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.
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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.