Hello All,
As you know (or not) it is recommended (by the American Dietetic Association) that we eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, use whole grains, eat calcium rich foods, low fat proteins and limit our use of sugar. This is wonderful news to help us all optimize our health! Now I know from experience that as much as I love most fruits and most vegetables that five a day is not an easy task, but let me share with you how I do it.
I start with breakfast. If I'm having cold cereal, such as Kashi Heart to Heart ( I call them Kashi Cheerios) I add a banana, or some cut up strawberries and blueberries. It depends on what is in season (cause you should respect the seasons) and what is on sale at the market that week. So if it's bananas, that is one fruit down. If it's the berries, then its two fruits down.
Because I'm hypoglycemic I need to keep my blood sugar level constant, so I munch fruit throughout the day. What works for me is to cut up my apple and peel my orange, put a small container of berries in my lunch bag and munch to my hearts content as I go about my day.
Let me digress here for a second. We are told that for optimum weight loss we should eat small meals throughout the day, and I think the term "small meals" confuses people. A meal is considered a meat, starch and vegetable by many people, when in fact what I think they mean to say is have an apple or orange or some carrots during the day when you have an urge to munch something.
Okay so what I think is a good schedule is if you have breakfast around 7AM or so, by about 10 you should be looking around for a snack. I suggest an apple or orange or whatever your favorite fruit is. I'm a late lunch kinda girl, so about 12 I may be looking around for another snack, at which time I'll have another piece of fruit or a handful of nuts ( this is really hard for me, because unless I've pre-measured the nuts I'm gonna eat more than a handful as I love crunchy foods). Now it's time for lunch at about 1-1:30 and depending on the time of year, if its winter I want something hot, if its summer I want salad.
Of course you will do what works for you, and the ADA just makes suggestions on how we should eat, but if your goal is to eat healthier, just think of the joy you'll feel when you've accomplished 5 servings a day of fruit. I know on the days when I do, I give myself a pat on the back, do the happy dance and then try to work in 5 servings of vegetables. LOLOL
We'll talk about that another day, so for now, set your goal for 5 servings of fruit and give yourself a pat on the back when you've reached your goal. Take it one day at a time, and soon it will be part of your normal routine. If you have children you'll be setting a good example for them, and you'll feel lighter and healthier in the long run!
Ciao for now and have a wonderful day!
Much love,
J
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Once Upon a Time
Hello All,
Once upon a time I lived in Brooklyn, NY and had a favorite Mexican restaurant in Brooklyn Heights that I went to rather often. One of the meals I had there was a chicken poblano mole. Which is a spicy chocolate chicken dish. What?! Chicken and chocolate?! Yes, chicken and chocolate. It was two things I really love, spicy and it had chocolate. I've been wanting to make that dish or one similar to it for quite some time and recently found an easy recipe for Chicken Mole that I'd like to share with you here:
2 1/2 lbs chicken breast tenders
1 large onion chopped/diced small
1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped ( I omitted this)
2 cloves garlic, minced ( or 1 teaspoon already minced garlic)
2 tablespoons chili powder (this does not give a lot of heat, so if you want really spicy, I suggest half chili powder and half cayenne pepper)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves (yes this is the cloves traditionally put in ham, and also good for a toothache, I used much less than the recipe calls for because I don't really care for the taste, however it does give the dish a nice flavor)
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes ( I of course used fresh tomatoes, and diced them myself)
2 tablespoons unsweetened natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons unsweetened coco powder (Nestle's is good, use the regular not the dark chocolate)
2 scallions chopped ( I omitted this just because I didn't have any, use your own judgment on this ingredient)
The recipe calls for you to sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, I don't cook with salt, preferring to add it to my plate as in salt to my taste. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with olive oil ( I don't use cooking sprays, but you can if you like) over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for about 8 minutes, turning once, or until browned on both sides. Remove from the pan to a bowl. Next, add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic to the pan and saute' for about 3 minutes until the onion is translucent. Stir in the chili powder (or the half chili powder, half cayenne pepper I suggested above) and the ground cloves and cook for 1 minute. The aroma is wonderful! Put the chicken back in the pan along with any juices and add the fresh tomatoes (if you used canned then add the juice from those), the peanut butter and cocoa powder and bring to a boil. Cover and let simmer on a low flame for about 25 minutes, stirring every so often.
