Easter Dinner from a Dietitian’s Kitchen – The Vegetables

/in /by

easter table

Crispy Salt and Vinegar Potatoes

Ingredients

4lb baby Yukon gold potatoes, halved (quartered if long)

1 C

1 T kosher salt

2 T unsalted butter

Fresh ground black pepper

2 T chopped fresh chives

Flaky sea salt

Instructions

Combine potatoes, 1 C vinegar, and 1 T kosher salt in a large saucepan. Add water to cover potatoes by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer for 20-25 minutes.

Drain and pat dry.

Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add potatoes and a pinch of kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Cook, tossing occasionally to ensure even browning (8-10 minutes).

Top with sea salt and chopped chives.

 

Fresh Asparagus with Lemon Zesteaster salad and asparagus

Ingredients

Asparagus

Olive oil

Lemon pepper

Lemon zest

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Wash and trim asparagus. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with lemon pepper. Bake for 10-12 minutes and then sprinkle with lemon zest.

Easy-peasy!

Easter Dinner from a Dietitian’s Kitchen – Beverage and Hors d’oeuvre

/in /by

Following up with those Easter recipes from ours truly!

easter table

Hibiscus Sparkle

With an earthy, hibiscus flower base and effervescent fizz, this mild tea-tail celebrates spring.

Ingredients

1/3 C dried hibiscus flowers

¼ C sugar

¼ C fresh lime juice, plus 1 lime, thinly sliced for garnish

½ C Cointreau

2 C seltzer

Instructions

In a pot, bring 3 ½ cups water to a boil. Remove from heat and add hibiscus flowers. Cover and steep for 4 minutes.

Strain liquid into a pitcher. Stir in sugar, lime juice, and Cointreau, and refrigerate until chilled, about 30-40 minutes.

Just before serving, stir in seltzer.

Serve over ice, and garnish with lime slices. (Serves 4-6)

Broccolini Ricotta Toasts with Preserved Lemon

Ingredients

1 15oz tub whole milk ricottaeaster horduerve

1 T finely chopped preserved lemon (peel and pulp), plus 1 whole preserved lemon, thinly sliced for garnish

1 clove garlic, minced

1 baguette cut on the diagonal into 12 half inch slices

4 T olive oil, divided

4 C broccolini florets, cut into 2-inch lengths

¼ C orange marmalade

Chili flakes and leaves from fresh thyme sprigs for garnish

1 lemon, halved

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Line two baking sheets with tinfoil.

In a medium bowl, whisk together ricotta, finely chopped preserved lemon, ¼ tsp sea salt, and garlic until well combined. Set aside.

In a large bowl, toss the baguette slices with 2 T olive oil and a pinch of salt. Spread slices out onto one lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Transfer toasts onto a serving platter.

Lightly baste broccolini with 2 T olive oil and spread on the two baking sheets, allowing room for even browning. Bake florets for 10 minutes, rotate pans, and continue baking for 5 minutes more, until leaves are crisped and browned. Remove from oven.

Spread each toast with a thin layer of marmalade, and top with 1 T of the ricotta mixture and about 3 broccolini pieces. Garnish with a sprinkling of chili flakes, fresh thyme leaves, salt, and preserved lemon slivers, plus a little squeeze of fresh lemon juice. (Makes 12 toasts.) -SY

Say Cheese!

/in /by

With most grocery stores carrying a wide variety of cheeses these days, it’s easy to forget the long process it takes to make those cheeses. Thousands of years ago, people were in need of a way to better utilize milk from their cattle, sheep, and goats so they started experimenting. Starting with salt and acid, and then later adding in rennet (an enzyme that changes the structure of milk proteins making them stick together) our ancestors were able to create lots of different ways to say cheese.

Here are a few less common cheeses that might expand your palate for cheese flavors:

Grana Padano: This Italian cow’s milk cheese has a hint of pineapple
sweetness. “Grana” is the Italian word for “grain”, which reflects this cheese’s grainy texture, caused by tiny protein deposits.


Asiago: Older and more aged, Asiago tends to lose its moisture, making it harder causing a more savory, sharp and tangy flavor. This cheese is a great addition to pasta dishes!

