A Delicious Salad Recipe and Some Interesting Tidbits From the Cranberry Institute

I am excited to share this new and yummy salad recipe forwarded to me by the Cranberry Institute.  Check it out along with some other cool info about cranberries they provided too!!

A Fresh Salad for the Start of Spring!

CRANBERRY and CILANTRO QUINOA SALAD

Try a delicious and simple Cranberry & Cilantro Quinoa Salad (recipe below) for meatless Monday this week.

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

2 cups water

Pinch of salt

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 cup dried cranberries

½ cup minced carrots

½ cup chopped red bell pepper

½ cup chopped yellow bell pepper

3 Tbsp. finely chopped red onion

3 Tbsp. minced fresh cilantro

3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

¼ tsp. salt

Pinch ground red pepper

Directions

1.       In a small sauce pan, bring water and pinch of salt to a boil over high heat; stir in quinoa, reduce heat and bring to a low simmer. Cover pot and cook until all liquid is absorbed (about 13 minutes).

2.       Remove from heat and transfer to a medium bowl. Cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

3.       To the bowl of quinoa, stir in cranberries, carrots, red and yellow peppers, red onion and cilantro until mixed.

4.       In a small bowl, mix together lime juice, oil, salt and ground red pepper and pour over quinoa-cranberry mixture; toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Does not have to be served cold.

Nutrition Information Per Serving: Calories 150, Calories from Fat 30, Saturated Fat 0g, Trans Fat 0g, Total Fat 3.5g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 115mg, Total Carbohydrate 29g, Sugars 11g, Dietary Fiber 3g, Protein 3g, Vitamin A 40%, Vitamin C 45%, Calcium 2%, Iron 6%

Recipe courtesy of the Cranberry Marketing Committee, uscranberries.com

Cranberries Go Global 

Swap out a few basic ingredients in the above Cranberry & Cilantro Quinoa Salad recipe and see how cranberries can fit into any international cuisine.

·         Asian: Swap out red onion, cilantro and lime juice, for scallions, ginger and soy sauce.

·         Greek: Swap out carrots, cilantro and lime juice for tomatoes, olives and chickpeas. Make it even better—add feta! 

·         Indian: Swap out carrots, peppers, cilantro and lime juice, for winter squash, sweet potatoes, pecans and curry paste. Add an extra kick with cayenne pepper!

·         American: Swap out peppers, cilantro and lime juice, for celery, turkey breast and thyme. Who knows? Quinoa could become your new favorite Thanksgiving leftovers recipe.

Tasty Tidbits about the Tiny, Tart Cranberry

·         Cranberries may help reduce the risk of stomach ulcers by reducing H. pylori levels in infected subjects.

·         The unusual PACs found in cranberries have an A-type linkage structure that sets them apart from most other vegetable and fruit PACs, and is responsible for their bacterial anti-adhesion properties.

·         Not only do cranberries have PACs, but dried cranberries are also a good source of fiber – 10% of the Daily Value – with 2.3 grams per serving (40 gram serving).

Science Bites: News from Cranberry Scientists 

Drinking Cranberry Juice Cocktail is Associated with Less Inflammation and Normal Weights!

Cranberry products, such as cranberry juice cocktail, are rich in polyphenolic compounds (i.e., flavonoids) and have been studied for their link to health benefits. Cranberries are naturally low in sugar and high in acid content; therefore, they are frequently sweetened for palatability. The final product, such as with cranberry juice cocktail, is one that contains similar or lower amounts of sugar than commonly consumed 100% juices. Despite the added sweetener, researchers have found that cranberry juice cocktail has several health benefits. Most recently, a cross-sectional study found that U.S. adults who consume cranberry juice cocktail had statistically significant lower levels of C-reactive protein, an indicator of inflammation, compared to those that did not drink cranberry juice cocktail. Cranberry juice cocktail drinkers also trended toward lower weight and waist circumference, BMI levels, fasting glucose, insulin, total cholesterol and triglyceride levels. This research indicates that drinking cranberry juice cocktail was associated with healthier anthropometric measures and less indication of inflammation. Although more research is warranted to validate these findings, drinking cranberry juice cocktail was not associated with higher weight, increased likelihood for being overweight or obese or a higher total energy intake compared to non-consumers.

Reference: Duffey, KJ, Sutherland, LA. Adult consumers of cranberry juice cocktail have lower C- reactive protein levels compared with nonconsumers. Nutr Res. 2015 Feb;35(2):118-26. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2014.11.005. Epub 2014 Dec 3.

RESOURCE REMINDER! 