I served this dish with my own special yellow rice and my version of re-fried kidney beans (which are not re-fried at all) and I have to say that this reminded me of the restaurant in Brooklyn Heights that I used to go to, once upon a time!
I hope you'll make this dish and let me know how you liked it. I didn't include my recipe for yellow rice or re-fried beans so, hit me up and I'll forward to you upon request!
Much love,
J
Once upon a time I lived in Brooklyn, NY and had a favorite Mexican restaurant in Brooklyn Heights that I went to rather often. One of the meals I had there was a chicken poblano mole. Which is a spicy chocolate chicken dish. What?! Chicken and chocolate?! Yes, chicken and chocolate. It was two things I really love, spicy and it had chocolate. I've been wanting to make that dish or one similar to it for quite some time and recently found an easy recipe for Chicken Mole that I'd like to share with you here:
2 1/2 lbs chicken breast tenders
1 large onion chopped/diced small
1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped ( I omitted this)
2 cloves garlic, minced ( or 1 teaspoon already minced garlic)
2 tablespoons chili powder (this does not give a lot of heat, so if you want really spicy, I suggest half chili powder and half cayenne pepper)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves (yes this is the cloves traditionally put in ham, and also good for a toothache, I used much less than the recipe calls for because I don't really care for the taste, however it does give the dish a nice flavor)
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes ( I of course used fresh tomatoes, and diced them myself)
2 tablespoons unsweetened natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons unsweetened coco powder (Nestle's is good, use the regular not the dark chocolate)
2 scallions chopped ( I omitted this just because I didn't have any, use your own judgment on this ingredient)
The recipe calls for you to sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, I don't cook with salt, preferring to add it to my plate as in salt to my taste. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with olive oil ( I don't use cooking sprays, but you can if you like) over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for about 8 minutes, turning once, or until browned on both sides. Remove from the pan to a bowl. Next, add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic to the pan and saute' for about 3 minutes until the onion is translucent. Stir in the chili powder (or the half chili powder, half cayenne pepper I suggested above) and the ground cloves and cook for 1 minute. The aroma is wonderful! Put the chicken back in the pan along with any juices and add the fresh tomatoes (if you used canned then add the juice from those), the peanut butter and cocoa powder and bring to a boil. Cover and let simmer on a low flame for about 25 minutes, stirring every so often.
I served this dish with my own special yellow rice and my version of re-fried kidney beans (which are not re-fried at all) and I have to say that this reminded me of the restaurant in Brooklyn Heights that I used to go to, once upon a time!
I hope you'll make this dish and let me know how you liked it. I didn't include my recipe for yellow rice or re-fried beans so, hit me up and I'll forward to you upon request!
Much love,
J
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Beans, beans good for the heart the more you eat the more you ....!
Hello All,
You may or may not recall that little rhyme we chanted back in the day and for some of us it may still apply. But no matter what, beans are an excellent source of protein and if you've committed to having a meatless meal from time to time, beans are a good way to go! Here is a recipe I came across yesterday morning while watching the food network, I've included the link for your reference: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aaron-mccargo-jr/deluxe-black-bean-burger-recipe/index.html
Here is the recipe, which I've tweaked a bit for your eating pleasure. Here's what you'll need;
2 15 ounce cans of low sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
2 shallots (or 1 large onion, red or yellow)
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (yes there is a difference)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon fresh cilantro - chopped
1 egg white slightly beaten
3 tablespoons whole wheat flour ( or white flour something like Wondra)
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
I personally would add some minced garlic to this about 1 tablespoon, and omit the Worcestershire sauce, but that of course is up to you. I also would omit the black pepper.