Roncal: Due to this cheese’s unique blend of two different sheep’s milk,
it can be a challenge to find but its aroma and flavor is strong and it creates a slightly tangy and buttery taste.


Manchego: Originally getting its name from the Manchego sheep that grazed Spain, this cheese has a hint of bitterness and a warm, nutty flavor. Enjoy Manchego on its own or paired with olives, almonds, dried fruit or crusty breads. -SY

Healthy Eats OKC!

/in /by

Eating out can be a fun treat or a necessity.  I love to dine at new places often and try some local favorites. There is a new place in Nichols Hills that is a breath of fresh air with a new twist on healthy eating. Provision Kitchen is a versatile eatery and the most “local” place I have been to!  You can stop in for a yummy unique salad, build your own salad, sample the hot meal of the day, and/or bring meals home for the rest of the week.  Best of all, they can tell you exactly where your food came from and most of it comes just 7 miles from the store!!  Their farm, Provision Organic Farm, fuels their seasonal, fresh, and perfectly portioned meals.

I enjoyed my experience.  Meals range from $8-12.50 and they are easy to get to-go or dine in.  The take away meals are fresh made and individually portioned, like a TV dinner, and ready to heat up anytime. This provides a great place to grab lunch and bring home dinner for later.  Provision Kitchen provides a much needed service that highlights local, balanced, organic meals that informs the patron of calories, allergens, and food origin. Clean eating at its best! –MVC

provisionkitchenlogo

Systemic Chronic Inflammation

/in /by

Inflammation, in its broadest sense, is the body’s response to tissue injury. The four cardinal signs of inflammation are redness, heat, swelling, and pain. However, did you know there are different kinds of inflammation? You’re probably familiar with the kind we can see but what if there is a kind that we can’t see that’s causing much worse damage?

Acute Inflammation—this is your body’s response to an injury such as a cut, tooth extraction, bug bite, stubbed toe, etc. (Easily healed and most of the time not too serious.)

Systemic Chronic Inflammation—this kind of inflammation is the kind that we can’t necessarily see. It begins with a slow onset and persists for months or years (sometimes asymptomatically). When we say “systemic” we are referring to inflammation that affects the entire body. Systemic chronic inflammation causes damage to our tissues and often times results in diseases such as heart disease, lupus, celiac disease, arthritis, irritable bowel disease, and much more. (Very serious.)


Common causes of systemic chronic
inflammation include the following: obesity (specifically belly fat), infections, periodontal disease, environmental toxins, drugs and tobacco, autoimmune diseases, lack of exercise, sleep deficiency, stress, low intake of antioxidants, and high intake of foods which contribute to inflammation.

With evidence that chronic inflammation is involved in the cause of fibromyalgia, Alzheimer’s and cancer, I’d say it needs to be tackled. The common denominator of these uncontrolled (and often undetected) age-related diseases is systemic chronic inflammation.

The good news: Chronic systemic inflammation can be significantly affected by one’s daily lifestyle choices. Diet, exercise, antioxidants, stress reduction, and sleep are ALL included in our tool box at Banister Nutrition to help you move from chronic inflammation to a happier, healthier life. -SY

CHANGING HABITS. CHANGING HEALTH. CHANGING LIVES. –Banister Nutrition

Cooking With Fat – Smoke Point

/3 Comments/in /by

Saturated, unsaturated, olive, canola, lard, butter…the list could go on. There are many different varieties of fats which can lead to some confusion but the main topic we’re going to discuss is: smoke point. The “smoke point” of a fat refers to the temperature at which a fat begins to smoke (pretty straight-forward). Learning how to understand those smoke signals is a crucial element to cooking.

While minimal smoking is okay, once you break past the smoke point you’re heading towards a danger zone. When the smoke point is surpassed, the fat starts to break down, releasing free radicals and a substance called acrolein, the chemical that gives burnt foods their taste and smell. Many unrefined oils or “virgin” oils contain minerals, enzymes, and other compounds that don’t fare well with heat. Although they are more nutritionally promoted, they tend to be more susceptible to rancidity (do to the low smoke point). For an oil to have a high smoke point, manufacturers use industrial-level refinement processes such as bleaching, filtering, and high-temperature heating to extract and eliminate those compounds. What’s left? A neutral-flavored oil with a longer shelf life and a higher smoke point.

