Category: Nutrition

Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad with Toasted Walnuts and Parmigiano-Reggiano

Many years ago (probably a decade), before we had kids and could go trek into New York City for an amazing meal, we happened to dine at Mario Batali’s restaurant Lupa. We had the most delicious raw brussel sprout salad — which I think had pecorino cheese in it . . . It was the first time I had even had raw brussel sprouts. And, they were delicious. Not only did I love them, but I totally preferred them over cooked brussel sprouts.

Of course, I had to try to re-create the recipe, or some version of it. Mine is actually a little bit different from the original raw brussel sprout salad I feasted on many years ago. It includes toasted walnuts and lemon juice — but overall, it’s a really delicious, light and simple recipe!

If you are wondering where you can find shaved brussel sprouts, you can actually purchase them at Trader Joe’s which offers a pre-packaged option. If you don’t have a Trader Joe’s in your neck of the woods I suggest that you throw the brussel sprouts into the food processor to replicate the texture — or you could use a mandolin, but I would fear for your fingers.

This salad is great because, 1. it’s seasonal; 2. it’s delicious; 3. unlike a dressed green salad, it can sit in the refrigerator and not get soggy. In fact, the salad is better once it’s marinated overnight. It’s also the perfect salad to serve at a holiday meal.

Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad with Toasted Walnuts and Parmigiano-Reggiano

Serves 4

10 ounces shaved/shredded brussel sprouts
1/3 cup of olive oil
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
1/2 cup parmigiano-reggiano, shaved
3/4 cup of toasted chopped walnuts

In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Place the brussel sprouts in a large bowl. Add the dressing, toasted walnuts and cheese and toss to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate overnight.

November 15, 2015
STOCKED: Hearty Lentil Soup

I’m a big fan of stockpiling — food, specifically. I have a pantry in my basement where I stock all sorts of foods — canned tomatoes, olive oil, beans, pasta, nuts, etc. I feel very stressed when my supply is depleted, so I keep a mindful eye on my pantry to make sure it’s always well stocked.

If you are like me, you may feel similarly. There’s a sense of comfort in knowing that you have a lot of healthy food staples in your house. And, there’s an even greater sense of comfort knowing that you have a stock pile of healthy meals at your finger tips — or at least in your freezer!

Today we offer you the first recipe in a series we are calling STOCKED. This recipe is for a delicious, healthy and hearty lentil soup. It yields a huge batch that you can divide into containers and freeze for another day. It’s a simple recipe, and I bet you probably have all of the ingredients in your pantry right now. (However, if you need help creating a well-stocked, healthy pantry, check out this article).

Here’s what you need: onions, carrots, celery, garlic, lentils, fresh baby spinach (or another green of your choice), canned tomatoes, olive oil, chicken or vegetable broth, water, bay leaf, salt, pepper.

It’s a very basic and heart warming soup. The greens, in this case spinach, add a nice touch (courtesy of my friend Michele who inspired this recipe). It’s also an extremely economical meal. And, like I said, you will get a tremendous vat of soup out of this recipe. Enough to feed a small army. . . for days.

Enjoy!

Hearty Lentil Soup

Yields a lot.

1 1/2 cups diced onion
1 1/2 cups diced carrots
1 1/2 cups diced celery
1 large clove of garlic, crushed
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 28-ounce can of tomatoes (chopped, crushed, pureed – whatever you have on hand)
16 ounces dried lentils (I used green lentils — don’t forget to rinse them!)
6 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
4 cups of water
1 large dried bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste

In a large stock pot, warm the olive oil and add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic. Cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the lentils, can of tomatoes, chicken/vegetable stock, water, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil and reduce heat. Let the soup simmer for about 25 minutes — or until the lentils are soft. I just left my on the stove and let it simmer away.

Helpful hint: When re-heating the soup, you may need to add more stock/water. Don’t stress. The lentils absorb a lot of the liquid.

