite vinaigrette.
• Make fruit-sicles: Puree your favorite fruit such as melon, peaches, banana, and/or berries with 100% fruit juice. Freeze in ice cube trays or paper cups or popsicle molds for a refreshing treat. Use fresh, frozen or canned.
• Make a refreshing summer beverage using 100% juice and iced tea.
• Roast a whole head of garlic to make a delicious spread for an appetizer or on sandwiches.
• Steam edamame for a fun snack. Kids love it!
• Make a Greek-inspired salad: romaine lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, chick peas, black olives and artichoke hearts.
• Make confetti coleslaw: shredded green and red cabbage, grated carrots, julienned kohlrabi and finely chopped red and yellow peppers.
• Make a Mexican pizza with tortillas, refried beans, salsa and grated low fat jalapeno cheese. Bake.
• On a busy night, check out the unique combinations of veggies in the frozen section to build a meal – a quick stir-fry, vegetable soup or stew, or a frittata.
• Make a dried fruit and nut mix for snacks. They make great gifts too. Include dried apples, apricots, cranberries, peaches, pears, cherries and mixed nuts.
• Try some different veggie toppings on your pizza:
o eggplant and black olive
o pineapple and onion
o red and green peppers and mushrooms
o fresh tomato and spinach
o broccoli and green olives
o or get the whole shebang
Fresh Tomato Sauce
• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, about 3 large tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• black pepper, to taste
• 1 pound spaghetti
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Preparation:
If desired, peel tomatoes; remove seeds, straining juice into a bowl. Save the juice and discard seeds. In a food processor, combine garlic, tomatoes with juice, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and basil. Pulse quickly to chop roughly. Pulse more for a smoother sauce, if desired. Transfer to a bowl, add salt and pepper and let stand to marinate for about 20 minutes.
Cook pasta until just tender, drain and toss hot with the marinated tomato sauce. If hotter spaghetti is desired, heat the sauce just until hot on stovetop or in microwave. Serve immediately with Parmesan cheese.
Serves 4 to 6.
What is an easy and simple way to ensure our families get the variety of fruits and vegetables they need in order to eat healthy?
• Eating fruits and veggies in a variety of colors — red, dark green, yellow, blue, purple, white and orange — not only provides eye candy but mixing things up also provides a broad range of nutrients.
• Think variety and think color by creating a rainbow on your plates.
What is so important about eating a wide variety of colors?
• According to a recent analysis of U.S. food intake data, 80 % of Americans aren't getting enough variety in the colors of fruits and vegetable they eat to provide adequate anti-oxidants, phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals that provide a broad range of health benefits for our bodies.
• Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of these valuable nutrients.
• The brighter, deeper colored fruits and vegetables contain higher concentrations of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants—and different colors provide different benefits
Show us the colors!
• The color of each food represents a beneficial nutritional value needed to keep a well-rounded diet.
• Red-colored foods contain high amounts of lycopene, which has been thought to help prevent some cancers and heart disease. They also contain anthocyanins which are antioxidants that can protect us from cell damage.
o Blood oranges, cherries, red grapes, pomegranates, beets, watermelon, radishes, tomatoes, red beans and rhubarb
• Orange-colored foods have carotenoids and high amounts of beta-carotene in particular. Carotenoids help repair DNA, prevent cancers and heart disease. They also help keep our skin and eyes healthy and protect us from infections by boosting our immune system.
o Cantaloupe, mangos, peaches, carrots
o Pumpkins and gourds can be more than just fall decorations!
• Yellow foods - high doses of antioxidants and vitamin C. Vitamin C helps to keep our dental health good as well as helping us heal cuts, improves circulation, prevents inflammation and prevents heart disease.
o Pineapples, lemons, rutabagas, and corn
• Green foods: the darker the color the better they are for you.
o Greens are packed with calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc, vitamins A, C, E and K, and they help strengthen the blood and respiratory systems.
o Be adventurous with your greens and branch out beyond bright and dark green lettuce—kale, mustard greens, broccoli, Chinese cabbage are just a few of the options.
• Blue and purple foods have a pigment called anthocyanins which is a powerful antioxidant that protects cells from damage; reduce risk of cancers, stroke and heart disease. Also remember that dark blue and purple foods are thought to help with the signs of aging by improving memory function, skin health, and reducing damage caused by free radicals in the body.
o Blueberries, blackberries, concord grapes, plums, eggplant
• White-colored/Brown/Tan foods, such as onions, garlic and potatoes are rich in potassium which proves healthy for your heart.
o Cauliflower, jicama, potatoes, ginger
Summer is the perfect time to enjoy the bounties of the garden. Where should we shop to get the best fruits and vegetables?
• In the summer, it is always fun to shop at our local famer’s market. You can purchase fresh foods, and it’s great to come out and be part of the community, see and talk to people, spend some time outdoors, as well as support local farmers.
• Supermarkets are meeting produce demands and providing a wealth of tropical fruits and vegetables that are not grown in our climate.
• And while fresh is good, it is not always better. Contrary to popular opinion, fruits and vegetables that are canned, frozen or dried are as nourishing and nutrient-rich as fresh-sometimes even more so.
• The important point is to color-coordinate your plate and make it fun to eat both tastefully and visually.
Get recipes and ideas to get more of these into meals in easy, creative and tasty ways. Go to www.denverchannel.com and click on “Links mentioned on 7 News.”
• Make a tropical rainbow fruit salad with fruits of each color: oranges, pink grapefruit, mango, papaya, kiwifruit, bananas, and purple grapes.
• Make fruit-sicles: Puree your favorite fruit such as melon, peaches, banana, and/or berries with 100% fruit juice. Freeze in ice cube trays or paper cups or popsicle molds for a refreshing treat. Use fresh, frozen or canned.
• Sauté your own medley of mixed vegetables using each color: red onions, carrots, corn, jicama, broccoli and black beans.
• Try a spinach salad with dried cranberries, canned mandarin oranges and red onion with your favorite vinaigrette.
• Make fruit-sicles: Puree your favorite fruit such as melon, peaches, banana, and/or berries with 100% fruit juice. Freeze in ice cube trays or paper cups or popsicle molds for a refreshing treat. Use fresh, frozen or canned.
• Make a refreshing summer beverage using 100% juice and iced tea.
• Roast a whole head of garlic to make a delicious spread for an appetizer or on sandwiches.
• Steam edamame for a fun snack. Kids love it!
• Make a Greek-inspired salad: romaine lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, chick peas, black olives and artichoke hearts.
• Make confetti coleslaw: shredded green and red cabbage, grated carrots, julienned kohlrabi and finely chopped red and yellow peppers.
• Make a Mexican pizza with tortillas, refried beans, salsa and grated low fat jalapeno cheese. Bake.
• On a busy night, check out the unique combinations of veggies in the frozen section to build a meal – a quick stir-fry, vegetable soup or stew, or a frittata.
• Make a dried fruit and nut mix for snacks. They make great gifts too. Include dried apples, apricots, cranberries, peaches, pears, cherries and mixed nuts.
• Try some different veggie toppings on your pizza:
o eggplant and black olive
o pineapple and onion
o red and green peppers and mushrooms
o fresh tomato and spinach
o broccoli and green olives
o or get the whole shebang
Fresh Tomato Sauce
• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, about 3 large tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• black pepper, to taste
• 1 pound spaghetti
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Preparation:
If desired, peel tomatoes; remove seeds, straining juice into a bowl. Save the juice and discard seeds. In a food processor, combine garlic, tomatoes with juice, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and basil. Pulse quickly to chop roughly. Pulse more for a smoother sauce, if desired. Transfer to a bowl, add salt and pepper and let stand to marinate for about 20 minutes.
Cook pasta until just tender, drain and toss hot with the marinated tomato sauce. If hotter spaghetti is desired, heat the sauce just until hot on stovetop or in microwave. Serve immediately with Parmesan cheese.
Serves 4 to 6.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Red, white and blue for July 4th holiday
As seen on Channel 4 KCNC
From backyard barbeques to front porch fireworks, the 4th of July is a cherished acknowledgement of American independence. With celebrations in full swing, the family will be ready for festive dishes to mark the holiday.
Local dietitian Mary Lee Chin has brought a number of red, white and blue food recipes to sample. And being a dietitian, she will also highlight the health benefits of these celebratory dishes.
Focus on nutrient-rich foods which can help children and adults get the vitamins and minerals they need.
• Low-fat or fat-free dairy, whole grains, fruits and vegetables are encouraged for a wholesome diet and are sources of those specific nutrients of which many Americans are not getting enough of.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans identified “nutrients of concern” in the diets of American adults and children – nutrients that adults and children need to eat more of.
• Five nutrients were identified in children’s diets as nutrients of concern, and they include calcium, potassium, fiber, magnesium and vitamin E.
• Seven nutrients were identified as “lacking” in the diets of American adults. These include calcium, potassium, fiber, magnesium, and vitamins A, C and E.
Begin the theme by setting out red, white and blue parfaits at breakfast.
• Dairy foods such as yogurt supply three of the five nutrients of concern for which children have low intakes: calcium, potassium and magnesium.
Salads are an excellent way to deliciously get the recommended daily 4 servings of fruit and 5 servings of vegetables.
• The darker the leaf, the higher the concentration of the anti-oxidant, beta carotene. So spinach, with its deep green leaf is an excellent salad green.
• Pair with strawberries and blueberries for these berries anti-oxidant power –and to provide the red and blue color.
• White jicama adds crunch and fiber
• The California raisins in the salad dressing are fat and cholesterol free and deliver potassium and anti-oxidants.
For an easy and cool appetizer, try red pepper hummus, and serve with blue corn chips and white strips of cucumber.
• Hummus is not only delicious to eat, but also contain vitamins, minerals, amino acids.
• And offer a variety of vegetables and whole grain crackers as dippers.
Pizza may come from Italy, but it is an all-American favorite. Here is Raisin, Ham, Goat Cheese and Pecan Pizza.
• OK—may have stretched the blue color a bit by the rehydrated raisins.
• Nuts like pecans contain healthy monounsaturated fats, protein, fiber and a host of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin E, selenium and magnesium.
Cannot forget dessert. A fruit based dessert such as All-American Apple Raisin Tartlets can help you reach the recommended two cups of fruit a day.
• Adding raisins to recipes will help you achieve the fruit recommendations. Just ¼ cup of California raisins counts as a fruit serving.
• And this fun recipe may not be red, white and blue, but I included it as the shape reminds me of fireworks.
According to a recent analysis of U.S. food intake data, 80 % of Americans aren't getting enough variety in their diet to provide adequate anti-oxidants, phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals that offer a broad range of health benefits for our bodies.
• So when you think of holiday foods, go a bit lighter, choose a variety of colors which provides a variety of nutrients-and for the upcoming Fourth of July, think of red, white and blue.
• Recipes will be on www.maryleechin.com
Recipes
Berry parfaits – Yogurt, strawberries, blueberries
Spinach, strawberry, Blueberries and Jicama salad with Raisin Citrus dressing
1 (6 oz. package baby spinach
8 oz. (1 ½ cups) fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced in half
½ cup fresh blueberries
½ cup jicama sticks
Raisin Salad dressing
¾ cup reduced-fat sour cream
¼ cup fat-free (skim) milk
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate
Grated peel of 1 medium orange
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup raisins
Combine sour cream, milk, honey, lime juice, orange juice concentrate, orange peel and salt in small bowl. Blend well, add raisins.
Red pepper hummus with blue chips, cucumber strips
Raisin, Ham, Goat Cheese and Pecan Pizza
1-11 oz. canned thin pizza crust
2 tsp. vegetable oil
2/3 cup raisins soaked in 2/3 cup hot water for 15 minutes
3 oz. crumbled goat cheese
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 cup cubed, cooked ham
2 Tbs. chopped fresh rosemary or 2 tsp. dried rosemary
1 1/2 Tbs. honey
Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray and unroll the canned pizza crust on it. Bake the crust for 5 minutes at 400°. Remove crust from oven and brush with vegetable oil. Top with drained raisins, cheese, pecans, ham and rosemary. Drizzle with honey. Bake another 5 – 6 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cut into 18 pieces.
ALL-AMERICAN RAISIN APPLE TARTLETS
2 tablespoons heart-healthy buttery spread
4 medium green apples, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup California raisins
18 sheets phyllo dough
Butter flavor cooking spray
9 tablespoons shredded low-fat sharp Cheddar
Preheat oven to 375°F and spray 12 cupcake tins with nonstick cooking spray. Melt buttery spread in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in apples and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon and cook for a minute more; add raisins and set aside. Meanwhile, lay 1 sheet of phyllo on a cutting board; keep remaining covered with a damp towel to prevent drying. Spray sheet with cooking spray. Repeat with 5 more sheets, sprinkling 3 tablespoons cheese in under the last layer; press firmly to keep cheese in dough. Repeat twice more to make 3 rectangles. Cut each in half crosswise, then cut each piece into 6 strips. Press 3 strips into each tin letting the dough fold over the top by about 1/2-inch. Fill with equal amounts of fruit. Bake for 10 minutes; tent loosely with foil and bake for 10 minutes more.
Makes 12 small desserts
From backyard barbeques to front porch fireworks, the 4th of July is a cherished acknowledgement of American independence. With celebrations in full swing, the family will be ready for festive dishes to mark the holiday.
Local dietitian Mary Lee Chin has brought a number of red, white and blue food recipes to sample. And being a dietitian, she will also highlight the health benefits of these celebratory dishes.
Focus on nutrient-rich foods which can help children and adults get the vitamins and minerals they need.
• Low-fat or fat-free dairy, whole grains, fruits and vegetables are encouraged for a wholesome diet and are sources of those specific nutrients of which many Americans are not getting enough of.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans identified “nutrients of concern” in the diets of American adults and children – nutrients that adults and children need to eat more of.
• Five nutrients were identified in children’s diets as nutrients of concern, and they include calcium, potassium, fiber, magnesium and vitamin E.
• Seven nutrients were identified as “lacking” in the diets of American adults. These include calcium, potassium, fiber, magnesium, and vitamins A, C and E.
Begin the theme by setting out red, white and blue parfaits at breakfast.
• Dairy foods such as yogurt supply three of the five nutrients of concern for which children have low intakes: calcium, potassium and magnesium.
Salads are an excellent way to deliciously get the recommended daily 4 servings of fruit and 5 servings of vegetables.
• The darker the leaf, the higher the concentration of the anti-oxidant, beta carotene. So spinach, with its deep green leaf is an excellent salad green.
• Pair with strawberries and blueberries for these berries anti-oxidant power –and to provide the red and blue color.
• White jicama adds crunch and fiber
• The California raisins in the salad dressing are fat and cholesterol free and deliver potassium and anti-oxidants.
For an easy and cool appetizer, try red pepper hummus, and serve with blue corn chips and white strips of cucumber.
• Hummus is not only delicious to eat, but also contain vitamins, minerals, amino acids.
• And offer a variety of vegetables and whole grain crackers as dippers.
Pizza may come from Italy, but it is an all-American favorite. Here is Raisin, Ham, Goat Cheese and Pecan Pizza.
• OK—may have stretched the blue color a bit by the rehydrated raisins.
• Nuts like pecans contain healthy monounsaturated fats, protein, fiber and a host of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin E, selenium and magnesium.
Cannot forget dessert. A fruit based dessert such as All-American Apple Raisin Tartlets can help you reach the recommended two cups of fruit a day.
• Adding raisins to recipes will help you achieve the fruit recommendations. Just ¼ cup of California raisins counts as a fruit serving.
• And this fun recipe may not be red, white and blue, but I included it as the shape reminds me of fireworks.
According to a recent analysis of U.S. food intake data, 80 % of Americans aren't getting enough variety in their diet to provide adequate anti-oxidants, phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals that offer a broad range of health benefits for our bodies.
• So when you think of holiday foods, go a bit lighter, choose a variety of colors which provides a variety of nutrients-and for the upcoming Fourth of July, think of red, white and blue.
• Recipes will be on www.maryleechin.com
Recipes
Berry parfaits – Yogurt, strawberries, blueberries
Spinach, strawberry, Blueberries and Jicama salad with Raisin Citrus dressing
1 (6 oz. package baby spinach
8 oz. (1 ½ cups) fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced in half
½ cup fresh blueberries
½ cup jicama sticks
Raisin Salad dressing
¾ cup reduced-fat sour cream
¼ cup fat-free (skim) milk
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate
Grated peel of 1 medium orange
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup raisins
Combine sour cream, milk, honey, lime juice, orange juice concentrate, orange peel and salt in small bowl. Blend well, add raisins.
Red pepper hummus with blue chips, cucumber strips
Raisin, Ham, Goat Cheese and Pecan Pizza
1-11 oz. canned thin pizza crust
2 tsp. vegetable oil
2/3 cup raisins soaked in 2/3 cup hot water for 15 minutes
3 oz. crumbled goat cheese
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 cup cubed, cooked ham
2 Tbs. chopped fresh rosemary or 2 tsp. dried rosemary
1 1/2 Tbs. honey
Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray and unroll the canned pizza crust on it. Bake the crust for 5 minutes at 400°. Remove crust from oven and brush with vegetable oil. Top with drained raisins, cheese, pecans, ham and rosemary. Drizzle with honey. Bake another 5 – 6 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cut into 18 pieces.
ALL-AMERICAN RAISIN APPLE TARTLETS
2 tablespoons heart-healthy buttery spread
4 medium green apples, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup California raisins
18 sheets phyllo dough
Butter flavor cooking spray
9 tablespoons shredded low-fat sharp Cheddar
Preheat oven to 375°F and spray 12 cupcake tins with nonstick cooking spray. Melt buttery spread in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in apples and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon and cook for a minute more; add raisins and set aside. Meanwhile, lay 1 sheet of phyllo on a cutting board; keep remaining covered with a damp towel to prevent drying. Spray sheet with cooking spray. Repeat with 5 more sheets, sprinkling 3 tablespoons cheese in under the last layer; press firmly to keep cheese in dough. Repeat twice more to make 3 rectangles. Cut each in half crosswise, then cut each piece into 6 strips. Press 3 strips into each tin letting the dough fold over the top by about 1/2-inch. Fill with equal amounts of fruit. Bake for 10 minutes; tent loosely with foil and bake for 10 minutes more.