In a large bowl, finely mash the black beans with your hands or a potato masher. Add the shallots or onion, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, garlic, worcestershire sauce (or omit this), hot sauce, cilantro, egg white (to bind it all together) and lastly the flour. Mix will with a wooded spoon. Form into patties, makes 4, this will be sticky and a bit messy, get over it and keep going, ;-). In a large frying pan or skillet (north vs south here) heat the olive oil. Sear the patties for about 3-4 minutes on each side until you have a nice crust. Remove the patties to a plate lined with paper towels. Now the show suggested making sandwiches out of these, but I think you can eat them with a nice tossed salad on the side. A little romaine, some red onion, cherry tomatoes and maybe some cucumber, some balsamic vinaigrette and you're good to go!
Remember, beans, beans, good for the heart, the more you eat, the more you ....! Enjoy and have a wonderful day!
Much love,
J
You may or may not recall that little rhyme we chanted back in the day and for some of us it may still apply. But no matter what, beans are an excellent source of protein and if you've committed to having a meatless meal from time to time, beans are a good way to go! Here is a recipe I came across yesterday morning while watching the food network, I've included the link for your reference: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aaron-mccargo-jr/deluxe-black-bean-burger-recipe/index.html
Here is the recipe, which I've tweaked a bit for your eating pleasure. Here's what you'll need;
2 15 ounce cans of low sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
2 shallots (or 1 large onion, red or yellow)
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (yes there is a difference)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon fresh cilantro - chopped
1 egg white slightly beaten
3 tablespoons whole wheat flour ( or white flour something like Wondra)
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
I personally would add some minced garlic to this about 1 tablespoon, and omit the Worcestershire sauce, but that of course is up to you. I also would omit the black pepper.
In a large bowl, finely mash the black beans with your hands or a potato masher. Add the shallots or onion, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, garlic, worcestershire sauce (or omit this), hot sauce, cilantro, egg white (to bind it all together) and lastly the flour. Mix will with a wooded spoon. Form into patties, makes 4, this will be sticky and a bit messy, get over it and keep going, ;-). In a large frying pan or skillet (north vs south here) heat the olive oil. Sear the patties for about 3-4 minutes on each side until you have a nice crust. Remove the patties to a plate lined with paper towels. Now the show suggested making sandwiches out of these, but I think you can eat them with a nice tossed salad on the side. A little romaine, some red onion, cherry tomatoes and maybe some cucumber, some balsamic vinaigrette and you're good to go!
Remember, beans, beans, good for the heart, the more you eat, the more you ....! Enjoy and have a wonderful day!
Much love,
J
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Its a wrap!
Hello All,
Its Sunday afternoon and you may be thinking about what's for dinner, for those of you who are forward thinkers, you're not only thinking about Sunday dinner, but lunch for the week or at least for tomorrow and Tuesday.
Last time I shared some time saving tips with you and I'm going to take it a bit further today (with some Bob Marley playing in the background, "We're Jammin'). Because Spring Break is over for me, I prepared a few things so that I can hit the ground running tomorrow. Last night I made a Chicken Milanese Risotto, on Friday I made a small pot roast and today I grilled some chicken cutlets and made some salsa and some guacamole. Now this may sound like a lot of food to you and to those of you who know me, yes, every now and then I will eat beef.
Now my purpose in preparing all this food is that although it is Spring here in the Southeast, it's still a bit chilly and tomorrow it is only supposed to hit 59 degrees, hence the Chicken Milanese Risotto, cause every now and then I like something hot for lunch. As for the beef and chicken, I will make one of my favorites - a wrap sandwich with the beef and chicken as one of the ingredients. So, lets make a wrap - start with a whole wheat soft taco shell ( I use La Banderita) if you like add a very small amount of Helman's mayo to the taco shell, then start to layer, first some cut up pieces of chicken or beef, then some lettuce (romaine, or a blend of different lettuces) some shredded carrots (I love crunchy stuff) and then add either the guacamole or the salsa to the wrap. Using a butter knife, gather all the ingredients to one side of the taco shell and start to roll it all together. Because this most likely will fall apart, I use either tooth picks or bamboo skewers to hold the wrap together, then I put it some plastic wrap and then foil to keep it cool and all together and here you have it, a wrap!!!!
