Recipe ReDux Post # 66 Detox Salad

The Recipe ReDux for January  is “Favorite Kitchen Tool!”  To start off 2018 we were encouraged to develop a recipe featuring one of our favorite kitchen gadgets.  I absolutely LOVE my julienne peeler. In fact I got a new one recently. Currently, the main culinary purpose it  serves in my household is to make zucchini noodles, so for this ReDux challenge I wanted to try something new.  

The New Year is a time to begin fresh and for many, to clean up eating habits after indulging over the holidays. I decided to try making a yummy “detox” salad including flavorful beet and carrot shreds  (brought to you by the julienne peeler of course) along with some other nutrient packed ingredients like apples and walnuts.  I tossed all of this in a simple dressing of lemon, olive oil, rice vinegar and honey which brought it tighter perfectly. It’s a great side to brighten up your meal, or you can serve it as a main meal atop your favorite greens with added protein like chicken or fish.  I hope you will try it out along with all the other yummy recipes made with cool kitchen gadgets by the Recipe ReDux team!

Ingredients:

½ cup carrots shreds (use 1 medium carrot)

½ cup raw beet shreds ( use ½-1 medium beet)

½ cup chopped apple

¼ cup chopped walnuts

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon honey

salad greens like kale, spinach, field greens (optional for serving)

Directions:

Peel the carrot and beets, then shred them using the julienne peeler (or a regular peeler or food processor can also be used) . Add them to the chopped apple and walnuts in a small-medium sized bowl. In  a  separate small bowl whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, honey and lemon juice. Pour the dressing into the bowl with the salad ingredients, toss and serve.   .

Makes 2 cups, about 2 servings  Serving Sixe: 1 cup  Calories 184 Protein  4 g Carb  19 g Fiber  3.5 g Sugars 13 g Fat 12 g saturated fat  2 g Sodium  165 mg

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Recipe ReDux Post # 65 Rosemary Vinaigrette

The Recipe ReDux for December is “Grab a Book and Cook,”  To close out the year we were challenged to find a cookbook recipe on a page # that has any combo of 2017 and put our own creative spin on it. One of the first books I grabbed was Anthony Sepe’s “What’s Cooking Recipes from America’s Greatest Dietitian’s andChefs.”  On page 217,  I came across a Classic Vinaigrette dressing recipe that I thought it would be fun to change up a bit.  I substituted rice vinegar for the red wine and balsamic ones, used garlic salt instead of fresh garlic and tried rosemary instead of chives. The combo came out great and it is a nice subtle dressing that can go with a variety of salads!  I hope you will give my recipe, and the original a try, as well as all the other creations from the Recipe ReDux Group.  Happy holidays!!

The original recipe:

My Version:

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

6 Tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar

¼ cup low sodium chicken or vegetable broth

¼ teaspoon garlic salt

½ teaspoon dried rosemary

Directions:

Whisk all of the ingredients in a small bowl and serve.  Refrigerate for up to a few days if not using immediately.

Makes ¾ cup, about 6 servings  

Serving Size: 2 Tablespoons Calories 66 Protein  0 g Carb  6 g Fiber  0 g Sugars 5 g Fat 7 g saturated fat  <1 g="" sodium="" span="" style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 307 mg

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Recipe ReDux Post # 64 Festive Sautéed Brussel Sprouts with Tomatoes

November’s Recipe ReDux is “Naturally Colored Treats and Trimmings” and the challenge was to create a sweet or savory dish centered around the colors of the season.  I decided to go with savory and have wanted to create a new Brussels sprout side dish for awhile, so I knew I had the green color right there. When brainstorming about the red I thought I’d try tomatoes since it seemed like an interesting combo and the result was a simple and quick dish that successfully relies a lot on the flavor of these beautifully paired red and green veggies. I hope will try it out this holiday season along with many of the other dishes of naturally festive hues created by the talented Recipe ReDux crew!

