Shrimp and vegetable spring rolls made with rice paper

A friend of mine just asked me to send her the recipe for these delicious spring rolls that I made last summer. They were so light and delicious. The website here is fantastic in general with great pictures and healthy recipes.
http://www.mediterrasian.com/cuisine_of_month_ricepaper.htm

Don't forget the lazy Susan!

When you have kids, it is great to serve healthy meals while also letting them have some freedom to choose and have fun! One way we like to do this in our home is to put all the toppings on a lazy Susan and let the kids do some of their food preparations.

This morning, they had 100% whole grain English muffins served for breakfast with a hard-boiled egg and apple slices. Then the kids were able to choose what to put on their English muffin from the lazy Susan: almond butter, Smart Balance, sliced turkey and ham from the farmer's market, low fat cream cheese, and all-fruit no-sugar-added preserves. The kids really enjoyed it and it took a lot of guess-work away from mom!

"Annapasta"

Here is one of our go-to weekday meals. When you have kids, doing food prep ahead of time is very important! This meal would not have happened if I hadn't done the meatballs that morning since we had extra-curricular activities in the afternoon.

Italian Turkey Meatballs

2 pounds ground turkey
1/3 to 1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
two tsp Italian seasoning
one egg
two tsp olive oil
organic beef broth

Mix all of the ingredients thoroughly and then form balls one or two inches in diameter. Space them on a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. (This is the step that can be done ahead of time). Once it is time to cook, pour the beef broth over the meatballs until the bottom is covered about a quarter of an inch. Cook for forty minutes at 350 degrees.

We served these over quinoa curly pasta, then topped each meatball with a little bit of provolone cheese and tomato sauce from the farmer's market. I served mustard greens on the side that were cut in half-inch strips ahead of time. Those were simmered in a little bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, rice vinegar, and a little bit of all-natural maple syrup. The kids ate it up!

Citrus Chicken per Greta!

Citrus Chicken

Skinless chicken thighs (you can also use breast if you prefer)
Thyme
1 lemon
1 orange
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Drizzle olive oil in a sheet pan. Put chicken thighs flat into sheet pan, and grate a bit of lemon zest and orange zest onto each thigh. Put some thyme on each, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle olive oil onto chicken. Cut the lemon and orange in half, and squeeze a bit of lemon juice and a bit of orange juice onto each thigh. Just a couple of drops is enough. Put the cut halves of the citrus face down on the sheet pan.

2. Put the chicken in the oven and roast for about 25 minutes, turning over the thighs halfway. When you turn the thighs, grab the citrus with tongs, and squeeze the juice onto the chicken. The juice will have caramelized and will be wonderfully sweet and delicious. You can discard the citrus.

3. Roast the chicken until it's golden on both sides and cooked through. Let rest for 5 minutes after you take it out of the oven.

Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad per Greta!

Ingredients

•1/4cupfresh lemon juice
•2tablespoonsDijon mustard
•1tablespoonminced shallot
•1small garlic clove, finely grated
•1/4teaspoonkosher salt plus more for seasoning
•Freshly ground black pepper
•2large bunches of Tuscan kale (about 1 1/2 lb. total), center stem discarded, leaves thinly sliced
•12ouncesbrussels sprouts, trimmed, finely grated or shredded with a knife
•1/2cupextra-virgin olive oil, divided
•1/3cupalmonds with skins, coarsely chopped
•1cupfinely grated Pecorino


Preparation

•
Combine lemon juice, Dijon mustard, shallot, garlic, 1/2 tsp. salt, and a pinch of pepper in a small bowl. Stir to blend; set aside to let flavors meld. Mix thinly sliced kale and shredded brussels sprouts in a large bowl.

•
Measure 1/2 cup oil into a cup. Spoon 1 Tbsp. oil from cup into a small skillet; heat oil over medium-high heat. Add almonds to skillet and stir frequently until golden brown in spots, about 2 minutes. Transfer nuts to a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle almonds lightly with salt.

•
Slowly whisk remaining olive oil in cup into lemon-juice mixture. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEADDressing, kale mixture, and toasted almonds can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover dressing and kale mixture separately and chill. Cover almonds and let stand at room temperature.

•
Add dressing and cheese to kale mixture; toss to coat. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Garnish with almonds.



Hungry for More? If you have a question about this recipe, contact our Test Kitchen at askba@bonappetit.com. To see more recipes like this one, check out our Fall Salads Slideshow.
•
nutritional information

10 servings, 1 serving contains:
Calories (kcal) 195.6
%Calories from Fat 70.3
Fat (g) 15.3
Saturated Fat (g) 3.2
Cholesterol (mg) 8.0
Carbohydrates (g) 8.7
Dietary Fiber (g) 3.3
Total Sugars (g) 2.0
Net Carbs (g) 5.5
Protein (g) 8.1
Sodium (mg) 303.9




Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2011/11/kale-and-brussels-sprout-salad#ixzz1ju60NVWw

Feed your bones and joints!

