Simple Food

Sauteeing is very fast and relatively simple, and roasting is a little less speedy but REALLY simple.  I love the simplicity of roasting in the oven.  You just take good quality ingredients, give them a little flavor and the heat of the oven makes them AMAZING!  When you think of roast, you may think of that Sunday roast at your Grandma's house or roasting a Thanksgiving turkey.  When I think of roasting, I think of a very simple weeknight dinner where I get to spend the cooking time playing with my kids.  Yes, that is the glory of roasting...  It is hands off.  The oven is not just for meat and potatoes anymore.  To make vegetables extra flavorful, drizzle with a little good olive oil, salt and pepper or maybe even cajun seasoning and/or some herbs, and many of them are tender with a wonderful intense flavor in 20 minutes or less.  Here are some of my favorite meats and veggies to roast in the oven:

• Broccoli - just a drizzle of olive oil and Salt and pepper
• Cauliflower - just a drizzle of olive oil and Salt and pepper
• Mix any combination of vegetables such as:  multi-colored sweet bell peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, button mushrooms drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper and some herbs such as thyme, oregano, basil, rosemary, etc.
• Asparagus - just a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper
• Spaghettie squash - cut in half, remove seeds, brush with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast flesh down until tender (about 45 minutes) and then use a fork lengthwise to remove flesh like spaghetti
• Butternut squash - cook like Spaghetti squash or peel and cut into chunks, drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper and roast until tender
• Sweet Potatoes - Either roast whole or you could cut into chunks, thin slices or "fries", drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper.  Make sure you cover your pan with foil if roasting whole because the sugar from the potato will burn and make a mess on your pan.
• Tomotoes - cut grape tomotoes in half or larger tomatoes in half or quarters, drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper.  These will become so sweet and add amazing flavor to a pasta dish or they are delicious served with a little parmesan cheese on top.
• Onions - just drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper.  They add fantastic flavor to any mixture of vegetables and you will marvel at how sweet they become with roasting.
• Marinated Pork Tenderloin, pork chops or chicken breasts - Marinate in your favorite lite vinaigrette such as Newman's Own Lite Balsamic Vinaigrette or a combination of olive oil, fresh herbs, maybe garlic, salt and pepper and an acid like vinager or even diced roasted tomatoes with juice. 
• Salmon steaks brushed with pesto

My favorite thing about roasting is that you can create an entire meal in the oven and usually even on one sheet pan.  This is your chance to buy some of those beautiful vegetables that you see in the produce section, but don't know what to do with them.  If you are mixing your veggies, just try to cut the tougher veggies into smaller pieces than the more tender veggies, so they will all become tender at the same time.  For instance, if you are cooking baby red potatoes along side peppers, squash and mushrooms,  You would cut the potatoes the smallest, followed by the peppers and squash and then the mushrooms the largest.

Tip:  If you are making dinner in the oven, cut up some extra veggies and roast them at the same time and you can use them for another meal later in the week.  Mixed roasted vegetables are fantastic mixed in with whole wheat pasta and marinara sauce.

WHAT'S FOR DINNER?
My parents are in town, so we are having one of those dinners that looks slightly fancy, but is quick and easy to make and of course very healthy...

Italian Marinated Pork Tenderloin
Servings: 6

2 Medium-sized Pork Tenderloins (makes great leftover pork sandwiches)
1/2 cup Olive Oil
1 T Minces garlic
1/2 to 3/4 cup of mixed fresh herbs such as oregano, thyme, rosemary, basil, etc.
1/2 t onion powder
1/3 to 1/2 of a can of diced roasted tomatoes with juice (I really like Miur Glenn)
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper

Mix ingredients in gallon-sized ziplock bag and add pork tenderloins and make sure that meat gets well coated in marinade.  Marinate for 30 minutes to 24 hours.  Remove tenderloins from bag and place on a sheet pan coated with cooking spray or olive oil.  Roast for 25 to 35 minutes or until tenderloin has an internal temperature of 160 degrees.

While the pork is roasting, I will also roast a spaghetti squash and mix the "spaghetti" flesh with  a good bottled marinara sauce, and serve with a chopped salad of lettuce, grape tomatoes, yellow sweet bell pepper, matchstick carrots, cucumbers and mandarin orange slices.

CHEERS!

Good Food FAST!

You want good food fast?  Just learn one quick technique and you will be able to cook hundreds of different dishes.

Technically, saute is french for jump or rise up.  Culinarily, it is something like pan frying, except that you cook food in a very modest amount of hot fat in a wide shallow pan.  The goal is cooking them through without added moisture.

A saute is a saute, is a saute - change seasonings at will, but the saute technique stays the same.  You heat a little oil (1 - 2 Tbs.) in a big shallow pan, add a seasoned chicken breast, brown over high heat, then cook to tender and done by lowering the heat quite a bit and covering the pan.  This way the meat is surrounded by warmth.  If instead of chicken, you were sauteing something that cooks much faster, like fish filets, you would not cover the pan.  If you add just a little liquid to the pan, maybe a 1/4 to 1/3 cup, technically you would still be sauteing.

Add a cup or more of liquid to really moisten the main ingredient, and you step into a new technique - the braise.  You braise tougher meat cuts and vegetables which demand more time to tenderize, like cabbage, carrots, rutabaga and potatoes.  Add enough liquid to cover the food, and you have stew.

Just remember the two tricks to the saute:  brown over high heat, finish cooking over very low heat for juicy results.  Do it all very fast over high temperature and you will toughen your dinner.

Here are more ideas using the technique.  Master it then let your imaginiation and what is available lead the way.  You will build an arsenal of go-to recipes faster than you think.

Italian Pork Chop Saute:  This illustrates how saucing is done in the pan as the meat cooks.  Use olive oil to coat the saute pan. Quickly brown thick-cut pork chops, seasoning with salt and pepper, then add a little chopped onion, minced garlic, fresh rosemary, a cut up tomato, and about 1/3 cup white wine.  Turn the heat down so the mix barely bubbles, cover the pan, and cook until the pork is just firm when pressed.  Take the chops out of the pan, boil down the pan sauce and pour over the meat.

Salmon-Basil Saute:  Toss a hand-ful of basil leaves in the pan, cook, thick-cut, salted and peppered salmon steaks exactly the way the chicken is done.  Before covering the salmon, add some thin-sliced garlic.  Fish usually cooks at 10 minutes per inch of thickness.  Finish with fresh lemon juice to taste.

Vegetable Saute:  Use the same saute idea with some good tasting fat (I prefer extra virgin olive oil) and vegetables.  This is pure Mediterranean food.  Slivered carrots with salt, pepper, raisins, onion and garlic can be lightly seared over high heat (don't burn the garlic).  Then add a little white wine, cover the pan tightly, and cook them over low heat until they are tender.  That little bit of liquid will make a glaze over the carrots.  Do the same thing with slivered turnips and you will be surprised how good they are.  Use orange slices and chile with chunks of onion or cauliflower.  Again, the technique stays the same; but the ingredients can change at will.

By using this technique and taking a look at what you have in your pantry, refrigerator and freezer, you will be shocked at the amazing meals you can create.

WHAT'S FOR DINNER
Last night we had a version of the Italian Pork Chop above, but you will see a few changes that really exhibit how you can use what you have in the pantry and fridge to make a great dinner.