Ingredients:

10 ounces cups of  raw Brussels sprouts- stems trimmed and halved   
1 tablespoon olive oil

¾ cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
salt, pepper, garlic salt

Directions:

Cook the Brussels sprouts until almost done- they can be cooked by either boiling them in a pot of water, steaming in a pyrex dish in an half inch of water for about 4 minutes. Drain the cooked Brussels add them to a medium-large pan coated with the olive oil and sauté on medium high heat until starting to brown, about 3-4 minutes Then put in the tomatoes and continue to sauté for another 1-2 minutes until the tomatoes have softened.  Serve with salt /garlic and pepper to taste.

Makes 2 1/2 cups (5 servings)

Serving size: ½ cup Calories 53 Protein 2 g Carb 5 g Fiber 2 g Sugars 1 g Fat 3 g saturated fat 0 g Sodium 11 mg (not including salt/garlic salt)

 

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Latest News and Recipes From the Cranberry Institute

Check out the latest cranberry news and  a delicious recipe courtesy of the Cranberry Institute!

A Wonderful Cranberry Recipe!

We’re celebrating #FreshCranFriday with the help of Carlene Thomas, RDN, of Healthfully Ever After – who is creating some unique new dishes with our favorite red berry. Check out her latest recipe Country Cranberry Chili.

Cranberry Health Research Library 

Browse the selections by year to find the most recent publications: http://cranberryinstitute.org/ doclib/doclib_search.cgi

We’re also taking this opportunity to remind you that The Cranberry Institute has an assortment of sharable, cranberry resources that are great year-round.

The newest addition to our library of cranberry information is 4 Seasons, 4 Reasons for Cranberries Year-Round. With tips for each season and delicious recipes for you to try and share, we hope you find it useful in your practice, as well as your kitchen.

And here’s more from The Cranberry Institute’s files: 

All About Cranberries

• Cranberry Mnemonic: “cheat sheet” – a quick and easy reference for all things cranberry
• Why We Choose These Foods: why certain foods make the school lunch menu
• Dried Cranberries: top 10 reasons to eat dried cranberries, and tips for use and recipes
• Health Research Library: a database of more than 500 studies

Resources on Added Sugars

• How to Talk to Consumers About Added Sugars: the result of an expert dietetic panel hosted by Today's Dietitian and The Cranberry Institute
• Added Sugars...with Added Benefits Handout: consumer talking points when discussing added sugars
• Straight Talk Q&A with Julie Miller Jones: FAQs are answered by the world-renowned nutrition expert, Julie Miller Jones, PhD, CNS, LN
• The Added Sugars Fact Sheet: the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation's fact sheet, "Making Sense of Sugars: The Role of Sugars and Added Sugars in Food”

The Latest in Cranberries and Health

Dried Cranberries and Gut Health
Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison discovered that one handful-a-day of sweetened dried cranberries may make a significant change in the gut microbiome. In a recent study in OMICS: A Journal of Integrative Biology, the addition of a typical serving (42 grams; 125 calories) of this tangy fruit resulted in positive changes in the bacterial make-up and proteins present in healthy adults after only two weeks. 

Reference: Bekiares N, Krueger CG, Meudt JJ, Shanmuganayagam D, Reed JD. Effect of Sweetened Dried  Cranberry Consumption on  Urinary Proteome and Fecal  Microbiome in Healthy Human  Subjects.OMICS. 2017 Jun 15. doi: 10.1089/omi.2016.0167. [Epub ahead of print]

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Recipe Redux Post # 63 Blueberry Overnight Oats