October 26, 2015
Maple Oatmeal Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin. Who doesn’t love pumpkin something? I recently walked into a grocery store and was overwhelmed with the amount of pumpkin infused items. I felt like Forrest Gump. Pumpkin coffee. . . pumpkin tea . . . pumpkin creamer . . . pumpkin cream cheese . . . pumpkin ice cream . . . pumpkin pasta . . . pumpkin cookies . . . pumpkin pancakes — and the list goes on and on.

All of this pumpkin is a little overwhelming, but I still love it, and I know you do too! However, I prefer the more traditional pumpkin dessert recipes with natural ingredients, rather than artificial flavors. So, here is my healthy take on a fall classic— pumpkin bread.

I’ve been experimenting with oatmeal a lot lately. In this recipe, I decided to add some oatmeal to my bread, along with brown rice flour (which now makes the bread gluten free) and my usual white sugar substitute — maple syrup. I also added Greek yogurt to moisten the batter. Everything else is pretty standard — eggs, oil, vanilla, etc.

However, I jazzed it up with a sweet/salty/crunchy topping — which also happens to be completely optional — but I do think it adds a nice texture. It’s just a simple mixture of rolled oats, pumpkin seeds, maple syrup and cinnamon — which is a perfect addition since it gives you a hint as to what is inside this delicious bread. Plus, the topping makes a nice presentation — don’t you think?

I hope you enjoy this healthy twist on a classic recipe!

Maple Oatmeal Pumpkin Bread
Yields one loaf

1 cup of pumpkin puree
1/3 cup oil
3/4 cup maple syrup, grade B
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/3 cup milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
1/2 cup of rolled oats (ground into a flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch salt

Topping (optional)
1/4 cup toasted/salted pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch loaf pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the wet ingredients (pumpkin puree, oil, maple syrup, yogurt, milk, eggs, vanilla). When incorporated, add the dry ingredients (flour, oatmeal, baking powder, cinnamon, salt). Mix until incorporated. Pour into the greased loaf pan.

To make the topping, add the pumpkin seeds, oats, cinnamon and maple syrup and toss to combine.

Sprinkle the top of the loaf with the pumpkin seed/oat mixture. Bake for approximately 1 hour or until a tester inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean.

Helpful Hint: Put your rolled oats into the food processor — the fine texture will make this loaf more cake-like.

October 15, 2015
Cinnamon Apple Rings

If your family is like ours, you’ve probably recently gone apple picking — or you plan to at some point this Fall.

There are many things you can do with an apple — pie, crisp, baked, etc. — but we wanted to offer you a healthy recipe that is not only delicious but easy to make. So, we created these Cinnamon Apple Rings which are pan-seared apple deliciousness. You can eat them for breakfast or dessert – they are actually an amazing after school snack! All you need is an apple (or two), an egg, flour (we used brown rice flour), cinnamon and oil (we prefer coconut, but whatever you have on hand is perfect). In five simple steps you will be feasting on these Cinnamon Apple Rings.

You can drizzle honey on top for added sweetness, or add a dollop of Greek yogurt and walnuts. You can top them with ice cream or dip them in nut butter. They are versatile and can be jazzed up anyway you’d like them. But, honestly, they are delicious right out of the pan with nothing on them at all!

Cinnamon Apple Rings
Serving depends on size of apple, but we used one large apple

1 large apple (we used Cortland)
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon coconut oil

Directions:

Slice the apple into 1/4 inch rounds, remove the core. (You can slice them in circles or in half moons, whatever suits you is fine).

Beat an egg and add a tablespoon of water. In a separate bowl, add the flour and cinnamon, mix to combine. Dredge an apple slice in the egg mixture and then coat with the flour/cinnamon mixture. Shake off excess flour mixture.

Heat the coconut oil in a pan. The oil will come to temperature quickly, so keep the heat at medium, but you may need to adjust depending on the size of your burner.

