n o u r i s h

Bow Ties with Tomatoes, Feta, and Balsamic Dressing

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 16:00:00 +0000

This recipe features a surprise ingredient–green grapes–that add the just-right amount of sweetness to the simple, two-step pasta dinner. Serve with pan-grilled asparagus.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 cups)

Ingredients

6 ounces uncooked farfalle (bow tie pasta)
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup seedless green grapes, halved
1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
2 teaspoons capers
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 (4-ounce) package crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese

Preparation

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. Combine cooked pasta, tomatoes, grapes, and basil in a large bowl.

2. While pasta cooks, combine vinegar and next 6 ingredients (through pepper) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add oil to vinegar mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Drizzle vinaigrette over pasta mixture; toss well to coat. Add cheese; toss to combine.

Pan-grilled asparagus: Combine 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and 1 pound trimmed asparagus. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add asparagus to pan; cook 5 minutes or until tender, turning once.

Nutritional Information

Calories:: 320
Fat:: 9.9g (sat 3.8g,mono 3.6g,poly 0.7g)
Protein:: 14g
Carbohydrate:: 45.6g
Fiber:: 3.4g
Cholesterol:: 10mg
Iron:: 2mg
Sodium:: 822mg
Calcium:: 130mg

Cooking Light

Top 10 Salads for Spring

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 17:53:00 +0000

Fresh spring produce offers plenty of reasons to try one of our deliciously satisfying salad recipes. Most greens are great sources of folate and of vitamin C, which promotes healthy skin and a healthy immune system. Popular salad additions, such as tomatoes, carrots, cabbages and bell peppers, deliver vitamin A (as beta carotene) and lycopene, a phytochemical that may protect against breast and prostate cancers.

A great salad deserves one of EatingWell's great dressings, so we've created plenty of delicious and healthy choices that can be used on any salad.

10 Healthy Salad Recipes:

Broccoli Salad with Creamy Feta Dressing	Seared Steak Salad with Edamame & Cilantro
Chinese Chicken & Noodle Salad	Smoky Ham & Corn Salad
Green Goddess Salad	Spinach Salad with Japanese-Ginger Dressing
Loaded Spinach Salad	Spring Chicken & Blue Cheese Salad
Mache & Chicken Salad with Honey-Tahini Dressing	Spring Salad with Beets, Prosciutto & Creamy Onion Dressing
More Healthy Favorites: The Easiest Way to Grow Your Own Salad Greens (No Garden Required) 5 Simple Dinners Packed with Produce

Pasta with Zucchini and Toasted Almonds

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 02:59:00 +0000

Pair flavorful pasta with olive tapenade breadsticks for a superfast and delicious meal in minutes.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sugar
5 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 (9-ounce) package refrigerated linguine
1 1/2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
3 cups chopped zucchini (about 1 pound)
3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, divided
1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese
3 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted

Preparation

1. Combine first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add 2 teaspoons oil, tossing to coat.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well.

3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add garlic to pan; sauté 30 seconds. Add zucchini; sauté 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add broth; bring to a simmer. Stir in pasta and 1 1/2 tablespoons mint; toss well. Remove from heat; stir in tomato mixture. Place 1 1/2 cups pasta mixture in each of 4 bowls; top evenly with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons mint. Sprinkle each serving with 4 teaspoons cheese and 2 teaspoons almonds.

Olive tapenade breadsticks: Combine 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic, 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and 15 finely chopped pitted kalamata olives in a small bowl. Spread olive mixture over 1 (11-ounce) can refrigerated breadsticks dough. Twist each breadstick; bake at 375° for 15 minutes or until browned.

Nutritional Information

Calories:: 344
Fat:: 12.7g (sat 3.1g,mono 6.6g,poly 2g)
Protein:: 14g
Carbohydrate:: 45.5g
Fiber:: 5.3g
Cholesterol:: 58mg
Iron:: 3.4mg
Sodium:: 601mg
Calcium:: 163mg

Laraine Perri, Cooking Light

Herbed Stuffed Chicken Breasts

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:56:00 +0000

Dish up a company-worthy dish that calls for only four ingredients, plus salt and pepper. Choose roasted asparagus as a bright, fresh partner for this main dish.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and about 1 tablespoon pan juices)

Ingredients

1/4 cup (2 ounces) goat cheese
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 ounces Canadian bacon, finely chopped
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl. Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket. Stuff about 3 tablespoons cheese mixture into each pocket; close opening with a wooden pick. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt and pepper.

3. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes. Turn chicken over; place pan in oven. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes or until chicken is done. Let stand 5 minutes. Discard wooden picks. Cut chicken diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Serve with pan juices.

Roasted asparagus: Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and 1 pound trimmed asparagus on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray; toss gently. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Place asparagus in a large bowl; toss with 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives. Complete the meal with a sliced baguette and a glass of crisp white wine.

Nutritional Information

Calories:: 302
Fat:: 13.5g (sat 5.1g,mono 4.8g,poly 2.2g)
Protein:: 42.1g
Carbohydrate:: 0.5g
Fiber:: 0.0g
Cholesterol:: 116mg
Iron:: 1.7mg
Sodium:: 486mg
Calcium:: 40mg

Barbara Lauterbach, Cooking Light

How to Read Food Labels

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:49:00 +0000

by Third Age

Grocery shopping can be daunting! Walk down the aisle and you'll see a slew of food labels that claim healthy this and nutritious that. Never before have food packages displayed so many health claims in the U.S., according to a recent commentary in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

These front-of-package labels may "so thoroughly mislead the public that another option deserves consideration -- eliminate all nutrition and health claims from the front of processed food packages," Marion Nestle and David Ludwig, two nutritionexperts, wrote in the journal.

That may be a long shot, but clearly regulators -- namely the U.S. Food and Drug Administration -- are interested in making some changes.

Last week, the agency announced it had sent 17 warning letters to food manufacturers asking them to correct misleading labels. The same day, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg issued an open letter to the industry underscoring the importance of reliable food labeling.

"The Obama administration has given the signal that the FDA will be more aggressive in the area of food labeling," said Bruce Silverglade, legal affairs director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which had been discussing the issue with the agency for months and this week released a report called "Food Labeling Chaos: The Case for Reform."

Indeed, last fall Hamburg announced her agency would be taking a closer look, noting that "some nutritionists have questioned whether (label) information is more marketing-oriented than health-oriented."

Though many of the center's labeling concerns remained unaddressed, Silverglade praised the FDA's warning letters, saying he hopes the deceptive food labeling "party is over and we are in a new era."

An FDA study released this week found that, for the first time, more than half of consumers surveyed say they often read labels. But they are also skeptical of industry claims such as "low fat," "high fiber" and "cholesterol free."

Here is a guide to help you navigate the still-confusing food labeling landscape.

Immunity Claims
The problem: Products are marketed as supportive of the immune system because of the vitaminsthey contain. It's true that severe vitamin deficiencies can weaken immunity, but such deficiencies are not common in the developed world. Otherwise there's little scientific evidence that vitamins, minerals and specific foods benefit the immune system.

Example: Northfield-based Kraft Foods' Crystal Light Immunity powdered beverage mixes. The front label for Crystal Light Immunity's Natural Cherry Pomegranate drink says "Antioxidants A, C & E help support a healthy immune system."

Critical view: "These vitamins are necessary to stay alive, but adding them to Crystal Light won't lessen your chances of contracting a disease," said the center's Silverglade.

Company response: Responding in the center's recent report, Kraft said: "We do not expect, or claim, that consumption of Crystal Light Immunity ... will -- in and of itself -- significantly impactimmune function." Kraft spokeswoman Bridget MacConnell told the Tribune that the firm has "a team of nutritionists and legal experts who carefully review the science and the law before we put any claims on our products."

Possible fix: The center proposes that any immunity claim by a foodmaker get approval from the FDA first.

Have Your Blueberries This Way -- It's Better

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:37:00 +0000

by Real Age

Get more nutrition from your blueberries by tossing them into a steamy bowl of oatmeal instead of cold cereal and milk.

Why? Because a recent study revealed that combining blueberries and milk in the same meal could block your body's absorption of the antioxidant goodness in the berries.

The ABCs of Antioxidant Absorption
Blueberries are packed with powerful phenolic antioxidants that help keep you young by combating oxidative stress. Problem is, these superchemicals don't always make it from your mouth to your bloodstream; you probably absorb less than 5 percent of the phenolics you get from foods. And certain food combos don't help. When researchers had volunteers eat blueberries with a chaser of water or milk, the blueberry-and-milk combo resulted in significantly fewer phenolics being absorbed compared with the berries-and-water combo. (Find out how blueberry polyphenols help your brain.)