For those of you who may think I'm nuts with all this cooking, I don't really care. I know for sure that by eating food that I've prepared myself, I'm cutting down on all the preservatives and sodium that is found in processed foods, as well as saving a few dollars. But if you really are not into all this, then when you head out to the grocery store let me make a few suggestions. Start with Perdue or your favorite brand of already prepared grilled chicken. In the fresh produce section, you'll find some fresh salsa and guacamole and the soft taco shells should be in the bread aisle. But there's nothing like the taste of love that goes into that wrap that you've made yourself totally from scratch. Think about it and get back to me! ;-)
Much love to you all,
J
Its Sunday afternoon and you may be thinking about what's for dinner, for those of you who are forward thinkers, you're not only thinking about Sunday dinner, but lunch for the week or at least for tomorrow and Tuesday.
Last time I shared some time saving tips with you and I'm going to take it a bit further today (with some Bob Marley playing in the background, "We're Jammin'). Because Spring Break is over for me, I prepared a few things so that I can hit the ground running tomorrow. Last night I made a Chicken Milanese Risotto, on Friday I made a small pot roast and today I grilled some chicken cutlets and made some salsa and some guacamole. Now this may sound like a lot of food to you and to those of you who know me, yes, every now and then I will eat beef.
Now my purpose in preparing all this food is that although it is Spring here in the Southeast, it's still a bit chilly and tomorrow it is only supposed to hit 59 degrees, hence the Chicken Milanese Risotto, cause every now and then I like something hot for lunch. As for the beef and chicken, I will make one of my favorites - a wrap sandwich with the beef and chicken as one of the ingredients. So, lets make a wrap - start with a whole wheat soft taco shell ( I use La Banderita) if you like add a very small amount of Helman's mayo to the taco shell, then start to layer, first some cut up pieces of chicken or beef, then some lettuce (romaine, or a blend of different lettuces) some shredded carrots (I love crunchy stuff) and then add either the guacamole or the salsa to the wrap. Using a butter knife, gather all the ingredients to one side of the taco shell and start to roll it all together. Because this most likely will fall apart, I use either tooth picks or bamboo skewers to hold the wrap together, then I put it some plastic wrap and then foil to keep it cool and all together and here you have it, a wrap!!!!
For those of you who may think I'm nuts with all this cooking, I don't really care. I know for sure that by eating food that I've prepared myself, I'm cutting down on all the preservatives and sodium that is found in processed foods, as well as saving a few dollars. But if you really are not into all this, then when you head out to the grocery store let me make a few suggestions. Start with Perdue or your favorite brand of already prepared grilled chicken. In the fresh produce section, you'll find some fresh salsa and guacamole and the soft taco shells should be in the bread aisle. But there's nothing like the taste of love that goes into that wrap that you've made yourself totally from scratch. Think about it and get back to me! ;-)
Much love to you all,
J
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Time Saving Tips for eating healthy!
Hello All,
Here are some time saving tips that have helped me through the years!
Once I decide on a menu and pick the items up from the grocery store, I spend a day or several hours cooking. Now for me this is usually a Saturday or Sunday. As meat is the one component of any meal that takes the most amount of time, I usually make a couple of different meats and freeze them so that when I come home on any given night I can either make a couple of side dishes or a salad and be good to go.
For instance with lasagna, I put two or three squares in some plastic wrap, then foil, then a ziplock bag and on a day when I know I'm gonna be slammed from running hither and yon, I take a packet out of the freezer before heading out for the day. When I get home I either microwave it, or put it in the oven and make a nice garden salad to go with the lasagna.