Makes 12 small desserts
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Asian American Pacific Heritage Month 2010
As seen on KMGH - TV 7
May 11, 2010
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
Channel 7 May 11, 2010
1. What is Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month?
The month recognizes focuses national attention on the concerns, contributions and history of Americans of Asian and Pacific Islander descent in the United States. Chance to showcase a vibrant and very diverse culture.
2. Why was May chosen?
The month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The majority of the workers who laid the tracks in the west, including my great-grandfather, were Chinese immigrants.
3. When you say Asian-Pacific American, what groups does that term encompass? A rather broad term, Asian-Pacific includes people from the entire Asian continent and the many Pacific islands of Melanesia including Fiji, and the Solomon Islands, Micronesia and Polynesia.
3. How did start?
Like most commemorative months, Asian-Pacific Heritage Month originated in a congressional bill. In 1977, a resolution was introduced to proclaim the first ten days of May as Asian-Pacific Heritage Week. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed a resolution designating the annual celebration. Twelve years later, President George H.W. Bush signed an extension making the week-long celebration into a month-long celebration.
5. How will it be recognized in Denver?
There are many events, some of which are open and free to the public, as well as ticketed performances. One free event to note is: Asian Roundtable's Asian Pacific Heritage Month Community Celebration. Saturday, May 15, Noon to 3 p.m, Wells Fargo Hershner Room, 1700 Lincoln St., Denver. Includes food and performances.
The Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Project kicks off its inaugural tour to educate students across five local elementary schools about AAPI history on May 10. Cultural performances from various countries will take place, Le said, including taiko drumming from local group Mirai Daiko. There will be presentations and teachers will be given weeklong lesson plans focusing on AAPI history. In addition, organizers will hang posters that will stay in the schools throughout May.
For a listing of more events go to the Channel 7 website. (These can be listed on website. List is below.)
6. And like in all cultures, food is always an important part of any celebration.
Today I have brought samples of dishes from an appropriately named cookbook, The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook. The author gathered treasured family recipes from Asian grandmothers of all Asian ethnicities from all over the United States, including two recipes from my 94 year old mom.
Beef, Tomato and Pepper Stir-fry (mom’s)
Steamed Beef Meatballs with Tangerine Peel (mom’s)
Chinese Broccoli in Oyester Sauce
Rice Cooker Casserole (demonstrate)
Cultural Events in celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
Asian Roundtable's Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Community Celebration
Date: Saturday, May 15
Time: Noon to 3 p.m.
Place: Wells Fargo Hershner Room, 1700 Lincoln St., Denver
Price: Free and open to the public
For more information, call Peggy Yujiri at 303-931-2034 or Lily Shen at 720-256-8888.
11th annual Indian Dance Festival
Date: Saturday, May 15
Time: 4:30 p.m.
Place: Abraham Lincoln High School, 2285 S. Federal Blvd., Denver, 80219
Cost: $15/preferred seating; $8/general seating; $5/students (with valid ID), children under 10 and senior citizens
Organized by the Kerala Association of Colorado. For more information, go to www.colorkerala.org.
Pan-Asian Events
Asian Student Alliance presents eXpressions
Date: Wednesday, May 12
Time: 6 p.m.
Place: Davis Auditorium in Sturm Hall on the DU campus
Cost: Free and open to the public
2010 Asian-American Heroes of Colorado ceremony and brunch
Date: Saturday, May 15
Time: 11 a.m.
Place: Saigon Landing, 6585 Greenwood Village Blvd., Greenwood Village, 80111
Cost: $20
2010 Miss Colorado Asian Pacific American Pageant
Date: Saturday, May 15
Time: 5 to 9:30 p.m.
Place: Lakewood Culture Center, 470 South Allison Parkway, Lakewood, 80226
Price: $20/seniors and students; $25/silver; $50/gold; $100/VIP
For more information, go to www.cocnews.com/misscoloradoasian.
12th annual Asian Model Mother's awards ceremony
Date: Sunday, May 16
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Place: Empress Seafood Restaurant, 2825 W. Alameda Ave., Denver, 80219
Cost: $25/adult; $20/senior
The Denver Chinese Culture Center and CACEN (Colorado Asian Culture & Education Network) will host the 12th Annual Asian Model Mother's Awards Ceremony. Please make reservations with Nai-Li Yee at 303-368-7866.
May 11, 2010
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
Channel 7 May 11, 2010
1. What is Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month?
The month recognizes focuses national attention on the concerns, contributions and history of Americans of Asian and Pacific Islander descent in the United States. Chance to showcase a vibrant and very diverse culture.
2. Why was May chosen?
The month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The majority of the workers who laid the tracks in the west, including my great-grandfather, were Chinese immigrants.
3. When you say Asian-Pacific American, what groups does that term encompass? A rather broad term, Asian-Pacific includes people from the entire Asian continent and the many Pacific islands of Melanesia including Fiji, and the Solomon Islands, Micronesia and Polynesia.
3. How did start?
Like most commemorative months, Asian-Pacific Heritage Month originated in a congressional bill. In 1977, a resolution was introduced to proclaim the first ten days of May as Asian-Pacific Heritage Week. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed a resolution designating the annual celebration. Twelve years later, President George H.W. Bush signed an extension making the week-long celebration into a month-long celebration.
5. How will it be recognized in Denver?
There are many events, some of which are open and free to the public, as well as ticketed performances. One free event to note is: Asian Roundtable's Asian Pacific Heritage Month Community Celebration. Saturday, May 15, Noon to 3 p.m, Wells Fargo Hershner Room, 1700 Lincoln St., Denver. Includes food and performances.
The Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Project kicks off its inaugural tour to educate students across five local elementary schools about AAPI history on May 10. Cultural performances from various countries will take place, Le said, including taiko drumming from local group Mirai Daiko. There will be presentations and teachers will be given weeklong lesson plans focusing on AAPI history. In addition, organizers will hang posters that will stay in the schools throughout May.
For a listing of more events go to the Channel 7 website. (These can be listed on website. List is below.)
6. And like in all cultures, food is always an important part of any celebration.
Today I have brought samples of dishes from an appropriately named cookbook, The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook. The author gathered treasured family recipes from Asian grandmothers of all Asian ethnicities from all over the United States, including two recipes from my 94 year old mom.
Beef, Tomato and Pepper Stir-fry (mom’s)
Steamed Beef Meatballs with Tangerine Peel (mom’s)
Chinese Broccoli in Oyester Sauce
Rice Cooker Casserole (demonstrate)
Cultural Events in celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
Asian Roundtable's Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Community Celebration
Date: Saturday, May 15
Time: Noon to 3 p.m.
Place: Wells Fargo Hershner Room, 1700 Lincoln St., Denver
Price: Free and open to the public
For more information, call Peggy Yujiri at 303-931-2034 or Lily Shen at 720-256-8888.
11th annual Indian Dance Festival
Date: Saturday, May 15
Time: 4:30 p.m.
Place: Abraham Lincoln High School, 2285 S. Federal Blvd., Denver, 80219
Cost: $15/preferred seating; $8/general seating; $5/students (with valid ID), children under 10 and senior citizens
Organized by the Kerala Association of Colorado. For more information, go to www.colorkerala.org.
Pan-Asian Events
Asian Student Alliance presents eXpressions
Date: Wednesday, May 12
Time: 6 p.m.
Place: Davis Auditorium in Sturm Hall on the DU campus
Cost: Free and open to the public
2010 Asian-American Heroes of Colorado ceremony and brunch
Date: Saturday, May 15
Time: 11 a.m.
Place: Saigon Landing, 6585 Greenwood Village Blvd., Greenwood Village, 80111
Cost: $20
2010 Miss Colorado Asian Pacific American Pageant
Date: Saturday, May 15
Time: 5 to 9:30 p.m.
Place: Lakewood Culture Center, 470 South Allison Parkway, Lakewood, 80226
Price: $20/seniors and students; $25/silver; $50/gold; $100/VIP
For more information, go to www.cocnews.com/misscoloradoasian.
12th annual Asian Model Mother's awards ceremony
Date: Sunday, May 16
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Place: Empress Seafood Restaurant, 2825 W. Alameda Ave., Denver, 80219
Cost: $25/adult; $20/senior
The Denver Chinese Culture Center and CACEN (Colorado Asian Culture & Education Network) will host the 12th Annual Asian Model Mother's Awards Ceremony. Please make reservations with Nai-Li Yee at 303-368-7866.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Licking the Salt Habit
Before surging obesity rates made villains of trans fats and sugars, salt was the big nutritional bad guy in the American diet, linked to hypertension, heart disease and stroke.
• Then waistlines expanded, and the focus shifted to fats and sugars.
• Aware that Americans' salt consumption has risen by 50 % over the past 40 years largely because of an increased reliance on a diet of processed and restaurant foods, public health experts and politicians are attempting to put the spotlight back on salt and its harmful health effects.
• The latest big bad wolf in the American diet – SALT – current hot nutrition topic
Recent research shows that overall health in the United States could be significantly improved with only a modest reduction in the annual consumption of salt.
• A recent study published in January this year in the New England Journal of Medicine - calculated the benefits of a decrease.
• If everyone consumed half a teaspoon less salt per day, there would be between 54,000 and 99,000 fewer heart attacks each year and between 44,000 and 92,000 fewer deaths
• High levels of sodium are linked to hypertension, which leads to heart disease.
The definitions
• The terms salt and sodium are related but not interchangeable.
• Sodium refers to the chemical element, with 2,300 milligrams as the recommended daily allowance.
• Salt, refers specifically to sodium chloride -- 40 percent sodium and 60 percent chloride.
How much are we eating?
• Most Americans consume estimated average intake of 3,436 mg per day.
• 2009 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that more than 2 out of 3 adults are in population groups that should consume no more than 1,500 milligrams .
• These include people with high blood pressure, the elderly and African-Americans according to government recommendations.
• 1500 mg is also the amount the American Heart Association recommends.
• Everyone else should set a limit of 2,300 mg per day-equivalent of 1 teaspoon of table salt.
• Sodium equivalents in salt. <¾ teaspoon salt (AHA value); 1 1/2/ teaspoon salt (actual aver. Intake); <1 cup salt (aver. monthly intake)
Some controversy
• Not every expert in the field of salt science is persuaded that sodium reduction is necessary.
• Sodium is essential in regulating water balance, pH (acid balance), normal pressure in the fluids surrounding cells and in nerve transition.
• Health change, smoking would be No. 1 and salt intake would be somewhere well below it.
• Yet already the mayors of New York City and San Francisco are asking that restaurants in their cities voluntarily lower sodium content of the meals served.
• Theory that small changes in salt, such as lowering content in tomato sauce or breads and cereals by a small amount, would achieve small changes in blood pressure that would have a measurable effect across the whole population.
• Given the upside, which would translate into lower health-care costs, what are people waiting for? The challenge comes in the sacrifice.
What can you do?
• Obvious thing to do, but avoiding the saltshaker at home barely makes a dent in sodium intake.
• Seventy-five percent of the salt consumed by Americans is derived from processed foods and from foods served at restaurants - -not the salt shaker.
Avoiding processed foods is a good first step toward eating a more healthful diet
• Sodium has several functions in the processed food supply. Various forms of sodium, including salt are used as preservatives against food borne pathogens, to modify flavor, binds ingredients, enhances color, and serves as a stabilizer.
• Sodium is an essential nutrient, but very little is needed in the diet.
• Limit processed foods as they contain approximately 3/4 of the sodium we consume.
Begin with the basics
• Eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Choose from the large variety of low-sodium processed food products.
• Decrease taste for salt gradually.
• Learn to use spices and herbs to enhance the taste of your food. Most spices naturally contain very small amounts of sodium.
• Add fresh lemon juice instead of salt to your dishes.
• Don’t use the salt shaker. Use the pepper shaker or mill.
Pay close attention to labels
• Shy away from foods that have greater than 10 percent of the recommended daily allowance for sodium.
• The most important thing to know is just because food doesn't taste salty doesn't mean it's not high in sodium, so always check the nutrition panel.
• It is important to look at the label to check the amount of sodium in one serving and to determine the number of servings you normally consume.
The bottom line
• This spring, Institutes of Medicine to release report - Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake.
• While there is a push on by federal agencies and municipalities to decrease sodium in the American diet, you don’t need to depend upon them to make changes.
• Although it can be tough to keep track of sodium intake, online food diaries, such as www.mycalorie counter and www.calorieking, can help.
• Go to www.maryleechin.com to get more information on salt and lowering your sodium intake.
Label language
Food labels give shoppers a clue as to how much, if any, sodium is contained in the product:
>> Sodium-free: less than 5 milligrams per serving
>> Very low sodium: 35 mg or less
>> Low sodium: 140 mg or less
>> Reduced sodium: reduced by at least 25 percent but still might not meet low-sodium guidelines
>> Unsalted or no salt added: made without salt but still contains any naturally occurring salt
• Then waistlines expanded, and the focus shifted to fats and sugars.
• Aware that Americans' salt consumption has risen by 50 % over the past 40 years largely because of an increased reliance on a diet of processed and restaurant foods, public health experts and politicians are attempting to put the spotlight back on salt and its harmful health effects.
• The latest big bad wolf in the American diet – SALT – current hot nutrition topic
Recent research shows that overall health in the United States could be significantly improved with only a modest reduction in the annual consumption of salt.
• A recent study published in January this year in the New England Journal of Medicine - calculated the benefits of a decrease.
• If everyone consumed half a teaspoon less salt per day, there would be between 54,000 and 99,000 fewer heart attacks each year and between 44,000 and 92,000 fewer deaths
• High levels of sodium are linked to hypertension, which leads to heart disease.
The definitions
• The terms salt and sodium are related but not interchangeable.
• Sodium refers to the chemical element, with 2,300 milligrams as the recommended daily allowance.
• Salt, refers specifically to sodium chloride -- 40 percent sodium and 60 percent chloride.
How much are we eating?
• Most Americans consume estimated average intake of 3,436 mg per day.
• 2009 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that more than 2 out of 3 adults are in population groups that should consume no more than 1,500 milligrams .
• These include people with high blood pressure, the elderly and African-Americans according to government recommendations.
• 1500 mg is also the amount the American Heart Association recommends.
• Everyone else should set a limit of 2,300 mg per day-equivalent of 1 teaspoon of table salt.
• Sodium equivalents in salt. <¾ teaspoon salt (AHA value); 1 1/2/ teaspoon salt (actual aver. Intake); <1 cup salt (aver. monthly intake)
Some controversy
• Not every expert in the field of salt science is persuaded that sodium reduction is necessary.
• Sodium is essential in regulating water balance, pH (acid balance), normal pressure in the fluids surrounding cells and in nerve transition.
• Health change, smoking would be No. 1 and salt intake would be somewhere well below it.
• Yet already the mayors of New York City and San Francisco are asking that restaurants in their cities voluntarily lower sodium content of the meals served.
• Theory that small changes in salt, such as lowering content in tomato sauce or breads and cereals by a small amount, would achieve small changes in blood pressure that would have a measurable effect across the whole population.
• Given the upside, which would translate into lower health-care costs, what are people waiting for? The challenge comes in the sacrifice.
What can you do?
• Obvious thing to do, but avoiding the saltshaker at home barely makes a dent in sodium intake.
• Seventy-five percent of the salt consumed by Americans is derived from processed foods and from foods served at restaurants - -not the salt shaker.
Avoiding processed foods is a good first step toward eating a more healthful diet
• Sodium has several functions in the processed food supply. Various forms of sodium, including salt are used as preservatives against food borne pathogens, to modify flavor, binds ingredients, enhances color, and serves as a stabilizer.
• Sodium is an essential nutrient, but very little is needed in the diet.
• Limit processed foods as they contain approximately 3/4 of the sodium we consume.
Begin with the basics
• Eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Choose from the large variety of low-sodium processed food products.
• Decrease taste for salt gradually.
• Learn to use spices and herbs to enhance the taste of your food. Most spices naturally contain very small amounts of sodium.
• Add fresh lemon juice instead of salt to your dishes.
• Don’t use the salt shaker. Use the pepper shaker or mill.
Pay close attention to labels
• Shy away from foods that have greater than 10 percent of the recommended daily allowance for sodium.
• The most important thing to know is just because food doesn't taste salty doesn't mean it's not high in sodium, so always check the nutrition panel.
• It is important to look at the label to check the amount of sodium in one serving and to determine the number of servings you normally consume.
The bottom line
• This spring, Institutes of Medicine to release report - Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake.
• While there is a push on by federal agencies and municipalities to decrease sodium in the American diet, you don’t need to depend upon them to make changes.
• Although it can be tough to keep track of sodium intake, online food diaries, such as www.mycalorie counter and www.calorieking, can help.
• Go to www.maryleechin.com to get more information on salt and lowering your sodium intake.