When Milk Doesn't Do You Good
Researchers believe that the proteins in milk somehow interfere with antioxidant absorption. And other milk research has already shown similar results with tea and chocolate phenolics. So what to do? Skim milk in your cereal may be an option. Although skim milk still interfered with phenolic absorption in the blueberry study, it interfered less than whole milk. You could also wait a couple of hours between eating blueberries and having milk. Ready for a milk-free blueberry fest? Try one of these RealAge recipes:

Start your morning quickly and easily with these make-ahead treats: Whole-Wheat Blueberry Bars.
Have blueberries for dinner with this recipe: Turkey with Blueberry Pan Sauce.
End your meal right with this sorbet topping: Blueberry Syrup.

Is there a more nutritious fruit than blueberries? Read what a recent study had to say.

RealAge Benefit:

Eating antioxidant-rich foods like blueberries can make your RealAge 6 years younger.

Spring Meyer Lemon Olive Oil Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 03:12:00 +0000

Adapted from the recipe for French Style Yogurt Cake in A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table by Molly Wizenberg.
Serves 8.
Ingredients:
For the cake:
*1 1/2 cups white spelt flour (or use all purpose unbleached flour or almond flour if you need it to be gluten-free)
*2 teaspoons baking powder
*pinch of sea salt
*2 teaspoons candied Meyer lemon peel (or use Meyer lemon zest or regular lemon zest)
*1/2 cup plain organic yogurt
*1 cup organic sugar
*3 large eggs, preferably organic and free-range
*1/2 cup fruity olive oil (melted butter would work, too)
For the syrup:
*1/4 cup organic powdered sugar
*1/4 cup Meyer lemon juice (or regular lemon juice)
For the icing:
*1 cup organic powdered sugar
*3 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice (or regular lemon juice)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 inch springform pan with olive oil, and flour the bottom of the pan.
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the candied lemon peel or lemon zest and mix well.
In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, sugar, eggs and olive oil. Whisk well to combine. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk again to combine.
Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I suggest you start checking after 25 minutes: you do not want to overbake it.
Cool the cake for 15 minutes and then remove the sides of the pan. Prick the cake all over with a fork, whisk the syrup ingredients together, and then drizzle the syrup all over the cake. The syrup will seep into all those fork holes you just made, and this is a very good thing.
Allow the cake to cool for another 30 minutes or so and then whisk the icing ingredients together. Using a offset spatula (or a spoon), cover the top of the cake with the icing. You can serve the cake immediately, or wait 45 minutes to 1 hour and the icing will harden.

Toaster Special - Roast Chicken With Olive Relish

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 05:04:00 +0000

Serves 4Hands-On Time: 15mTotal Time: 45m

Ingredients

4 skin-on chicken breasts (boneless or bone-in)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced, plus 1 clove, finely chopped
1/4 cup green olives, pitted and roughly chopped
2 Roma (plum) tomatoes, roughly chopped (optional)
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 5-ounce bag mixed baby greens or spinach

Directions

Heat toaster oven to 425° F.
In a toaster-oven baking tray, combine the chicken, 2 tablespoons of the oil, the salt, pepper, rosemary, and sliced garlic. (You can cover and refrigerate for up to 12 hours.)
Spread in a single layer, skin-side up, and roast until cooked through, about 35 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the olives, tomatoes (if using), chopped garlic, parsley, and the remaining oil. To serve, divide the greens and chicken among individual plates and spoon the olive relish over the top of both.

By Frank Mentesana, Real Simple

Nutritional Information

Per Serving
Calories 638Calories From Fat 56%

Fat 40g
Sat Fat 9g
Cholesterol 186mg
Sodium 870mg
Carbohydrate 4g
Fiber 1g
Sugar 1g
Protein 62g

Tex-Mex Calzones

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:02:00 +0000

Spice up sandwich night with this Tex-Mex inspired favorite packed with ground turkey, fresh veggies, and spicy salsa.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 calzone and 1 tablespoon sour cream)

Ingredients

8 ounces ground turkey breast
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup fat-free fire-roasted salsa verde
1 (11-ounce) can refrigerated thin-crust pizza dough
3/4 cup (3 ounces) preshredded Mexican blend cheese
Cooking spray
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey to pan; cook 3 minutes, stirring to crumble. Add onion and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) to pan; cook 4 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring mixture occasionally. Remove turkey mixture from heat; stir in salsa.