Instead of a chopped tomato (I did not have any), I used about 1/2 to 2/3 of a can of Muir Glen Fire Roasted Diced tomatoes.  Instead of rosemary, I used a combination of sage, thyme and basil (I have fresh pots of these herbs growing in my window).  Instead of dry white wine, I used some leftover spanish brut sparkling wine that I had left in the fridge.  I roasted some cauliflower and baby red potatoes in the oven and a great dinner was served quickly.  At the same time, I roasted some other vegetables that I plan to use later in the week for a linguini Primavera.  A double or triple play in one meal - I LOVE THAT!  The pan sauce that was created with tomatoes, wine, onion, garlic and herbs turned unbelievably sweet and flavorful as it cooked and really made the entire meal.

CHEERS!

To Organic or Not to Organic?

Organic or not to organic, that was my question...  We have all seen the labels, "organic", "100% organic", "contains organic ingredients", "hormone-free", "free-range", "antibiotic-free", "natural", and of course they all sound good and better for us.  But are they really?  Furthermore, when you think about organic food, you probably love the idea of not putting synthetic fertilizers, chemicals, antibiotics and hormones into your body.  You probably love the idea not harming the environment and supporting sustainable farming.  Many times you also hear that organic food tastes better and has more nutrients.  I ask the questions, is it all true or just great marketing?  Well, you can find unbelievable amounts of information for and against organic products, so I wanted to share a few articles with you that helped clear it up for me.

Some of the most important points from my research that I would highlight include:
Eating organic does not necessarily mean eating healthier.  Organic junk food is still junk food!  If we focus on eating more "real food" and less processed food whether organic or not, we will be heading in the right direction.

Important reasons to buy organic

• Pesticides.  Conventional growers use pesticides to protect their crops from molds, insects, and diseases.  When farmers spray pesticides, this can leave residue on produce.  According to the USDA, organic produce carries significantly fewer pesticide residues than does conventional produce.
• Food additives.  Organic regulations ban or severely restrict the use of food additives, processing aids, and fortifying agents commonly used in nonorganic foods, including preservatives, artificial sweetners, colorings and flavorings and monosodium glutamate.
• Environment.  Some people buy organic food for environmental reasons.  Organic farming practices are designed to benefit the environment by reducing pollution and conserving water and soil quality.
• Taste.  Some people say they can taste the difference between organic and nonorganic foods.

Organic does not mean local!  Yes, organic farming is certainly better for the environment than conventional farming, but what about carbon footprint?  To truly be environmentally conscious, we most focus on "local".  What I have found is that there are some amazing options available to buy both local and organic at the same time.  You many just have to do a bit of research to find local farmers' markets and co-ops, but they are definitely out there.  I have included some links below to some great farmers markets and co-ops in the Houston area as well as a site that can help you find some in your area.

If you can't affort to always buy organic, do spend the extra money when it comes to what the Environmental Working Group (EWG) calls the "dirty dozen":  peaches, strawberries, nectarines, apples, spinach, celery, pears, sweet bell peppers, cherries, potatoes, lettuce and imported grapes.  These fragile fruits and vegetables often require more pesticides to fight off bugs compared to hardier produce, such as asparagus and broccoli.  Download a list of produce ranked by pesticide contamination at foodnews.org, an EWG website.

Articles
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/organic-food/NU00255
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/22/weekinreview/22bittman.html
http://www.redbookmag.com/recipes-home/truth-about-organic-foods

Houston-area Farmers' Markets and Co-ops
http://www.centralcityco-op.com/
http://www.visithoustontexas.com/visitors/farmers-markets/
http://www.localharvest.org/

WHAT'S FOR DINNER TONIGHT?
Tonight we are having one my favorites, Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas.  This is such a quick and easy meal and it can be made ahead for the week or even made ahead and frozen for later.  Although it tastes great no matter what, it is the very best when you make it with fresh roasted chicken and tortillas fresh from the store.  We are having a huge pile of fresh veggies (baby carrots, cucumbers and yellow grape tomatoes) and ranch dressing for dipping.  Please note that I have included how to make this recipe kid-friendly, because made the original way it definitely has a slight kick.

Green Chile Enchiladas

Servings:  4

2                            Large Cooked chicken breasts cubed (roasted chicken or leftover grilled chicken are my favorites)

8                            Whole wheat or corn tortillas

1 can                    Hatch green chile enchilada sauce

12 oz                    Lite Sour Cream

1 ½ cups               Grated cheddar or Mexican blend cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9X13” baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.  Wisk together enchilada sauce and sour cream in a medium-sized bowl.  Pour about ½ cups of sour cream enchilada sauce into bottom of 9X13” pan.  Inside each tortilla, place a scant ¼ cup of chicken, a tablespoon of sauce and a tablespoon of grated cheese.  Roll each tortilla and place seam down on top of the sauce in the pan.  After all tortillas are filled and rolled, pour remaining sauce over the top of the enchiladas spreading evenly.  Make sure that the edges of the enchiladas are covered in sauce so they don’t get hard in the oven.  Top the entire pan with remaining grated cheese.  If chicken was warm, place in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted.  If chicken is cold, cover with foil and head for 30 to 35 minutes, removing foil for last 5 to 10 minutes to melt cheese.  This recipe can also be made ahead and refrigerated for a few days or frozen for up to six months.  Let enchiladas thaw in refrigerator prior to heating.

Plus Kid Version

Servings:  4 children

1             Add’l chicken breast

6 oz        Lite sour cream

½ cup     Grated cheese

4             Whole wheat or corn tortillas

Save about ¼ cup of the sauce from recipe above and add about 6 oz of sour cream to sauce.  In a separate small pan, pour ¼ cup of sauce into bottom of pan.  Fill and roll tortillas the same as above.  Top enchiladas with remaining sauce and grated cheese.  If chicken was warm, place in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted.  If chicken is cold, cover with foil and head for 30 to 35 minutes, removing foil for last 5 to 10 minutes to melt cheese.


CHEERS!

All-Star Snacks

Snacks.  A very important part of a healthy lifestyle and down right critical if you have children.  We all know that it is a good idea to have a couple of healthy snacks during the day, but we get busy and it is so easy to forget.  Amazingly, my children never seem to forget...  With all of the options out there, it is important to give a critical eye to what you are choosing for yourself and for your children.  I am continually astounded at the amount of sugar that is hidden in snacks.  Have you ever taken a look at how many grams of sugar are in those so called "fruit" gummies or those chocolate goldfish?  What about that "super healthly" yogurt with all those fun characters and delicous looking pieces of fruit on it?  Did you know that 4 grams of sugar is the equivalent of eating a teaspoon of sugar?  And what is the serving size?  Do you really just eat one serving at a snack?  The truth is that there are some fantastic and delicious options out there to keep us all happy, whether you are 1, 4, 6, or 66 years old.  In fact, I was just reading Parents Magazine today and there was an article that talked about 2011 Parents 25 best snacks.  Unfortunately they did not have a link to the article online, but I wanted to give you some of the top picks, and specifically the ones that I thought had potential as great choices.  Many of them I have not seen or tried, but I certainly plan to over the next month or so.  If you have the chance to try any of them or already use some of them, please give your thoughts.  They split it into categories of "Grainy Goodness", Fruits & Veggies", "Dairy Smarts" and "Meat, Nuts & Beans".  There were two extra categories that I especially liked including "Classic Choices" and "Mom Munchies".  Here are the products and comments:

Grainy Goodness

• Late July Organic Dude Ranch Multigrain Snack Chips (120 cal, 5 g fat for 13) - Made in nut-free facilities and contain whole grains like quinoa and amaranth.  They pack Omega-3 fatty acids and fiber.
• Cascadian Farm Organic Oatmeal Raisin Kid-sized Bars (70 cal, 2 g fat each) - Small fiber-rich bars are ideal no-mess snack.
• Tate's Bake Shop Whole Wheat Dark Chocolate Cookies (80 cal, 4 g fat each) - Every kid and parent in the test group raved about these treats made with whole-grain flour and dark chocolate chips.  At 2 in., the cookie's size is just right.
• Thomas 100% Whole Wheat Bagel Thins (110 cal, 1 g fat each) - About 1/2 as thick as grocery store bagels, they're the perfect portion for kids and conveniently presliced.  5 grams each.