USDA-Reviewed Cranberry Health Research Review 

The USDA recently reviewed an updated cranberry nutrition and health review published in the Cranberry Health Research Library on CranberryInstitute.org.  

Cranberry Health Research Library 

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

Comprehensive Review of the Health Benefits of Cranberries in Advances in Nutrition Available for Continuing Education Credits through Today’s Dietitian. Ends April 7, so register now! 

o   “Cranberries and Their Bioactive Constituents in Human Health,” published in Advances in Nutrition, provides in-depth information about the bioactive compounds in cranberry and the pathways by which they may help protect against urinary tract infection, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The Cranberry Institute and Today’s Dietitianpartnered to create a continuing education course for registered dietitians with permission from Advances in Nutrition. Registered dietitians will receive four credits after studying the review and completing a multiple-choice exam. 

o   Click here to read for continuing education: http://ce.todaysdietitian.com/CranInst

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Birds Nest Protein Bites

Here's a Spring treat you can feel good about enjoying! Packed with protein and relatively low in sugar, (yet decadently delicious) this makes a great dessert, snack or goodie for Easter baskets or parties.

Ingredients:

½ cup creamy or crunchy natural peanut butter or almond butter
¼ cup pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla  

1/2 cup oats (old fashioned, not quick, use a gluten-free oats such as Bob's Red Mill if you are on a gluten-free diet)
1.5 scoops of protein powder, preferably unflavored (the average scoop is about 4 tablespoons or ¼ cup, 25-30 Grams, so 1.5 scoops would be approx 6 tablespoons) *

48 M&Ms or small jelly beans

1/8-1/4 teaspoon sea salt (if starting with unsalted PB/almond butter add the 1/4 teaspoon)

Wax or parchment paper

Directions:

In a medium sized bowl, combine the maple syrup, salt, vanilla, and peanut/almond butter and mix well.  Stir in the oats, protein powder and mix some more. Press mixture into an 8 by 8 inch pan. (Lining the pan with a large rectangular piece of parchment paper, placing the mixture on one side and then folding the paper over to press down works nicely since the dough is so sticky.) Chill in the fridge for an hour or more (if you can wait that long!) and roll the dough  into 16 balls. Press 3 pieces of M& Ms or jelly beans into the center and serve. Store in the fridge.  These bites also freeze well!

·      I have had great success with Nature’s Best Isopure Perfect Natural Whey Protein Brand- Unflavored, it is all natural, gluten-free, lactose Free and works great

Makes 16 bites, sixteen servings

Serving size: 1/16th of recipe  Calories 100 Protein 5 g Carb 8 g Fiber 1 g Sugars 5 g Fat 5 g Saturated fat 1 g Sodium 65 mg

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Recipe ReDux Post # 32 Meets Gabby's Eats: Mediterranean Lettuce Wraps

I was very excited to partake in March’s Recipe ReDux for two reasons.  First,  the “Two for One” challenge idea was awesome! (We were asked to take one of the recipes already posted on our blog and show how to use the leftovers in an additional original new dish),  And second, my daughter Gabby wanted to help me all along the way :)  It was fitting that she would be my partner in crime for this ReDux since the recipe I wanted to use was one that she and I developed together- her Mediterranean Rice Salad. It was a special creation of ours and we actually made a cooking video about it and entered it in the Uncle Ben’s Beginners cooking contest last fall.  Although it did not win, we still were so happy to have made this great salad together to enjoy for lunch or dinner.  I decided that it would pair well with two other of my previously posted recipes, my Cucumber Salad and Baba Ganoush.  Gabby and I have never made lettuce wraps together before so we thought rolling all three of these recipes into one would be a delicious and unique type of wrap, and it sure was!  The wraps were fresh, flavorful and healthy and our whole family enjoyed them!  If you do not want to make your own baba ganoush, you can buy store bought or even use hummus. We hope you will try our ode to leftovers and also take a look at all the creative Two for One recipes from the talented Recipe ReDux group as well! 

Ingredients:

Gabby’s Mediterranean Rice Salad, (for recipe click HERE)

Cucumber Salad  Recipe (for recipe click HERE)

Baba Ganoush (for recipe click HERE, or use store bought)

Romaine or other large green leaf lettuce

Directions:

Prepare the Rice Salad

Prepare the Cucumber Salad

Prepare the Baba Ganoush or use store bought, which we did this time around!

To make one large lettuce wrap, spoon ¼ cup baba ganoush, ½ cup rice salad and two heaping tablespoons of cucumber salad into the middle of the lettuce, roll up and eat!

To make one smaller lettuce wrap, use 2 tablespoons baba ganoush or hummus, ¼ cup rice salad and 1 heaping tablespoon of cucumber salad.