3. Unroll dough; divide into 4 equal portions. Roll each portion into a 6 x 4–inch rectangle. Working with one rectangle at a time, spoon about 1/2 cup turkey mixture on one side of dough. Top with 3 tablespoons cheese; fold dough over turkey mixture, and press edges together with a fork to seal. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining dough and turkey mixture. Bake at 425° for 12 minutes or until browned. Serve with sour cream.

Black bean salad: Combine 1 (15-ounce) can rinsed and drained black beans, 1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup chopped red onion, 1/4 cup chopped celery, 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium bowl; toss well to coat.

Nutritional Information

Calories:: 416
Fat:: 14.1g (sat 6.1g,mono 4.9g,poly 1.6g)
Protein:: 25.7g
Carbohydrate:: 46.2g
Fiber:: 2.5g
Cholesterol:: 44mg
Iron:: 2.5mg
Sodium:: 771mg
Calcium:: 195mg

David Bonom, Cooking Light

Quick Low Calorie Eating Well Dinners

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:33:00 +0000

Are you ready for spring? We sure are! Rejuvenate your dinner plate with delicious, light low-calorie dinners that highlight spring fruits and vegetables, like rhubarb, spinach and more. Bonus: These recipes are all ready in 30 minutes or less. Just add a quick side dish and/or salad and dinner will be on the table in no time.

5 Tips For Shopping Organic On A Budget

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 20:05:00 +0000

from Mind Body Green
How you can save money AND buy organic... Are you looking to buy organic foods and be mindful of your spending at the same time? Here are a five tips to get started via SmartMoney Magazine:

1. Prioritize... Some produce has fewer pesticides than others, so check out the Environmental Working Group's list of '12 Foods You Should Probably Buy Organic' and those '15 Foods You Can Save Money On and Not Necessarily Buy Organic'.

2. Consider Joining a Co-op... Though it requires more of a commitment to buying organic because of initiation fees, there are savings to be had (typically 10% or more). Some even say that co-ops are "like the farmer’s market seven days a week."

3. Check for Coupons... Yes, even organic companies offer coupons. A good place to look is manufacturers' websites. For example, Stonyfield currently offers17 different 50-cents-off coupons for its organic milk, yogurt and ice creams.

4. Buy In-Season... In-season produce is typically cheaper and more likely to be fresher, tastier, and better for the environment. Here's a guide to finding local fruit in season.

5. Consider Buying Store's Private Label... Private label brands are typically less expensive and most stores have them, e.g., 365 at Whole Foods Market,GreenWise at Publix, O Organics at Safeway, among others.

Simple 30-Minute Soups

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 07:00:00 +0000

Few things are as satisfying as a bowl of hot soup on a cold winter night. Here are 6 of our favorite soup recipes—all ready in 30 minutes or less. Just add a salad and a hunk of your favorite whole-grain bread and a healthy dinner is served!

Lemon Shrimp and White Bean Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 12:40:00 +0000

Hands-On Time: 10mTotal Time: 10m Serves 2

Directions

Between 2 lunch containers, divide 1 15.5-ounce cancannellini beans (rinsed), 12 cooked peeled and deveined medium shrimp, ½ English cucumber (cut into half-moons), and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill.
In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper; divide between 2 small containers.
Refrigerate the salad and the dressing up to one day in advance; toss together just before serving.

More from Real Simple

Nutritional Information

Per Serving
Calories 265

Fat 15g
Sat Fat 2g
Cholesterol 46mg
Sodium 699mg
Protein 12g
Carbohydrate 22g
Fiber 5g

The Wonder Vitamin You’re Not Getting Enough Of

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 09:55:00 +0000

You drink fortified milk. You walk outside for 30 minutes a day. And you take a multivitamin. So you've got vitamin D covered, right?

Not if you're like 40 to 85 percent of North Americans. And if you're over 60, have dark skin, or slather on sunscreen every time you step outside, put yourself in the 85 percent zone. That's bad news for your health. Not just because you need D to build strong bones, but because a steady stream of recent research suggests this familiar nutrient is responsible for more good deeds than a string of superheroes put together—including the biggie that it can even help you live longer: Several studies have found that if people take more vitamin D, they have 25 percent less cancer and heart disease. If you don't? A just-released study found that people with the lowest levels of vitamin D in their blood are 26 percent more likely to die from any cause (heart disease, cancer, infection, you name it) than folks with respectable amounts.

