A New Segment- Shout-Outs!

It’s amazing how much the blogosphere has blown up in the past few years, namely the internet world of food and nutrition blogging. I am so excited to be a part of it and so thankful for all my readers, taste testers and supporters! Another thing I am grateful for is all the wonderful and talented people I know and the wealth of information that I have access to being in the nutrition and healthcare profession as well as a blogger. So I thought I’d share some of it with you, bit by bit, here and there through a new segment…. Shout-Outs. Here I will give “props” to other dietitians, chefs, foodies who blog, have written cool books, developed delicious recipes, etc.

My first Shout-out is to an awesome woman who has done all of the above, Cheryl Forberg. She happens to be my long time friend, but anyone who just meets her would be impressed by her accomplishments (so I am not biased, haha!). I think the BIO on her website sums her up the best “Cheryl Forberg, RD, is a James Beard award-winning chef, a New York Times bestselling author and the nutritionist for NBC's "The Biggest Loser." One of the few professional chefs in the country who is also a registered dietitian, Cheryl has shared her expertise in nutrition and healthy recipe development in a dozen books, the latest of which is "Flavor First: Cut Calories and Boost Flavor" “.

We met at UC Berkeley when we were both studying to get our nutrition degrees and I have had the opportunity to learn with and from Cheryl and even work with her too! I have to admit, one of the greatest perks of being her friend has been being a taster for all her delicious self-created recipes! You can learn more about all the awesome books she has out on her website and check out her blog there too.

It has been exciting to watch her take off, as a dietitian, Chef, now writer and media spokesperson. So a big Shout- Out to Cheryl and I invite you to check her fabulous site !

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Ridiculously Easy Blueberry Crumble

Fresh, in season blueberries plus a few simple ingredients combine to create this delicious treat! Happy Fourth of July!

1 ¼ cup blueberries
¼ cup light maple syrup
1 tbsp brown sugar
4 tablespoons rolled oats
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, chilled
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Rinse and dry the blueberries and add them to a small bowl. Pour in the maple syrup and mix well to evenly coat them. In a separate small bowl combine the oats and the tablespoon brown sugar Cut the chilled butter/margarine into small cubes and work it into the oat mixture by hand until a crumbled texture is reached. Spoon the blueberries into two small ramikens or small oven safe mugs/dishes and sprinkle the crumble on top. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until crumble is very lightly browned/crispy.

Makes 2 crumbles, two servings

Serving size: 1 dish of crumble
Calories 260 Protein 2 g Carb 50 g Fiber 3 g Sugars 40 g Fat 13g saturated fat 7 g Sodium 295 mg

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Another Food FYI Post: Cultures in Frozen Yogurt

Did you know that many frozen yogurts have the same live active cultures that are in regular yogurt? According to the National Yogurt Association (NYA) “The freezing process does not kill any significant amount of the cultures—in fact, during the freezing process the cultures go into a dormant state, but when eaten and returned to a warm temperature within the body, they again become active and are capable of providing all the benefits of cultures in a refrigerated yogurt product”. Check out their interesting set of FAQs on the Association’s webpage.

As mentioned in another yogurt post on my blog “live active cultures” such as Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, are living organisms which change pasteurized milk to yogurt during fermentation. In addition, some yogurts contain Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidus cultures as well. These live active cultures are a hot topic in health research and show promising results in helping digestive function, boosting immunity, preventing osteoporosis and fighting cancer. However the NYA does warn that not all frozen yogurts are created equal, and states “To make sure that a frozen yogurt contains yogurt produced by traditional fermentation and has a significant amount of live and active cultures, look for the NYA Live & Active Cultures seal.” Luckily, many popular frozen yogurts chains such as Pinkberry do indeed carry the seal. So dig into a small cup with a healthy topping like fruit this summer and enjoy!

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Lemon Cumin Mayo

This works great as a spread for sandwiches or even a dip. Pairs nicely with my Baked Carrot Fries recipe!

Ingredients:

½ cup nonfat Greek yogurt
¼ cup light mayo
a squeeze or two of fresh lemon
¼-1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste, if desired

Directions:

Add all of the above ingredients to a small bowl, mix well and serve. Refrigerate if not using immediately.

Makes 12 tablespoons 12 servings

Serving size 1 tablespoon Calories 20 Protein 1 g Carb 1 g Fiber 0 g Sugars 1 g Fat 1.5 g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium 45 mg

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Banana Nut Bagel

Move over calorie and fat laden banana bread (well except for my BANANA bread recipe) there is a new healthier banana nut breakfast bread concoction in town! And it takes WAY less time to make too!

Ingredients:

One bagel thin (I used Thomas brand), if you are on a gluten free diet use ½ gluten free bagel , (such as Udi’s) sliced thin
1 tablespoon reduced fat cream cheese
1/3 of a medium banana (preferably over ripe)
1 tablespoon of chopped nuts (walnuts, slivered almonds work well)

Directions:

Toast the bagel to desired doneness. Meanwhile mash the banana very well in a small bowl. Add the cream cheese and mix well. Spread the banana cream cheese mixture on the bagel, sprinkle with nuts and serve.

Makes 1 serving

Serving size: 1 bagel with all of the cream cheese topping and nuts Calories 215 Protein 7 g Carb 36 g Fiber 6 g Sugars 9 g Fat 7 g saturated fat 1.5 g Sodium280 mg (calorie s and carb will be slightly higher with gluten-free bagel)

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Non-Dairy Watermelon Smoothie

A quick and easy great summer smoothie recipe, non-dairy, gluten free and low in fat too!

Ingredients:

1.5 cup frozen watermelon cubes
1 cup unsweetened almond milk (Almond Breeze)
1.5 teaspoons honey

Directions

Put 1 cup of the watermelon cubes and 1 cup of the almond milk in a blender and blend on high speed until a smooth slush forms. Add the rest of the watermelon and the honey, blend for another 30 seconds or so, pour and serve!

Makes 1 serving

Serving size: 1 smoothie (whole recipe) Calories 130 Protein 2 g Carb 25 g Fiber 2 g Sugars 20 g Fat 3.5 g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium 180 mg

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Sassy Sweet Potato Skillet

A healthy, hearty dish that’s great for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Ingredients:

2 medium sweet potatoes, cooked and cubed (2 cups)
1 teaspoon olive oil
½ cup diced green or red bell pepper
1/3 cup diced white onion
1 cup sliced white mushrooms
½ cup cooked beans (kidney, black or pinto)
½ cup diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)
¼-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ to ½ teaspoon paprika
1/8 to ¼ teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
optional garnishes- diced avocado, turkey bacon bits, cheese

Directions:

If you are starting with raw potato- pierce each with a fork a few times and microwave on high until tender (about 4-6 minutes each). It works best to use leftover cooked potato or put the cooked potato in the fridge for 30-60 minutes so it is firm and easier to cut into cubes. Add ½ teaspoon olive oil to large skillet or pan and throw in the peppers and onion and sauté for a few minutes on medium heat. Then add the cooked, cubed potato, mushrooms, beans, tomatoes and spices and heat for another 7-10 minutes until lightly browned and warmed through. Add salt and pepper to taste (or even sprinkle with crushed red pepper if you like more kick) during the final sauté or at the table when serving. Garnish with diced avocado, turkey bacon bits, cheese if desired.

Makes 3 cups, six servings:

Serving size: (not including garnishes and salt) ½ cup Calories 80 Protein 3 g Carb 16 g Fiber 4 g Sugars 4 g Fat 1 g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium 65 mg

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