Fruits and Veggies

• Dole Ready-Cut Fruit Strawberries, Peaches and Bananas (70 cal, 0 g per 1/2 cup) - Stash this flavorful medley in your freezer for when you unexpectedly run out of fresh fruit.  Tasters loved it whipped into frothy smoothie or stirred in to low-fat yogurt.
• Funky Monkey Applemon (40 cal, 0 g fat per pack) - Although the mini bags of freeze-dried fruit are not sweetened, kids treated them like candy. 
• Tang's Natural Vegetable Whole Wheat Dumplings (110 cal, 3 g for 3) - Kids didn't even notice that these were made from whole-wheat dough or stuffed with cabbage, scallions, and carrots.
• GoGo Squeez Applesauce (50 cal, 0 g fat each) - Open, squeeze, and slurp - that's how kids polished off these portable applesauce packets.  Of the five flavors, they preferred the two that are not sweetened with juice or sugar - Apple Apple and Apple Cinnamon.
• Alexia Waffle Cut Sweet Potato Fries with Seasoned Salt (115 cal, 7 g fat per 1/2 cup) - French fries as a snack?  You betcha if they're made from vitamin A-rich spuds.  Kids raved about the checkerboard shampe, while moms liked the slightly spicy kick.

Dairy Smarts

• Frigo Cheese Heads Fit and Fun Lovers Natural Cheese (60-70 cal, 3-5 g fat each) - Let your child choose which high-calcium, reduced-fat string cheese she wans from this pack:  the white mozzarella or the speckled Colby Jack.
• Kozy Shack Cowrageous! Pudding (100 cal, 1 g fat each) - Thanks to low-fat milk and a smidge of sugar, this kid version is 40 calories lighter than some packaged puddings.  All three flavors (chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry) are fortified with vitamin A and D and pack 3 grams of fiber.

Meats, Nuts, and Beans

• Jif Natural Peanut Butter Spread (80 cal, 8 g fat for 1 Tbs.) - If you kid thinks its gross when natural PB separates, try this trans-fat free spread.  It contains a small amount of palm oil, so you never need to stir.
• Earth's Best Kidz Baked Popcorn Chicken (120 cal, 3 g fat for 8) - THe coating is whole grain, the chicken breast is antibiotic-free, and "they're fun to pop in your mouth", according to one 8-yr-old snacker.  Tasty from the oven or microwave.
• Bear Naked Peak Energy Trail Mix Cranberry Almond (70 cal, 4 g fat for 4 Tbs.) - Besides the berries, it's packed with raisins, walnuts, oats, almonds, and seeds.  One-quarter cup provides 4-to-8-year-olds with 20 percent of the iron they need for the day.
• Tribe Origins Hummus Tomato and Veggie (70 cal, 6 g fat for 2 Tbs.) - We accidentally had this flavor - packed with dried tomatoes and carrots - sent to our preschool tasters rather than the plain version.  But much to our surprise, they loved dipping pretzels in it.

Classic Choices

• Smuckers Simply Fruit - It is sweetened with fruit juice, not sugar, and has fewer calories than typical jam.
• Muir Glen Organic Mild Salsa - Doesn't have any added sugar and tastes delicious.
• Triscuits Reduced Fat - They taste amazing and have only three ingredients:  Whole-grain wheat, oil and salt.

Mom Munchies

• Terra Thai Basil Curry Exotic Vegetable Chips (90 cal, 8 g fat for 15) - flavorful but not overpowering, these curry-seasoned sweet potatoes, Japanese squash, and taro chips count as a serving of veggies.
• YoGreek Yogurt + Crunch (140 cal, 1 g fat each) - For a snack with substance, try this yogurt and granola combo.  It has 11 grams of protein (about twice as much as regular yogurt) and whole grains that will help fill you up.
• Seaport Edemame Soybeans in Pods (90 cal, 3 g fat each) - Microwave these single-serve packets for three minutes, and you have a hot snack loaded with protein, iron and zinc.
• Wholly Guacamole 100-calorie Snack Packs (100 cal, 8 g fat each) - Creamy, delicious guac comes in a single-serve squeeze packet for freshness and portion control.  Go for the original or spicy flavor.
• 34 Degree Whole Grain Crispbread (65 cal, 0 g fat for 8) - This low-calorie, diet-friendly choice with a slight cheesy flavor "totally rocks," says one mom.

As I said, there are very few of these that I have actually tried, so my jury is still out.  But I am certainly looking forward to reading some labels and doing some taste-testing of my own.  It is not always possible, but I like to try to eat snacks that include some protein and fiber (to make you feel full and last for a while) and obviously as many nutrients as possible, while minimizing the sugar.  If you stay focused on combining some great whole foods, you can make this happen easily.

• Hummus with carrots, celery, bell pepper strips, pretzel crisps or pita chips made with whole grains
• Whole grain mini bagels or bagel-thins with a smear of peanut butter and apple slices
• Lightly salted edemame (out of the pod) - I love the steam-in-bag HEB brand
• Plain low-fat yogurt or greek yogurt with fresh berries
• Veggies such as carrots, celery, button mushrooms and bell pepper strips dipped in chunky mild salsa
• Dehydrated apple chips (easy to make yourself in an inexpensive dehydrator)
• Low-fat mozzarella string-cheese and yellow cherry tomatoes
• Oven-roasted sweet potato chips (slice sweet potato thin, brush olive oil on both sides and roast until crisp)
• Low-fat cottage cheese and fresh or frozen and thawed sliced peaches
• Whole Grain Cheese Goldfish
• Single-serve boxes of raisins
• Kashi TLC Soft-baked cereal bars (little sugar than I like, but great on the go)
• Unsweetened Apple Sauce
• Fresh pear or apple and some chunks of flavorful cheese (the good stuff, not those sandwich slices)

CHEERS!