That's just the beginning. Vitamin D is like the quiet kid in the back of the room who ends up developing the next Google: It's equally underestimated. New benefits of D are being discovered faster than you can say cholecalciferol (that's science-geek speak for the active form of vitamin D, also known as vitamin D3). Here's the latest on how it helps you stay young and healthy:

It cuts your risk of breast and colon cancer. Many cells love to multiply faster than rabbits in the arugula patch. But out-of-control cell growth can lead to cancer. Enter vitamin D. It keeps a lid on the rate that cells reproduce, and it turns on your DNA spell checker, called the P53 gene. This gene checks your DNA for typos and kills cells, like cancer cells, that have errors. Experts now believe this is why women who live in sunny climates and thus have plenty of D (your body makes it when sunlight hits your skin) are less likely to develop breast cancer. D has also been linked to lower chances of developing ovarian and lung cancers -- and better odds of beating colon cancer: Recent research found that colon cancer patients with the highest D levels are the most likely to survive.
It deters diabetes and other serious diseases. When researchers looked at the link between sun exposure and type 1 diabetes in children, they found fewer cases of diabetes in kids who live closer to the sunny equator (and therefore make more D). And because D improves your ability to produce and use insulin, it may also help protect against type 2 diabetes. The vitamin, which is thought to be an immune system ally, may help prevent autoimmune diseases too, including multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.
It keeps your heart healthy. Vitamin D helps your ticker by controlling inflammation, moderating blood pressure, and keeping your arteries young. That's probably why vitamin D-deficient men are twice as likely to have a heart attack as men with healthy levels -- and twice as likely to die from it.

When it comes to getting enough of this high-test health booster, only a handful of foods supply it: primarily oily fish (salmon, herring, sardines) and D-fortified foods (many cereals, nonfat yogurt, skim milk, soymilk, OJ). But you have to eat a LOT of them (like 10 glasses of orange juice a day) to get what you need. True, you can get D from sunshine but you need to be outside during peak sun hours for at least 10 minutes several days a week. And in the northern two-thirds of the country, that only works from spring through fall. Between October and mid-April, the sun doesn't have enough energy for your body to make D in its active form -- even if you sit out in the sun all day.

That's why we recommend vitamin D3 supplements. Aim for 1,000 International Units (IU) daily; 1,200 IU if you're over 60 -- though check your multivitamin, which probably has around 400 IU of D, so you don't overdo. Limit your daily dose to a max of 2,000 IU. At the same time, especially now that it's autumn, don't become D-ficient. Get the best D-fense against cancer and heart disease: about 1,000 IU a day from a bottle. - Real Age

Lamb Chops With Cauliflower and Raisins

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 06:44:00 +0000

Serves 4

Hands-On Time: 10mTotal Time: 20m

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
8 small lamb loin chops (about 1 inch thick)
kosher salt and black pepper
1 head cauliflower, cored and cut into small florets
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 scallions, chopped
1 tablespoon capers, roughly chopped

Directions

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the lamb with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook to the desired doneness, 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to individual plates.
Return the skillet to medium-high heat. Add the cauliflower and cook, tossing frequently, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the raisins and 1/2 cup water and cook, covered, until the cauliflower is just tender and the water has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir in the scallions and capers. Serve with the lamb.

By Kate Merker, Real Simple November 2008

Mindful Dinners in Less Time Than Pizza Delivery

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 21:42:00 +0000

When you’re busy (and who isn’t?), reaching for the phone to order takeout can seem like an easy solution. But in the same amount of time, you can save money and have a healthier meal when you make one of these delicious 20-minute dinner recipes from Eating Well.

Grilled Chicken with Mustard-Tarragon Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:55:00 +0000

A tangy sauce enlivens simple grilled chicken breasts; a hint of sugar balances the flavors.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 breast half, 1 cup greens, and about 2 tablespoons sauce)

Ingredients

4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons minced shallots
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 teaspoon sugar
4 cups gourmet salad greens

Preparation

1. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Coat pan with cooking spray. Place chicken in pan; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done.

2. Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper, shallots, and next 6 ingredients (through sugar) in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Serve chicken over greens with sauce.