Label language
Food labels give shoppers a clue as to how much, if any, sodium is contained in the product:
>> Sodium-free: less than 5 milligrams per serving
>> Very low sodium: 35 mg or less
>> Low sodium: 140 mg or less
>> Reduced sodium: reduced by at least 25 percent but still might not meet low-sodium guidelines
>> Unsalted or no salt added: made without salt but still contains any naturally occurring salt
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Chinese New Year Lion Dance Calendar 2010/ Dim Sum Restaurants
Far East Center-Denver
Corner of Federal and Alameda
SCHEDULE OF LION DANCES by GROUP
Sunday, February 14th
12:00 noon Shaolin Hung Mei
1:30 Wah Lum
3:00 Dong Tay Hoa
4:30 Wu Shu Martial Arts
Saturday, February 20
12:00 noon Chua Nhu Lai
2:00 Tai Kung Ha
DIM SUM RESTAURANTS
Palace Chinese
6265 E Evans Ave
Denver, CO 80222
(303) 782-0300
Empress Seafood Restaurant
2825 W Alameda Ave
Denver, CO 80219
(303) 922-2822
www.empressseafoodrestaurant.com
King's Land Chinese Seafood
2200 W Alameda Ave
Denver, CO 80223
(303) 975-2399
Palace Chinese
Star Kitchen
2917 W Mississippi Ave #5
Denver, CO 80219
(303) 936-0089
Corner of Federal and Alameda
SCHEDULE OF LION DANCES by GROUP
Sunday, February 14th
12:00 noon Shaolin Hung Mei
1:30 Wah Lum
3:00 Dong Tay Hoa
4:30 Wu Shu Martial Arts
Saturday, February 20
12:00 noon Chua Nhu Lai
2:00 Tai Kung Ha
DIM SUM RESTAURANTS
Palace Chinese
6265 E Evans Ave
Denver, CO 80222
(303) 782-0300
Empress Seafood Restaurant
2825 W Alameda Ave
Denver, CO 80219
(303) 922-2822
www.empressseafoodrestaurant.com
King's Land Chinese Seafood
2200 W Alameda Ave
Denver, CO 80223
(303) 975-2399
Palace Chinese
Star Kitchen
2917 W Mississippi Ave #5
Denver, CO 80219
(303) 936-0089
Chinese New Year Traditions for Tiger Year
Bringing In the New Year and expelling the old
• Everything you do on this day sets precedent for the rest of the year
• While many Chinese people today may not believe in these do's and don'ts, these traditions and customs are still practiced.
• Kept because these very traditions, whether believed or not, that provide cultural continuity and link with the past.
• Courting happiness, togetherness and abundance for your family always good
Predictions of what to expect for Tiger Years
• The Tiger is rich in Chinese history and tradition and a symbol of power and authority
• The year of the Tiger is traditionally associated with massive changes and social upheaval.
• 2010 is very likely to be a volatile one both on the world scene, as well as on a personal level
• The Tiger's influence will offer us courage, while inviting bold actions and risk taking.
• Tigers will provide steely resolve, fortitude and determination to accomplish goals.
• Given that, practice traditions that will court good luck and good fortune
Traditions and rituals
• Shooting off firecrackers on New Year's Eve is the Chinese way of sending out the old year and welcoming in the New Year.
• All debts had to paid by this time. Nothing should be lent on this day, as anyone who does so will be lending all the year.
• If you cry on New Year's Day, you will cry all through the year. Therefore, children are tolerated and are not spanked, even though they are mischievous.
• All cleaning should be done before New Years. Don’t use brooms on New Years Day as you do not want to “sweep away” good fortune.
• Fish also play a large role in festive celebrations. The word for fish, "Yu," sounds like the words both for wish and abundance. Fish. As a result, on New Year's Eve it is customary to serve a fish at the end of the evening meal, symbolizing a wish for abundance in the coming year. For added symbolism, the fish is served whole, with head and tail attached, symbolizing a good beginning and ending for the coming year.
Courting good fortune and prosperity
• Encouraging everyone to hedge their bets this economic year with symbols of health, happiness, wealth and abundance
• Lai See: red envelopes called "lai see" to give to young, unmarried children for good luck.
• Use a lot of the color red, which is the color of rejoicing and happiness
• Serve golden food to represent wealth: Golden oranges and egg rolls (golden ingots)
Invitation to celebrate with the Asian community for Chinese New Year
• The Lion Dance Tradition and Symbolism: The lion dance has been part of the Chinese culture for thousands of years.
• The lion, a symbol of power, wisdom, and good fortune, chases away evil spirits and brings happiness, longevity, and good luck.
• The lion dance is also performed at many business locations during the Chinese New Year's Celebration for the lion brings prosperity and good luck to the business for the upcoming year.
• Everything you do on this day sets precedent for the rest of the year
• While many Chinese people today may not believe in these do's and don'ts, these traditions and customs are still practiced.
• Kept because these very traditions, whether believed or not, that provide cultural continuity and link with the past.
• Courting happiness, togetherness and abundance for your family always good
Predictions of what to expect for Tiger Years
• The Tiger is rich in Chinese history and tradition and a symbol of power and authority
• The year of the Tiger is traditionally associated with massive changes and social upheaval.
• 2010 is very likely to be a volatile one both on the world scene, as well as on a personal level
• The Tiger's influence will offer us courage, while inviting bold actions and risk taking.
• Tigers will provide steely resolve, fortitude and determination to accomplish goals.
• Given that, practice traditions that will court good luck and good fortune
Traditions and rituals
• Shooting off firecrackers on New Year's Eve is the Chinese way of sending out the old year and welcoming in the New Year.
• All debts had to paid by this time. Nothing should be lent on this day, as anyone who does so will be lending all the year.
• If you cry on New Year's Day, you will cry all through the year. Therefore, children are tolerated and are not spanked, even though they are mischievous.
• All cleaning should be done before New Years. Don’t use brooms on New Years Day as you do not want to “sweep away” good fortune.
• Fish also play a large role in festive celebrations. The word for fish, "Yu," sounds like the words both for wish and abundance. Fish. As a result, on New Year's Eve it is customary to serve a fish at the end of the evening meal, symbolizing a wish for abundance in the coming year. For added symbolism, the fish is served whole, with head and tail attached, symbolizing a good beginning and ending for the coming year.
Courting good fortune and prosperity
• Encouraging everyone to hedge their bets this economic year with symbols of health, happiness, wealth and abundance
• Lai See: red envelopes called "lai see" to give to young, unmarried children for good luck.
• Use a lot of the color red, which is the color of rejoicing and happiness
• Serve golden food to represent wealth: Golden oranges and egg rolls (golden ingots)
Invitation to celebrate with the Asian community for Chinese New Year
• The Lion Dance Tradition and Symbolism: The lion dance has been part of the Chinese culture for thousands of years.
• The lion, a symbol of power, wisdom, and good fortune, chases away evil spirits and brings happiness, longevity, and good luck.
• The lion dance is also performed at many business locations during the Chinese New Year's Celebration for the lion brings prosperity and good luck to the business for the upcoming year.
Chinese New Year: The box of "health and harmony"
The Chinese New Year of the Tiger begins on February 14, 2010 and is celebrated for the next 15 days. More food is prepared and consumed during this holiday than any other time of the year, and much of the food has symbolic connotations.
The Box of Harmony
The box of candies traditionally offered at New Years is round or octagonal, the form resembling togetherness, and contains dazzling rows of fruit and candies to begin the New Year sweetly.
• Each candied fruit is symbolic—though highly sugared, so eat in moderation!
• Symbolisms of and prosperity – a good thing as we deal with current economic realities!
o Kumquat - gold, hence fortune, wealth
o Mango-Golden color symbolizes wealth
o Lotus seeds, crystallized - a full wallet, many (male) offspring
o Candied melon symbolizing good health and growth., having a large number of children
o Coconut: promoting togetherness and friendship
o Water chestnut – unity
The Box of Health and Harmony: A registered dietitian and making healthy recommendations.
• Modernized and updated fruit offerings to also reflect healthy choices.
• These are representative of a food group to encourage: Fruit food group
• Nutrient-rich. That is, they provide much more nutritional value in terms of vitamins, minerals and other healthful components, for the low amount of calories they contain.
o Tangerines are very popular as, among other things, they symbolize abundant happiness.
• Excellent source of fiber and vitamin C
o Walnuts- happiness of the entire family
• Source of omega-3-fatty acid for heart health
o Raisins - wealth, abundance, fertility, many descendants, family harmony
• Only ¼ cup of dried fruit like California raisins counts as one fruit serving and helps meet your recommended 4 servings of fruit/day.
• And try golden raisins-another symbol of gold and prosperity
o Walnuts- happiness of entire family + omega-3 for heart health
o Apricot, dried - gold, wealth
• With anti-oxidants beta-carotene and lycopene
o Apple - wisdom, peace
• Excellent source of soluble fiber and a kid favorite
o Banana - wish for education, brilliance at work/ school
• Potassium to help bone health
Chinese New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are celebrated as a family affair, a time of reunion and thanksgiving.
• Events that take place during this time set the tone for the rest of the year.
• Take this opportunity to celebrate health, and happiness with your family, and focus on getting your four servings of fruit/day—even in the winter
The Box of Harmony
The box of candies traditionally offered at New Years is round or octagonal, the form resembling togetherness, and contains dazzling rows of fruit and candies to begin the New Year sweetly.
• Each candied fruit is symbolic—though highly sugared, so eat in moderation!
• Symbolisms of and prosperity – a good thing as we deal with current economic realities!
o Kumquat - gold, hence fortune, wealth
o Mango-Golden color symbolizes wealth
o Lotus seeds, crystallized - a full wallet, many (male) offspring
o Candied melon symbolizing good health and growth., having a large number of children
o Coconut: promoting togetherness and friendship
o Water chestnut – unity
The Box of Health and Harmony: A registered dietitian and making healthy recommendations.
• Modernized and updated fruit offerings to also reflect healthy choices.
• These are representative of a food group to encourage: Fruit food group
• Nutrient-rich. That is, they provide much more nutritional value in terms of vitamins, minerals and other healthful components, for the low amount of calories they contain.
o Tangerines are very popular as, among other things, they symbolize abundant happiness.
• Excellent source of fiber and vitamin C
o Walnuts- happiness of the entire family
• Source of omega-3-fatty acid for heart health
o Raisins - wealth, abundance, fertility, many descendants, family harmony
• Only ¼ cup of dried fruit like California raisins counts as one fruit serving and helps meet your recommended 4 servings of fruit/day.
• And try golden raisins-another symbol of gold and prosperity
o Walnuts- happiness of entire family + omega-3 for heart health
o Apricot, dried - gold, wealth
• With anti-oxidants beta-carotene and lycopene
o Apple - wisdom, peace
• Excellent source of soluble fiber and a kid favorite
o Banana - wish for education, brilliance at work/ school
• Potassium to help bone health
Chinese New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are celebrated as a family affair, a time of reunion and thanksgiving.
• Events that take place during this time set the tone for the rest of the year.
• Take this opportunity to celebrate health, and happiness with your family, and focus on getting your four servings of fruit/day—even in the winter
Dim Sum means "touch the heart": Celebrate Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day
Celebrate Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day with Treats that “touch the heart”
Dim Sum means "the heart's delight" or "touch the heart."
Chinese New year, can fall anywhere between late January and the middle of February, due to cyclical lunar dating.
• On the Chinese calendar, 2010 is Lunar Year 4708.
• On the Western calendar, the start of the New Year falls on Sunday, February 14, 2010 — The Year of the Tiger.
• This year, the date has special significance since it also happens to fall on Valentine's Day making it a doubly auspicious day to celebrate in the West.
To celebrate both Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day this year, indulge in a variety of dumplings called dim sum.
• In Cantonese, dim sum means "the heart's delight" or "touch the heart."
These delicious little treats come mainly in the form of steamed and fried dumplings containing a wide array of fillings.
• They are usually served in tiers of bamboo steamers or small to medium-sized plates (so that many different varieties can be sampled)
• Or they are served like "dessert carts" that is a cart filled with several different types for people to pick and choose from.
You can make your own—or even better go to one of the many Chinese restaurants that have opened in the metropolitan area.
• It is a fun experience as little carts are wheeled around the restaurant.
• Even if you don’t know what these are, it is easy to out which ones you want from the cart to the server.
• And a picture menu is usually provided to remove some of the mystery.
One of the best known desserts is eight precious rice pudding. A steamed dish decorated with honeyed or candied fruit that is served with a sweet syrup.
• Usually it contains eight kinds of dried candied fruits, and popular at New Year’s as eight is considered an auspicious number.
• The word eight sounds similar to words that mean “prosper” or “wealth.”
• Only ¼ cup of dried fruit like California raisins counts as one fruit serving and helps meet your recommended 4 servings of fruit/day.
• Sometimes a coin will be inserted into the pudding. The person who finds the lucky coin will have the most fortune for the rest of the year
Tiger characteristics and predictions
• Tiger years are explosive. They usually begin with a bang.
• The Tiger's essence is that of nobility.
• In life and in love, the tiger personifies grandness.
• Tigers are loyal, humanitarian and fiercely protect those entrusted to their care
• Tigers will rule the jungle this year!
Dim Sum means "the heart's delight" or "touch the heart."
Chinese New year, can fall anywhere between late January and the middle of February, due to cyclical lunar dating.
• On the Chinese calendar, 2010 is Lunar Year 4708.
• On the Western calendar, the start of the New Year falls on Sunday, February 14, 2010 — The Year of the Tiger.
• This year, the date has special significance since it also happens to fall on Valentine's Day making it a doubly auspicious day to celebrate in the West.
To celebrate both Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day this year, indulge in a variety of dumplings called dim sum.
• In Cantonese, dim sum means "the heart's delight" or "touch the heart."
These delicious little treats come mainly in the form of steamed and fried dumplings containing a wide array of fillings.
• They are usually served in tiers of bamboo steamers or small to medium-sized plates (so that many different varieties can be sampled)
• Or they are served like "dessert carts" that is a cart filled with several different types for people to pick and choose from.
You can make your own—or even better go to one of the many Chinese restaurants that have opened in the metropolitan area.
• It is a fun experience as little carts are wheeled around the restaurant.
• Even if you don’t know what these are, it is easy to out which ones you want from the cart to the server.
• And a picture menu is usually provided to remove some of the mystery.
One of the best known desserts is eight precious rice pudding. A steamed dish decorated with honeyed or candied fruit that is served with a sweet syrup.
• Usually it contains eight kinds of dried candied fruits, and popular at New Year’s as eight is considered an auspicious number.
• The word eight sounds similar to words that mean “prosper” or “wealth.”
• Only ¼ cup of dried fruit like California raisins counts as one fruit serving and helps meet your recommended 4 servings of fruit/day.
• Sometimes a coin will be inserted into the pudding. The person who finds the lucky coin will have the most fortune for the rest of the year
Tiger characteristics and predictions
• Tiger years are explosive. They usually begin with a bang.
• The Tiger's essence is that of nobility.
• In life and in love, the tiger personifies grandness.
• Tigers are loyal, humanitarian and fiercely protect those entrusted to their care
• Tigers will rule the jungle this year!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Easy Thanksgiving recipes starting with convenience products
Thanksgiving dinner doesn’t have to be the kickoff to a month of holiday overeating, ending with a regretful New Year’s resolution and a January diet.
What is the ingredient that makes your Thanksgiving meal most enjoyable? The answer is easy: Less stress. Simplify your entertaining and enjoy the day more. You need the right blend of great food with family & friends, and above all - relaxed hosts.
I will demonstrate a number of recipes that uses convenience foods wisely to free up time, and allow you to be a relaxed host—not a frazzled cook.
While there are treasured, made from scratch favorites that are crucial to each family’s tradition, not everything has to be time-consuming, homemade and high caloric.
And by the way, the term “turkey stuffing” does not mean that you are supposed to stuff yourself until you are comatose.
The examples:
• Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce & Cream Cheese Appetizer
• Curried Mango Chutney Dip
• Stuffing with apple juice and raisins
• Rice Pilaf with raisins and cashews
• Rustic Apple Tart
• Canned cranberry sauce: For many families, it’s not Thanksgiving unless you have cranberry sauce with the can striations showing!
A little bit of savvy planning can make your Thanksgiving meal easy. These are simple recipes to knockout your guests with your hospitality, not your anxiety.
And here are tips to ensure you enjoy the closeness of family and having everyone together for a day of sharing.
Stress-free strategies
• Plan your menu, make a list and shop. No last minute dashes out to the store for high calorie expensive last minute items.
• Clean out your fridge to make room for all those prepared foods and make-ahead dishes. Set and dress your table before your guests arrive- like the day before.
• Pick up the living room, dining room and bathrooms. Plan to keep guests out of the rest of the house.
• Empty your dishwasher.
• Start cooking one or two days ahead.
• Stock up on disposable containers and food wrap so you can immediately put away leftovers, or send them home with your guests. You’ve taken care of food safety, and decrease your temptation to nibbling.
• For nutrient-rich and tasty recipes that already provide calorie and nutrient analysis information, go to www.loveyourraisins.com
The Original Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce & Cream Cheese Appetizer
Ingredients Recipe by Fischer & Wieser
1 (3-oz.) package cream cheese* 1/3 cup Fischer & Wieser The Original Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce Fresh raspberries and mint for garnish, if desired *For an 8-oz. package of cream cheese, use 1/2 to 3/4 cup of sauce.
Place cream cheese on serving dish and pour Raspberry Chipotle Sauce over top, allowing it to drizzle down sides of cream cheese. Garnish with fresh raspberries and mint. Serve with gingersnap cookies or assorted crackers.
Curried Mango Chutney Dip
Stir curry powder to taste into low-fat sour cream. Swirl in bottled spicy chutney sauce and handful of golden raisins. Serve with fresh snow or sugar snap peas. Sweet, spicy, crunchy and full of healthy nutrients, all in one dish.
Golden State Stuffing
Recipe from loveyourraisins.com
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1-1/2 cups California raisins
1-1/2 cups chopped fresh apple
1 package (7 ounces) herb seasoned crouton stuffing
1-1/2 cups chicken stock
Sauté celery and onion in butter until tender. Combine in large bowl with raisins, apple and stuffing. Add chicken stock, a little at a time to moisten as desired. Makes 10 cups.
Rice Pilaf with Raisins and cashews
Recipe from Real Simple
1 6- to 8-ounce box rice pilaf
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup chopped roasted cashews
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Cook the rice pilaf according to package directions.
Stir in the raisins, cashews, and cumin before serving.
4 servings
Rustic Apple Tart
Recipe from Real Simple
1/2 15-ounce package refrigerated piecrust (1 crust, not the pie-plate version)
2 10-ounce packages frozen cinnamon apples, partially thawed
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons sugar
Heat oven to 375° F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with vegetable cooking spray.