Did you know that most of the adult skeleton is replaced approximately every 10 years? "The continual reshaping and rebuilding of the skeleton in response to internal and external signals is called remodeling. When the skeleton is subjected to stressful forces, such as those that occur with exercise, it responds by laying down more bone tissue, thereby increasing its density." (ACE's Essentials)

In addition to exercise, you should feed your bones with food that contains Calcium and vitamin D. Here's a great article that will give you more details about nutrition for strong bones: http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/vitamins/calcium.html.

The other thing on my mind today is joint health. If you are exercising regularly (...not an option people!) and especially if you are doing tons and tons of cardio, diets high in omega-3 fatty acids may reduce inflammation and joint pain. This may include high amounts of fatty fish such as tuna and salmon, flax seeds, chia seeds, etc. Diets can also include larger amounts of fruits, vegetables, nuts and tea, which contain inflammation-fighting chemicals in high numbers.

Things to avoid include large amounts of corn, sunflower, safflower, soybean or cottonseed oils, fried foods, margarine and processed foods. These foods contain large amounts of omega-6 fatty acids, which can promote inflammation and joint pain.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/29605-sore-joints-nutrition/#ixzz1jmV2ZZKW

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce and Spring Greens with Orange-Fennel Vinaigrette

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce – By Tyler Florence (from FoodNetwork.com)

Ingredients

Marinade:

1 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
20 wooden skewers, soaked in water 30 minutes
Vegetable oil, for grilling
Butter lettuce leaves
Fresh cilantro leaves
Peanut sauce, recipe follows

Directions

Combine the yogurt, ginger, garlic, and curry powder in a shallow mixing bowl, stir to combine. Place the chicken strips in the yogurt marinade and gently toss until well coated. Cover and let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for at up to 2 hours.

Thread the chicken pieces onto the soaked skewers working the skewer in and out of the meat, down the middle of the piece, so that it stays in place during grilling. Place a grill pan over medium heat and brush it with oil to prevent the meat from sticking. Grill the chicken satays for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, until nicely seared and cooked through. Serve the satays on a platter lined with lettuce leaves and cilantro; accompanied by a small bowl of peanut sauce on the side.

Peanut Sauce (to have on the side!):

1 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons red chili paste, such as sambal
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 limes, juiced
1/2 cup hot water
1/4 cup chopped peanuts, for garnish

Combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, red chili paste, brown sugar, and lime juice in a food processor or blender. Puree to combine. While the motor is running, drizzle in the hot water to thin out the sauce, you may not need all of it. Pour the sauce into a nice serving bowl and garnish with the chopped peanuts. Serve with chicken satay.

Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce (From FoodNetwork.com, Susan Feniger & Mary Sue Milliken)

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each), thinly sliced lengthwise into 12 strips
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes (The recipe I did before used chili sauce, so I’m sure you can substitute that)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Vegetable oil, for pan

Directions

1.In a bowl, toss chicken with sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon of the red-pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Thread each chicken strip lengthwise onto a skewer.

2.Make dipping sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, vinegar, remaining 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, and 2 to 3 tablespoons water.

3.Heat grill pan over high. Working in batches, brush pan with oil, and cook chicken until opaque throughout, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Serve chicken skewers with dipping sauce.

Spring Greens with Orange-Fennel Vinaigrette – From Bon Appetit

Ingredients

•1/4 cup fresh blood orange juice or fresh orange juice
•2 tablespoons minced shallots
•1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
•2 teaspoons (packed) grated orange peel
•1 teaspoon honey
•1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
•1/4 cup finely chopped fresh fennel bulb
•2 tablespoons chopped fennel fronds
•3 blood oranges or seedless oranges
•12 cups torn assorted salad greens (such as arugula, watercress, mâche, and endive) or 1 1/2 five-ounce bags mixed baby greens
•1 cup chopped green onions
•2/3 cup walnuts, toasted

Preparation

•Whisk orange juice, shallots, thyme, orange peel, and honey in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in oil, then fennel and fennel fronds. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Rewhisk before using.