Nutritional Information

Calories:: 231
Fat:: 7.6g (sat 1.6g,mono 4.1g,poly 1.2g)
Protein:: 35.4g
Carbohydrate:: 3.5g
Fiber:: 1.3g
Cholesterol:: 94mg
Iron:: 2mg
Sodium:: 538mg
Calcium:: 51mg

Cooking Light

Valentine's Day Chocolate Gift Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 03:46:00 +0000

It's that time of year again: the annual Seduction Meals chocolate gift review for Valentine's Day, but remember to bookmark this page--chocolate gifts should be shared and indulged year-round, not just on this wonderful day that celebrates romance & love. True chocoholics understand that one truffle, one flavor, one tiny box, is never enough. . Here are some of my favorites--all gracious gifts for your loved one on Valentine's Day. Visit Seduction Meals for sumptuous couples recipes.

Let Your Passion Cook

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 02:16:00 +0000

from the article by Edward Espe Brown When we’re cooking, what is the most important point? As a meditator there are many ready-made answers: being mindful, being silent, being calm and peaceful. All well and good. But did anyone say, preparing food? We do well to study how we do what we are doing, and ask ourselves, “What is the most important point?”

What is magnificent and magical is finding out how to manifest the cutting of carrots with your whole body and mind; how to wash the rice with your eyes and your hands, connecting consciousness with the senses and the world—not just going through the motions. This brings me to a pivotally important point. When you stop going through the motions and manifest the stirring of soup, alive in the present moment, emotions may surface. While some find this problematic and seemly recommend dispassion, my suggestion is to invite your passion to cook.

Instead of tying yourself down so that nothing volatile arises, use what is vibrant and volatile—feelings—to energize your presence in the kitchen. Invite them to handle, stir, wash, touch, scrub, scour; invite them to see, smell, taste, and delight in the play. Cook’s temperament is a passion for life: give it a field in which to practice—put it to work. If I were to cook only when I was most loving, kind, and benevolent, I would have starved long ago. I am not telling you to act out in the kitchen; my encouragement is to turn afflictive emotions, as well as enthusiasm and exuberance, into something edible and nourishing—food.

So along with mindfulness, washing the rice when you wash the rice is putting more emphasis on concentration, focus, attention, and energy. These actions rather blend together: Prepare food! Make it happen! Wash, cut, cook, taste, savor. Gather yourself, as many disparate parts as you can muster. Zero in on the activity and how to do it easily, effectively, effortlessly (not just going through the motions). Give your attention to observing and perceiving rather than giving out directives and enforcing rules. Let your life force bloom and sparkle. Interact. Study how to use your body to do the work of cooking.

Engage in what you are doing. Zen Master Dogen’s advice is to let things come and abide in your heart. Let your heart return and abide in things. To engage is to meet and connect, and out of that meeting and connecting, to respond. Responding from the heart, your implicit intention is to bring out the best. This is learning to relate with the things of this world and your own body–mind, rather than seeking to hide out in a place where you don’t have to relate with anything. There are recipes to follow in order to get it right and gain approval. There are no recipes for telling you what your heart knows, and precious little workable advice for trusting your heart rather than your head. You choose to do it, and practice finding your way in the dark.

Manufactured products say, “I’m quick. I’m easy. You won’t have to relate with me at all. Put me in the microwave and I’ll be there for you, just the way you want me to.” Recipes say, “Do what I tell you, and everything will be okay—you too can make masterpieces (and if it’s not going to be a masterpiece, don’t even bother).” To engage with the world is to study what to do with a potato, a carrot, cabbages, and bell peppers. What to do and how to do it.

Touch with your hands, see with your eyes, smell with your nose, taste with your tongue: let things come and abide in your heart, let your heart return and abide in things. Your capacity for cooking will grow and develop from your devotion to being in the dark, not knowing what to do, but carefully finding your way. You enter the kitchen and become intimate with cooking through cooking. You begin to trust your own aesthetic, and your close experiencing of cooking (and the sometimes uncomfortable feed-back from others) starts to inform your aesthetic further.

You can shift your effort, shift your attention. From doing it right, aiming to gain approval, you shift to meeting and working with the ingredients at hand. Looking to see what is available, you dream up what to do with the ingredients, while honoring their virtue. Our ordinary effort is to dream up a picture of how we want things to be, and endeavor to make it come true. Now, in the dark, you feel your way along, and your wisdom flashes: a salad, a soup; the virtue of spinach, apple, and walnut speaks to you. The body comes alive, because you are doing something. In this connection is health and healing—you are learning to work with the virtue of things, and receive the blessings of being human.

Everybody knows that cooking can be stressful. When your awareness becomes overwhelmed, stop for a few moments and make a mental (or even written) checklist of what needs to be done. Revise your list in accordance with reality: how much time and energy you have, and what is the one thing to do next, so that you can give that one thing your undivided attention. When stressed, stop and check, before proceeding step by step.