Eat immediately and Enjoy!

Serving size: 1 large wrap  Calories 280 Protein 10 g Carb 30 g Fiber 9 g Sugars 5 g Fat 12 g Saturated fat 1.5 g Sodium 470 mg

Serving size: 1 small wrap  Calories 140 Protein 5 g Carb 15 g Fiber 4.5 g Sugars 2.5 g Fat 6 g Saturated fat 0.75 g Sodium 235 mg

An InLinkz Link-up

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Bringing Back The Shout Out Posts! This One Goes Out To Karen Page and Her New Book "The Vegetarian Flavor Bible"!

Remember my Shout Out posts, a special section of my blog where I give "props" to others who have done amazing work in the field of food, nutrition, writing etc...?  Well I haven't done one in awhile and the prefect opportunity came up this month, so here it goes.....

I was BEYOND excited to be contacted by Karen Page, Two-time James Beard Award-winning author of THE FLAVOR BIBLE, WHAT TO DRINK WITH WHAT YOU EAT, THE NEW AMERICAN CHEF, CHEF'S NIGHT OUT, DINING OUT, CULINARY ARTISTRY, BECOMING A CHEF, THE FOOD LOVER'S GUIDE TO WINE and now THE VEGETARIAN FLAVOR BIBLE, along with her husband, author and photographer Andrew Dornenberg.  It was a great honor to be asked to review their latest book The Vegetarian Flavor Bible and post about it on my blog as part of a her Virtual Book Tour in celebration of National Nutrition Month this March. 

After I accepted, I could hardly wait for my book to arrive and once it did, I dove right into it!! Let me begin by saying there was A LOT of greatness to explore.  The book is a hefty 554 pages and all of it is useful and interesting information. The introduction begins with a heartfelt account of the author's decision to adopt a vegetarian, plant-based diet after losing both her father and step mother to cancer. She then goes on to describe her approach to this eating style calling upon both her nutrition and culinary expertise thus giving sound and really creative recommendations.

Then the first chapter, For the Love of Plants: Vegetarianism Through the Ages, discusses the history of vegetarianism with a very detailed and thorough timeline of key events relating to this diet from 3000 BC  all the way up to the present. It is filled with all kinds of exciting facts and tidbits that were very enlightening and inspiring.

Chapter 2, Maximizing Flavor: Creating a New, Compassionate Cuisine, reviews 5 key trends that Karen believes will mark the evolution of a "new compassionate cuisine" over the next decade, which are:  vegetarianism, health, globalization, gastronomy and flavor.  We should all be so lucky and grateful if these 5 concepts continue to take off and influence ways of eating throughout the world and I love her examination and explanation of them all.

The real heart and majority of the book, the literal piece de resistance, is Chapter 3- Vegetarian Flavor Matchmaking: The Lists.  Here the reader is presented with an overwhelmingly useful, detailed and thorough A-Z list of many, many ingredients and foods from A (starting with Acai) to Z (ending with Zucchini blossoms).  You will get so much information about each item listed, such as flavor descriptions, key facts, pairing and cooking suggestions and even substitutions.  These lists can be a springboard for creativity and encouragement to try and experiment with a new food/ingredient in the kitchen and they give fresh and fun twists on things that may be familiar to you already as well. 

I can't even begin to describe how much is in this section, you will just have to pick up a copy and be wowed for yourself!  I am confident that this book with be a learning tool for me to use, a sort of kitchen counter encyclopedia,  as I continue on my journey of recipe development and food blogging. Another thing I look forward to is sharing this book with my daughter as she grows, creates cooks and blogs with me in the kitchen, as I am sure she will enjoy using it as well.

So a big shout out to Karen and her husband to creating this amazing piece of work and a huge thank you to them for allowing me to read and share it. 

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Sweet and Spicy Acorn Squash Apple Soup

Winter is coming to an end, though I cannot say that we have had much of a winter all here in LA. Regardless, I thought I'd post one more soup recipe in the spirit!

Ingredients:

1 medium-large acorn squash ( you will need 3 cups cooked acorn squash total)

½ tablcspoon butter or margarine (I used Earth Balance)

1 cup peeled and finely chopped apple

3 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1 packed tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cumin

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and roast acorn squash whole for 40-45 minutes until the outside is starting to brown, the skin is soft and it is easily pierced with a fork or knife. Allow the squash to cool for 10 minutes and carefully cut in half (watch for trapped hot steam inside). Scoop out the seeds and then set aside 3 cups of cooked squash.  While the squash is cooling add the tablespoon butter/margarine to a large pot and throw in the apple.  Warm on medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 5-7 minutes and it is lightly browned and softened.  Put the squash, broth, cumin and brown sugar in the pot and simmer on low heat for 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove from heat, and carefully transfer the soup into a blender. If you have a smaller blender only add one fourth to half of the mixture at a time (you can put the other half in the dish until ready to blend).