•Cut all peel and white pith from oranges. Working over bowl, cut between membranes to release orange segments from pith. Combine assorted greens, green onions, and toasted walnuts in large bowl. Drain orange segments and add to salad. Toss salad with enough dressing to coat evenly. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Roasted butternut squash soup with Spinach, pecan, and pear salad

Roasted butternut squash (I don’t use a recipe, so the ingredients are approximate)

One butternut squash, peeled and diced
One yellow onion, sliced
Two tablespoons of butter
One carton low-sodium organic chicken broth (about 6 cups)
One container carrot puree (I use baby food carrots. You can also use carrot juice instead)
Chipotle powder
Clove
Turmeric
3 oz heavy cream
Low-fat milk
Salt
Pepper

•Put the onion and butter in a soup pot and turn on the heat on low. Add salt, and simmer until the onions get very wilted.
•Add the squash and salt, and cook on medium low. Don’t stir too much; let them sit and caramelize, then stir, then let them sit again. Do this for about 5-7 minutes.
•Add the broth and carrot puree (or carrot juice). There should be enough liquid to fully cover the squash, and come up another inch or two above the squash. If you don’t have enough broth, add water. Add a pinch each of pepper, chipotle powder, clove, and turmeric. If you don’t have one of these, omit or substitute (for example, use cayenne instead of chipotle, or nutmeg instead of cloves). Let cook on medium until the squash is mushy. If the liquid evaporates too quickly, add some water.
•Puree the soup using a blender (do this in batches). If the soup is too dense in the blender, add milk. Put the soup back on the stove, and add the cream. Add enough milk to make the soup the consistency you like. Heat through, and taste for seasoning.

Note: I am not too worried about the cream and butter in this recipe. It makes a good amount of soup, so it gets well distributed. If you want, you can substitute olive oil for the butter and only use milk (no cream), but I find the consistency and taste better if you add just a little cream and butter. Pair with a healthy, tangy salad, and your calorie count is still very reasonable.

Spinach, pecan, and pear salad

This is from Hugh Acheson’s book A New Turn in the South

For the pecans: 1 cup pecans, 1 Tbsp butter, ½ tsp sugar, 1 pinch cayenne and salt. Melt the butter in a non-stick pan, and add the pecans. Stir for 2 minutes, then add the sugar, cayenne, and salt. Cook through,stirring.

For the dressing: put 1tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp thyme leaves, 1 diced shallot, 1.5 Tbsp white wine vinegar, ¼ cup olive oil into a mason jar, cover, and shake well.

Baby spinach
Pear, sliced
Creamy blue cheese (Stilton or Roquefort),
diced Pecans
Dressing

Put the spinach, pear, and cheese in a salad bowl. Toss with the pecans. Add dressing and toss. You will probably not need all of the dressing – add a bit at a time, and save the rest for tomorrow’s salad.

For the dressing, I used a Dijon thyme dressing.

Spinach Souffle with Arugula salad

Spinach soufflé – She used Julia Child’s recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The recipe can be found here: http://www.food.com/recipe/classic-cheese-souffle-julia-child-296752. This recipe is for cheese soufflé. To do spinach, just saute’ a diced shallot in a bit of olive oil, and add a bunch of chopped spinach. Stir until it’s wilted. Stir into the souffle’ base after the egg yolks are added (after step 11).

Arugula salad – put a bunch of arugula in a salad bowl, add shaved parmesan on top. Sprinkle with salt, drizzle with olive oil, and squeeze some lemon juice on top. Toss.

Baked chicken parmasan with a side of green beans and short grain brown rice...

Here is a GREAT alternative to your classic chicken Parmesan...which happens to be one of my husband's favorite meals.

4 oz. chicken breasts seasoned with no-salt Garlic & Herb Mrs. Dash and baked for about 20 minutes. Then, top each breast with a little bit of pasta sauce and Parmesan cheese and baked another 5 minutes. Make the brown rice with chicken stock and a little butter. Boil the green beans for about 4 minutes, then drained and stir fry them in a little bit of olive oil with a touch of sea salt.

The family will love it.

White Chili

There is nothing better than hosting a casual dinner party...and you don't even have to cook! A good friend of mine brought this chili over on Friday and let me tell you is was SO good, and healthy. We even ate it without the cheese so it was super low-fat and low-calorie. The cinnamon was the unique flavor that made it so good. You can find the recipe here below or at http://allrecipes.com/recipe/white-chili-with-ground-turkey/

Ingredients
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
2 (4 ounce) cans canned green chili peppers, chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
ground cayenne pepper to taste
ground white pepper to taste
3 (15 ounce) cans cannelloni beans
5 cups chicken broth
2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

Directions
1. In a large pot over medium heat, combine the onion, garlic and ground turkey and saute for 10 minutes, or until turkey is well browned. Add the chili peppers, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, cayenne pepper to taste and white pepper to taste and saute for 5 more minutes.
2. Add two cans of the beans and the chicken broth to the pot. Take the third can of beans and puree them in a blender or food processor. Add this to the pot along with the cheese. Stir well and simmer for 10 minutes, allowing the cheese to melt.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 396 | Total Fat: 17.3g | Cholesterol: 92mgPowered by ESHA Nutrient Database

Habit - an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary

Do you impulsively...automatically...habitually eat when you are stressed, depressed, anxious, or bored? How about when it's cold and dreary outside? Don't let the weather or your problems keep you from reaching your goals! WRITE DOWN a list of all the healthy, inexpensive things you can DO instead during those times (take a bath, get a pedicure, make a craft or photo album, play a game with your kids, listen to music, call a friend, CALL YOUR TRAINER!, clean a drawer, have a cup of hot tea, etc.). PRINT IT OUT and tape it somewhere in the kitchen or another room where you will see it. Keep it PG for the kids, please!