To your health and happiness, joy and well-being, in the kitchen and out. Let’s taste the blessings of the moment. From the February/March 2010 issue of the Shambhala Sun.

8 Guilt-Free Chocolate Desserts

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 05:20:00 +0000

8 Guilt-Free Chocolate Desserts Chocolate and Valentine’s Day are a perfect pair. Even better, these chocolate desserts taste sinfully decadent, but are low in calories so you can indulge without worrying about your diet. (Plus, chocolate may benefit your heart’s health.)

So if you love chocolate as much as we do, try these Dark Fudgy Brownies and 7 other delicious diet-friendly chocolate desserts.

Plus, don't miss our 28 Healthy Chocolate Recipes.

8 Guilt-Free Chocolate Desserts

Chocolate Crunch

Chocolate Waffles

Chocolate-Dipped Gingersnaps

Dark Fudgy Brownies

Double-Chocolate Malted Shake

French Silk Pie

Grilled Dark Chocolate Sandwich

One-Bowl Chocolate Cake

More Recipes to Love:

Chicken with Lemon Caper Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 16:49:00 +0000

If you're craving Italian for a weeknight meal, try this surprisingly simple take on chicken scaloppini. Tip: Serve over white and wild rice blend.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 breast half and 1 tablespoon sauce)

Ingredients

4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons capers, drained
3 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

1. Place chicken between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; pound to an even thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt and pepper. Place flour in a shallow dish; dredge chicken in flour.

2. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes. Turn chicken over. Add broth, juice, and capers; reduce heat to medium, and simmer 3 minutes, basting chicken occasionally with sauce. Sprinkle with parsley; cook 1 minute. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.

3. Bring sauce to a boil; cook 2 minutes or until thick. Serve over chicken.

Nutritional Information

Calories:: 267
Fat:: 7.9g (sat 4.2g,mono 2g,poly 0.7g)
Protein:: 40.5g
Carbohydrate:: 6.4g
Fiber:: 0.6g
Cholesterol:: 114mg
Iron:: 1.9mg
Sodium:: 476mg
Calcium:: 30mg

Diane Morgan, Cooking Light

Whole Foods Recipes for Your Valentines

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 05:44:00 +0000

	Lettuce Wraps with Chile Peanut Noodles dairy free, vegan, vegetarian
	Spaghetti and Meatballs
	Spinach Fettuccine with Artichokes and Sun-Dried Tomatoes high fiber, vegetarian
	Steaks with Red Wine-Herb Sauce gluten free
	Tamari and Honey-Glazed Scallops dairy free, gluten free
	Dark Chocolate and Coconut Dessert Sauce gluten free, vegetarian

The Classics Revisited

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 23:06:00 +0000

By Moira Hodgson

iStock

We love the rich taste of our favorite dishes, but hate the health-and-fitness morning after. So what’s a fussy foodie to do? Here are creative ways to cut the fat but keep the luxury.

When Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking hit the top of the charts last fall (thanks to the movie Julie & Julia), I felt a wave of nostalgia. Years ago, I’d taught myself to cook from that book, as its spattered pages and broken spine can testify. But I wondered how many of its new readers are actually tackling those recipes. All that butter, cream, bacon—and egg yolks! Did I really eat like that?

I did. I spent hours over the stove cooking luxurious, calorie-laden meals for my dinner parties: a creamy veal blanquette with pearl onions and mushrooms; coq au vin in a rich, dark red sauce laced with chunks of bacon; warm chocolate soufflé topped with whipped cream. I even experimented with a suckling pig. Julia recommended soaking it in cold water for several hours. I put mine in the bathtub overnight, and the next day it looked like a bloated corpse. The pig was too big for the oven and I had to cut it in half with a saw.

I’ve had no desire to roast a suckling pig since, but I do miss the days when my friends and I cooked without a thought for our waistlines or our cholesterol. So I decided to revisit some of those classic dishes and see whether I could lighten them up without compromising their taste and integrity. I wasn’t going to use horrible substitutions (such as the ones I found for a “healthy” shepherd’s pie: instant potatoes, frozen soy protein crumbles and fat-free Cheddar cheese). I simply wanted to create versions that would be easier on the conscience (and the heart) and more in tune with the way we eat today [see all the recipes here].

