Healthy Recipes

I recently returned from a trip to Portland, Oregon for an executive committee meeting of the Food & Culinary Professionals (FCP) subgroup of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. I’m the new chair of this 2,700-member organization, and this was our annual planning meeting. FCP’s mission is to empower members to be the nation’s food, culinary, and nutrition leaders, and to that end, we provide a wide variety of educational and networking opportunities. I chose Portland for the meeting site for a few reasons: It’s a great foodie city and we’re all dietitians who LOVE food, three of the 18 attendees are from the area, and I have two sisters who live in the Pacific Northwest. I devoured so much great food during my trip that I’m not really sure where to begin. OK. Let’s start with food carts. Portland has tons of them including Tabor, voted among the top 10 best food carts in the entire U.S. My sister, Diane, who lives in Portland, insisted we try their famous Schitzelwich. Here I am with my share of the giant Schnitzelwich—it’s made with breaded pork loin, Ajvar red pepper spread,  Romaine lettuce, sauteed onion, and horseradish sauce on ciabatta bread—which my two sisters and I split for lunch! After our initial FCP meeting and a walking tour of the city, we had dinner at Lardo, a modern sandwich shop that uses local and sustainable ingredients. This Italian Tuna Melt made with provolone, olive tapenade, and shaved fennel was beyond delicious, and I think the side of fries was the best I’ve ever had. (No worries, I shared them with three other people.) Another culinary highlight was the fried chickpeas at Oven and Shaker. They’re famous for being crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. If you have never tried vanilla ice cream with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and sea salt, you are missing out and must add this to your bucket list of foods to try. After leaving Portland, I traveled to Olympia, WA with Diane and her partner, Nancy. Our mission: to spend a  few days with our sister Lori and her husband, Chris. Lucky for us, they own a boat, so we motored up the Puget Sound with Mount Rainier in the distance and spent the night in the beautiful town of Gig Harbor.  Eating salmon tacos on the outdoor deck at Tides Tavern with family was yet another highlight of the trip. On my last night in town, my niece Jennifer cooked up some amazing Manila clams. She works for Taylor Shellfish Farms and really knows her stuff. Stay tuned, because I plan to invite her to join us as a guest on Cooking with the Moms to talk about tips for choosing and preparing mollusks and shellfish. On a final note, did I mention that Portland is a beer-lovers paradise? So many microbreweries … and so little time. It was great fun sampling some of the local beers, and we even did our own “Hop Project” beer sampling in Diane’s backyard. Ten Barrel Brewing released a mixed 12-pack of four different IPAs, each made with a different hop.  I think my favorite was #2! For those of you who aren’t beer experts, the hops in beer function to balance the sweetness of the malt by providing bitterness. The type and quantity of hops helps determine the flavor profile of the beer. This was an amazing trip, and I’m already looking forward to returning to the Pacific Northwest. If you want to see more photos of my trip check out our Flickr page.

*Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Burt’s Bees. I am being compensated to develop a recipe and share information about the Wild For Bees Campaign with you; all opinions expressed here are 100% mine. This week I am teaming up with the folks from Burt’s Bees to bring awareness to the plight of the honeybee. Bees are in trouble, my friends, and that means we are, too: the stark reality is that one-third of our food supply (including much of our healthiest produce and perhaps surprisingly: coffee and cocoa) will disappear if the bees do. This issue hits close to home for me because the bees I was keeping died this past winter. Through the Wild For Bees Initiative, Burt’s Bees wants to encourage us all to celebrate bees! Wild For Bees is a resource where you can see what honeybees are all about and learn how to help them thrive. You can also find numerous bee-pollinated recipes created by beekeeping chefs. As part of this campaign, I was asked to come up with my own recipe featuring mostly pollinated ingredients. My garden is brimming with beautiful strawberries and roses right now, so I decided to blend the two into a somewhat non-traditional lassi, a yogurt-based drink popular in India. Use the ripest organic strawberries you can find for this recipe, preferably from your own garden or your local Farmer’s Market. Bees do best with chemical-free food and so do we! As for the rose petals, these are completely optional. I sneak edible flowers into recipes all the time for their nutritive/medicinal qualities, but in all honestly, the fresh rose petals don’t add tons of flavor here. If you do want to use them, make sure they have not been sprayed with any chemicals (again, organic plants are the healthiest for the bees and for us); another option is to add a few drops of rosewater to your lassi. Should you decide to skip all things related to rose, you can add a pinch of cardamom to your lassi, if you like (cardamom is also pollinated by bees). Continue Reading: Strawberry Rose Lassi©2013 Healthy Green Kitchen