A note about blending hot liquids: in order to be safe, it is recommended when you blend hot liquids that you never fill the jar more than half full, that you put the lid on and then cover it with a dry towel and hold it down by hand. Or instead, cover with the top, but leave out the center plastic covering, place a kitchen towel on top which will allow air to escape more gently Also, use as slow a speed as possible. NEVER blend hot liquids fully covered and at high-initial speed...you're just inviting burns as the hot liquid quickly blends, heats up the air above it, and causes an explosion through the blender top

Blend on low speed for 1-2 minutes, until a smooth consistency is reached. Put the blended mixture back in the saucepan and warm on low heat stirring frequently (to prevent the thick soup from spattering) for about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 5 cups, 5 servings

Serving size: 1 cup Calories 90 Protein  1 g Carb 21 g Fiber 5 g Sugars 6 g Fat 1.5 g Saturated fat  0 g Sodium 350  mg* 

*analysis does not include added salt

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Gabby’s Eats: Winter Powerhouse Salad With Citrus Honey Mustard Dressing

As you may have witnessed, through her creation of multiple recipes of this category, Gabby likes salads!  With our Winter garden in full bloom, Gabby was inspired to create a salad using seasonal ingredients from this time of year. A garden has been a great learning tool for both of us, not just in terms of discovering how to actually plant, grow and harvest the vegetables, but also to understand exactly what particular fruits and vegetables go with the season.  I often find Gabby asking about what produce is in season when we are at the grocery store or starting to develop a recipe. It makes me glad that she is grasping this concept which goes hand in hand with the locally grown, farm to table movement.  

One of her favorite winter veggies is kale, which just happened to be ripe for the pickin’ in our garden so she decided it would make a good base for the salad.  We took to the internet to research what other winter fruits and veggies were in their prime and she chose romaine, pomegranates, dates, sweet potato and clementines, which I thought was a fabulous mix in terms of both color and flavor.  

We decided to use clementines for the dressing instead of in the actual salad. Their fresh and tangy juice worked well with the vinegar, oil and honey mustard. Almonds were thrown in as a finishing touch and the whole salad came together beautifully!

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped kale or spinach

2 cups chopped romaine or butter lettuce

½ cup cooked, cooled and cubed sweet potato

1/3 cup pomegranate seeds

1/3 cup chopped dates

¼ cup slivered almonds

¼ cup fresh squeezed Clementine or mandarin orange juice

2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar

1 tablespoon honey mustard

2 teaspoons olive oil

Directions:

Add all the veggies and fruits to a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the clementine juice, vinegar, honey mustard and olive oil.  Pour the dressing over the salad, sprinkle the almonds over the top and mix well.  Chill if not serving immediately.  The dressing can served on the side and stored separately for the salad to keep longer.

Makes 5 servings

Serving size:  1/5 of recipe Calories 110 Protein  3 g Carb 17 g Fiber 3 g Sugars 10 g Fat 4 g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium 115  mg

Gabby's Shot:

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In The News: Awesome Oat Info From Quaker!

Now that the New Year is in full swing and many the goal of many is to make healthier eating choices, I thought this was a perfect time to introduce a new infographic that I just I learned about from Quaker Oats.  I was very excited when one of their representatives contacted me to share this awesome tool.  It provides excellent information about the varieties of oats available, lists some fun facts about oats, and summarizes a variety of key research about how oats are beneficial to health and the environment. Plus it includes a bonus recipe too!

I am a HUGE fan of oats and I have countless recipes on my blog which incorporate them- my protein bars, pancakes, snack cakes, baked oatmeal and other desserts to name a few!!  Oats are a power food, a whole grain full of soluble fiber that has shown to lower cholesterol, increase satiety to promote weight loss and act as a prebiotic which may help with digestive health.  Oats contain carbs, protein and a bit of healthy fat along with important micronutrients like B vitamins, iron and magnesium as well.  In addition there are many promising studies that suggest oats may help decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, overall mortality and help with digestive conditions such as IBS and ulcerative colitis.  Another positive is that oats can be gluten free (GF) if you buy brands that are certified GF, meaning they are grown, processed and packaged in a way that prevents cross contamination. And, not only are oats good for us, they are good for the environment too! They require less fertilizer, irrigation and energy to grow, a big plus!

So check out this tool below and I hope you will be including oats in your daily diet  if you are not already doing so!!

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