Unfold the piecrust and place on sheet. Place the cinnamon apples in the center of the crust and mix in the lemon peel. Fold the edges over the filling, making pleats as you go.
Brush the edges with the egg; sprinkle with the sugar.
Bake 20 minutes or until the crust is golden. With a spatula, transfer from baking sheet to a platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.
6 servings
For more nutrient-rich holiday recipes go to www.loveyourraisins.com
What is the ingredient that makes your Thanksgiving meal most enjoyable? The answer is easy: Less stress. Simplify your entertaining and enjoy the day more. You need the right blend of great food with family & friends, and above all - relaxed hosts.
I will demonstrate a number of recipes that uses convenience foods wisely to free up time, and allow you to be a relaxed host—not a frazzled cook.
While there are treasured, made from scratch favorites that are crucial to each family’s tradition, not everything has to be time-consuming, homemade and high caloric.
And by the way, the term “turkey stuffing” does not mean that you are supposed to stuff yourself until you are comatose.
The examples:
• Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce & Cream Cheese Appetizer
• Curried Mango Chutney Dip
• Stuffing with apple juice and raisins
• Rice Pilaf with raisins and cashews
• Rustic Apple Tart
• Canned cranberry sauce: For many families, it’s not Thanksgiving unless you have cranberry sauce with the can striations showing!
A little bit of savvy planning can make your Thanksgiving meal easy. These are simple recipes to knockout your guests with your hospitality, not your anxiety.
And here are tips to ensure you enjoy the closeness of family and having everyone together for a day of sharing.
Stress-free strategies
• Plan your menu, make a list and shop. No last minute dashes out to the store for high calorie expensive last minute items.
• Clean out your fridge to make room for all those prepared foods and make-ahead dishes. Set and dress your table before your guests arrive- like the day before.
• Pick up the living room, dining room and bathrooms. Plan to keep guests out of the rest of the house.
• Empty your dishwasher.
• Start cooking one or two days ahead.
• Stock up on disposable containers and food wrap so you can immediately put away leftovers, or send them home with your guests. You’ve taken care of food safety, and decrease your temptation to nibbling.
• For nutrient-rich and tasty recipes that already provide calorie and nutrient analysis information, go to www.loveyourraisins.com
The Original Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce & Cream Cheese Appetizer
Ingredients Recipe by Fischer & Wieser
1 (3-oz.) package cream cheese* 1/3 cup Fischer & Wieser The Original Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce Fresh raspberries and mint for garnish, if desired *For an 8-oz. package of cream cheese, use 1/2 to 3/4 cup of sauce.
Place cream cheese on serving dish and pour Raspberry Chipotle Sauce over top, allowing it to drizzle down sides of cream cheese. Garnish with fresh raspberries and mint. Serve with gingersnap cookies or assorted crackers.
Curried Mango Chutney Dip
Stir curry powder to taste into low-fat sour cream. Swirl in bottled spicy chutney sauce and handful of golden raisins. Serve with fresh snow or sugar snap peas. Sweet, spicy, crunchy and full of healthy nutrients, all in one dish.
Golden State Stuffing
Recipe from loveyourraisins.com
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1-1/2 cups California raisins
1-1/2 cups chopped fresh apple
1 package (7 ounces) herb seasoned crouton stuffing
1-1/2 cups chicken stock
Sauté celery and onion in butter until tender. Combine in large bowl with raisins, apple and stuffing. Add chicken stock, a little at a time to moisten as desired. Makes 10 cups.
Rice Pilaf with Raisins and cashews
Recipe from Real Simple
1 6- to 8-ounce box rice pilaf
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup chopped roasted cashews
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Cook the rice pilaf according to package directions.
Stir in the raisins, cashews, and cumin before serving.
4 servings
Rustic Apple Tart
Recipe from Real Simple
1/2 15-ounce package refrigerated piecrust (1 crust, not the pie-plate version)
2 10-ounce packages frozen cinnamon apples, partially thawed
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons sugar
Heat oven to 375° F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with vegetable cooking spray.
Unfold the piecrust and place on sheet. Place the cinnamon apples in the center of the crust and mix in the lemon peel. Fold the edges over the filling, making pleats as you go.
Brush the edges with the egg; sprinkle with the sugar.
Bake 20 minutes or until the crust is golden. With a spatula, transfer from baking sheet to a platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.
6 servings
For more nutrient-rich holiday recipes go to www.loveyourraisins.com
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Bean Cuisine as seen on KMGH-TV 7
BEAN CUISINE
Bean Economics
Have been talking about ways to decrease the food budget, while still eating healthy and delicious food.
• Dry beans and other legumes are some of the most widely available, inexpensive and nutritionally complete staple foods.
• Cost- minimal compared to the cost of protein from animal meats.
• One drawback however, is the time, and lack of knowledge to cook dried beans from scratch.
Soaking: Cover the beans with room temperature water. Soak covered, overnight or for 8 to 10 hours. Rinse and add fresh water.
• Hot/Quick Soak: Bring beans to a boil and boil for 2 - 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cover. Let stand for 1 - 4 hours, covered. Rinse and add fresh water.
Cooking:
• Stove top: Cover with 6 cups fresh water for each pound (2 cups) of soaked beans, or to about one inch above the beans. Add 1 to 2 Tablespoons oil. Boil gently with lid tilted until tender when taste tasted, 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Add hot water as needed to keep beans just covered with liquid.
• Slow-cooker or crockpot: Cover soaked beans with 6 cups fresh water for each pound (2 cups) of beans, or to about one inch above the beans. Bring to a boil on high. Then, cook 8-10 hours on low.
• Freeze: Will keep up to 6 months in freezer once cooked.
Bean Nutrition
• As both a vegetable and a non-meat protein source, beans contain nutrients found in both food groups.
• They are also a nutrient-rich source of complex carbohydrates and contain dietary fiber, proven to reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers and to aid in weight maintenance.
• In the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005, recommend that adults consume three cups of beans per week to promote health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Most Americans don't even eat one (1) cup in a week.
Beans in polite company
• If high-fiber foods such as dry beans are not a regular part of your diet, the natural complex carbs in beans may cause temporary digestive discomfort.
• Research shows that adding beans to your diet on a regular basis -- at least once or twice a week -- reduces flatulence.
• The best way to reduce beans' naturally occurring carbs is to use the quick hot-soak method to soften dry beans, then drain the soaking water and start with fresh water for cooking.
Beans for Energy and Vitality
• A nutrient-rich food, beans contain protein, complex carbohydrates, fiber, antioxidants, and important vitamins and minerals, such as folate, manganese, potassium, iron, phosphorous, copper and magnesium.
• The lean protein in beans helps maintain and promote muscle while beans’ complex carbohydrates provide a sustained energy source.
• Breakfast: Berry Bean Blast and Blueberry Bean Muffins
Beans for Blood Sugar Management
Beans boast a low glycemic index and contain complex carbohydrates, which are digested slowly.
These facts make beans a good choice for people needing to keep their blood sugar in the normal range.
Shrimp & Red Beans Creole
Beans for a Healthy Heart
• Unlike meat-based proteins, beans are naturally low in fat, are free of saturated fat and trans-fat, and are a cholesterol-free source of protein.
• Research shows that a diet including beans may reduce your risk of heart disease.
• Spicy Bean Cake
http://www.usdrybeans.com/recipes/
Berry Bean Blast
Makes 2 servings
Ingredients
1 15-ounce can, rinsed and drained, or 1 3/4 cups cooked dry-packaged navy beans or Great Northern beans
1 1/2 cups orange juice
2 cups quartered strawberries
1 to 3 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 to 8 ice cubes
Preparation
In a blender or food processor process all ingredients, except ice cubes. Add ice cubes and blend until smooth. Serve in glasses.
Note: May be made 1 to 2 days in advance. Cover and refrigerate. The drink will thicken in the refrigerator. Stir in orange juice or cold water for desired consistency. If frozen strawberries are used, omit the ice cubes.
Blueberry Bean Muffins
Serve these antioxidant rich muffins hot from the oven. Any canned or dry-packaged bean variety can be substituted for kidney beans.
Makes 18 muffins
Ingredients
2 15-ounce cans, rinsed and drained, or 3 cups cooked dry-packaged red kidney beans
1/3 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
3/4 cup pecans, chopped
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a blender or food processor process beans and milk until smooth.
Ina large bowl mix sugar and butter; beat in eggs and vanilla. Add bean mixture, mixing until well blended.
Mix in combined flours, baking soda, salt and spices. Gently mix in blueberries.
Spoon mixture into 12 greased or paper
lined muffin cups; sprinkle with pecans.
Bake muffins for about 20
25 minutes until toothpicks inserted in centers come out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 5 minutes; remove from pans and cool.
Shrimp & Red Beans Creole
This classic dish is a staple in New Orleans homes and restaurant kitchens. Serve over rice, with a salad, for a complete meal. Makes 6-8 servings
Ingredients
2 large onions, chopped
2 cups chopped celery
1 cup green pepper, cut into thin strips
1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup butter or canola oil
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 16 ounce can tomato sauce
1 bay leaf, broken
Hot pepper sauce
1 15-ounce can, rinsed and drained, or 1 3/4 cups cooked dry-packaged kidney beans
1 pound cooked shrimp, deveined
6-8 cups cooked rice
Preparation
Heat butter or oil in saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onion, celery, green pepper, garlic until soft, for about 5 minutes.
Combine flour, sugar, salt and paprika, sprinkle over vegetables. Add the tomato sauce, bay leaf and season with hot pepper sauce to taste. Bring to a soft boil, reduce heat, stir often and simmer for 20
30 minutes until thickened. Add water if the sauce is too thick.
About 20 minutes before serving, drain and rinse beans. Add beans, peeled shrimp to sauce. Heat over low heat for about 10 minutes. Serve over hot rice.
Idaho’s Spicy Bean Cake
This low-fat spice cake is sure to be a family favorite. Frost with a maple or cream cheese frosting. Add 4 tablespoons of cocoa if chocolate cake is desired. Makes 12 servings
Ingredients
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups cooked, pureed pinto beans
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
2 cups diced apples
1/2 cup nuts
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup raisins
Preparation
Preheat oven at 375 degrees.
In a blender cream butter or margarine and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well. Blend in pureed beans.
Sift together dry ingredients. Add to creamed mixture, blending well. Fold in apples, raisins, nuts & vanilla. Pour into buttered 9x13 inch pan.
Bake in oven, 45 to 50 minutes or until cake tests done. Frost as desired
Bean Economics
Have been talking about ways to decrease the food budget, while still eating healthy and delicious food.
• Dry beans and other legumes are some of the most widely available, inexpensive and nutritionally complete staple foods.
• Cost- minimal compared to the cost of protein from animal meats.
• One drawback however, is the time, and lack of knowledge to cook dried beans from scratch.
Soaking: Cover the beans with room temperature water. Soak covered, overnight or for 8 to 10 hours. Rinse and add fresh water.
• Hot/Quick Soak: Bring beans to a boil and boil for 2 - 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cover. Let stand for 1 - 4 hours, covered. Rinse and add fresh water.
Cooking:
• Stove top: Cover with 6 cups fresh water for each pound (2 cups) of soaked beans, or to about one inch above the beans. Add 1 to 2 Tablespoons oil. Boil gently with lid tilted until tender when taste tasted, 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Add hot water as needed to keep beans just covered with liquid.
• Slow-cooker or crockpot: Cover soaked beans with 6 cups fresh water for each pound (2 cups) of beans, or to about one inch above the beans. Bring to a boil on high. Then, cook 8-10 hours on low.
• Freeze: Will keep up to 6 months in freezer once cooked.
Bean Nutrition
• As both a vegetable and a non-meat protein source, beans contain nutrients found in both food groups.
• They are also a nutrient-rich source of complex carbohydrates and contain dietary fiber, proven to reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers and to aid in weight maintenance.
• In the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005, recommend that adults consume three cups of beans per week to promote health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Most Americans don't even eat one (1) cup in a week.
Beans in polite company
• If high-fiber foods such as dry beans are not a regular part of your diet, the natural complex carbs in beans may cause temporary digestive discomfort.
• Research shows that adding beans to your diet on a regular basis -- at least once or twice a week -- reduces flatulence.
• The best way to reduce beans' naturally occurring carbs is to use the quick hot-soak method to soften dry beans, then drain the soaking water and start with fresh water for cooking.
Beans for Energy and Vitality
• A nutrient-rich food, beans contain protein, complex carbohydrates, fiber, antioxidants, and important vitamins and minerals, such as folate, manganese, potassium, iron, phosphorous, copper and magnesium.
• The lean protein in beans helps maintain and promote muscle while beans’ complex carbohydrates provide a sustained energy source.
• Breakfast: Berry Bean Blast and Blueberry Bean Muffins
Beans for Blood Sugar Management
Beans boast a low glycemic index and contain complex carbohydrates, which are digested slowly.
These facts make beans a good choice for people needing to keep their blood sugar in the normal range.
Shrimp & Red Beans Creole
Beans for a Healthy Heart
• Unlike meat-based proteins, beans are naturally low in fat, are free of saturated fat and trans-fat, and are a cholesterol-free source of protein.
• Research shows that a diet including beans may reduce your risk of heart disease.
• Spicy Bean Cake
http://www.usdrybeans.com/recipes/
Berry Bean Blast
Makes 2 servings
Ingredients
1 15-ounce can, rinsed and drained, or 1 3/4 cups cooked dry-packaged navy beans or Great Northern beans
1 1/2 cups orange juice
2 cups quartered strawberries
1 to 3 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 to 8 ice cubes
Preparation
In a blender or food processor process all ingredients, except ice cubes. Add ice cubes and blend until smooth. Serve in glasses.
Note: May be made 1 to 2 days in advance. Cover and refrigerate. The drink will thicken in the refrigerator. Stir in orange juice or cold water for desired consistency. If frozen strawberries are used, omit the ice cubes.
Blueberry Bean Muffins
Serve these antioxidant rich muffins hot from the oven. Any canned or dry-packaged bean variety can be substituted for kidney beans.
Makes 18 muffins
Ingredients
2 15-ounce cans, rinsed and drained, or 3 cups cooked dry-packaged red kidney beans
1/3 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
3/4 cup pecans, chopped
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a blender or food processor process beans and milk until smooth.
Ina large bowl mix sugar and butter; beat in eggs and vanilla. Add bean mixture, mixing until well blended.
Mix in combined flours, baking soda, salt and spices. Gently mix in blueberries.
Spoon mixture into 12 greased or paper
lined muffin cups; sprinkle with pecans.
Bake muffins for about 20
25 minutes until toothpicks inserted in centers come out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 5 minutes; remove from pans and cool.
Shrimp & Red Beans Creole
This classic dish is a staple in New Orleans homes and restaurant kitchens. Serve over rice, with a salad, for a complete meal. Makes 6-8 servings
Ingredients
2 large onions, chopped
2 cups chopped celery
1 cup green pepper, cut into thin strips
1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup butter or canola oil
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 16 ounce can tomato sauce
1 bay leaf, broken
Hot pepper sauce
1 15-ounce can, rinsed and drained, or 1 3/4 cups cooked dry-packaged kidney beans
1 pound cooked shrimp, deveined
6-8 cups cooked rice
Preparation
Heat butter or oil in saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onion, celery, green pepper, garlic until soft, for about 5 minutes.
Combine flour, sugar, salt and paprika, sprinkle over vegetables. Add the tomato sauce, bay leaf and season with hot pepper sauce to taste. Bring to a soft boil, reduce heat, stir often and simmer for 20
30 minutes until thickened. Add water if the sauce is too thick.
About 20 minutes before serving, drain and rinse beans. Add beans, peeled shrimp to sauce. Heat over low heat for about 10 minutes. Serve over hot rice.
Idaho’s Spicy Bean Cake
This low-fat spice cake is sure to be a family favorite. Frost with a maple or cream cheese frosting. Add 4 tablespoons of cocoa if chocolate cake is desired. Makes 12 servings
Ingredients
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups cooked, pureed pinto beans
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
2 cups diced apples
1/2 cup nuts
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup raisins
Preparation
Preheat oven at 375 degrees.
In a blender cream butter or margarine and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well. Blend in pureed beans.
Sift together dry ingredients. Add to creamed mixture, blending well. Fold in apples, raisins, nuts & vanilla. Pour into buttered 9x13 inch pan.
Bake in oven, 45 to 50 minutes or until cake tests done. Frost as desired
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Bean Cuisine
As seen on KMGH-TV 7
BEAN CUISINE
Bean Economics
Have been talking about ways to decrease the food budget, while still eating healthy and delicious food.
• Dry beans and other legumes are some of the most widely available, inexpensive and nutritionally complete staple foods.
• Cost- minimal compared to the cost of protein from animal meats.
• One drawback however, is the time, and lack of knowledge to cook dried beans from scratch.
Soaking: Cover the beans with room temperature water. Soak covered, overnight or for 8 to 10 hours. Rinse and add fresh water.
• Hot/Quick Soak: Bring beans to a boil and boil for 2 - 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cover. Let stand for 1 - 4 hours, covered. Rinse and add fresh water.
Cooking:
• Stove top: Cover with 6 cups fresh water for each pound (2 cups) of soaked beans, or to about one inch above the beans. Add 1 to 2 Tablespoons oil. Boil gently with lid tilted until tender when taste tasted, 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Add hot water as needed to keep beans just covered with liquid.
• Slow-cooker or crockpot: Cover soaked beans with 6 cups fresh water for each pound (2 cups) of beans, or to about one inch above the beans. Bring to a boil on high. Then, cook 8-10 hours on low.
• Freeze: Will keep up to 6 months in freezer once cooked.
Bean Nutrition
• As both a vegetable and a non-meat protein source, beans contain nutrients found in both food groups.
• They are also a nutrient-rich source of complex carbohydrates and contain dietary fiber, proven to reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers and to aid in weight maintenance.