Molly Siegler Summertime beckons with glimmering pools, plush green picnic spots and breezy lakeside adventures. This outdoorsy season is also loaded with beautiful produce that often has a frustratingly fleeting season – so kitchen time is necessary, but it needn’t be extensive. Enjoy all summer has to offer with these easy, five-ingredient recipes that will get you out of the kitchen in no time. Does your cooking routine streamline in the summer? Share your favorite tips in the comments section below.

Dairy-free Chocolate Pots de Creme made with a mere five ingredients. This recipe for dairy-free Chocolate Pots de Creme is based on an award winning recipe by one of my favorite bloggers, Michelle of Nom Nom Paleo. Michelle is an amazing person and chef, and both she and her recipes are beloved and admired in [...] The post Chocolate Pots de Creme appeared first on Elana's Pantry. Click on the title to be taken to the full post at www.elanaspantry.com. Please note: This email was sent from a notification-only address that cannot accept incoming email. Please do not reply to this message.

Jennifer Cheng Here’s the deal with dinner — cooking salmon is a slammin’ way to get food on the table if you’re in a rush. To catch your own deal on our Alaska wild-caught Sockeye salmon fillets for $11.99 per pound*, stop by our stores in the US and Canada this Friday, June 21.   *Sale price is $2.69/100g in our British Columbia stores. Sale valid in our US and Canada stores. Availability and limits may vary by region, so you can contact your store for details. While supplies last. Most of our stores do not provide rain checks for sales like this. Known for its full, rich flavor and bright red, firm texture, you can enjoy our wild-caught Alaska Sockeye salmon knowing our dedicated port buyers in Alaska, Keith and Anthony, are hand-selecting the best fish and getting them to our stores, often within 48 hours. Whether you’ve got a family to feed or your stomach is growling after a long day at work, salmon fillets are a sensible and tasty choice for dinner. We’re talking maximum flavor, minimum fuss — just broil or bake at 450°F for about 10 minutes per inch of thickness. Sockeye in particular lends itself well to preparation with marinades and spice rubs because of its firm flesh, but since it has such a great flavor on its own, it doesn’t require much more than a squeeze of lemon after cooking. I plate it with whole grains and either a side of steamed greens or a salad and dinner is done! Here are more recipes to try with the Sockeye fillets from this Friday’s sale: We’ve got more recipes for wild salmon, in this recent blog post on wild-caught salmon. Remember, our sale is one day only, so don’t forget to stop by this Friday, June 21 to catch some Alaska wild-caught Sockeye salmon fillets for $9.99 per pound! What’s your favorite way to cook salmon?