The Recipe ReDux for October is “Good Gut Health."  Being that the dreaded cold and flu season is just around the corner we were encouraged develop recipes utilizing ingredients to promote gut health, which fosters overall immunity.  When I was researching key foods that are good for the gut, oats and chia seeds were on the list since they contain prebiotics (mostly fiber) that the gut bacteria feed on and this fermentation produces beneficial by-products for the gut. Of course I had to incorporate yogurt with its naturally contained live culture probiotics too!  Overnight oats are all the rage and I wanted to try my luck at developing my own recipe for them, namely since I could use all of the above ingredients.  As an overnight oats newbie, I lucked out with a nice basic combo or rolled oats, Greek yogurt, chia seeds and milk.  Using a flavored yogurt worked perfectly so I didn’t have to add any additional sweetener and the chia seeds worked great to thicken it up perfectly. Though I chose blueberry yogurt, most any flavor should work (thinking or trying strawberry or pumpkin flavored next- yum!!)  The possibilities with last minute mix ins are endless, and I added banana and bluberries, (which are also gut friendly prebiotic ingredients). The dehydrated blueberries added a nice crunch and nuts would be another great addition as well. This recipe is a powerhouse of healthy carbs, fiber, protein, omega fatty acids, antioxidants and gut friendly ingredients all in one. I hope you will try it along with the other Gut Friendly Recipes from the Recipe ReDux group!

Ingredients:

½ cup rolled oats (use gluten free if you are on a GF diet)

one 5 oz container of blueberry Greek yogurt (we used chobani)

1 tablespoon chia seeds

¼ cup milk (we used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)

optional mix ins- banana, blueberries (fresh, dired or dehydrated) nuts, coconut

Directions:

In a small bowl combine the oats, yogurt, chia seeds and milk. Refrigerate in a 8 z mason jar or airtight container for 4-8 hours, add mix ins (additional mil if desired) and serve.

Makes 1 serving

Serving size: 1 recipe (not including mix ins)  Calories 340 Protein  20 g Carb 51 g Fiber 10 g Sugars 16 g Fat 9 g Saturated fat g Sodium  84 mg

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Trader Joes Treasure Post # 3: Everything But the Bagel Sesame Seasoning

Thought I'd share another Trader Joes product that is popular in our household. It is called "Everything But the Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend" and its REALLY tasty!!  We love to sprinkle it on cooked vegetables, salad, toast... and I even used it in my previously posted "Everything" Baked Broccoli and Tofu recipe.  1/4 teaspoon is just 5 calories, and 80 mg of sodium. It brings the taste of everything bagels to liven up other foods!!

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Recipe ReDux Post # 62 “Everything” Baked Broccoli and Tofu

September’s Recipe ReDux is “Sheet Pan Meals” where our challenge was to create an entrée that is cooked all together on one sheet for a simple meal with less clean up!  This was a fun one for me because aside from pizza, or maybe lasagna, I had never really cooked an all in one meal in the oven!  My daughter loves tofu and broccoli and I happened to have those on hand, not to mention the new Trader Joes “Everything But the Bagel” seasoning in my cupboard which I had been waiting to try!! After pressing the tofu, I combined cubes of it and broccoli with a simple sauce and the seasoning , baked it in the oven and it came out delicious! If you do not have the Trader Joes seasoning you can also substitute plain sesame seeds as well. I hope you will try it along with the other Sheet Pan creations from the RecipeReDux group!

Ingredients:

¼ cup low sodium soy sauce (use gluten free brand if on gluten-free diet)

2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon Traders Joes “Everything But the Bagel” seasoning or sesame seeds

16 ounces extra firm tofu, cut into ½ inch cubes

8 cups raw broccoli florets

parchment paper or cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, oil, garlic power and seasoning/sesame seeds.  Add the tofu to a large bowl, pour in half of the soy sauce mixture and toss to coat.  Spread the tofu on one side of a large baking sheet topped with parchment paper or coated with cooking spray.  Add the broccoli to the bowl, pour in the second half of the sauce and mix to coat.  Spread the broccoli on the other half of baking sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes, turn over and then bake for another 5-10 minutes until lightly browned.  Sprinkle with additional sesame seeds for serving if desired

Makes 6 heaping cups 6 servings

Serving size: 1 heaping cup  Calories 190 Protein  14 g Carb 9 g Fiber 2 g Sugars 3 g Fat 9 g Saturated fat g Sodium  655 mg

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