Moving to Whole Foods

In the days of our grandparents, the term "Whole Foods" was not a topic of conversation, because everything they ate fell into that category.  Through the miracles of technology, dual-income households, the growth of organized activities for children, and a million other things that have not necessarily been changes for the worse, we have found ourselves trying to figure out how we get back to a "Whole Food" diet.  The mission of my blog is to help you get healthly food on the table fast.  While there are definitely some processed foods that are an important part of getting there, I try to use as much Whole food as possible.  This gives us all the best shot at looking and feeling great and living the healthiest and longest life possible.  Transitioning to a more whole foods diet may seem daunting, so here are some tips to make it easier:

1. Eat more high fiber plant foods at every meal including vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds.
2. When dining out at ethnic restaurants, try some of their vegetarian dishes.
3. When you eat meat, choose grass fed, hormone-free so you get the maximum nutrients possible.
4. When you cook proteins, avoid frying, which adds calories, and overcooking, which diminishes their nutrient value.
5. Eating regularly provides your body with a consistent intake of nutrients and avoids the stress associated with skipping meals and then overeating.
6. Fill your pantry with healthy food choices that are ready to eat and go.
7. Never leave the house without food.  Remember, eating healthy foods on a regular basis will help you avoid unhealthy choices.  Make up your own trail mix to keep in the glove compartment, or an apple is always a great easy to pack and carry choice.
8. Most importantly, do not be too rigid and move gradually, because this is a change you are making for the rest of your life.  You will have to not only adjust your way of thinking but also your palate.

Whole Foods at the Market
When choosing food to buy, you need to be diligent, have a healthly dose of skepticism and resist old patterns of relying on convenience foods.  It takes more thought than just staying at the perimeter of the food aisles.  Here are some guidelines to get you down the aisles:

1. Read labels.  No, not the front label because that one is all about marketing and can be very deceiving.  Go to the ingredient list and make sure it lists ingredients that you recognize and can actually pronounce.
2. Think complex carbohydrates.  The main dish approach centering on a large piece of protein is OUT!  Balance the meat with whole grains, beans and fresh vegetables.  Portion size:
3. Protein the size of your palm
4. Carbs the size of 1/2 of your palm
5. Vegetables 1/3 to 1/2 of your plate
6. Buy organic and local as much as possible.  Organic foods have more nutrients, less chemicals, are better for the environment and most importantly they taste better.  Ditto for local, except for maybe the chemicals unless you can get local and organic.
7. Buy foods in season.  Seasonal foods are healthier because it is what your body needs at that particular time of the year, more abundant and less expensive.  I will come back to the topic of seasonal eating and our bodies in a different post, but trust me for now.
8. Eat a rainbow of colors.  Instead of worrying about getting the right vitamins and minerals, eating a colorful diet will ensure your best exposure to a wide variety of nutrients.

It is still January, the month of resolutions and goal setting, so I hope you will join me in setting a goal of more whole and less processed foods.

CHEERS!


WHAT'S FOR DINNER TONIGHT?
Roasted Spaghetti Squash and Meat Sauce
Serves 4-6

1 large Spaghetti squash

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 lb Lean ground beef, lamb or turkey sausage

1 medium onion
1 T chopped garlic
1 14 1/2 oz  can diced tomatoes (the fire-roasted version adds nice flavor)
1 jar of good quality marinara sauce (watch sugar content and ingredients)
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped Fresh herbs such as basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary (optional)
Parmesan Cheese

Cut squash in half, remove seeds and pulp, and brush with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast in a 425 degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until tender.  Let cool briefly before running a fork end to end to create spaghetti strands.

For the sauce, brown the meat and onion in a saute pan over medium high heat.  Drain any fat from pan after browning.  Over medium heat, add garlic and saute only briefly until you begin to smell the garlic.  Add the diced tomatoes and marinara sauce and stir to combine.  Simmer sauce for about 15 minutes and taste.  Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.  Add fresh herbs, if using, just before serving.  Top spaghetti squash and meat sauce with parmesan cheese.

Good from the start - Getting your baby on the right track

Happy Monday!
I hope you have the day off to spend with your friends and/or family.  In my previous posts I have talked in detail about how to create healthly family friendly meals, how to get your kids to gobble down those peas when they are waiting for dinner, and how to get it all done in as little time possible.  Well, what I will tell you today is that if you get your babies started on the right foot, everything else will be so much easier, when it comes to healthy eating at least.

BABY FOOD
If you browse the baby food aisle today, you will be in awe of all the beautiful packaging and amazing variety of "super healthy", organic, blah, blah, blah foods for little ones.  What you may also be amazed at is the unbelievable price of some of those foods.  What I am shocked at is how many things they can add to this "super healthly" baby food and snacks to make it in my mind not so healthy anymore, i.e. salt, sugar, juice, etc.  I definitely did buy some baby food when my kids were young, but I purchased as little as possible.  I know, you have that look on your face of "seriously, you think I have time to take care of my child(ren), get a million other required things done AND make baby food?"  Well, trust me when I say that it is so quick and simple to make delicious and healthy food for babies and toddlers and you will save tons of money and feel like a super hero at the same time.  I think the biggest myth around baby food is that the companies that make them have some special step in place to make them extra safe for your precious child.  I promise you that there is no extra steps required to make food safe for babies, as long as you follow the guidance you would follow for your own food.  Keep prepared food refrigerated, don't store in the refrigerator for more than 4 to 6 days, and  never leave food between 40 degrees and 140 degrees for more than 4 hours.  I will give you the exact process a little later, but let's talk about first foods and the progression through foods first.

READY FOR SOLIDS
Generally around 4 to 6 months your child will begin the very fun process of learning to eat solid foods.  Your doctor may advise something different, but that seems to be the most common time.  I was always so excited and started my kids immediately when they were 4 months old.  What really entertains me, is that I have heard some say they don't want to start until even later than 6 months, yet my mother/mother-in-law's generation started giving their babies solid food around 3 weeks.  Amazing how things change.  It is definitely best to start with Rice cereal, as it is very bland, you don't have to worry about allergies and it is a non-staining color (everyone will be wearing some when this is over).  Start with a very small amount (no more than a tablespoon) and add some breast milk or formula until it is thin, but not soupy.  You may want to start with a little less liquid and thin as you go.  Believe me when I say that the first few times that you try this, you will get very little to actually go into and stay in your precious angels mouth.  **IMPORTANT:  Don't forget your camera and video camera, because this will be an entertaining few minutes.  I say a few minutes, because it is very likely that your child will be interested in this for only a short period of time.  You will definitely know when it is time to close up shop.  If your child gets upset when you start this process, they are probably too hungry to be a willing participant.  Try giving them a little breast milk or formula so they are not starving and then try again.  If it all goes down hill quickly, no worries you have many more opportunities.  This is suppose to be a fun and exciting time for everyone, so don't get frustrated if it is not perfect.

After you have achieved rice cereal one time a day and are moving to two times a day (probably about two weeks to a month), the fun really begins.  Imagine if you had spent your whole life (all four months at least) drinking breast milk or formula and then you make the big move to something sort of solid that still tastes like breast milk or formula.  There are so many new flavors and textures to explore and every single bite will be an adventure.  There are many options for first foods after rice cereal, but pureed sweet potatoes or mashed up avocados were my favorites.  My advice would be to start with vegetables first and eventually start adding some fruits.  Smashed bananas are a great addition to cereal if you want to change that up a bit and apple and pear purees are delicious desserts.  There are so many great vegetables to try, so every week or two add in a new one.  It is a really good idea to try only one new item at a time and give it 3 to 5 days just to be sure that your child does not have an allergy.  My family was blessed with no food allergies, but I know many that did and do experience allergic reactions, and it is just better to be safe.  There are of course some foods that you will want to stay away from either because of allergies or because they are very strong flavors that may not go over well with very young babies.  As you may know, babies have millions more taste buds than adults do, so they have a highly sensitive sense of taste.  This is important to note because you will not need to add any extra flavor to these foods because they are already extremely flavor-filled for your tot.  Veggies that may be very strong include broccoli, asparagus (also stringy), and tomatoes.  You can find the list of highly allergic foods anywhere, but the ones that were top of my list were peanut butter, honey, and strawberries.  That is certainly not the whole list, but the main ones that I remember.