Healthy waffles!This is my favorite waffle recipe – they always turn out perfect.The light and fluffy texture makes an ideal canvas for fresh strawberries and homemade whipped cream. Or peanut butter and mashed banana. Or pure maple syrup. Or ice cream and chocolate fudge sauce… and then more whipped cream. Why not? It’s a whole-grain and healthy breakfast that’s easy to make and doesn’t taste like cardboard. (I gave up buying frozen waffles years ago… frozen just does not compare to the taste of homemade waffles.)Above, topped with jam, berries, and Homemade Reddi-wip Whipped Cream.Whole-Grain Healthy WafflesAdapted from Carrot Cake Waffles1/2 cup spelt flour (60g) (Gluten-free recipe coming soon!)1/4 tsp salt1/4 tsp baking soda1 tsp baking powder1/16 tsp pure stevia OR 2 tbsp liquid sweetener (like agave or pure maple syrup)1 tbsp milk of choice (increase to 3 tbsp if using stevia)1/4 cup plus 3 tbsp applesauce2 tsp oil OR 1 tbsp more applesauce (Use the applesauce if you want fat-free waffles.)1 tsp pure vanilla extractCombine first 5 ingredients in a mixing bowl, and stir well. In a separate bowl, stir together remaining ingredients. Grease a waffle iron with oil or oil spray: be sure to grease very well if using the fat-free version. Preheat according to manufacturer’s instructions for your machine. Pour wet ingredients into dry, and stir until evenly combined. When iron is hot, pour half of the batter into the center of the iron, and close the lid. (My machine has a light that goes out when the waffle is done. Do not lift the lid before the waffle is done cooking.) Serve with your favorite waffle toppings – my homemade squirt whipped cream recipe is linked above the second photo in this post. Makes 2 waffles, and you can easily double the recipe.Click for: Waffles Nutrition FactsQuestion of the Day:Do you ever buy frozen waffles?When I was really young, my mom used to buy Eggo waffles as something quick for us to eat before school. But I’d get so hungry by lunchtime that she soon switched to serving more-filling breakfasts like oatmeal or egg-and-cheese breakfast burritos. On the weekends when we had more time, she’d sometimes make us homemade waffles in a Bugs Bunny waffle iron. My favorite way to eat them was topped with a layer of strawberry jam, whatever berries we had on hand, and probably half the container of Reddi-wip. I guess not much has changed!  Link of the Day: ….Homemade Protein Bars

Restaurant-style calamari is typically breaded and fried which means it's loaded with calories and fat. Prepare it at home to get the health benefits, minus the excess fat. ** This is only a summary of our content.**

Alana Sugar Every summer I celebrate my home-grown, gorgeous herbs by making pesto. Pesto comes from the word “pestare” which means “to pound” or “crush.” The traditional ingredients (fresh basil, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic, parmesan cheese and sheep cheese called Fiore Sardo) were crushed and ground in a mortar and pestle. The good news is a modern food processor works just as well! Pesto is really simple to make at home and the fun part is you don’t have to stick to the traditional ingredients. I like making pesto from a variety of leafy greens like spinach or arugula, and whatever herbs I happen to have on hand, such as basil or parsley. Using a wide array of fresh, seasonal greens, herbs, veggies and other items, you can create a masterful, versatile pesto with endless possibilities. Here are some recipes to get you started: Learn to Cook:  Simple Pesto is the perfect place to start. Vegan Pesto and Tofu Pesto are made with miso instead of cheese. Pesto Linguini is just as fabulous with angle hair or spaghetti. Veggie Packed Pesto can be made with spinach or broccoli. Arugula Pesto with Ricotta is amazing over roasted squash or asparagus. Pumpkin Seed Pesto has a Southwest flair, made with pepitas and cilantro. Walnut Pesto Pasta features walnut oil and Romano Pecorino. Basil Spinach Pesto is perfect for rice, pasta or quinoa. Creamy Pesto Dip is ideal for an appetizer or a party.  And here are just a few of the endless uses for pesto: Spoon over steamed or sautéed veggies Use in place of mayo on a sandwich or make these Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches with White Bean Pesto. Use as a dip for veggies, crackers and chips (especially pita chips!) Spoon over a baked potato Stir into hot cooked grains or legumes Use as a garnish for soups, stews and casseroles Eat it by the spoonful (just don’t tell) Blend with favorite salad dressing or use as is on a salad Add a spoonful to chicken, tuna or egg salad Spoon over grilled vegetables, meat, fish, chicken, tofu or tempeh. Try this Salmon with Cilantro Pumpkin Seed Pesto or this Red Snapper with Pumpkin Seed Pesto. If veggies are your thing, try our Grilled Squash with Cilantro-Pecan Pesto. Spread over bread and toast like you would garlic bread Stir into cottage, ricotta or soft goat cheese Spoon into bell pepper “boats” For “presto” pesto, look for the convenient, outstanding, ready-made pesto sauces in our stores.  Do you have a passion for pesto? Got a favorite recipe? I’d love to know.

Snack Girl is always on the hunt for a good kale recipe because she has tried several bad ones.... continue reading

4.26 / 5 Stars | 21 Reviews by Jean "A casserole made of millet, dates, coconut, and vanilla makes for a delicious and nutritious breakfast." View Complete Recipe Details and Reviews