Cook about a minute on each side — until the apples are nicely browned and crispy. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm and enjoy!

Enjoy!

September 30, 2015
Back-to-School Blueberry Corn Muffins (gluten-free!)

Struggling to get the kids up, dressed, fed and out the door? You are not alone! Breakfast is always the one part of my family’s routine that suffers. If your house is like mine, you are probably searching for quick and easy ways to get your kids to eat a healthy breakfast. I know it’s a challenge, especially if your kids are picky eaters. So, I thought a healthy breakfast muffin would be the best and most welcomed fuel for their busy school day! Muffins are also transportable, so if you and your family have no time to sit down and eat, you can take them on the road.

In addition to making a healthy muffin, I thought a gluten-free one would be an added bonus. I happen to love corn muffins, and corn meal is gluten free, so it works perfectly. In order to boost the health factor (and to ensure it is gluten-free), I replaced white flour with oatmeal. Oatmeal has lots of health benefits. In addition to being high in fiber, oatmeal helps lower cholesterol. However, not everyone loves the texture that rolled oats bring to baked goods. So, I threw my oats into the food processor and turned them into a flour. You will never know there’s oatmeal in these muffins, but you will reap the incredible health benefits! My muffins are also studded with blueberries which happen to be high in fiber, potassium, vitamin C — and also help lower cholesterol. I think they are the perfect addition. However, if you are not high on blueberries, try adding peaches or another berry of your choice!

If I were you, I would make a batch of muffins on Sunday, and save them for the week. They will last a few days if stored in an air-tight container. But, you might want to make two batches, these muffins are yummy!

Back-to-School Blueberry Corn Muffins
Yields 12 muffins

1 cup of rolled oats (broken down into a flour in the food processor)
1 cup of corn meal
1/4 cup of grade B maple syrup
1/4 cup of milk
1/4 cup of safflower oil
1 egg
1 banana (mashed)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup of fresh blueberries

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.

Line a muffin tin with paper liners. You will only need a 12-cup tin for this recipe.

Put your oats in a food processor and pulse until it forms a flour-like consistency.

In a large bowl, add the wet ingredients (maple syrup, milk, oil, egg) and mix. Add the mashed banana and the oatmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. Stir until combined. Add the blueberries last, and mix gently so they don’t break up.

Spoon the mixture evenly amongst the 12 muffin cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!

September 9, 2015
Tzatziki as Easy as 1-2-3

I do a lot of entertaining in the summer, and my family loves Mediterranean food, so you will likely find hummus and other yummy dips at our house. This week we made Tzatziki Sauce – which is a Greek cucumber yogurt sauce. Generally, you might find it alongside a gyro at your favorite Greek restaurant. And, while it’s not usually served as a dip — more of a condiment — we use it as one. We like to dip pita chips and fresh raw veggies in Tzatziki Sauce. It’s full of cool cucumbers, zesty garlic and fresh dill making a refreshing dip which is perfect for the warm weather.

If you don’t want to eat it as a dip, and prefer to serve it as a sauce, you can use it alongside grilled chicken or fish (I think it would be great with grilled wild salmon!) — and I bet it would taste pretty good on a burger (whichever kind you fancy).

It’s pretty simple to make — just three easy steps — grate, drain, mix (see more details below). It’s also the perfect recipe for those of you have a garden full of cucumbers!

Tzatziki as Easy as 1-2-3
Yields 3+cups

2 cups of shredded cucumber, salted and drained (see note below)
3 cups of plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons chopped dill
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp white vinegar
salt
pepper

There are basically three steps involved in making this dip. Grating the cucumber, salting/draining it and then mixing it together with the rest of the ingredients.

Peel and slice the cucumber lengthwise. Remove the seeds with a spoon. Use a hand grater to grate the cucumber. Place the cucumber in a colander and add a little salt (1/3 teaspoon) in order to extract some of the liquid. Let it sit as you prepare the rest of the sauce.