EASY AS 1,2, 3, EAT...
Buy any fresh or frozen vegetable and cook in the quickest way possible to retain as many vitamins and minerals as possible.  I like to make as big of a batch as my food processor will hold and that will last for no longer than a few months in the freezer.

COOK
Cook vegetables like carrots, peas, green beans, lima beans, edemame, cauliflower in a microwave safe dish like corningware with a tight fitting non-plastic lid (don't microwave in plastic, because the toxins leach into the food) with a tiny bit of water or none if you are using frozen veggies.  Cook them until they are very tender but still brightly colored (not so long that your green veggies turn that unappetizing army green color).  The smaller the size, the quicker they will cook. 
If you are making sweet potatoes or any kind of squash, they are great roasted in the oven.  For sweet potatoes, cover your pan with foil and place the washed sweet potatoes on the foil unwrapped and roast in a 350 degree oven for about an hour and a half or until very tender.  For squash, cut them in half and place flesh down on a lightly oiled pan and roast in a 350 degree oven until very tender.  Let them cool to touch before removing the flesh from the skin and processing.  To organic or not to organic?  This is a completely personal choice and one that does not effect the process of making baby food at all.  However, I would encourage you if you do not use all organic fruits and vegetables, to us organic carrots or any other vegetable that grows under the ground.  The non-organic version of these vegetables tend to have a high concentration of nitrates in them from the fertilizer in the soil.  Generally speaking, I tend to buy organic when it is grown under the ground or contains high contents of fat like whole milk and beef.  The highest concentrations of chemicals are stored in the fat.

PUREE
Once the veggies are tender, put them into the bowl of a food processor and add a little water to make them smooth.  I puree to a thicker consistency than my child is currently eating for two reasons.  First, you can always add liquid when you are serving (too runny is tough problem to fix), and two, it is important to continue to increase the consistency of the food as your child grows.  You, of course, do not want your child to choke on food that is too thick or chunky, but if you do not continue to push more and more texture, you will end up with a child that does not like anything that is not completely smooth.

STORE
Put puree into ice cube trays and freeze.  I prefer the trays from Bed, Bath and Beyond that have a lid and rubber on the bottom of the tray that make it easier to remove the frozen puree cubes.  Once the puree is frozen, remove from tray, place in large freezer bag and into the freezer.  The quality of the cubes will be great for about 3 to 4 months in the freezer.

EAT
When you are ready to serve the puree, remove as many cubes as you will need and either warm them in the microwave in a non-plastic container or in a double boiler if you prefer not to use the microwave.  Add liquid as needed to achieve the right consistency for your child.  You can serve a variety of purees at a meal or only one.  I do think it is great to serve each one individually at the beginning, of course to check for allergies, but also so your child knows what each item tastes like.  This is a fantastic opportunity even at this early age to talk with your child about each item they are eating, what it tastes like, what color it is, etc.  Food, eating and the kitchen in general is one of the best places to teach early language because there are so many different items to name and talk about.

GETTING OLDER
As your child gets older you can continue to use this same process (either pureeing less or just cutting into small chunks) and storing in small portions in the freezer.  The 3oz plastic solo cups are a great size for freezing portions of small chunks of any vegetable, rice, pasta or meat.  Again, do not microwave the food in the solo cups, but simply remove the frozen food from the cup and microwave in a non-plastic microwave safe dish.  If you are cooking chicken breast or salmon or other meat for your family, it is very easy to make a few portions without seasoning at the same time, cut into pieces and freeze.  This stage of life goes so quickly and before you know it your child will be eating regular table food with you.  I would encourage you to start giving your child the opportunity to pick up finger foods as soon as possible.  Learning to feed themselves is obviously great for their brain development but also makes your life easier.  Introducing and reintroducing (even if it was not a hit on the first or the 20th try) a variety of foods from the beginning will be a key to having a toddler and older child that enjoys almost any food.

I realize that this is a lot of information to take in at one time, but I wanted to share it all at once just in case your child is about to be or currently is at this stage of development.  If you have any questions regarding specific vegetables, fruits, meats, etc., encounter any problems or if you have a child that is having difficulty with texture and want help in getting past it, please comment or email me directly.  This is a subject that I could talk about for days and have taught quite a few classes on, so please don't hesitate to contact me.

CHEERS!

Chop, Fry, Boil...

This is a great article featured in the NY Times by Mark Bittman about cooking...

"Revolutionary" diet books flood the market this time of year, promising a life changed permanently and for the better -- yes, in just 10 to 30 days! -- but, as everyone knows, the key to eating better begins with a diet of real food.

The problem is, real food is cooked by real people -- you! -- and real people are cooking less than ever before.

We know why people don't cook, or at least we think we do: they're busy; they find "convenience" and restaurant foods more accessible than foods they cook themselves; they (incorrectly) believe that ready-to-eat foods are less expensive than those they cook themselves; they live in so-called food deserts and lack access to real food; and they were never taught to cook by their parents, making the trend self-perpetuating.

Yet Americans watch 35 hours of television a week, according to a Nielsen survey. (Increasing amounts of that time are spent watching other people cook). And although there certainly are urban and rural pockets where people have little access to fresh food, about 90 percent of American households own cars, and anyone who can drive to McDonald's can drive to a supermarket.

But perhaps most important, a cooking repertoire of three basic recipes can get anyone into the kitchen and beyond the realm of takeout food, microwaved popcorn and bologna sandwiches in a few days.

One could set off a heated argument with a question like, "What are the three best basic recipes?" but I stand behind these: a stir-fry, a chopped salad, and the basic combination of rice and lentils, all of which are easy enough to learn in one lesson. ("Lessons" might be called "recipes," and need no "teacher" beyond the written word.) Each can be varied in countless ways. Each is produced from basic building blocks that contain no additives, preservatives, trans fats, artificial flavorings or ingredients of any kind, or outrageous calorie counts; they are, in other words, made from actual food. The salad requires no cooking; the stir-fry is lightning fast; the rice-and-lentils, though cooked more slowly, require minimal attention. The same can be said for other recipes, of course, but not for all of them, and certainly not for the food that most Americans rely upon most of the time.

These recipes offer other benefits: They're nutritionally sound and environmentally friendly. They've sustained scores of generations of societies worldwide, using traditional farming methods and producing little negative impact on the earth. (Almost without exception, your ancestors relied on something like one or more of these dishes.) All of them can be made with meat, poultry or fish, but they can be satisfying and delicious when made vegetarian or even vegan. In fact, if you cooked only variations on these three dishes you'd be well on your way to becoming an intuitive, fluid cook (the fanciest pilaf is essentially a rice-and-bean variation), eating more healthfully and with a lighter carbon footprint.

