Cucumber Salad

A snappy lil' salad that makes a nice side dish with an Asian themed meal, or even a picnic lunch with sandwiches.

Ingredients:

3 cups cucumber- peeled, seeded, sliced thinly into rounds, then cut in half (Persian cucumbers are also nice to use)
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
a few dashes of red pepper (optional, if you want to add a spicy kick)

Directions:

Put the cucumber in a medium bowl. In a separate smaller bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients together and pour over the cucumbers. Mix well and chill before serving.

Makes 3 cups, 6 servings

Serving size 1/2 cup Calories 20 Protein 1 g Carb 5 g Fiber 1 g Sugars 4 g Fat 0 g Saturated 0 fat g Sodium 250 mg

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Mexican Style Skillet Potatoes

This is, in a way, a variation on my original Skillet Potatoes recipe. Black beans add some extra fiber and the potatoes are spiced up to add some fiesta flair.

Ingredients:

2 extra large white potato (approximately 6’ x 2.5’’) or 2 medium, scrubbed well (leftover baked potatoes in the fridge are great, easier to cut)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium while onion, chopped
One 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed
One 15 ounce corn (fresh, canned or thawed frozen)
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
chopped cilantro, (optional, for garnish)
green onion (optional, for garnish)
fat free sour cream or nonfat Greek yogurt (optional, for garnish)
ICB spray or olive oil using olive oil sprayer (if both n/a use 2 teaspoons of olive oil)

Directions:

If you are starting with raw potato- pierce with a fork and microwave on high until tender (about 8 minutes each). Cool for bit and cut into cubes. Spray a large skillet or pan with ICB/olive oil sprayer or drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil and add the pepper and onions. Sauté on medium heat for about 5-7 minutes, until just before brown. Add the potatoes, corn, black beans and spices into the pan and give a few more spritzes of ICB, olive oil with the sprayer (or drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil) and stir well and heat until browned and warm throughout, about 7-10 minutes (if using cold leftover potatoes, it will take a few minutes longer). Add salt and pepper to taste and garnish with fat free sour cream/Greek yogurt and green onion/ and or cilantro

Variation: You can substitute sweet potatoes to up the antioxidants in this dish or if you just like the taste better.

Makes 6.5 cups , 13 servings

Serving size: 1/2 cup Calories 130 Protein 4 g Carb 25 g Fiber 5 g Sugars 3 g Fat 1.5 g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium 180 mg

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In the News.."Ingredient in Dark Chocolate Could Guard Against Stroke"

There has been A LOT of buzz over the past few years about the heart protective effects of eating chocolate, namely dark chocolate (in small amounts, of course!) To check out an article I found this week that summarizes recent research on chocolate consumption and it's potential to also decrease stroke risk, click HERE

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Wholesome Granola

Ok, to be honest this granola is not exactly super low fat or low calorie but a little goes a long way and it is very nutritious! It has healthy unsaturated fat, is low in sugar, and it is a good source of fiber.

3 cups old fashioned oats (*use a gluten-free brand such as Bob's Red Mill if you are on a gluten-free diet)
1/2 cup nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds)
1/2 cup pepitas (green pumpkin seeds)
1/2 cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup light maple syrup
1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together oats, nuts, pepitas, coconut and, brown sugar and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the oil and the maple syrup and pour into the bowl with the oat mixture. Mix well and spread onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake for 25 –30 minutes, stirring every 7-10 minutes, until the granola is lightly browned. Remove from oven and stir in raisins. Cool completely before enjoying and store in an airtight container.

Makes 5 cups, 15 servings

Serving size: 1/3 cup Calories 170 Protein 4 g Carb 21 g Fiber 3 g Sugars 7 g Fat 8 g Saturated fat 1.5 g Sodium 42 mg

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Whole Wheat Orzo Salad with Zucchini, Olives and Feta

A light and refreshing whole grain pasta salad.