• In the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005, recommend that adults consume three cups of beans per week to promote health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Most Americans don't even eat one (1) cup in a week.
Beans in polite company
• If high-fiber foods such as dry beans are not a regular part of your diet, the natural complex carbs in beans may cause temporary digestive discomfort.
• Research shows that adding beans to your diet on a regular basis -- at least once or twice a week -- reduces flatulence.
• The best way to reduce beans' naturally occurring carbs is to use the quick hot-soak method to soften dry beans, then drain the soaking water and start with fresh water for cooking.
Beans for Energy and Vitality
• A nutrient-rich food, beans contain protein, complex carbohydrates, fiber, antioxidants, and important vitamins and minerals, such as folate, manganese, potassium, iron, phosphorous, copper and magnesium.
• The lean protein in beans helps maintain and promote muscle while beans’ complex carbohydrates provide a sustained energy source.
• Breakfast: Berry Bean Blast and Blueberry Bean Muffins
Beans for Blood Sugar Management
Beans boast a low glycemic index and contain complex carbohydrates, which are digested slowly.
These facts make beans a good choice for people needing to keep their blood sugar in the normal range.
Shrimp & Red Beans Creole
Beans for a Healthy Heart
• Unlike meat-based proteins, beans are naturally low in fat, are free of saturated fat and trans-fat, and are a cholesterol-free source of protein.
• Research shows that a diet including beans may reduce your risk of heart disease.
• Spicy Bean Cake
http://www.usdrybeans.com/recipes/
Berry Bean Blast
Makes 2 servings
Ingredients
1 15-ounce can, rinsed and drained, or 1 3/4 cups cooked dry-packaged navy beans or Great Northern beans
1 1/2 cups orange juice
2 cups quartered strawberries
1 to 3 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 to 8 ice cubes
Preparation
In a blender or food processor process all ingredients, except ice cubes. Add ice cubes and blend until smooth. Serve in glasses.
Note: May be made 1 to 2 days in advance. Cover and refrigerate. The drink will thicken in the refrigerator. Stir in orange juice or cold water for desired consistency. If frozen strawberries are used, omit the ice cubes.
Blueberry Bean Muffins
Serve these antioxidant rich muffins hot from the oven. Any canned or dry-packaged bean variety can be substituted for kidney beans.
Makes 18 muffins
Ingredients
2 15-ounce cans, rinsed and drained, or 3 cups cooked dry-packaged red kidney beans
1/3 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
3/4 cup pecans, chopped
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a blender or food processor process beans and milk until smooth.
Ina large bowl mix sugar and butter; beat in eggs and vanilla. Add bean mixture, mixing until well blended.
Mix in combined flours, baking soda, salt and spices. Gently mix in blueberries.
Spoon mixture into 12 greased or paper
lined muffin cups; sprinkle with pecans.
Bake muffins for about 20
25 minutes until toothpicks inserted in centers come out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 5 minutes; remove from pans and cool.
Shrimp & Red Beans Creole
This classic dish is a staple in New Orleans homes and restaurant kitchens. Serve over rice, with a salad, for a complete meal. Makes 6-8 servings
Ingredients
2 large onions, chopped
2 cups chopped celery
1 cup green pepper, cut into thin strips
1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup butter or canola oil
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 16 ounce can tomato sauce
1 bay leaf, broken
Hot pepper sauce
1 15-ounce can, rinsed and drained, or 1 3/4 cups cooked dry-packaged kidney beans
1 pound cooked shrimp, deveined
6-8 cups cooked rice
Preparation
Heat butter or oil in saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onion, celery, green pepper, garlic until soft, for about 5 minutes.
Combine flour, sugar, salt and paprika, sprinkle over vegetables. Add the tomato sauce, bay leaf and season with hot pepper sauce to taste. Bring to a soft boil, reduce heat, stir often and simmer for 20
30 minutes until thickened. Add water if the sauce is too thick.
About 20 minutes before serving, drain and rinse beans. Add beans, peeled shrimp to sauce. Heat over low heat for about 10 minutes. Serve over hot rice.
Idaho’s Spicy Bean Cake
This low-fat spice cake is sure to be a family favorite. Frost with a maple or cream cheese frosting. Add 4 tablespoons of cocoa if chocolate cake is desired. Makes 12 servings
Ingredients
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups cooked, pureed pinto beans
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
2 cups diced apples
1/2 cup nuts
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup raisins
Preparation
Preheat oven at 375 degrees.
In a blender cream butter or margarine and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well. Blend in pureed beans.
Sift together dry ingredients. Add to creamed mixture, blending well. Fold in apples, raisins, nuts & vanilla. Pour into buttered 9x13 inch pan.
Bake in oven, 45 to 50 minutes or until cake tests done. Frost as desired
BEAN CUISINE
Bean Economics
Have been talking about ways to decrease the food budget, while still eating healthy and delicious food.
• Dry beans and other legumes are some of the most widely available, inexpensive and nutritionally complete staple foods.
• Cost- minimal compared to the cost of protein from animal meats.
• One drawback however, is the time, and lack of knowledge to cook dried beans from scratch.
Soaking: Cover the beans with room temperature water. Soak covered, overnight or for 8 to 10 hours. Rinse and add fresh water.
• Hot/Quick Soak: Bring beans to a boil and boil for 2 - 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cover. Let stand for 1 - 4 hours, covered. Rinse and add fresh water.
Cooking:
• Stove top: Cover with 6 cups fresh water for each pound (2 cups) of soaked beans, or to about one inch above the beans. Add 1 to 2 Tablespoons oil. Boil gently with lid tilted until tender when taste tasted, 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Add hot water as needed to keep beans just covered with liquid.
• Slow-cooker or crockpot: Cover soaked beans with 6 cups fresh water for each pound (2 cups) of beans, or to about one inch above the beans. Bring to a boil on high. Then, cook 8-10 hours on low.
• Freeze: Will keep up to 6 months in freezer once cooked.
Bean Nutrition
• As both a vegetable and a non-meat protein source, beans contain nutrients found in both food groups.
• They are also a nutrient-rich source of complex carbohydrates and contain dietary fiber, proven to reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers and to aid in weight maintenance.
• In the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005, recommend that adults consume three cups of beans per week to promote health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Most Americans don't even eat one (1) cup in a week.
Beans in polite company
• If high-fiber foods such as dry beans are not a regular part of your diet, the natural complex carbs in beans may cause temporary digestive discomfort.
• Research shows that adding beans to your diet on a regular basis -- at least once or twice a week -- reduces flatulence.
• The best way to reduce beans' naturally occurring carbs is to use the quick hot-soak method to soften dry beans, then drain the soaking water and start with fresh water for cooking.
Beans for Energy and Vitality
• A nutrient-rich food, beans contain protein, complex carbohydrates, fiber, antioxidants, and important vitamins and minerals, such as folate, manganese, potassium, iron, phosphorous, copper and magnesium.
• The lean protein in beans helps maintain and promote muscle while beans’ complex carbohydrates provide a sustained energy source.
• Breakfast: Berry Bean Blast and Blueberry Bean Muffins
Beans for Blood Sugar Management
Beans boast a low glycemic index and contain complex carbohydrates, which are digested slowly.
These facts make beans a good choice for people needing to keep their blood sugar in the normal range.
Shrimp & Red Beans Creole
Beans for a Healthy Heart
• Unlike meat-based proteins, beans are naturally low in fat, are free of saturated fat and trans-fat, and are a cholesterol-free source of protein.
• Research shows that a diet including beans may reduce your risk of heart disease.
• Spicy Bean Cake
http://www.usdrybeans.com/recipes/
Berry Bean Blast
Makes 2 servings
Ingredients
1 15-ounce can, rinsed and drained, or 1 3/4 cups cooked dry-packaged navy beans or Great Northern beans
1 1/2 cups orange juice
2 cups quartered strawberries
1 to 3 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 to 8 ice cubes
Preparation
In a blender or food processor process all ingredients, except ice cubes. Add ice cubes and blend until smooth. Serve in glasses.
Note: May be made 1 to 2 days in advance. Cover and refrigerate. The drink will thicken in the refrigerator. Stir in orange juice or cold water for desired consistency. If frozen strawberries are used, omit the ice cubes.
Blueberry Bean Muffins
Serve these antioxidant rich muffins hot from the oven. Any canned or dry-packaged bean variety can be substituted for kidney beans.
Makes 18 muffins
Ingredients
2 15-ounce cans, rinsed and drained, or 3 cups cooked dry-packaged red kidney beans
1/3 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
3/4 cup pecans, chopped
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a blender or food processor process beans and milk until smooth.
Ina large bowl mix sugar and butter; beat in eggs and vanilla. Add bean mixture, mixing until well blended.
Mix in combined flours, baking soda, salt and spices. Gently mix in blueberries.
Spoon mixture into 12 greased or paper
lined muffin cups; sprinkle with pecans.
Bake muffins for about 20
25 minutes until toothpicks inserted in centers come out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 5 minutes; remove from pans and cool.
Shrimp & Red Beans Creole
This classic dish is a staple in New Orleans homes and restaurant kitchens. Serve over rice, with a salad, for a complete meal. Makes 6-8 servings
Ingredients
2 large onions, chopped
2 cups chopped celery
1 cup green pepper, cut into thin strips
1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup butter or canola oil
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 16 ounce can tomato sauce
1 bay leaf, broken
Hot pepper sauce
1 15-ounce can, rinsed and drained, or 1 3/4 cups cooked dry-packaged kidney beans
1 pound cooked shrimp, deveined
6-8 cups cooked rice
Preparation
Heat butter or oil in saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onion, celery, green pepper, garlic until soft, for about 5 minutes.
Combine flour, sugar, salt and paprika, sprinkle over vegetables. Add the tomato sauce, bay leaf and season with hot pepper sauce to taste. Bring to a soft boil, reduce heat, stir often and simmer for 20
30 minutes until thickened. Add water if the sauce is too thick.
About 20 minutes before serving, drain and rinse beans. Add beans, peeled shrimp to sauce. Heat over low heat for about 10 minutes. Serve over hot rice.
Idaho’s Spicy Bean Cake
This low-fat spice cake is sure to be a family favorite. Frost with a maple or cream cheese frosting. Add 4 tablespoons of cocoa if chocolate cake is desired. Makes 12 servings
Ingredients
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups cooked, pureed pinto beans
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
2 cups diced apples
1/2 cup nuts
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup raisins
Preparation
Preheat oven at 375 degrees.
In a blender cream butter or margarine and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well. Blend in pureed beans.
Sift together dry ingredients. Add to creamed mixture, blending well. Fold in apples, raisins, nuts & vanilla. Pour into buttered 9x13 inch pan.
Bake in oven, 45 to 50 minutes or until cake tests done. Frost as desired
What to do with all those leftover Easter eggs……..
As seen on KMGH- TV 7
Egg Salad Week-What to do with all those leftover Easter eggs……..
It seems that the week or so after Easter, we're always overrun with boiled eggs so it makes sense that Egg Salad Week is the full week right after Easter Sunday every year. But really, how many egg salad sandwiches can your family eat? And in these harder economic times, we want to make the most of all the nutritious food in our refrigerator. So Mary Lee is here today to show how we can take advantage of the nutrition from those beautifully colored Easter Eggs.
Also provide tips to how to hard cook your eggs instead of hard boiling them. Cooking eggs for too long or at too high a temperature can make them tough and rubbery, with an unattractive green ring around the yolks.
Step by step to hard cooked eggs:
Put the eggs in one layer on the bottom of the pan. Put the pan in the sink. Run water into the pan until the water is 1 inch over the eggs. Put the pan on a burner. Turn it to medium-high heat.
Let the water come to a boil. Put the lid on the pan when the water is boiling. Move the pan onto a cold burner. Set the timer for 15 minutes for Large-sized eggs (or for 12 minutes for Medium-sized eggs or for 18 minutes for Extra Large-sized eggs).
Put the pan in the sink when the time is over. Run cold water into the pan until the eggs are cool. Put the eggs into the refrigerator if you're going to use them later or peel them if you're going to use them right away. Be sure to use all the cooked eggs up before a week is over.
If your eggs get mixed in with the fresh eggs, spin eggs on a flat surface. The solid cooked eggs will spin easily; while raw eggs (with liquid inside) will wobble.
Safety first!
Decorated eggs are safe to eat as long as they’re not cracked. Check that all decorating materials are food safe.
Make sure eggs do not sit out for more than two hours, or 30 minutes if it is hotter than 85 degrees.
And do not hide Easter eggs where they can come into contact with pets, birds, dirt, lawn chemicals or pests.
Hard cooked eggs in the shell can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 week.
Nutrition: Take advantage of nutrients in your leftover eggs and serve them in meals the following week.
Nutrient Density: Eggs are all natural and have 13 essential vitamins and minerals, high-quality protein, healthy unsaturated fats and antioxidants, for only 70 calories each.
Healthy Pregnancy: Egg yolks are an excellent source of choline, an essential nutrient that contributes to fetal brain development and helps prevent birth defects.
Eye Health: Lutein and zeaxanthin, two antioxidants found in egg yolks, help prevent macular degeneration, a leading cause of age-related blindness.
Breakfast:
Jumpstart your day with a hearty and nutritious breakfast
Brain Function: Choline helps maintain the structure of brain cell membranes and is a key component of the neurotransmitter that helps relay messages from the brain through nerves to the muscles.
Hindoo eggs: The eggs are served in a curried white sauce and served over hot rice or toast points. May be eaten for breakfast or as an entree.
Lunch
All Day Energy: Studies show that eggs provide energy without causing a spike in blood glucose or insulin levels, thereby helping people feel full longer and more energized.
Pan Bagnat, a pressed baguette sandwich made with tuna, sliced hard-boiled eggs and potatoes that actually gets better the longer it sits. The sandwich is a specialty of the region of Nice, France.
Dinner
Eggs play a role in weight management, muscle strength, healthy pregnancy, brain function, eye health and more. It’s considered a nutrient–rich food. That is, for the amount of calories it contains, it delivers a lot of nutrients. So get cracking!
Try chopped hard boiled eggs on your spring asparagus, or use four hard cooked eggs in luscious lemon cookies.
RECIPES
Hindoo eggs
1 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon finely minced onion
1 teaspoon curry powder (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup warm chicken broth
1 cup warm milk
6 hard-boiled eggs
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Whole-wheat toast
Melt butter in a medium nonreactive skillet; add the onion and sauté over low heat until the onion is clear. Stir in the curry powder, salt, and flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
Off the heat, gradually stir in the broth and milk, stirring until smooth. Return to the heat and bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer and cook about 10 minutes. The sauce should be slightly thickened and smooth. Taste for seasoning and adjust.
Cut the hard-boiled eggs into quarters and add to the sauce. Cook just until the eggs are hot, but do not boil. Just before serving stir in a drop or two of fresh lemon juice. Serve over hot toast points.
Yield: 4 servings
Pan Bagnat (Alton Brown recipe)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 baguette, approximately 16 to 18 inches long
12 ounces canned tuna packed in oil or water, drained and crumbled
1 small green pepper, sliced into rings
1 small red onion, sliced into rings
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
1 cup chopped kalamata olives
1 tomato, thinly sliced
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. While continuing to whisk, gradually add the olive oil. Whisk until an emulsion forms. Set aside.
Slice the baguette horizontally into 2 pieces. Tear out some of the soft bread in the center of each side, making a slight well in the bread. Place the tuna, green pepper, red onion, hard-boiled eggs, olives, and tomato on the bottom side of the bread in that order.
Drizzle the vinaigrette over the vegetables, top with the second piece of bread, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Let stand at room temperature for 2 hours before serving.
Cut into 4 sandwiches and serve.
Asparagus Mimosa
3 pounds asparagus trimmed and stem ends peeled
Mimosa:
2 hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped
6 sprigs fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh chives
Dressing:
1-1/2 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 Tablespoon wine vinegar
3/4 cup vegetable or olive oil
Freshly ground pepper and salt to taste
Place asparagus in flat pan, covering with boiling water. Simmer until tender-crisp. Refresh with cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain well, then refrigerate.
Make the Mimosa by mixing hard-boiled eggs, parsley, and chives. Set aside.
Make dressing by mixing the mustard and wine vinegar in a bowl, beating with wire whip until smooth. Add olive oil while beating constantly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Coat asparagus lightly with dressing. Sprinkle Mimosa over the asparagus tips. Pass any remaining dressing.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Hard Cooked Egg Cookies
Zest of 1 lemon + 1/2 tsp lemon extract
10 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup butter
4 hard cooked/boiled eggs, peeled
1 egg
3 cups flour
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1/2 cup sugar
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cream together lemon zest, lemon extract, sugar, salt and butter in a food processor.
Add in hard boiled eggs and process until fully incorporated. Mix in egg. Add flour and pulse until dough just comes together.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until it is 1/4 inch thick and cut into rounds with a 2 inch cookie or biscuit cutter. Dip the cut cookies into the egg white then dredge in the sugar. Arrange on baking sheet - cookies will not spread - and bake until just beginning to brown at the edges, about 12 minutes.
Remove to a wire rack to cool.
Makes 4 dozen.
Egg Salad Week-What to do with all those leftover Easter eggs……..
It seems that the week or so after Easter, we're always overrun with boiled eggs so it makes sense that Egg Salad Week is the full week right after Easter Sunday every year. But really, how many egg salad sandwiches can your family eat? And in these harder economic times, we want to make the most of all the nutritious food in our refrigerator. So Mary Lee is here today to show how we can take advantage of the nutrition from those beautifully colored Easter Eggs.
Also provide tips to how to hard cook your eggs instead of hard boiling them. Cooking eggs for too long or at too high a temperature can make them tough and rubbery, with an unattractive green ring around the yolks.
Step by step to hard cooked eggs:
Put the eggs in one layer on the bottom of the pan. Put the pan in the sink. Run water into the pan until the water is 1 inch over the eggs. Put the pan on a burner. Turn it to medium-high heat.