The same with chicken or the rare occasions when I eat beef, I prepare the chicken in a couple of different ways, say for instance Chicken Risotto Milanese. For this you need 1/2 cup of butter (sub olive oil to make this a healthier dish) 2 lbs of boneless skinless chicken breasts thinly sliced, 1 large onion, 2 1/2 cups of chicken broth ( i suggest Swanson's Natural Goodness which is lower in sodium than the regular or any other lower sodium chicken broth at your local store), 2 1/3 cups Arborio rice ( aka Risotto rice) 2/3 cup white wine (make sure that you use a wine you'd drink, if you don't have white, a nice zinfandel works fine) or omit if you like. 1 teaspoon crumbled saffron, and Parmesan cheese to garnish. In a large sauce pan heat about 1/2 teaspoon of the olive oil and saute' the onion just until it softens next add the rice and stir so that the oil will coat the rice. Add the saffron threads, and the thinly sliced chicken. Next add the chicken stock and bring it to just about a simmer. This dish is a bit time consuming because you need to keep stirring the rice as the liquid cooks down.
This is a dish that you can have for dinner one night, and perhaps lunch on another day with a side salad.
If you're trying to watch your sodium intake, or trying to save a little money by not eating out so much or watching your weight, eating food that you've prepared yourself really helps you to know exactly what is in the food you're eating.
Sometimes I will make a whole meal, the meat and the side, and eat from it the whole week, for lunch and dinner, it all depends. Keep in mind that your freezer is your friend and you can freeze just about anything for a long (cooked items) or short period (raw items) of time. Of course you have to figure out what works best for you and your family, but I hope you will consider these suggestions!
Much love to all of you!
J
Here are some time saving tips that have helped me through the years!
Once I decide on a menu and pick the items up from the grocery store, I spend a day or several hours cooking. Now for me this is usually a Saturday or Sunday. As meat is the one component of any meal that takes the most amount of time, I usually make a couple of different meats and freeze them so that when I come home on any given night I can either make a couple of side dishes or a salad and be good to go.
For instance with lasagna, I put two or three squares in some plastic wrap, then foil, then a ziplock bag and on a day when I know I'm gonna be slammed from running hither and yon, I take a packet out of the freezer before heading out for the day. When I get home I either microwave it, or put it in the oven and make a nice garden salad to go with the lasagna.
The same with chicken or the rare occasions when I eat beef, I prepare the chicken in a couple of different ways, say for instance Chicken Risotto Milanese. For this you need 1/2 cup of butter (sub olive oil to make this a healthier dish) 2 lbs of boneless skinless chicken breasts thinly sliced, 1 large onion, 2 1/2 cups of chicken broth ( i suggest Swanson's Natural Goodness which is lower in sodium than the regular or any other lower sodium chicken broth at your local store), 2 1/3 cups Arborio rice ( aka Risotto rice) 2/3 cup white wine (make sure that you use a wine you'd drink, if you don't have white, a nice zinfandel works fine) or omit if you like. 1 teaspoon crumbled saffron, and Parmesan cheese to garnish. In a large sauce pan heat about 1/2 teaspoon of the olive oil and saute' the onion just until it softens next add the rice and stir so that the oil will coat the rice. Add the saffron threads, and the thinly sliced chicken. Next add the chicken stock and bring it to just about a simmer. This dish is a bit time consuming because you need to keep stirring the rice as the liquid cooks down.
This is a dish that you can have for dinner one night, and perhaps lunch on another day with a side salad.
If you're trying to watch your sodium intake, or trying to save a little money by not eating out so much or watching your weight, eating food that you've prepared yourself really helps you to know exactly what is in the food you're eating.
Sometimes I will make a whole meal, the meat and the side, and eat from it the whole week, for lunch and dinner, it all depends. Keep in mind that your freezer is your friend and you can freeze just about anything for a long (cooked items) or short period (raw items) of time. Of course you have to figure out what works best for you and your family, but I hope you will consider these suggestions!
Much love to all of you!
J
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