Emotional eating does not solve problems and we all know this! However, we still have to consciously identify and articulate the feelings that are associated with our habits. Then we can make a decision to behave differently for a few days (like 21!) and before we know it, we've formed a NEW habit!

To buy Chocolate Cheerios or not...The sugar debate: How much is too much?

Yesterday, I sparked a little bit of a controversy by posting a picture of some Chocolate Cheerios that I had recently bought for my kids. This is totally understandable! However, I want to also put into perspective that with regards to a nutrition plan, it really should be about balance and creativity. Just because something is chocolate, doesn't mean it is high in sugar. Let's look at another product (that I particularly like) as another example...

SO Delicious brand CHOCOLATE (yes, I said chocolate!!!) coconut milk. Here is what's good about it: It is made with organic coconuts, it's dairy-free, the first item in the ingredient list is organic coconut milk, it has 5g of healthy fat (yes, some saturated fats have been proven to be a good thing!), it is really delicious, it has Jillian Michaels picture on it. Here is what's bad about it: It has 100 calories for a one cup serving, it only has one gram of protein and one gram of fiber, it has ten grams of sugar (THAT'S MORE THAN THE CHOCOLATE CHEERIOS). Do I recommend drinking a whole serving of this? The answer is 'no'. However, I would put a little splash of this in my coffee (yet another debatable part of my diet to be discussed another day). Here is another way that I would use this product...

For this smoothie, I used about a cup of fat free Greek yogurt, about a cup of frozen mixed berries, two tablespoons of milled chia seed for omega-3s, and about a third of a cup of the chocolate coconut milk. I am getting a large amount (over 20 grams) of protein, a huge amount of fiber (over 14 grams!), and so in this case, I think three grams of sugar that I am getting from the coconut milk is okay. That is how I would recommend using this product. Now, am I telling you to run out and buy this product? No. If you and your family are completely sugar-free without using artificial sweeteners, then this suggestion is not for you. You should be extremely proud of yourself! For the rest of us, in my unprofessional opinion (since I am not a registered dietitian), if we feel totally deprived, then it is eventually going to backfire on us AND our kids. The USDA recommends a daily diet containing less than 48 grams of ADDED sugar. That doesn't even include the sugar that exists naturally in fruit and milk. I recommend a whole lot less than that for long term results via your nutrition plan for life. Now, you could take the same exercise and apply it to salt, dairy products, fats, carbs, caffeine, alcohol, etc. The key is to find your Achilles heal and develop a creative strategy to deal with it. For some, abstinence is easier than moderation. For every one else, get creative and find a way to enjoy what you like in moderation.

This morning, a client of mine asked me to provide some recommendations for items to put in the kids' lunches. Every child is different. You have to make accommodations for each one's needs. I have one child who is allergic to nuts and is also very selective, one who has ADD and you can barely pinch a millimeter on his body. He doesn't like sandwiches! My third child has no food limitations except that she is on the high end of the healthy BMI range so we need to keep an eye on her caloric intake without ever making her feel deprived or like she is on a "diet." I never use that word in our house! Any discussions about food need to be about how it gives us energy to do the things we want to do vs. making us feel tired, etc. Generally, all kids may benefit from diets that are high in fiber, relatively low in sugar, and high in protein and whole foods. The reduced sugar intake should be introduced on a gradual basis. Sugar may be offset by the amount of fiber your children eat. Check out this list to get some ideas:
celery, cucumber, or carrot sticks and low fat ranch
sandwiches with 100% whole grain bread and lean meat such as honey ham or honey turkey with cheese or honey mustard
fresh fruit
nut clusters
dried fruit and nut trail mix
pudding
yogurt
cottage cheese
cream cheese on meat rolled up and held together with tooth picks
sweet potato chips
all-fruit roll-ups
fruit chips
low fat natural string cheese
I think pudding is okay if it is made of all-natural ingredients. It is a heavier item and will satisfy hunger. This also applies to yogurt and cottage cheese. For children who need to gain weight, put a high caloric drink such as juice or milk. However, most kids need to stick with water to drink.