Let the water come to a boil. Put the lid on the pan when the water is boiling. Move the pan onto a cold burner. Set the timer for 15 minutes for Large-sized eggs (or for 12 minutes for Medium-sized eggs or for 18 minutes for Extra Large-sized eggs).
Put the pan in the sink when the time is over. Run cold water into the pan until the eggs are cool. Put the eggs into the refrigerator if you're going to use them later or peel them if you're going to use them right away. Be sure to use all the cooked eggs up before a week is over.
If your eggs get mixed in with the fresh eggs, spin eggs on a flat surface. The solid cooked eggs will spin easily; while raw eggs (with liquid inside) will wobble.
Safety first!
Decorated eggs are safe to eat as long as they’re not cracked. Check that all decorating materials are food safe.
Make sure eggs do not sit out for more than two hours, or 30 minutes if it is hotter than 85 degrees.
And do not hide Easter eggs where they can come into contact with pets, birds, dirt, lawn chemicals or pests.
Hard cooked eggs in the shell can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 week.
Nutrition: Take advantage of nutrients in your leftover eggs and serve them in meals the following week.
Nutrient Density: Eggs are all natural and have 13 essential vitamins and minerals, high-quality protein, healthy unsaturated fats and antioxidants, for only 70 calories each.
Healthy Pregnancy: Egg yolks are an excellent source of choline, an essential nutrient that contributes to fetal brain development and helps prevent birth defects.
Eye Health: Lutein and zeaxanthin, two antioxidants found in egg yolks, help prevent macular degeneration, a leading cause of age-related blindness.
Breakfast:
Jumpstart your day with a hearty and nutritious breakfast
Brain Function: Choline helps maintain the structure of brain cell membranes and is a key component of the neurotransmitter that helps relay messages from the brain through nerves to the muscles.
Hindoo eggs: The eggs are served in a curried white sauce and served over hot rice or toast points. May be eaten for breakfast or as an entree.
Lunch
All Day Energy: Studies show that eggs provide energy without causing a spike in blood glucose or insulin levels, thereby helping people feel full longer and more energized.
Pan Bagnat, a pressed baguette sandwich made with tuna, sliced hard-boiled eggs and potatoes that actually gets better the longer it sits. The sandwich is a specialty of the region of Nice, France.
Dinner
Eggs play a role in weight management, muscle strength, healthy pregnancy, brain function, eye health and more. It’s considered a nutrient–rich food. That is, for the amount of calories it contains, it delivers a lot of nutrients. So get cracking!
Try chopped hard boiled eggs on your spring asparagus, or use four hard cooked eggs in luscious lemon cookies.
RECIPES
Hindoo eggs
1 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon finely minced onion
1 teaspoon curry powder (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup warm chicken broth
1 cup warm milk
6 hard-boiled eggs
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Whole-wheat toast
Melt butter in a medium nonreactive skillet; add the onion and sauté over low heat until the onion is clear. Stir in the curry powder, salt, and flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
Off the heat, gradually stir in the broth and milk, stirring until smooth. Return to the heat and bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer and cook about 10 minutes. The sauce should be slightly thickened and smooth. Taste for seasoning and adjust.
Cut the hard-boiled eggs into quarters and add to the sauce. Cook just until the eggs are hot, but do not boil. Just before serving stir in a drop or two of fresh lemon juice. Serve over hot toast points.
Yield: 4 servings
Pan Bagnat (Alton Brown recipe)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 baguette, approximately 16 to 18 inches long
12 ounces canned tuna packed in oil or water, drained and crumbled
1 small green pepper, sliced into rings
1 small red onion, sliced into rings
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
1 cup chopped kalamata olives
1 tomato, thinly sliced
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. While continuing to whisk, gradually add the olive oil. Whisk until an emulsion forms. Set aside.
Slice the baguette horizontally into 2 pieces. Tear out some of the soft bread in the center of each side, making a slight well in the bread. Place the tuna, green pepper, red onion, hard-boiled eggs, olives, and tomato on the bottom side of the bread in that order.
Drizzle the vinaigrette over the vegetables, top with the second piece of bread, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Let stand at room temperature for 2 hours before serving.
Cut into 4 sandwiches and serve.
Asparagus Mimosa
3 pounds asparagus trimmed and stem ends peeled
Mimosa:
2 hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped
6 sprigs fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh chives
Dressing:
1-1/2 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 Tablespoon wine vinegar
3/4 cup vegetable or olive oil
Freshly ground pepper and salt to taste
Place asparagus in flat pan, covering with boiling water. Simmer until tender-crisp. Refresh with cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain well, then refrigerate.
Make the Mimosa by mixing hard-boiled eggs, parsley, and chives. Set aside.
Make dressing by mixing the mustard and wine vinegar in a bowl, beating with wire whip until smooth. Add olive oil while beating constantly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Coat asparagus lightly with dressing. Sprinkle Mimosa over the asparagus tips. Pass any remaining dressing.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Hard Cooked Egg Cookies
Zest of 1 lemon + 1/2 tsp lemon extract
10 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup butter
4 hard cooked/boiled eggs, peeled
1 egg
3 cups flour
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1/2 cup sugar
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cream together lemon zest, lemon extract, sugar, salt and butter in a food processor.
Add in hard boiled eggs and process until fully incorporated. Mix in egg. Add flour and pulse until dough just comes together.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until it is 1/4 inch thick and cut into rounds with a 2 inch cookie or biscuit cutter. Dip the cut cookies into the egg white then dredge in the sugar. Arrange on baking sheet - cookies will not spread - and bake until just beginning to brown at the edges, about 12 minutes.
Remove to a wire rack to cool.
Makes 4 dozen.
Pleasing Picky Eaters
As seen on PBS' Creative Living
Pleasing Picky Eaters
Get your kids to actually eat their food. Sure, you can prepare the best healthiest meal, but what are the tips to ensure that your child actually eats it? It’s all about finding the balance between preparing healthy, quality meals and ensuring your child will eat it.
The best way to get your kids to eat healthier is to make healthy eating fun and get them involved with all aspects of meal planning: from menu planning, to in the grocery store and into the kitchen.
Have a frank talk. Find out their true likes and dislikes.
Talk about it first before springing a “surprise” in the lunch box. Sure, tabbouli sounds good to you… but to your child?
Pleasing Picky Eaters
Every child needs to be well-nourished to achieve optimum growth and health. Research studies and anecdotal evidence provide compelling reasons for children to eat nutritiously consistently, every day.
• Numerous studies confirm that children in better nutrition status have better grades, better scores on achievement tests and better classroom behavior in school.
• Good food choices provide the essential nutrients kids need to stay healthy and grow.
• Each meal can make a difference to the daily and weekly totals for calories, fat, saturated fat, fiber, sugar, and sodium, and setting good health patterns for their whole life.
Tips to get your kids to actually eat the food. But as every parent knows—preparing and presenting the food is one task, the challenge too often, is to get them to actually eat it Sure, you can provide the best, most nutrient-rich foods, but what are the tips to ensure that your child actually eats it?
• The best way to get your kids to eat healthier is to make healthy eating fun and get them involved with all aspects of meal and food planning: from menu planning, to in the grocery store, and into the kitchen.
• Planning; Have a frank talk.
o Find out their likes and dislikes. Just as adults have food preferences, likes and dislikes, it’s OK for your kids to have some as well.
o Talk about it first before springing a “surprise” in the lunch box or meal. Sure, tabbouli sounds good to you…but to your child?
o And be sensitive to your child’s peer group pressure. Carefully balance your health goals with your child’s comfort level in being making creative lunches. A cookie cutter sandwich shaped like a bunny rabbit may not appeal to all age groups.
o Keep up to date, and plan periodic assessments. Tastes and interest change. If you have served a “like” for 3 weeks in a row, and it starts getting rejected, it’s time to have another planning session.
• Menu and meal planning
o Involve the kids in simple cooking tasks, or setting the table
o As the child gets older, help them to pick out and plan a meal once a week
• Grocery shopping
o Allow each family member to put a favorite (healthy) food on the grocery list
o Even very young children can help shop: pick out one apple or two oranges at the grocery store.
o Tip to keep your sanity—don’t take the kids shopping if they are tired, hungry and cranky!
• And most important—be a good role model.
Start with the nutrition basics: To best meet children’s nutritional needs, look at the Food Guide Pyramid and the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Make smart choices from every food group: Grains, Vegetables, Fruits, Milk & Dairy, and Meat & Beans.
• Many Americans, including our children, consume more calories than they need without meeting recommended intakes for a number of nutrients.
• As a result, many children are becoming overweight but undernourished, and their diets are lacking in calcium, potassium, fiber, magnesium, and vitamin E.
• Emphasize nutrient-dense foods – foods with higher levels of beneficial nutrients in relation to total calories, and especially those nutrients that children are lacking, to get the most nutrition out of our calories.
• Following mom’s admonition to eat your fruits and may be some of the best health advice around. Evidence continues to accumulate on the many ways that vegetables and fruits promote good health, reducing risk of major chronic disorders such as heart disease and cancer.
o Just 1/4 cup of dried fruit, such as California Raisins, counts as a fruit serving. It's easy to reach the daily goal of 2 cups of fruit and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables when you focus on including a variety of them in every meal and snack.
• Include low-fat and fat-free dairy foods, fruits, vegetables and whole grains that help kids get more of the nutrients they need.
• Choose foods that limit the intake of saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, added sugars, and salt.
Meal by Meal
Eye-Opening Breakfast Ideas:
• When making pancakes, waffles and muffins, sneak in some whole grains by replacing half of the white flour with whole wheat flour.
Fluffy Polka Dot Pancakes
• For a breakfast style burrito – and a protein and fiber boost – fold eggs, beans, shredded low fat cheese, lean ground beef and vegetables into a whole wheat tortilla.
• For a veggie breakfast hash, sauté shredded carrots, zucchini, peppers, onions and uncooked hash browns in canola oil until tender. Mix in one egg and cook until egg is thickened and no visible liquid egg remains. Top with cheese for an extra calcium boost.
Power up on the go. Toast a 4-inch whole grain toaster waffle and top with 1 cup low fat or fat-free yogurt and ½ cup mixed berries and ¼ cup California raisins.
Dismiss the Bread Blahs Lunch: After you find something your child actually likes, don’t serve it over and over and over every day. dreaded bread boredom sets—not another sandwich?!
• Think variety when “sandwiching” your lunches.
o Try whole grain raisin bread, pita bread, whole wheat tortillas to make “wraps,” whole grain rolls, mini-bagels or flavored bagels.
To jazz up a lunchtime favorite, spread 1 tablespoon peanut butter inside a 4-inch whole wheat pita pocket and stuff with ½ cup sliced strawberries, and a tablespoon of raisins.
Mayan Soft tacos
• Introduce foods in fun ways
o Hummus, with pretzels or celery sticks to dip
o Think beyond peanut butter. New butters on the shelves include sunflower seed, cashew and almond. Sprinkle on raisins, and/or send with a whole banana to slice on top.
o Leftover cold meat, sliced into strips and sent with salsa, ketchup or barbeque sauce dip.
o Roll-ups of tortillas filled with cheese and/or lunch meat around a pickle
• Up the taste of the filling
o Stir chopped celery, cashews, raisins or water chestnuts into tuna or chicken salad
o Add shredded carrots or raisins to any nut butter
o Explore new fruits and veggies from the produce aisle: kiwi, red jumbo raisins, jicama, donut peaches, mango
o Fruit Salsa Salad with a snap and a kick that older kids will love
Dinner Delights:
• Go stir crazy – savor a stir-fry made with lean beef or pork strips, shredded cabbage and crunchy water chestnuts. Serve over enriched white rice (or brown rice for added fiber)
• Not your Mama’s Mac ‘n Cheese – try whole wheat noodles when preparing macaroni & cheese or spaghetti. Include chopped broccoli or other vegetable for a nutrient-rich punch!
• Add chopped tomatoes, mushrooms, cucumber, raisins, or eggplant to soup, chili, pasta sauce, lasagna, meatloaf, casseroles, quick breaks and muffins to add nutrients and fiber.
South of the Border Bowl
California Raisin Wheaten Walnut Bread
Sweet Endings
• Provide a sweet dessert with some nutritious bits!
California Gold Bars
Baked Peaches with Golden Raisins
• Don’t get into the “good food” vs. “bad food” trap.
o Forbidden foods become all the more appealing. You can add mini-chocolate chips to a granola mix, or provide a min-chocolate bar without compromising nutrition. Just watch amount and frequency.
Conclusion: It’s all about planning healthy, quality meals and
Pleasing Picky Eaters
Get your kids to actually eat their food. Sure, you can prepare the best healthiest meal, but what are the tips to ensure that your child actually eats it? It’s all about finding the balance between preparing healthy, quality meals and ensuring your child will eat it.
The best way to get your kids to eat healthier is to make healthy eating fun and get them involved with all aspects of meal planning: from menu planning, to in the grocery store and into the kitchen.
Have a frank talk. Find out their true likes and dislikes.
Talk about it first before springing a “surprise” in the lunch box. Sure, tabbouli sounds good to you… but to your child?
Pleasing Picky Eaters
Every child needs to be well-nourished to achieve optimum growth and health. Research studies and anecdotal evidence provide compelling reasons for children to eat nutritiously consistently, every day.
• Numerous studies confirm that children in better nutrition status have better grades, better scores on achievement tests and better classroom behavior in school.
• Good food choices provide the essential nutrients kids need to stay healthy and grow.
• Each meal can make a difference to the daily and weekly totals for calories, fat, saturated fat, fiber, sugar, and sodium, and setting good health patterns for their whole life.
Tips to get your kids to actually eat the food. But as every parent knows—preparing and presenting the food is one task, the challenge too often, is to get them to actually eat it Sure, you can provide the best, most nutrient-rich foods, but what are the tips to ensure that your child actually eats it?
• The best way to get your kids to eat healthier is to make healthy eating fun and get them involved with all aspects of meal and food planning: from menu planning, to in the grocery store, and into the kitchen.
• Planning; Have a frank talk.
o Find out their likes and dislikes. Just as adults have food preferences, likes and dislikes, it’s OK for your kids to have some as well.
o Talk about it first before springing a “surprise” in the lunch box or meal. Sure, tabbouli sounds good to you…but to your child?
o And be sensitive to your child’s peer group pressure. Carefully balance your health goals with your child’s comfort level in being making creative lunches. A cookie cutter sandwich shaped like a bunny rabbit may not appeal to all age groups.
o Keep up to date, and plan periodic assessments. Tastes and interest change. If you have served a “like” for 3 weeks in a row, and it starts getting rejected, it’s time to have another planning session.
• Menu and meal planning
o Involve the kids in simple cooking tasks, or setting the table
o As the child gets older, help them to pick out and plan a meal once a week
• Grocery shopping
o Allow each family member to put a favorite (healthy) food on the grocery list
o Even very young children can help shop: pick out one apple or two oranges at the grocery store.
o Tip to keep your sanity—don’t take the kids shopping if they are tired, hungry and cranky!
• And most important—be a good role model.
Start with the nutrition basics: To best meet children’s nutritional needs, look at the Food Guide Pyramid and the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Make smart choices from every food group: Grains, Vegetables, Fruits, Milk & Dairy, and Meat & Beans.
• Many Americans, including our children, consume more calories than they need without meeting recommended intakes for a number of nutrients.
• As a result, many children are becoming overweight but undernourished, and their diets are lacking in calcium, potassium, fiber, magnesium, and vitamin E.
• Emphasize nutrient-dense foods – foods with higher levels of beneficial nutrients in relation to total calories, and especially those nutrients that children are lacking, to get the most nutrition out of our calories.
• Following mom’s admonition to eat your fruits and may be some of the best health advice around. Evidence continues to accumulate on the many ways that vegetables and fruits promote good health, reducing risk of major chronic disorders such as heart disease and cancer.
o Just 1/4 cup of dried fruit, such as California Raisins, counts as a fruit serving. It's easy to reach the daily goal of 2 cups of fruit and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables when you focus on including a variety of them in every meal and snack.
• Include low-fat and fat-free dairy foods, fruits, vegetables and whole grains that help kids get more of the nutrients they need.
• Choose foods that limit the intake of saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, added sugars, and salt.
Meal by Meal
Eye-Opening Breakfast Ideas:
• When making pancakes, waffles and muffins, sneak in some whole grains by replacing half of the white flour with whole wheat flour.
Fluffy Polka Dot Pancakes
• For a breakfast style burrito – and a protein and fiber boost – fold eggs, beans, shredded low fat cheese, lean ground beef and vegetables into a whole wheat tortilla.
• For a veggie breakfast hash, sauté shredded carrots, zucchini, peppers, onions and uncooked hash browns in canola oil until tender. Mix in one egg and cook until egg is thickened and no visible liquid egg remains. Top with cheese for an extra calcium boost.
Power up on the go. Toast a 4-inch whole grain toaster waffle and top with 1 cup low fat or fat-free yogurt and ½ cup mixed berries and ¼ cup California raisins.
Dismiss the Bread Blahs Lunch: After you find something your child actually likes, don’t serve it over and over and over every day. dreaded bread boredom sets—not another sandwich?!
• Think variety when “sandwiching” your lunches.
o Try whole grain raisin bread, pita bread, whole wheat tortillas to make “wraps,” whole grain rolls, mini-bagels or flavored bagels.
To jazz up a lunchtime favorite, spread 1 tablespoon peanut butter inside a 4-inch whole wheat pita pocket and stuff with ½ cup sliced strawberries, and a tablespoon of raisins.