I began with a veal blanquette. Child’s recipe uses four tablespoons of butter, five tablespoons of flour, three egg yolks and nearly three quarters of a cup of heavy cream. So much for “French women don’t get fat,” I thought to myself as I read the list of ingredients—how about “a French woman digs her grave with a fork”? Looking through my cookbooks, I found a well-used copy of Michel Guérard’s Cuisine Minceur. When it was first published back in 1976, it caused a sensation: Butter and cream were the backbone of French sauces, but this famous French chef had magically cut the calories with vegetable purees and other low-fat substitutions. Instead of heavy cream, he used a blend of ricotta cheese and plain yogurt. I tried this in my veal blanquette and it was every bit as delicious as the fattening dish I used to make.

So was the coq au vin, which didn’t suffer from having all the bacon fat poured off (I used lean pancetta, unsmoked Italian bacon) or from skipping the butter entirely. Instead of button mushrooms, I used cremini mushrooms because they have more flavor.

Next came a real test: sole à la Normande, one of the most glorious overindulgences of French cuisine. It gets its name, of course, from the part of the country known for its butter, cream and cheese. It took me a couple of tries to get the sauce right for my simplified version. Guérard’s blended ricotta was too much for the delicate fish, so I gave in and used a small amount of cream with white wine. Not exactly a diet dish, but much lighter than the usual recipe, which calls for flour and loads of butter.

French food wasn’t my only challenge. One day I watched a chef in an Italian restaurant kitchen put his finishing touches on an order of risotto. He took the pan off the heat and, using a ladle, scooped up at least a quarter of a pound of butter and dumped it onto the rice. “It’s the butter that makes it good!” he said, stirring vigorously in the last step, called the mantecatura. He grated Parmesan cheese on top, spooned the risotto into a shallow bowl and handed it to me. I must admit that risotto was one of the best I’ve ever had.

I tried making risotto with just one tablespoon of olive oil (enough to coat the rice at the beginning) and skipping the mantecatura altogether. “Tastes a bit flat,” said my husband. So I tried it with one tablespoon of butter at the beginning and another at the end. “Still flat,” came the verdict. Butter makes the rice silky and unctuous, and even the earthy dried porcini I added didn’t make up for the lack of it. So I scuttled the recipe.

I was more successful with spaghetti carbonara, even though it is one of the richest dishes in the pasta repertoire, made with eggs, cheese and bacon tossed together at the last minute to create a luscious, gooey sauce. Judging by the number of weird low-calorie recipes offered online, many people can’t live without their carbonara and will make do with such dubious substitutions as turkey bacon, fat-free evaporated milk and even bottled mayonnaise. I used lean pancetta, pouring off the fat instead of using it to coat the pasta, and I tossed the strands of spaghetti with two eggs instead of four. Not fat-free, but close, and also rich-tasting.

The warm chocolate soufflés that often used to wind up my dinner parties are a legacy from my mother. With trembling hands, I would use a spatula to help her fold the egg whites into the glossy pool of melted chocolate, butter and egg yolks and pour the mixture into a soufflé dish lined with waxed paper. Minutes later, puffed up to nearly twice its height, soft in the center, the soufflé would emerge from the oven, to be served with whipped cream.

When I was older, I was lucky enough to dine at La Côte Basque and La Caravelle, two of New York’s last bastions of old-school classic haute cuisine. The waiter, in black tie, napkin over his arm, would cut a hole in the top of my soufflé with a spoon and pour in a sauce, often a fruit puree or a custard. So when the final experiment on my list, chocolate soufflé made without butter or egg yolks, “needed something,” I thought back to the dinners at those fancy French restaurants. Raspberry sauce. It did the trick. No one missed the whipped cream, the eggs or the butter. I hope Julia would have approved.

See all the recipes here.

The Best Dark Chocolates for Valentine's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:29:00 +0000

by Gabrielle Frank When eaten in moderation, antioxidant-rich dark chocolate boasts countless health benefits, a perfect gift for Valentine's Day. Check out a few of our favorite dark chocolate delights at MORE!

Easy Homemade Chinese Food

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 08:42:00 +0000

Instead of ordering expensive, unhealthy takeout to celebrate Chinese New Year, invite some friends over and make easy homemade Chinese food. Try some new recipes reported to bring good luck, such as dumplings, noodles and lettuce wraps, and start the Year of the Tiger with a roar!

Pictured: Long-Life Noodles with Green Tea Eating Well