In a large bowl, add the yogurt, dill, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, white vinegar, salt and pepper.

Drain as much liquid from the grated cucumber and add the cucumber to the bowl with the yogurt mixture. Mix to combine and serve.

August 21, 2015
Rustic Summer Berry Pie

It’s berry season and what better way to eat them than in pie form! I like to make rustic pies — pies with a single overlapping crust. I think it looks more casual than a traditional double crust, and it also happens to be easier to assemble (i.e., no crimping of any edges).

With just one crust, this pie automatically cuts down on the number of calories that you’d consume with a double crust. I also made it a point to replace all of the white sugar in my recipe with maple syrup. The maple syrup adds liquid, which complicates my traditional rustic pie form, so my healthier version needs to be baked in a pie plate (rather than on a baking sheet, which is my usual pie-baking method). It’s all good and works out perfectly fine.

I love this pie for many reasons.

One, I love pie.
Two, I love that you can easily use one crust — and one pre-made crust, which means you are cutting down on prep time.
Three, I love that the pie is sweetened with natural grade B maple syrup versus processed white sugar!
Last, but not least, I love that my kids had no idea that they were eating a “healthier” pie. They devoured it — no questions asked.

That being said, the pie is delicious — bursting with berry flavor and hints of lemon. You can serve it as is, or top it with fresh whipped cream or, better yet, ice cream, which is my personal fave.

Rustic Summer Berry Pie
Yields one 9-inch pie

2 cups of fresh raspberries
2 cups of fresh blueberries
2 cups of fresh blackberries
1/2 cup of grade B maple syrup
1/4 cup of unbleached flour
1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
zest of one lemon
1 pre-made pie crust — rolled to approximately 12 inches in diameter
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Roll out your crust. I buy the pre-made crust that comes rolled up in the refrigerator or freezer case. I let it defrost and then roll it out until it’s approximately 12 inches in diameter. You want the crust to overlap your 9-inch pie plate.

In a large bowl add the berries, maple syrup, flour, lemon juice, lemon zest. Mix gently to incorporate all of the ingredients. Be careful not to break the berries up too much when mixing.

Pour berry mixture into the pie crust. Instead of crimping the edges, you want to pull the crust hanging over the side of the plate onto the berries. I kind of work my way around the pie plate, folding the dough over itself. Check out the picture above.

Bake the pie for approximately one hour until the berry bubble and crust is a nice golden brown.

August 3, 2015
Understanding Your Eating Style

Most mornings, I wake up and make a smoothie for my kids. It sounds like a simple and quick breakfast, but in my house, nothing is that simple. My kids don’t consider a smoothie to be a meal. Once I hand them their smoothies, they ask me what else I’m making.

The smoothie, in their minds, is just a drink—an accompaniment to their meal, and not a meal on its own. So, each morning, I make smoothies along with scrambled eggs or pancakes or something else that they consider to be a real meal.

BUT, if I placed all of the smoothie ingredients onto the table and announced that breakfast was served, I bet that my kids would laugh in disbelief at the quantity of food before them. Look at the ingredients in this morning’s smoothie: nut milk, blueberries, a whole banana, a whole peach, and a quarter cup of strawberry yogurt. They would say that they couldn’t eat all of that food in one sitting. It doesn’t cross their minds that they DO eat all of that food in one sitting (in addition to the “real” meal that I’ve prepared).

This got me thinking…

How many adults go through the motions of either buying a smoothie or blending one at home each day without any appreciation for the significant quantity of food that they are consuming? Perhaps some adults realize it. My husband happens to be one of those people, which is why you’ll never see him eating plates of fruit and yogurt and milk. He’s not a big breakfast eater, and the thought of eating plates of food first thing in the morning is just too much for him. A smoothie, which hides all of the bulky volume of fruit, is a perfect solution for someone like him, who would otherwise not eat breakfast at all. He knows he’s getting all of the benefits of fruits, vegetables, nut butters, etc., without actually having to sit down and eat all of that food with utensils.