Mayan Soft tacos
• Introduce foods in fun ways
o Hummus, with pretzels or celery sticks to dip
o Think beyond peanut butter. New butters on the shelves include sunflower seed, cashew and almond. Sprinkle on raisins, and/or send with a whole banana to slice on top.
o Leftover cold meat, sliced into strips and sent with salsa, ketchup or barbeque sauce dip.
o Roll-ups of tortillas filled with cheese and/or lunch meat around a pickle
• Up the taste of the filling
o Stir chopped celery, cashews, raisins or water chestnuts into tuna or chicken salad
o Add shredded carrots or raisins to any nut butter
o Explore new fruits and veggies from the produce aisle: kiwi, red jumbo raisins, jicama, donut peaches, mango
o Fruit Salsa Salad with a snap and a kick that older kids will love
Dinner Delights:
• Go stir crazy – savor a stir-fry made with lean beef or pork strips, shredded cabbage and crunchy water chestnuts. Serve over enriched white rice (or brown rice for added fiber)
• Not your Mama’s Mac ‘n Cheese – try whole wheat noodles when preparing macaroni & cheese or spaghetti. Include chopped broccoli or other vegetable for a nutrient-rich punch!
• Add chopped tomatoes, mushrooms, cucumber, raisins, or eggplant to soup, chili, pasta sauce, lasagna, meatloaf, casseroles, quick breaks and muffins to add nutrients and fiber.
South of the Border Bowl
California Raisin Wheaten Walnut Bread
Sweet Endings
• Provide a sweet dessert with some nutritious bits!
California Gold Bars
Baked Peaches with Golden Raisins
• Don’t get into the “good food” vs. “bad food” trap.
o Forbidden foods become all the more appealing. You can add mini-chocolate chips to a granola mix, or provide a min-chocolate bar without compromising nutrition. Just watch amount and frequency.
Conclusion: It’s all about planning healthy, quality meals and
Healthy Snacking for All Ages
AS seen on PBS' Creative Living
Healthy Snacking for All Ages
- Drop the potato chips! Mary Lee will share some healthy snack ideas that kids will love, and parents can feel good about serving – and enjoying themselves.
- From snacks to send to school or snacks to serve when all the neighborhood kids are at your house, Mary Lee will provide some quick, easy and delicious snack ideas (that are also good-for-you, too!).
- Parents often find themselves tempted to gnash on their kids’ snacks – and who can blame them? Convenience is always a factor. When you prepare healthy snacks for your kids, you will find that you, in turn, are snacking healthier.
Healthy Snacking for All Ages
Whether you are a mom, dad, nanny, grandparent, teacher, or other caregiver, you know that nurturing and nourishing children is one of the most important - and challenging! - roles you will ever experience.
Most kids are starving after a long day at school, so make sure you have something fast and easy for them to eat when they get home.
• Lunch was hours ago, and kids need to eat every few hours for best nutrition. And you can even sneak more vitamins into a delicious snack with easy recipes.
• Providing snacks for after school programs is a great opportunity to help kids practice healthy eating.
• Including a healthy snack between meals is a healthy way to keep hunger in check and stay energized throughout the day.
Did you know that most children, especially the younger children and active teens, need to eat every three to four hours to replenish energy stores and recharge their bodies?
• A between meal snack is often a necessary component of a school-age child's overall nutrition intake.
• Research shows that many kids are eating too many calorie-, sugar- and fat-rich snacks that provide little in the way of nutrients they need for health and growth.
An easy way to provide nutrient-rich snacks is to choose them from the food groups that provide the essential nutrients that are currently limited in most kids diets- CA, K, Mg, Vitamin E and fiber.
• Selecting snacks from the Fruit, Dairy and Whole Grain food groups will provide an abundance of healthy—and good tasting snacks to fuel your child’s growth.
• Today, I have sample snacks made from these food groups that not only taste good, but are simple to make and will sure to be a hit with your kids-and you.
And a word to adults about snacking
• To many of us, snacking seems like a questionable extra, rather than part of healthful eating. Good nutrition sense however, challenges the popular myth that people should not snack.
• In fact, it’s important to include those treats because research shows when people restrict or deprive themselves of foods they love they are more likely to over-indulge later on.
• Snacking may have weight control advantages
o Eaten between mealtimes, snacks help take the edge of hunger, avoiding overeating at meals.
o Smart snackers choose food and portions carefully to match their calorie target without going over. Treats can fit in if you keep sight of your overall diet.
Nutritious Snack Guidelines
Instead of reaching for food that is high in calories, primarily from sugar or fat, such as cookies, candies and sweet snacks use the Food Guide Pyramid to plan snacks, just as you do for meals.
• Choose whole-grain foods such as bagels, tortillas, English muffins, breads and cereals to provide energy, fiber and a healthy dose of vitamins and minerals.
Breakfast Raisin-Banana Tortilla Roll-up (though I must confess the whole peanut butter issue is putting a serious crimp on kids’ snacking)
Bumps on a Bagel
• Include fruits and vegetables for color, variety, crunch, taste and nutrition.
Variety of fresh fruit and variety of raisins
• Include foods with protein, such as milk, yogurt, cheese, peanut butter, tuna, poultry and meat products; they are necessary for growing children.
Cheddar Crunch: Mix ½ cup of Cheddar cheese shreds with popcorn and pretzels.
Milk and cookies: Our Growers Favorite Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
• Limit added fat and sugars as much as possible. Your after school snack doesn't have to be sweet, but if it is, you can still make it nutritious.
Caramel Apple Sundae
Three commandments of snacking for kids
1. Snacks should not take longer to make than to eat.
Salsa Roll-up: Roll Monterey Jack cheese in a whole wheat tortilla and dip in salsa.
2. Invention makes everything taste better. Even those dreaded good-for-you foods are a hit when cleverly disguised. It's one of life's snack mysteries: Putting food on a stick improves the flavor. Calling it a pizza anything is a sale.
Raisin Apple Mini-pizzas
Fresh Fruit Kabobs on straws
3. Never eat snacks with forks and knives. It's a proven fact that anything eaten with fingers tastes better.
Beyond Good Old Raisins and Peanuts
Start a new family tradition
The first day of school can mean a new outfit, fresh pencils and clean notebooks. And to mark the start of a new and special year of school beginning, celebrate with an after school treat or end of meal with a special, delicious dessert.
Applesauce Bread Pudding
Conclusion: Snacking has become a way of life for children. Nearly all children eat at least one snack per day, with many children eating two or three. After-school snacks high in sugar, fat and calories can contribute to dental cavities, obesity and spoil the child’s appetite for dinner.
• Include a wide variety of foods from the Fruit, Vegetable, Dairy and Grain Food Groups in your and your child’s snacks. Use delicious and nutritious snacks to build better nutrition and better bodies to contribute to overall nutrition well-being.
Healthy Snacking for All Ages
- Drop the potato chips! Mary Lee will share some healthy snack ideas that kids will love, and parents can feel good about serving – and enjoying themselves.
- From snacks to send to school or snacks to serve when all the neighborhood kids are at your house, Mary Lee will provide some quick, easy and delicious snack ideas (that are also good-for-you, too!).
- Parents often find themselves tempted to gnash on their kids’ snacks – and who can blame them? Convenience is always a factor. When you prepare healthy snacks for your kids, you will find that you, in turn, are snacking healthier.
Healthy Snacking for All Ages
Whether you are a mom, dad, nanny, grandparent, teacher, or other caregiver, you know that nurturing and nourishing children is one of the most important - and challenging! - roles you will ever experience.
Most kids are starving after a long day at school, so make sure you have something fast and easy for them to eat when they get home.
• Lunch was hours ago, and kids need to eat every few hours for best nutrition. And you can even sneak more vitamins into a delicious snack with easy recipes.
• Providing snacks for after school programs is a great opportunity to help kids practice healthy eating.
• Including a healthy snack between meals is a healthy way to keep hunger in check and stay energized throughout the day.
Did you know that most children, especially the younger children and active teens, need to eat every three to four hours to replenish energy stores and recharge their bodies?
• A between meal snack is often a necessary component of a school-age child's overall nutrition intake.
• Research shows that many kids are eating too many calorie-, sugar- and fat-rich snacks that provide little in the way of nutrients they need for health and growth.
An easy way to provide nutrient-rich snacks is to choose them from the food groups that provide the essential nutrients that are currently limited in most kids diets- CA, K, Mg, Vitamin E and fiber.
• Selecting snacks from the Fruit, Dairy and Whole Grain food groups will provide an abundance of healthy—and good tasting snacks to fuel your child’s growth.
• Today, I have sample snacks made from these food groups that not only taste good, but are simple to make and will sure to be a hit with your kids-and you.
And a word to adults about snacking
• To many of us, snacking seems like a questionable extra, rather than part of healthful eating. Good nutrition sense however, challenges the popular myth that people should not snack.
• In fact, it’s important to include those treats because research shows when people restrict or deprive themselves of foods they love they are more likely to over-indulge later on.
• Snacking may have weight control advantages
o Eaten between mealtimes, snacks help take the edge of hunger, avoiding overeating at meals.
o Smart snackers choose food and portions carefully to match their calorie target without going over. Treats can fit in if you keep sight of your overall diet.
Nutritious Snack Guidelines
Instead of reaching for food that is high in calories, primarily from sugar or fat, such as cookies, candies and sweet snacks use the Food Guide Pyramid to plan snacks, just as you do for meals.
• Choose whole-grain foods such as bagels, tortillas, English muffins, breads and cereals to provide energy, fiber and a healthy dose of vitamins and minerals.
Breakfast Raisin-Banana Tortilla Roll-up (though I must confess the whole peanut butter issue is putting a serious crimp on kids’ snacking)
Bumps on a Bagel
• Include fruits and vegetables for color, variety, crunch, taste and nutrition.
Variety of fresh fruit and variety of raisins
• Include foods with protein, such as milk, yogurt, cheese, peanut butter, tuna, poultry and meat products; they are necessary for growing children.
Cheddar Crunch: Mix ½ cup of Cheddar cheese shreds with popcorn and pretzels.
Milk and cookies: Our Growers Favorite Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
• Limit added fat and sugars as much as possible. Your after school snack doesn't have to be sweet, but if it is, you can still make it nutritious.
Caramel Apple Sundae
Three commandments of snacking for kids
1. Snacks should not take longer to make than to eat.
Salsa Roll-up: Roll Monterey Jack cheese in a whole wheat tortilla and dip in salsa.
2. Invention makes everything taste better. Even those dreaded good-for-you foods are a hit when cleverly disguised. It's one of life's snack mysteries: Putting food on a stick improves the flavor. Calling it a pizza anything is a sale.
Raisin Apple Mini-pizzas
Fresh Fruit Kabobs on straws
3. Never eat snacks with forks and knives. It's a proven fact that anything eaten with fingers tastes better.
Beyond Good Old Raisins and Peanuts
Start a new family tradition
The first day of school can mean a new outfit, fresh pencils and clean notebooks. And to mark the start of a new and special year of school beginning, celebrate with an after school treat or end of meal with a special, delicious dessert.
Applesauce Bread Pudding
Conclusion: Snacking has become a way of life for children. Nearly all children eat at least one snack per day, with many children eating two or three. After-school snacks high in sugar, fat and calories can contribute to dental cavities, obesity and spoil the child’s appetite for dinner.
• Include a wide variety of foods from the Fruit, Vegetable, Dairy and Grain Food Groups in your and your child’s snacks. Use delicious and nutritious snacks to build better nutrition and better bodies to contribute to overall nutrition well-being.
I love you ... Let's clean out the fridge!
By Kristen Browning-Blas
The Denver Post
(Photo by Getty Images, Illustration by Maureen Scance, The Denver Post)
Related
What better way to show your loved ones you care, than to make sure your fridge is clean, cold and well- organized?
You might blame the restaurant where you had dinner the night before, but most food-poisoning cases start at home.
In fact, food-borne illnesses are three times more likely to occur in private homes than in commercial kitchens, says Denver dietitian Mary Lee Chin. Many cases are due to improper storage, unsafe food handling, lack of cleanliness and poor refrigerator maintenance.
Even the most orderly looking fridge can harbor foods that can make you sick.
After Chin e-mailed us confessing her own food-storage sins — she was shocked to learn that the refrigerator door is too warm for storing eggs; "Isn't that why they have those little egg holes?" — we wondered what icebox infractions ordinary people are committing.
We tagged along as Chin inspected the kitchen of Carmen Mix, who volunteered to be our guinea pig. The mother of two small children worries about limp celery and moldy cheese and hopes to persuade her mother not to keep leftovers so long.
First, Chin checks the seal on Mix's 3-year-old GE model.
"There should be a slight tug when it opens," says Chin. That tells you the seal is working properly, one of the first things to check on an older model. A cracked seal allows air in and can cause the temperature to rise. "That creates a perfect environment for bacteria to grow."
Plus, she says, the seals have ridges that collect moisture and dirt, so clean them once in a while.
"What do you do with your settings?" the inspector asks. "Have you checked them?"
"I ... no," says Mix, with a nervous laugh. "It's probably set to what it came at."
She's lucky, because her fridge has a thermometer and it reads a perfect 40 degrees. If you don't have a built-in thermometer, buy one and make sure your fridge is set to 40 or below, says Chin.
Americans throw away, on average, more than a quarter of the
Dietitian Mary Lee Chin, right, tells Carmen Mix that she doesn't have to keep soy sauce in the fridge. (Cyrus McCrimmon, The Denver Post)
food we buy, especially produce. "Many of us wait till it turns to lettuce soup, then we don't feel guilty about throwing it away," says Chin.
"I'd love to have our celery last longer," says Mix.
"When celery goes limp, it's because it's lost moisture," Chin says. "It's still OK to eat, but who wants to eat mushy celery?"
Keep produce in plastic bags and tightly cover cut fruit and veggies to maintain quality. Produce becomes wrinkled or mushy because the plant cells have begun to collapse, allowing the loss of nutrients and increasing bacterial growth in the compromised cells, says Chin, ticking off a list of dos and don'ts:
• Don't purchase produce with mold, bruises or cuts. Bacteria can thrive in those blemishes, and vegetable bins are the most likely place to be contaminated. Produce used for salads — lettuce and spinach, for example — grows low to the ground, where the leaves are likely to come in contact with fertilizers.
• Do buy only the amount of produce that you will use within a week.
• Do place washed produce into clean storage containers, not back into the original ones.
• Do refrigerate fresh produce within two hours of peeling or cutting.
"What about mold on cheese?" Mix asks as her daughter Whitney, 2, pokes her head into the chilled interior.
"If it's hard cheese, cut off a good portion because it does have legs, so to speak," says Chin. "On bread, if it's
Mix's son, Mason, plays with cans of pop, a better choice than milk for storing in the door. (Cyrus McCrimmon, The Denver Post)
white, green, brown or real fuzzy-looking, don't mess with it, throw it out."
Although Mix doesn't keep her eggs in the door, she does put them in the container that came with the fridge. Chin tells her to keep the eggs in the original dated carton so that they last longer, and she'll know how old they are. You can tell if an egg is fresh by cracking it open onto a plate. If it's old, the white will spread out. A fresh egg white will stand up firmly.
While Mix holds her year-old son, Mason, just up from a nap, Chin reaches into the fridge for a jar of baby food.
"Don't feed him out of the jar and put it back in," she says. Bacteria transfers from the baby's mouth to spoon to jar, so it's best to spoon out a serving from the jar, and refrigerate the rest for another meal.
"What about leftovers? Do you label them?" Chin asks, suggesting Mix keep some masking tape and a marker handy to date her leftovers.
"We do have a lot of leftovers, with the little ones," says Mix, shifting Mason on her hip.
"Just wait til he's an adolescent," laughs Chin, who raised two sons and knows a thing or two about growing appetites.
Kristen Browning-Blas: 303-954-1440 or kbrowning@denverpost.com
________________________________________
Kitchen myths
"The milk belongs in the refrigerator door, because it's easier to get to."
Easy access, yes, but doors consistently are warmer than the rest of the refrigerator. Rather than milk, yogurt or cold cuts — foods that spoil quickly — use the door to store condiments, bottled sauces, soft drinks and juice, which keep longer because of high sugar and/ or salt content.
"It's already cooked, so it's safe."
Just because a food has been cooked doesn't mean it will stay safe. Leftovers still need to be refrigerated within two hours.
"I don't need to wash my hands when I'm eating at home, my house is clean."
Eeeuw! Think about it. "The first mistake in any kitchen is people don't wash their hands enough," says John Woolley of Johnson & Wales University. "They think if they're not outside working on the car then it's OK." Not OK. Wash your hands thoroughly and frequently when working in the kitchen.
"I don't need to wash this melon — I'm not going to eat the peel."
Wash anything you're going to cut into. Whatever's on the outside will transfer to the inside when you cut into it. "People think, 'I'm just gonna put this melon on this cutting board,'" says Woolley. "You take that bacteria and put it on your cutting board and there's a little moisture or protein on there and the bacteria starts to grow."
________________________________________
Keep hot food hot, cold food cold
IN THE FRIDGE:
Between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit is the temperature danger zone, where bacteria is more likely to grow at a fast rate. Your refrigerator should be set to 40 degrees or colder.
Get a thermometer if your fridge doesn't have one, to make sure it's cold enough. They are sold at grocery stores, specialty shops and restaurant suppliers.
Store seafood as close to 32 degrees as possible — toward the back of the fridge, where it's colder.
OUT OF THE FRIDGE:
Cook ground beef to 155 degrees. "Ground beef takes the outside and puts it on the inside, because you grind it all up. Anything, bacteria, that was on the outside is now on the inside," says John Woolley of Johnson & Wales University.
Cook chicken to 165 degrees; this goes for anything mixed with chicken as well. "The top end is 165 for killing bacteria on chicken," says Woolley.
Cool down soups and stews by transferring them to shallow pans so the heat dissipates quickly. It's OK to put hot food into the fridge, especially if you transfer it to smaller containers, says Sharon Franke of Good Housekeeping.
________________________________________
Storage containers
The Good Housekeeping Research Institute tested 31 containers, lids, bags, wraps and liners, and recommends these five products for keeping food fresh:
Rubbermaid Premier. Whether you're driving your special dish to a potluck or carrying lunch to work, a no-leak container is key. Here's one that will protect your car from salad dressing: Rubbermaid's Premier set ($2.50 to $9; 866-271-9249; rubbermaidpremier.com).