There is one notable thing these recipes are not: magic. You cannot produce them without having a functioning kitchen (a sink, a refrigerator and a stove will do it); some minimal equipment, including a pot, a skillet and a bowl (though in a pinch, the salad could be made in the pot); a couple of knives; some utensils; a strainer and a cutting board; and the ability (and money) to stock a pantry and at least occasionally supplement it with fresh food.

These requirements cannot be met by everyone, but they can be met by far more people than those who cooked dinner last night.

(It's worth noting, furthermore, that the stir-fry and the rice-and-lentils can be made entirely from the pantry, if you allow for the fact that frozen vegetables are a completely acceptable substitute for fresh, especially in winter, when "fresh" may mean "flown in from Peru.") This pantry list can be as simple as oil, vinegar, grains, legumes and a few other things, but as people learn to cook it inevitably grows.

Given ingredients, a kitchen and equipment, all that is left is some time, and with a well-stocked pantry that time can be about the same as driving to Burger King and back. You can make a chopped salad in 15 or 20 minutes, practicing knife skills and producing a vegetable-heavy dish quickly and easily. Anyone who can boil water can whip up a batch of rice and lentils in just over half an hour, providing fiber, protein and one of humankind's classic comfort foods. And anyone who's learned how to chop (primitively is fine), apply heat to a pan and stir can produce a stir-fry -- really the epitome of a traditional dish based mostly on plants with just enough meat or other protein-dense food to contribute additional interest, flavor and nutrition -- in less than half an hour.

Make these three things and you're a cook. And with luck and perseverance, these foods will crowd out things like (to single out one egregious example from hundreds of its competitors) KFC's Chicken Pot Pie, which costs about $5 (so much for the myth of cheap fast food; a terrific meal for four can be put together for $10); contains nearly 700 calories, more than half of which come from fat; and has well over 50 ingredients -- most of which cannot be purchased by normal consumers anywhere -- including things like "chicken pot pie flavor" and MSG.

By becoming a cook, you can leave processed foods behind, creating more healthful, less expensive and better-tasting food that requires less energy, water and land per calorie and reduces our carbon footprint. Not a bad result for us -- or the planet.

Does this article hit home with you?  Do you find yourself coming home from work:  you are tired, you are hungry, you want something fast?  The temptation is to stop off for some fast food.  There is a better way.  Try the recipes below, and then try them again in different variations.  This is real food real fast for real people!

Cheers!

Lentils and Rice With or Without Pork
Time: About 45 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
4 ounces bacon or sausage, chopped, optional
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups lentils, rinsed and picked over
1 cup long-grain brown rice
3 or 4 bay leaves
Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish, optional

1. Put the oil in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat. When it’s hot, add onion, celery, carrot and meat, if using. Cook until vegetables begin to become tender and meat begins to brown in places, 5 to 10 minutes. Add garlic and some salt and pepper and cook for another minute or two.
2. Add lentils, rice, bay leaves and 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then lower heat so liquid bubbles gently, and cover.
3. After 30 minutes, if rice and lentils are tender and liquid is absorbed, the dish is ready. If lentils and rice are not tender, add enough liquid to keep bottom of pot moist, cover and cook for a few more minutes. If rice and lentils are soft and there is much liquid remaining (which is unlikely), raise heat a bit and cook, uncovered, stirring once or twice, until it evaporates. Discard bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, fluff with a fork and serve, garnished with parsley.

Notes:

Use any grain instead of brown rice; you can even substitute white rice. (Cooking time for white rice is half or less that for brown, so add later.)
Similarly, use any bean: cook longer as needed and keep an eye on the water to make sure the beans stay submerged in about 1 inch of water during cooking; wait to add the rice until the beans are tender.

Stock will add flavor, but don’t waste money on the canned stuff; use water instead. (The dish will taste like lentils and rice.) For more flavor, add onion, carrot, or other vegetables and an herb like thyme.

For the dish called Moors and Christians, substitute a red bell pepper for the celery and carrot, black beans for the lentils, and 1 cup chopped tomato for some of the liquid; let the beans cook until half done before adding the rice.

For smoky red beans and rice, add 1 tablespoon tomato paste and 2 teaspoons pimentón to the vegetables. Use red beans instead of lentils and cook until they’re half done before adding the rice (which should be short-grain). Simmer for another 15 minutes, then bake uncovered at 450 degrees Fahrenheit until the beans and rice are tender.

For mujaddara, skip the meat; cook two sliced onions in a couple tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat until they’re dark brown but not burned, and serve on top of the rice and lentils.
For lentil and rice soup — or any bean and rice soup — use more water, or stock if you have it.


Broccoli Stir-Fry With Chicken and Mushrooms
Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

2 tablespoons good-quality vegetable oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
4 scallions, chopped
1 pound broccoli, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces, the stems no more than 1/4-inch thick
8 ounces button mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and sliced
8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch chunks or thin slices tossed with a little cornstarch (to thicken the sauce)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Put a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add half the oil, swirl it around, and immediately add half the garlic and ginger. Cook for 15 seconds, stirring, then add the broccoli, mushrooms and all but a sprinkling of the scallions. Raise heat to high, and cook, stirring, until mushrooms release their water and broccoli is bright green and beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Add 1 cup water. Stir and cook until almost all liquid evaporates and broccoli is almost tender, another minute or two more, then transfer everything to a plate.
3. Turn heat to medium, add remaining oil, then remaining garlic and ginger. Stir, then add chicken and turn heat to high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken has lost its pink color, three to five minutes.
4. Turn heat to medium. Return broccoli, mushrooms and juices to the pan, and stir. Add soy sauce, sprinkle with some pepper; add a little more water if mixture is dry. Raise heat to high and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced slightly and you’ve scraped up all the bits of chicken. Taste and adjust seasoning, garnish with remaining scallion and serve.

Notes:

Stir-fries work with virtually any combination of vegetables; protein-dense food (meat, poultry, fish, tofu, etc.) is optional. Use pork (like shoulder), shrimp, beef (like sirloin), or tofu instead of chicken; slice the meat thinly or the tofu into cubes.

Use cabbage, cauliflower, asparagus, green beans, snow peas, carrots or spinach in place of either the broccoli or the mushrooms or both. Or use other mushrooms.

Use fish sauce instead of soy sauce and finish with a squeeze of lime to give it a Southeast Asian flavor.

Use olive oil, skip the ginger, use onion instead of scallion, and substitute 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary or thyme to give it a Mediterranean flavor profile.

Use coconut milk instead of water and 1 tablespoon curry powder instead of soy sauce to give it an Indian flavor profile.


Crunchy Cabbage Salad
Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

2 tablespoons or more white or red wine vinegar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic, or more to taste
Salt and black pepper
2 celery stalks (preferably from the heart), chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 small red onion, minced
3 or 4 radishes, chopped
1 red or yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1 small cabbage, cored and shredded

1. Combine vinegar, oil, garlic, a large pinch of salt and a smaller one of pepper in a salad bowl. Beat with a fork until combined.
2. Add the vegetables, sprinkle lightly with more salt and pepper, and toss. Taste and adjust seasoning, and serve immediately.

Notes:
Use lettuce or other greens instead of cabbage.

Add 1/2 cup chopped nuts.