I happen to be on the other end of the spectrum. If I choose to drink a smoothie for breakfast, I am looking for snacks within an hour, even if I’m not actually hungry. I am like my children, and my brain interprets the smoothie as a drink, not a meal. I would much rather see an abundant breakfast in front of me—a breakfast that I can chew and savor, rather than gulp down. I don’t care about the convenience of having a smoothie in a cup that can travel from the home to the car. I’d much rather sit down with multiple plates and bowls of food to taste. Eating the individual ingredients of the smoothie would be a much more satisfying experience than drinking the blended version of those same ingredients.

If you are working towards healthier eating habits, it’s SO important to understand your thought processes surrounding food so that you can tailor your meals and snacks to complement your tendencies.

Eating mindfully is key.

If you are wondering whether smoothies are a good breakfast option, ask yourself these questions:

-Am I a volume eater? Do I like having lots of food in front of me?

-Do I need various textures of food to feel satisfied?

-Can I be satisfied with a liquid meal?

-Am I better off eating the unblended ingredients of a smoothie in whole form? Do I prefer liquid meals? If so, why? Does convenience and portability have anything to do with my preference for smoothies?

If you answer each of these questions and really consider how and why you think the way you do, you can begin to understand why you eat the way you do. Once you get a handle on why you eat the way you do, you will become more mindful of your food choices and begin to develop healthier eating habits.

In the past, I’ve touched upon the subject of different eating habits. Not everyone has the same approach to eating, and that’s okay. Just becoming more mindful of your own approach and your own inclinations can help you figure out how to create healthy habits that will work for you.

July 12, 2015
Grilled Pizza with Fresh Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil
Who doesn’t love pizza? It happens to be a mainstay at our house, especially on those busy nights, but store bought pizza has nothing on a delicious homemade grilled pizza. All you need is a grill and a few fresh ingredients.

We started grilling pizza a few years ago. We couldn’t believe how amazing it turns out — and we’ve been making this delicious treat ever since. I can guarantee you will never find a better tasting pie. It’s great for a family meal or for entertaining. You can dress it up any way that you’d like. You can make it with pre-made pizza sauce and your favorite toppings. But, today, I’m offering you one of my family’s favorite preparations which happens to include only seven fresh ingredients – tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, basil, mozzarella cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and pizza dough. It’s perfect for those lazy summers when turning on the stove is the last thing on your mind — and it happens to be an excellent recipe for the multitude of summer tomatoes in your garden. This pizza is like a grilled bruschetta — topped with melted cheese — but so much better than you would ever imagine. Mmmmmm, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

In order to make the recipe more manageable, I purchase the pizza dough. You can buy it from your local pizzeria or supermarket. I like to get mine at Trader Joe’s (which also happens to offer a whole wheat dough and an herbed dough option). However, for this pizza, I recommend an original dough — nothing fancy. Just enjoy the simplicity of the fresh ingredients.

The process is not complicated, it just involves a few steps. I’ve included some pictures below to help explain the process. Before you get started make sure you have the following tools on hand:
- BBQ grill
- Pastry brush for the olive oil
- Pizza peel or flat cutting boards for transferring dough to grill
- Tongs
- 2 large baking sheets
And, here is a visual breakdown of the steps — which I detail in the directions:

Grilled Pizza with Fresh Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil
Yields 2 pizzas

For the sauce:
20 ounces of tomatoes, chopped (grape tomatoes, plum tomatoes, any kind you like)
1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon of fresh basil, chopped

2 packages of store bought pizza dough (I used 16 ounce dough from Trader Joes)
12 ounces of mozzarella cheese (I use low moisture mozzarella cheese since the sauce is so loose, you don’t want extra water)
1/2 cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil for the grill

Directions:

Preheat grill on high; coat grill grates with olive oil.