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked whole wheat orzo
2 cups sliced zucchini
¼ cup chopped black olives
¼ cup reduced fat feta cheese
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook orzo according to package directions. Meanwhile add one teaspoon olive oil to a medium sized pan, add zucchini and sauté on medium heat for about 5 minutes, until slightly tender, stir in the olives and basil and remove from heat. In a small bowl whisk together one tablespoon olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt and pepper. In a medium bowl, toss together the cooked/drained orzo and zucchini mixture. Stir in the olive oil and lemon dressing and feta cheese and serve at room temperature or cold. Chill if not serving immediately

Makes 3.5 cups, 7 servings

Serving size: 1/2 cup Calories 122 Protein 4.5 g Carb 18 g Fiber 4.5 g Sugars < 1 g Fat 3.5 g Saturated fat

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"Un"-fried Bananas

These bananas melt in your mouth and taste so rich that it is hard to believe this is a healthy dessert. It also makes a great filling for the whole wheat crepes recipe have previously posted.

Ingredients:

2 medium bananas, cut vertically into ½ inch thick slices
1 tablespoon brown sugar
10 -15 sprays ICB or 1 teaspoon light margarine or light whipped butter
2 tablespoons chopped nuts (optional for garnish)
1 tablespoon fat free caramel sauce (optional for garnish)
2 tablespoons fat free whipped topping or vanilla frozen yogurt (optional for garnish)

Directions:

Spray a small pan with ICB or coat with 1 teaspoon light margarine or light whipped butter on medium heat. Add the banana slices and heat on one side for a 2-3 minutes. As they start to soften, flip them over and sprinkle with brown sugar and continue to heat for another 1-2 more minutes until evenly coated and the bananas are soft yet still holding their shape. Remove from heat, and top with chopped nuts, drizzle with caramel sauce and/or top with fat free whipped topping/vanilla frozen yogurt for a decadent but healthy treat!

Makes 2 servings
Serving size: ½ recipe: Calories 230 Protein 3 g Carb 42 g Fiber 4 g Sugars 26 g Fat 7 g saturated fat 2 g Sodium 65 mg

Serving size: ½ recipe (without nuts, caramel or whipped cream): Calories 130 Protein 1 g Carb 34 g Fiber 3 g Sugars 21 g Fat 0 g saturated fat 0 g Sodium 30 mg

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New Segment: In The News.....

I have decided to add a new feature to my blog in which I will highlight the latest news/research about food and nutrition. Being a dietitian, I am lucky to have access to a lot of interesting info and thought it would be cool to share it with you!

So here is the first tidbit I am going to share- a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that reports "Added Sugars Appear to Affect Cholesterol". To ready about the study, nicely summarized by the New York Times, including a link to the original study published in JAMA, click HERE.

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Pico de Gallo

A refreshing, easy and healthy salsa developed by my husband. It makes a great accompaniment to fajitas, a taco salad and omelets. Also-mix it with some avocado you’ve got instant, delicious guacamole!

Ingredients:

3 large tomatoes, finely chopped
1 medium to large onion, finely chopped
2 Anaheim chili peppers, diced
½ cup finely chopped cilantro
juice of 1 lime
juice of 1 lemon

Directions:

Toss all of the above ingredients together and chill before serving. If you like more spice you can add jalapeno peppers as well.

Makes 5 cups, 20 servings

Serving size: 1/4 cup Calories 10 Protein 0 g Carb 2 g Fiber 1 g Sugars 1 g Fat 0 g
Saturated fat 0 g Sodium 0 mg

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The BAD/BETTER/BEST of Foods Challenge Post # 8

APPLES

BAD – apple juice

Most apple juices have zero fiber and some even have added sugar as well. In order to keep calories, grams of carb and sugar comparable to that of a fresh apple, you would have to keep your portion of juice to a measly ½ cup! Most people are inclined to drink at least 8 ounces if not 12 ounces or more and this can easily add up to 2 or three times the calories, carbs and sugar vs. a whole apple, with no fiber along with it.

BETTER- unsweetened applesauce

Surprisingly, many applesauce brands have as much as 2 or 3 grams of fiber and decent amounts of carb, or sugar- comparable to a fresh apple. Some are even fortified with fiber and other nutrients too, like those from Mott’s. What’s nice is that is common for applesauce to come in proportioned 4 ounce packs which are great as snacks or as a side with a meal. It also is great to use to replace fat in baking, like in my Choco-chip cookie recipe.

BEST- fresh apples

A fresh apple has no added sugar and in it’s whole form retains all the fiber and has important nutrients such as vitamin C and potassium. A small apple contains only 50-60 calories, 14 grams carb, and as much as 3-4 grams of fiber. Try them in my Quick Slaw recipe.

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