Add 1/2 cup chopped dried fruit or a cup or so of fresh fruit.

Add a couple teaspoons of mustard, chopped fresh herbs, tomato paste, minced fresh chilies, yogurt, soy sauce, one or two anchovies, or some spice (like curry powder or fennel seeds) to the dressing.

Add leftover cooked beans, grains, meat or fish.

Crumble feta or other cheese into the salad.

Use any other cooked or raw vegetables you like: carrots, snow peas, edemame, avocado, tomatoes, cucumber, fennel, beets, corn, potatoes, green beans, asparagus or broccoli. 

WHAT'S FOR DINNER TONIGHT?
We are having a variation of the stir-fry recipe above, subsituting strips of steak for the chicken breast and tossing in some orange bell peppers to give it a nice punch of color.  I have a little more time today, so I will make a big batch of brown rice, serving the stir-fry over some tonight and then freezing the rest for use later. 


Tip:
To freeze the rice, just place the preferred amount on a piece of plastic wrap and wrap tightly into a rice ball.  Place in freezer bag and into the freezer.  When you are ready to use it later, let  the rice ball thaw on counter briefly until plastic wrap releases easily without getting stuck in the creases of the rice.  It is great to add to soups, under stir-fries or other dishes like gumbo, slow cooker chicken recipes, etc.

Slow Cooker = Fast Dinner

Happy Hump Day!
You have made it more than halfway through the week - way to go.  Everyone's life is pretty fast and furious, but I am sure that you have those days when even a meal in 20 or 30 minutes is not fast enough.  While a slow cooker is a great option any time, it is especially fantastic when you need dinner ready when you walk in the door.  I love the fact that you can put almost any combination of meat, vegetables, sauce and rice in the pot, set the timer and 3 to 10 hours later your house smells amazing and dinner is ready.  Wednesday night is one of those nights for us.  Yes, there are days when we pick up a pizza on the way home, but I promise you that the slow cooker can actually be just as fast.  The key to all of this goodness is a slow cooker with a timer or at the very least getting one of those inexpensive timers for your outlet from Target or Walmart.  I am as low maintenence as it comes with slow cookers, so I generally go for the recipes where you toss it all in the pot and turn it on.  In fact, I use frozen chicken breasts as well because that is the easiest way for me to buy and keep chicken on hand and I don't want to spend time defrosting.  I will share slow cooker recipes with you periodically, but as a general rule you use 4 to 6 servings of meat, often times onions and mushrooms because they hold up to long cooking, something for sauce like canned soup, tomato sauce or broth and seasonings such as garlic, oregano, basil, bay leaf ginger, soy sauce, etc.  Soups and chilis are also great in the slow cooker and it is very difficult to overcook them, so even better on those days when you are going to be away for 10 or 12 hours.  I hope you will try some different variations of the ingredients above and let me know how it goes.

WHAT'S FOR DINNER TONIGHT?
We don't walk in the door on Wednesdays until about 7:30pm and everyone is STARVING and very tired, so I tried a new slow cooker variation tonight and it was a great success.  I hope you will give it a whirl.

Applesauce Chicken
Servings:  4
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (I prefer to use frozen chicken but fresh works great too)
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
2 cups applesauce, unsweetened
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 t poultry seasoning
2 t honey

Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in the bottom of the slow cooker.  Combine remaining ingredients.  Pour over chicken.  Cover.  Cook on high about 3 to 4 hours, or until chicken is tender.  Place chicken on plate and spoon some sauce over the top.  You could also dice chicken combine with sauce and serve over rice or noodles.
To make a complete meal, I served the chicken with Uncle Ben's Ready Whole Grain Medley Brown and Wild rice pouch (ready in 90 seconds) and green beans that I roasted on the oven setting in the toaster oven with a little olive oil and salt and pepper for about 12 minutes.  I used the toaster oven because it gets hot almost immediately and I did not have time for the oven to pre-heat for 15 minutes.  If you don't have fresh green beans, pull enough beans out of the freezer in the morning and let them thaw in the fridge during the day.  And there you have it, a low-fat and flavorful protein, whole grains and delicious veggies on the plate in less than 15 minutes after you walked in the door.  Have I mentioned how much I love the slow cooker???

It is down hill to Friday - CHEERS!

Who has time to make everything from SCRATCH?

Happy Monday!
I know you are saying "Ugh, what in the world am I going to feed my family for the next five nights?"  Hopefully today's post will make that part of your week a little brighter...  Last week I mentioned moderation, well here it is again - everything in every meal does not have to be made from scratch.  I am the queen of combining a couple of fresh items with a pre-made item to make a delicious, FAST and healthly dinner.  For example, one of my families favorite meals is a roasted pesto salmon filet, roasted broccoli and a whole wheat/sweet potatoe gnocchi, it sounds fancy doesn't it.  Well, it can be prepared in about 20 minutes, because of pre-made pesto and pre-made gnocchi.  It is a dinner-party worthy meal on a Monday night, who doesn't want that.  You laugh and say, Salmon and broccoli are two words that I would not even mention to my children.  Well, if you stick to your guns and let your kids know that this is what is for dinner, they will eventually dive in.  Will and Grayson neither one fell in love with Salmon or broccoli at first bite, but with continued introduction and a requirement that they try everything, they are now believers.  That being said, I wanted to share some of my favorite healthy pre-made favorites that will make your life easier...

• Gia Russa Whole Wheat Gnocchi with Sweet Potatoes (whole wheat and sweet potatoes - amazing)
• Newman's Own Cabernet Marinara Sauce (great flavor and low in sugar)
• Classico Mushroom Alfredo Sauce (fantastic flavor and only 5 g fat per serving)
• HEB Basil Pesto (good flavor and will last in the fridge for quite a while)
• Idahoan Mashed Potatoes - Baby Reds, Southwest or Roasted Garlic flavors (little high in sodium, but great texture and flavor)
• Uncle Ben's Ready Whole Grain Medley pouch - Santa Fe (has brown rice, quinoa and tons of flavor and it is ready in 90 seconds)
• Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Whole Grain (So happy that they are moving to whole grain, and what adult or child would not be happy to see this on the menu.  My kids will eat a whole bag of peas, broccoli or edemame when it is combined with Mac and Cheese.)
• HATCH Green Chile Enchilada Sauce
• HEB Select Edemame Shelled Soybeans
• Pesto Prima Lobster Ravioli from Sam's Club
• Alexa Sweet Potato Julienne Fries

Since it is Monday and everyone is especially happy to receive a life-simplifying tip on Monday, here you go...  Click on the link below and it will take you to a excel spreadsheet grocery list.  Once you see this, you will either feel certain that I have gone way over the edge or you will think I am a genious.  I have been using this for a couple of years now, and it makes my weekly grocery run so much easier.  I would spend a good thirty minutes each time looking through my pantry, fridge and freezer trying to figure out what we were out of and what I would need for any special meals in the coming week.  Now I keep this list on the fridge and check things off as we run out, and then I just quickly run through it before a shopping trip to make sure I did not forget anything.  There is also plenty of white space for the items that I don't normally buy.  Now, I have organized mine by the layout of my grocery store, so I don't end up getting to the last aisle and remembering that I forgot something in the produce section.  Since it is an excel spreadsheet, you can organize, add and delete to make this work for you.

https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AjTtyAtR-MHIdEtoSmZtSnhYQ0RCVlc2eDIta3BEWXc&hl=en&authkey=CNq0wOsL

Finally, WHAT'S FOR DINNER?
Well, we are having a special guest over tonight, so I am doing something that sounds a little fancy but really only takes maybe 30 minutes to prepare.  That special guest is this amazing 97 year old man that lives down the street.  He is the oldest living West Point graduate in Houston and probably in Texas and does not act like he is a day over 75.  So, we will be enjoying some fantastic stories of him working with General Patton and many other famous military personnel over Peppercorn beef tenderloin, mashed sweet potatoes and roasted vegetable medley.  I hope Mr. McDowell and your family enjoy it.