Assemble tomato sauce, combining chopped tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, basil, salt and pepper.

Slice mozzarella cheese and grate parmigiano-reggiano cheese.

Roll dough out on a floured surface. Transfer dough to pizza peel (or a flat cutting board). Coat top of dough with olive oil.

Flip dough onto hot grill. Let it cook until bubbles form on top of dough — timing really all depends on width of dough — but 5 minutes is a good estimate. I usually close the grill for this part — but, if this is your first time making grilled pizza, keep an eye on the dough and the grill flame. You don’t want to burn the dough.

Once bubbles form, and the underside of dough is browned (with grill marks), flip the dough with tongs.

Top dough with tomatoes, cheeses — and salt and pepper if you’d like. Close grill lid and cook until the cheese melts and the bottom of the pizza is nice and brown and branded with grill marks — you are looking at another 3-5 minutes depending on the thickness of the dough.

Serve immediately.

Helpful hint: Make the pizza with a friend — or your partner. It helps to have an extra set of hands – especially if you plan on making more than one pizza.
July 11, 2015
Small Steps, Big Results: Tips for Living with Less Sugar

Whether you are of the Def Leppard generation or the Maroon 5 generation — there’s no question that love and sugar are synonymous. There’s good reason why pop bands equate love with sugar. It’s sweet and addictive — and like love, we find we can’t live without it.

However, Americans are consuming way more sugar than they should. According to the American Heart Association, Americans eat about 20 teaspoons of added sugar a day, according to a report from the 2005–10 NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) database. Added sugar is the sugar added to food during preparation, processing, or at the table. It does not include naturally occurring sugar, such as fructose or lactose, which are found in fruit and milk. Teens and men consume the most added sugars. Average daily consumption for men: 335 calories, women: 230 calories, boys: 362 calories, girls: 282 calories. The American Heart Association recommends that no more than half of your daily discretionary calorie allowance come from added sugars. For most women, this is no more than 100 calories per day (about 6 teaspoons); for men, it’s no more than 150 calories per day (about 9 teaspoons).

So, clearly we have some work to do, but how do we break our love affair with sugar? Well, we have a few suggestions based on personal experience . . .

Here’s our list of six things you can do to make the break from sugar:

– Revamp your morning coffee or tea. I used to add sugar to my coffee, but last year, I stopped. Cold turkey. It was tough, but I did it, with the help of my Aerolatte (frothed milk made a big difference for me!).

– Drink water (flat water, mineral water or seltzer). No soda, no juice, nothing with added sweeteners. Add a little fresh lemon or lime or infuse with berries or cucumbers if you long for some flavor.

– If you must use a sweetener, replace refined white sugar with natural sugar sources like honey, maple syrup or brown rice syrup in your baking and cooking. I now sweeten my Banana Bread with maple syrup and use it to replace the white sugar in other desserts like Blueberry Crisp and Apple Clafoutis.

– Sweeten with fresh fruit. Overripe bananas are the main source of sweetness for my Banana Maple Walnut Ice Cream. They are a great sugar replacement. Fresh fruit can also be used to sweeten plain yogurt or regular instant oatmeal.

– Make your own salad dressing. Processed salad dressings (and most condiments) include a lot of added sugar. Consider making your own quick vinaigrette which relies on the sweetness of balsamic vinegar – try the herbed vinaigrette that we use on our Grilled Vegetables.

– If you find that you can’t eliminate white sugar completely, consider cutting your usage in half. Rather than adding 1/2 cup of sugar to your recipe, drop it down to 1/4 cup. Oftentimes, recipes call for more sugar than necessary. Start experimenting to see where you can cut the amount of sugar.

These are just a few suggestions to help you on your way to reducing or eliminating sugar altogether. You will find that once you start reducing your sugar intake, you will need way less to satisfy your sweet tooth.

July 8, 2015