Nalgene. Ceramic canisters are cute but not airtight. Give flour, sugar, rice and other dried foods a longer shelf life by stashing them in Nalgene jars ($3.33 to $8.23; 800-625-4327; nalgene-outdoor.com).
Tupperware Ice Prisms. Filled with fruit or salad, Tupperware's Ice Prisms are nice enough for your buffet table — and their lids snap on tightly to keep food fresh. One downside: The containers need to be washed by hand ($17.50 to $29; 888-887-9273; tupperware.com).
Bormioli Rocco Frigoverre Plus. The Bormioli Rocco Frigoverre containers had the tightest seal in our tests. And if you're nervous about microwaving in plastic, these glassware pieces will put your mind at ease ($30 for a set of three, amazon.com).
QuickSeals. Forget scrunching, tying or clipping. Instead, close packaged goods with QuickSeals, which fit over a bag's opening to create a secure zippered seal ($1.29 for six; quickseals.com). Goodhousekeeping .com
________________________________________
Keep it clean
More than three out of five Americans say they wait for food to taste bad, look bad or smell bad instead of checking the expiration date, says dietitian Mary Lee Chin. The expiration or "use by" date is the date by which food should be used or frozen to ensure quality and consistency — and it should be followed, she says.
Take inventory of the contents of your refrigerator once a week or immediately before going grocery shopping.
Remove outdated foods promptly.
While cleaning, remove all food and store in a cooler.
Wipe up spills as they happen to keep your refrigerator clean, and help it to be odor-free. And if you wipe up juices from raw meat, throw out the sponge or paper towel — don't keep using it, says Good Housekeeping's Sharon Franke.
If they're removable, take the parts out and wash them in hot soapy water, says Franke.
Inside the fridge, use baking soda, a cleaner such as Fantastik or a very diluted bleach solution, says Franke. "You don't want to spray a cleaner into fridge," she says, but it is safe to use. Spray onto a sponge, then rinse off with water.
Replace filters on icemakers and water dispensers every six months or as recommended by the owner's manual.
To rid fridge of offensive odors, add a cup of baking soda to a bowl or plate and place inside refrigerator for 24 hours. A box of baking soda in the back of your fridge can help eliminate odor contamination.
The Denver Post
(Photo by Getty Images, Illustration by Maureen Scance, The Denver Post)
Related
What better way to show your loved ones you care, than to make sure your fridge is clean, cold and well- organized?
You might blame the restaurant where you had dinner the night before, but most food-poisoning cases start at home.
In fact, food-borne illnesses are three times more likely to occur in private homes than in commercial kitchens, says Denver dietitian Mary Lee Chin. Many cases are due to improper storage, unsafe food handling, lack of cleanliness and poor refrigerator maintenance.
Even the most orderly looking fridge can harbor foods that can make you sick.
After Chin e-mailed us confessing her own food-storage sins — she was shocked to learn that the refrigerator door is too warm for storing eggs; "Isn't that why they have those little egg holes?" — we wondered what icebox infractions ordinary people are committing.
We tagged along as Chin inspected the kitchen of Carmen Mix, who volunteered to be our guinea pig. The mother of two small children worries about limp celery and moldy cheese and hopes to persuade her mother not to keep leftovers so long.
First, Chin checks the seal on Mix's 3-year-old GE model.
"There should be a slight tug when it opens," says Chin. That tells you the seal is working properly, one of the first things to check on an older model. A cracked seal allows air in and can cause the temperature to rise. "That creates a perfect environment for bacteria to grow."
Plus, she says, the seals have ridges that collect moisture and dirt, so clean them once in a while.
"What do you do with your settings?" the inspector asks. "Have you checked them?"
"I ... no," says Mix, with a nervous laugh. "It's probably set to what it came at."
She's lucky, because her fridge has a thermometer and it reads a perfect 40 degrees. If you don't have a built-in thermometer, buy one and make sure your fridge is set to 40 or below, says Chin.
Americans throw away, on average, more than a quarter of the
Dietitian Mary Lee Chin, right, tells Carmen Mix that she doesn't have to keep soy sauce in the fridge. (Cyrus McCrimmon, The Denver Post)
food we buy, especially produce. "Many of us wait till it turns to lettuce soup, then we don't feel guilty about throwing it away," says Chin.
"I'd love to have our celery last longer," says Mix.
"When celery goes limp, it's because it's lost moisture," Chin says. "It's still OK to eat, but who wants to eat mushy celery?"
Keep produce in plastic bags and tightly cover cut fruit and veggies to maintain quality. Produce becomes wrinkled or mushy because the plant cells have begun to collapse, allowing the loss of nutrients and increasing bacterial growth in the compromised cells, says Chin, ticking off a list of dos and don'ts:
• Don't purchase produce with mold, bruises or cuts. Bacteria can thrive in those blemishes, and vegetable bins are the most likely place to be contaminated. Produce used for salads — lettuce and spinach, for example — grows low to the ground, where the leaves are likely to come in contact with fertilizers.
• Do buy only the amount of produce that you will use within a week.
• Do place washed produce into clean storage containers, not back into the original ones.
• Do refrigerate fresh produce within two hours of peeling or cutting.
"What about mold on cheese?" Mix asks as her daughter Whitney, 2, pokes her head into the chilled interior.
"If it's hard cheese, cut off a good portion because it does have legs, so to speak," says Chin. "On bread, if it's
Mix's son, Mason, plays with cans of pop, a better choice than milk for storing in the door. (Cyrus McCrimmon, The Denver Post)
white, green, brown or real fuzzy-looking, don't mess with it, throw it out."
Although Mix doesn't keep her eggs in the door, she does put them in the container that came with the fridge. Chin tells her to keep the eggs in the original dated carton so that they last longer, and she'll know how old they are. You can tell if an egg is fresh by cracking it open onto a plate. If it's old, the white will spread out. A fresh egg white will stand up firmly.
While Mix holds her year-old son, Mason, just up from a nap, Chin reaches into the fridge for a jar of baby food.
"Don't feed him out of the jar and put it back in," she says. Bacteria transfers from the baby's mouth to spoon to jar, so it's best to spoon out a serving from the jar, and refrigerate the rest for another meal.
"What about leftovers? Do you label them?" Chin asks, suggesting Mix keep some masking tape and a marker handy to date her leftovers.
"We do have a lot of leftovers, with the little ones," says Mix, shifting Mason on her hip.
"Just wait til he's an adolescent," laughs Chin, who raised two sons and knows a thing or two about growing appetites.
Kristen Browning-Blas: 303-954-1440 or kbrowning@denverpost.com
________________________________________
Kitchen myths
"The milk belongs in the refrigerator door, because it's easier to get to."
Easy access, yes, but doors consistently are warmer than the rest of the refrigerator. Rather than milk, yogurt or cold cuts — foods that spoil quickly — use the door to store condiments, bottled sauces, soft drinks and juice, which keep longer because of high sugar and/ or salt content.
"It's already cooked, so it's safe."
Just because a food has been cooked doesn't mean it will stay safe. Leftovers still need to be refrigerated within two hours.
"I don't need to wash my hands when I'm eating at home, my house is clean."
Eeeuw! Think about it. "The first mistake in any kitchen is people don't wash their hands enough," says John Woolley of Johnson & Wales University. "They think if they're not outside working on the car then it's OK." Not OK. Wash your hands thoroughly and frequently when working in the kitchen.
"I don't need to wash this melon — I'm not going to eat the peel."
Wash anything you're going to cut into. Whatever's on the outside will transfer to the inside when you cut into it. "People think, 'I'm just gonna put this melon on this cutting board,'" says Woolley. "You take that bacteria and put it on your cutting board and there's a little moisture or protein on there and the bacteria starts to grow."
________________________________________
Keep hot food hot, cold food cold
IN THE FRIDGE:
Between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit is the temperature danger zone, where bacteria is more likely to grow at a fast rate. Your refrigerator should be set to 40 degrees or colder.
Get a thermometer if your fridge doesn't have one, to make sure it's cold enough. They are sold at grocery stores, specialty shops and restaurant suppliers.
Store seafood as close to 32 degrees as possible — toward the back of the fridge, where it's colder.
OUT OF THE FRIDGE:
Cook ground beef to 155 degrees. "Ground beef takes the outside and puts it on the inside, because you grind it all up. Anything, bacteria, that was on the outside is now on the inside," says John Woolley of Johnson & Wales University.
Cook chicken to 165 degrees; this goes for anything mixed with chicken as well. "The top end is 165 for killing bacteria on chicken," says Woolley.
Cool down soups and stews by transferring them to shallow pans so the heat dissipates quickly. It's OK to put hot food into the fridge, especially if you transfer it to smaller containers, says Sharon Franke of Good Housekeeping.
________________________________________
Storage containers
The Good Housekeeping Research Institute tested 31 containers, lids, bags, wraps and liners, and recommends these five products for keeping food fresh:
Rubbermaid Premier. Whether you're driving your special dish to a potluck or carrying lunch to work, a no-leak container is key. Here's one that will protect your car from salad dressing: Rubbermaid's Premier set ($2.50 to $9; 866-271-9249; rubbermaidpremier.com).
Nalgene. Ceramic canisters are cute but not airtight. Give flour, sugar, rice and other dried foods a longer shelf life by stashing them in Nalgene jars ($3.33 to $8.23; 800-625-4327; nalgene-outdoor.com).
Tupperware Ice Prisms. Filled with fruit or salad, Tupperware's Ice Prisms are nice enough for your buffet table — and their lids snap on tightly to keep food fresh. One downside: The containers need to be washed by hand ($17.50 to $29; 888-887-9273; tupperware.com).
Bormioli Rocco Frigoverre Plus. The Bormioli Rocco Frigoverre containers had the tightest seal in our tests. And if you're nervous about microwaving in plastic, these glassware pieces will put your mind at ease ($30 for a set of three, amazon.com).
QuickSeals. Forget scrunching, tying or clipping. Instead, close packaged goods with QuickSeals, which fit over a bag's opening to create a secure zippered seal ($1.29 for six; quickseals.com). Goodhousekeeping .com
________________________________________
Keep it clean
More than three out of five Americans say they wait for food to taste bad, look bad or smell bad instead of checking the expiration date, says dietitian Mary Lee Chin. The expiration or "use by" date is the date by which food should be used or frozen to ensure quality and consistency — and it should be followed, she says.
Take inventory of the contents of your refrigerator once a week or immediately before going grocery shopping.
Remove outdated foods promptly.
While cleaning, remove all food and store in a cooler.
Wipe up spills as they happen to keep your refrigerator clean, and help it to be odor-free. And if you wipe up juices from raw meat, throw out the sponge or paper towel — don't keep using it, says Good Housekeeping's Sharon Franke.
If they're removable, take the parts out and wash them in hot soapy water, says Franke.
Inside the fridge, use baking soda, a cleaner such as Fantastik or a very diluted bleach solution, says Franke. "You don't want to spray a cleaner into fridge," she says, but it is safe to use. Spray onto a sponge, then rinse off with water.
Replace filters on icemakers and water dispensers every six months or as recommended by the owner's manual.
To rid fridge of offensive odors, add a cup of baking soda to a bowl or plate and place inside refrigerator for 24 hours. A box of baking soda in the back of your fridge can help eliminate odor contamination.
Love Food, Hate Waste
Love Food Hate Waste
• Name of a government sponsored awareness program in the United Kingdom to reduce food waste
Americans waste an astounding amount of food
• Much of the waste is preharvest, or during processing and handling, and from restaurant and cafeteria waste. However a large of amount of food is wasted in our own home kitchens.
• According to a government study, it is estimated 27 % of the food available for consumption is wasted, working out to about a pound of food every day for every American
• This is like bringing home 4 shopping bags of food and throwing away one of the bags immediately.
During these tough economic times, when the food budget is biting us back, decreasing household food wastage is one strategy to make your food dollar stretch farther.
• Food losses happen because of over-preparation, plate discard, cooking losses, and spoilage from foods forgotten in the refrigerator.
• These may sound familiar: Examples are entire heads of lettuce that have gone bad, half-eaten boxes of crackers and sprouted potatoes and onions and end up in the landfill
• Happily here are some easy and practical ways to save money by wasting less food and help the environment as well
Portioning: By planning ahead, you can avoid cooking too much and having a lot of leftovers.
• Too often we have good intentions but usually leftovers end up being thrown out
• Use handy measuring equipment to accurately make the amount of food you need.
• For example, ¼ cup of raw rice makes one adult serving
• Use a Spaghetti Measurer to determine how much pasta to cook. Large amounts of noodles end up in the trash
Planning: Reserve some time to plan meals.
• Many people buy a stock items of groceries, with no thought of what dishes will be made that week. Too often ingredients are not used, and go to waste. Plan 1-2 weeks of menus.
• Shop your cupboards, refrigerator and freezer first before going to the store. Avoids purchasing foods you already have, but forgotten. And those jars of gift jelly, boxes of gourmet wild rice and cans of vegetables used to can be turned into tasty meals.
• Make a list and shop your list. Impulse buying can add a lot to the grocery bill.
.
Leftovers are actually makeovers.
• If you are not going to eat leftovers within 2-3 days, seal in freezer wrap, date and freeze at 0 degrees. Will make a great for a meal for one.
• Periodically hunt through the fridge and pull out all those scraps of leftover cheese, vegetables and meat. Turn into quiche, quesadillas or omelets
• Check your produce compartments and don’t forget about fresh fruits and vegetable, but use up.
o Any spare fresh tomatoes could be added to some canned ones to make a great topping for pizza.
o Rice would turn leftover chicken and wrinkly peppers into a delicious salad
o Bits and dabs of leftover vegetables, added to canned soup with milk produces a nourishing, quick and nutrient-rich soup. Benefit of dish provides a lot of nutrients for a small amount of calories, and the calcium and other nutrients in milk.
o For a free lunch, take leftover salad, meat and cheese and make a wrap.
Take time to look at use by and expiration dates
• Buy dates with longest shelf life. Then if changing mind about using it, there is still time to eat it before it goes bad.
• Periodically check the use by and expiration dates of the food in your refrigerator. If you know you are not going to use it by the date, then freeze it, using appropriate airtight containers and bags and mark with masking tape/pen. Use within 2 months.
• Buying in bulk saves money on a per item basis, but not if you don’t use it up before it spoils.
A shocking amount of food we buy in the US ends up being thrown away.
• It’s not just banana skins and tea bags.
• Most of that food could be eaten.
• Spend a little time planning ahead, and save money and calories, plus get a healthier diet.
Resources
http://www.3aday.org
http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com
• Name of a government sponsored awareness program in the United Kingdom to reduce food waste
Americans waste an astounding amount of food
• Much of the waste is preharvest, or during processing and handling, and from restaurant and cafeteria waste. However a large of amount of food is wasted in our own home kitchens.
• According to a government study, it is estimated 27 % of the food available for consumption is wasted, working out to about a pound of food every day for every American
• This is like bringing home 4 shopping bags of food and throwing away one of the bags immediately.
During these tough economic times, when the food budget is biting us back, decreasing household food wastage is one strategy to make your food dollar stretch farther.
• Food losses happen because of over-preparation, plate discard, cooking losses, and spoilage from foods forgotten in the refrigerator.
• These may sound familiar: Examples are entire heads of lettuce that have gone bad, half-eaten boxes of crackers and sprouted potatoes and onions and end up in the landfill
• Happily here are some easy and practical ways to save money by wasting less food and help the environment as well
Portioning: By planning ahead, you can avoid cooking too much and having a lot of leftovers.
• Too often we have good intentions but usually leftovers end up being thrown out
• Use handy measuring equipment to accurately make the amount of food you need.
• For example, ¼ cup of raw rice makes one adult serving
• Use a Spaghetti Measurer to determine how much pasta to cook. Large amounts of noodles end up in the trash
Planning: Reserve some time to plan meals.
• Many people buy a stock items of groceries, with no thought of what dishes will be made that week. Too often ingredients are not used, and go to waste. Plan 1-2 weeks of menus.
• Shop your cupboards, refrigerator and freezer first before going to the store. Avoids purchasing foods you already have, but forgotten. And those jars of gift jelly, boxes of gourmet wild rice and cans of vegetables used to can be turned into tasty meals.
• Make a list and shop your list. Impulse buying can add a lot to the grocery bill.
.
Leftovers are actually makeovers.
• If you are not going to eat leftovers within 2-3 days, seal in freezer wrap, date and freeze at 0 degrees. Will make a great for a meal for one.
• Periodically hunt through the fridge and pull out all those scraps of leftover cheese, vegetables and meat. Turn into quiche, quesadillas or omelets
• Check your produce compartments and don’t forget about fresh fruits and vegetable, but use up.
o Any spare fresh tomatoes could be added to some canned ones to make a great topping for pizza.
o Rice would turn leftover chicken and wrinkly peppers into a delicious salad
o Bits and dabs of leftover vegetables, added to canned soup with milk produces a nourishing, quick and nutrient-rich soup. Benefit of dish provides a lot of nutrients for a small amount of calories, and the calcium and other nutrients in milk.
o For a free lunch, take leftover salad, meat and cheese and make a wrap.
Take time to look at use by and expiration dates
• Buy dates with longest shelf life. Then if changing mind about using it, there is still time to eat it before it goes bad.
• Periodically check the use by and expiration dates of the food in your refrigerator. If you know you are not going to use it by the date, then freeze it, using appropriate airtight containers and bags and mark with masking tape/pen. Use within 2 months.
• Buying in bulk saves money on a per item basis, but not if you don’t use it up before it spoils.
A shocking amount of food we buy in the US ends up being thrown away.
• It’s not just banana skins and tea bags.
• Most of that food could be eaten.
• Spend a little time planning ahead, and save money and calories, plus get a healthier diet.
Resources
http://www.3aday.org
http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com
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