Peppercorn Beef Tenderloin
Serves 4

@ 2 lb Petite Beef Tenderloin, trimmed
1 T Coursely ground black peppercorns
1 T Garlic, chopped
1 T Kosher salt
1 t Onion Powder
3 T Olive oil, divided

To marinate, combine black peppercorns, garlic, salt, onion powder and 2 T olive oil in zip-lock bag.  Place tenderloin in bag and remove as much air as possible.  Let marinate for 2 hours up to 24 hours.

Heat oven to 425 degrees
Using cooking twine, tie the tenderloin in three places across to make a tight cylinder shape.  Heat an oven-proof saute pan on high, add olive oil and then place tenderloin in pan to brown.  Brown tenderloin on all sides before placing in oven to roast.  Tenderloin is ready at approximately 145 degrees internal temperature.  You can check the internal temperature by placing a meat thermometer in the center of the thickest part of the tenderloin.  The temperature will continue to rise by 5 to 10 degrees after you remove it from the oven, so you may want to remove it from oven at 135 or 140 degrees.  Remove tenderloin from oven, cover losely with foil and let meat rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Slicing
The grain runs along the length of the beef filet.  Always slice meat across the grain, not with the grain.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Serves 4

2-3 Large Sweet Potatoes, washed
Kosher Salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4 to 1/2 t  Cinnamon
Chicken or vegetable broth, as needed

Either roast sweet potatoes in 350 degree oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or  wrap loosely in kitchen towl and microwave in high for about 8 - 12 minutes or until very tender.  Do not wrap towl tight around potatoes or it will catch on fire in your microwave oven.  Remove potato flesh from skin, place in medium bowl and mash thoroughly.  Add salt, pepper and cinnamon and mix.  If potatoes are too stiff, add chicken or vegetable broth until desired consistency.

Roasted Vegetable Medley
Serves 4

4 Cups Frozen Normandy Blend mixed broccoli, carrots and cauliflower
1 T Olive Oil
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Heat oven to 400 degrees (425 is fine since that is what you cook beef at)
Place vegetables on sheet pan.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper.  Toss a little with your hands or tongs.  Place in oven and roast for about 15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender but still brightly colored.

CHEERS!

Moderation, Moderation, Moderation...

As I mentioned above, I live by the philosophy of all things in MODERATION.  When I think about moderation and feeding my family, I think of pizza and carrot sticks or macaroni and cheese with a side of broccoli.  I do not think that there is any food that is off limits.  In fact I don't think it is the end of the world if you don't eat one single healthy meal in a whole day.  But what I do believe is that if you are going to eat pizza, add some spinach or red peppers or serve veggies and dip on the side. If you are going to have two glasses of wine, then have three or four glasses of water.

Where I find this most helpful is in restaurants where it seems that the menu for kids is always the same, "Chicken fingers, pasta with sauce, burger, mac and cheese, quesadilla and all of it with fries".  To balance against the fried, super carb, extra cheesy kids menu, I either order a side of veggies or I bring my own.  The easiest thing you can do is pack a small container of green peas or mixed vegetables to take with you to the restaurant.  It also gives you something to give your kids as soon as you sit down, instead of the saltine crackers that have zero nutritional value and always seem to fill them up before dinner arrives.  I know, you think I am absolutely crazy, but my children gobble them up like candy.  I buy those very large bags of frozen peas and frozen mixed vegetables from Sam's and just pull out as much as I need at a time and pop it into the microwave for about one minute.  Just try it, you may be surprised.  If you are not surprised and your kids look at you like you have three heads, keep trying it.  If they see that those snacks are the option and they are not going away, they will change their minds.  Other healthy items that you could use in the same way are drained and rinsed black beans, baby carrots, sweet red pepper strips or cucumber spears.  Fruit is not a horrible option either, but if you want to get to the point where blueberries are dessert, you might not want to serve them before the meal.  But we can talk about that more later.

So now the big question of the day - WHAT'S FOR DINNER?
Tonight we are having leftovers, but darn good leftovers none the less.  I made this recipe on Monday night and purposefully made enough to eat it one more time in the week.  Pasta is always a big hit in my house and I hope this is a hit in your house as well.  It has some great veggies with the pasta sauce and spinach, but you could up the nutrition by serving it with a fresh salad.  My kids really gobble the salad when I add some mandarin orange segments or dried cranberries.  Bon Apetit!

BAKED ZITI
Serves: 6 adults or my family 2 meals

1 pound dry WHOLE WHEAT ziti or penne pasta
1 T olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped (you can buy frozen chopped onions too if you hate chopping or need to save time)
3/4 t kosher salt
1/4 t black pepper
1 pound ground beef (I prefer the 4% fat version or you could use ground turkey breast or even italian turkey sausage or leave the meat out if you prefer)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped (don't hesitate to buy the jar of chopped garlic and keep in your fridge, it is a big time saver)
1/2 cup chopped fresh oregano or 1 1/2 T dried oregano
1 24 to 26-ounce jar of pasta sauce (read labels for sugar content, some of them really add a lot of sugar)
1 15-ounce container of part-skim ricotta cheese
1 10 - to 16-ounce box/bag of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove excess moisture
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Cook the pasta according to the package directions.  Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the onion, salt and pepper and cook 5 minutes.  Add the beef and cook, crumbling it with a spoon, until no trace of pink remains, about 7 minutes.  Spoon off and discard any excess fat (if you use 4% fat meat, you probably won't have any fat to remove).  Add garlic and oregano and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the pasta sauce and cook for 3 minutes.  Remove from the heat.  Add the drained pasta to the pot and toss.  Add the ricotta, spinach, and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan and toss again.  Spread the mixture in a 9 X 13" baking dish.  Sprinkle with mozzarella and the remaining Parmesan.  Bake until the mozzarella melts, about 15 minutes.

To make ahead for the week...
Assemble, but don not bake the casserole.  Cover with aluminum foil and store in the refrigerator for no more than five days.  Keep covered and heat in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes to an hour.  Uncover and heat until the mozzarella melts, about 10 more minutes.

To freeze...
Assemble, but do not bake the casserole.  Cover tightly with two layers of aluminum foil and store for up to 6 months.  To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator or thaw partially in the microwave.  Cover and heat in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour.  Uncover and heat until the mozzarella melts, about 10 more minutes.

Tip...
If you love to make casseroles ahead but hate the way it takes your dish hostage, try this...  Before placing food in the dish, line it with several layers of foil.  After freezing, lift the foil and food from the dish and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap.  When you are ready to thaw the food, remove the plastic wrap and foil and return the icy block to its dish