So how do we know which oils to use for different cooking methods? As a general guideline it is suggested that we use oils with smoke points at or above 400°F (canola oil, vegetable oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, etc.) when cooking at high temperatures. Below is a list of some of the more common cooking techniques and recommended oils for each.

Searing: The main goal is to heat meat as rapidly as possible to promote browning. Choose a neutral fat with a high smoke point like peanut, corn, or vegetable oil.

Sautéing: Smoking hot oil is not necessary for sautéing, therefore, virgin olive oil and other medium smoke point fats.

Stir-Frying: Wok cooking is fast and relies on a thin coating of super-hot oil to lubricate your food. With this cooking method you’ll want a really high smoke point oil (peanut or safflower) for the best (and safest) results.

Check the smoke points below to see if you’re using your oils appropriately. -SY

oilsp

Heart-Healthy Meals for Your Sweetheart

/in /by

We all know that a well-balanced diet full of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and unsaturated fats not only help with weight maintenance, but also with overall heart health. What could be a better gift to your sweetheart then a healthy heart for the years to come? Even though Valentine’s Day has come and gone, consider these heart healthy options for an upcoming meal you’re planning on making for your sweetheart:

During the meal, enjoy a glass of red wine. Red wine contains antioxidants that improve HDL cholesterol (the good kind). Remember, moderation is key.

Consider a spinach salad topped with walnuts (to add some crunch). Spinach (along with other dark-leafy green vegetables) is high in vitamins A, C, E, and K, thiamin, vitamin B6, and defends against high blood pressure and hypertension. Pair it with a low-fat dressing and you’re all set!

For the main course, try a simple Italian favorite–pasta with marinara sauce. Tomatoes are loaded with carotene, vitamin C, potassium, folic acid, and fiber, and garlic is known to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. When choosing your pasta, try whole-grain pasta!

End the meal with a piece of dark chocolate. As I mentioned in a previous post, dark chocolate is rich in flavanols which protect the body against oxidative damage and help to lower blood pressure. Indulge a little!

Hope you had a happy Valentine’s Day! Don’t forget to take care of your sweetheart’s heart all year round with heart healthy eating! -SY

Chocolate, Chocolate, and More Chocolate

/in /by

Is your mouth watering yet? Just the word “chocolate” makes me want some! With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, we as Americans will buy at least $345 million worth of chocolate candies next week alone! This makes up approximately 5% of the yearly chocolate sales! Below is a chart I downloaded from the International Cocoa Organization’s website showing that we as Americans are proud supporters of the cocoa industry.

cocoa consumption

Something that might surprise you is chocolate was originally consumed as a beverage, not a sweet dessert. Chocolate used to be prepared as a bitter drink, sometimes even fermented. It wasn’t until the mid-19th century that the first chocolate bar was invented.

Believe it or not, cocoa actually has some positive nutritional benefits. Cocoa contains vitamin E and some B vitamins, as well as minerals such as magnesium, copper, phosphorus, and zinc. Chocolate is also rich in flavanols which protect the body against oxidative damage. To benefit from these flavanols, choose dark chocolate over highly processed milk chocolate. Moderation is key!

I thought taking us back to our “chocolate roots” might be fun with this Spiced Chocolate Tea recipe! Enjoy! –SY

Spiced Chocolate Tea (recipe serves 1)

Ingredients

½ C milk

½ C water

1 black tea bag or 1 T loose black tea

4-5 chocolate chips

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

½ T sugar (optional)

Directions

Place teabag or loose tea in strainer into mug. Add chocolate chips and cinnamon. Add sugar (if desired).

Mix water and milk. Heat in small saucepan over low heat until bubbles form.

Pour heated mixture into mug. Mix until chocolate is melted. Top with whipped cream and more cinnamon for an extra special treat.

Lentils – A Middle Eastern Beauty

/in /by

A member of the legume family (with things such as beans), lentils are what we call edible pulses (dried seeds grown in enclosed pods). Lentils are very high in protein and fiber; one cup cooked contains 18g of protein and 16g of fiber. A one cup serving is also an excellent source of folate, iron, potassium, phosphorous, and magnesium. Research has shown that regular intake of lentils lowers cholesterol and helps reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers.

Unlike dried beans, you don’t have to soak
lentils overnight! Lentils cook quickly in 15-20 minutes, making them easy and convenient kitchen staples. However, with so many different kinds, how do you know what to use for what? Here are a few quick facts about the different kinds and ways to use them.

Brown Lentils (the most common): With a mild flavor and earthy taste, brown lentils can be used in a range of culinary applications and tend to retain their shape and texture. They are often used as a meat substitute or extender in dishes such as, chili, tacos, or meatloaf.

French Lentils: Compared to brown lentils, French lentils are slightly smaller, take longer to cook, and have a peppery flavor. These lentils hold their shape making them ideal for cold salads and side dishes for fish, game, or sausage.

Red or Yellow Lentils: These lentils break down quickly and do not hold their shape, making them best suited for soups and stews.

Pink Lentils: Pink lentils cook quickly, turning a golden color and breaking down into a silky smooth texture, which makes them a great choice for soups and side dishes.

Black Lentils: These lentils look great when mixed with salads and grains. Black lentils have a strong, nutty, and earthy flavor. They also hold their shape well.

Lentil Soup Recipe

Ingredients

¼ C olive oil

2 carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp dried oregano

1 bay leaf

1 tsp dried basil

2 C dry lentils of your choice

8 C water

½ C spinach, rinsed and sliced

2 T vinegar

Black pepper to taste

Directions

In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery; cook and stir until onion is tender. Stir in garlic, bay leaf, oregano, and basil; cook for 2 minutes.

Stir in lentils, and add water and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for at least 1 hour. When ready to serve stir in spinach, and cook until it wilts. Stir in vinegar, and season to taste with pepper, and more vinegar if desired.

Yield: 6 servings

349 calories per serving, 48g carbohydrates per serving, 10g fat per serving, and 18g protein per serving

Inflammation and Food

/in /by

Inflammation is a sign of injury or illness.
Increased inflammation in your body can be a risk factor (or symptom) for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. Your diet and lifestyle can increase or decrease the amount of inflammation in your body.

Here are some tips to help decrease the amount of inflammation in your body:

Avoid overeating: More food than you need causes your body to make more fat cells. Studies have shown that eating 20-30% less food can decrease inflammation.

Lose weight: A weight loss of 10% or more makes a significant reduction in the amount of circulating inflammatory markers.

Moderate carbohydrate intake: Foods low in fiber and high in sugar cause inflammation. Limit your intake of sweetened drinks, snack foods, processed foods, and desserts. Choose whole grains instead!

Avoid trans fats: These fatty acids are mostly found in store-bought baked goods, snack foods, frostings, shortening, and fried foods.

Limit saturated fats: We need some saturated fats but too much can increase our risk or those chronic diseases. Saturated fats are mostly found in animal fat, dairy products, butter, lard, and eggs.

Increase your fruits and vegetables: Try to eat 4-5 cups of fruits and vegetables per day. Look for ones that are dark green, orange, yellow, and purple.

Use olive oil when you can: Oil is very dense in calories but the fats in olive oil are anti-inflammatory.

Increase your intake of walnuts and salmon: All nuts and fish are healthy but walnuts and salmon have the most heart-healthy fatty acids.

Eat whole grains: Increase your intake of oatmeal, quinoa, and brown rice. These are good replacements for bread and most cold cereals.

Eat more lentils and beans: These superfoods are a good source of fiber, protein, carbohydrates, and multiple vitamins and minerals. Consider a few servings/week.

Overwhelmed by this list? See a dietitian; we can and would love to help!

*Adapted from Today’s Dietitian Vol. 16 No. 2 p 44-51