February Is Heart Health Month

This past weekend, I hosted a health talk and shared a few recipes at Lucky's Market.

I thought I'd share the recipes here.  I could go on and on about why these food are heart healthy, but let's see how sharp you are.  In the comments, reply with any tidbit about what you know about heart healthy foods!

Salmon Burgers With Blueberry Chipotle Salsa

 

Ingredients – Blueberry Chipotle Salsa

·         1 chipotle in adobo sauce

·         2 tablespoons of lime juice

·         3-4 tablespoons of sugar

·         ½ teaspoon salt

·         ¼ small onion

·         1 pint of blueberries

 

Instructions – Blueberry Chipotle Salsa

1.     Puree chipotle, lime juice, sugar, and salt in food processor.

2.     Add onion and blueberries and pulse in food processor until desired consistency.

 

Ingredients – Salmon Burgers

·         4-5 slices of dense bread

·         2 eggs

·         3 cloves of garlic

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         3 tablespoons lime juice

·         black pepper

·         ½ small onion

·         3 tablespoons fresh oregano

·         3 tablespoons fresh rosemary

·         2 pounds of boneless, skinless fresh salmon

·         Sliced provolone cheese

·         Avocado slices

·         Hamburger buns

Instructions – Salmon Burgers

1.     Puree bread, eggs, garlic, salt, lime juice, and black pepper in food processor until smooth.

2.     Add onion, oregano, and rosemary and pulse in food processor, leaving some texture.

3.     Cut salmon into 2 inch cubes and add to food processor.  Pulse until combined.

4.     Form patties and put on non-stick pan.

5.     Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

6.     Serve on toasted buns, topped with provolone cheese, avocado, and blueberry salsa.

Three Sisters Salad

 

Ingredients

·         2 packages frozen cubes of butternut squash

·         1 can of black beans, rinsed

·         1 can of kidney beans, rinsed

·         1 package of frozen corn

·         ½ red onion, diced

·         2 teaspoons cumin

·         1 teaspoon coriander

·         1-2 tablespoons of fresh thyme

·         ¼ cup maple syrup

·         2 garlic cloves, minced

·         salt

 

Instructions

1.     Toss butternut squash cubes in olive oil, spread on a pan, and roast at 400° until browned and edges are crispy.

2.     Sauté onion, garlic, and thyme in olive oil on medium heat.

3.     Season with cumin, coriander, and salt.

4.     Stir in maple syrup, and add beans and corn.

5.     Gently fold in roasted butternut squash.

6.     Serve warm or chilled.

Dine & Learn: Fall Harvest

October brings crisp air, falling leaves, and some of my favorite foods. We’ll step it up a notch and go a little gourmet with a cornucopia of fall harvest vegetables and sustainably-raised pork. The menu will be based on local and organic ingredients, the cooking tips will make even the fanciest menu an ease to prepare, the flavors and colors will be deep and robust, and the meal will be interactively prepared and enjoyed!

Fall Harvest Menu

Field Greens Salad With Roasted Root Vegetables

Apple Cider Glazed Pork Tenderloin
Butternut Squash Risotto
Apple and Fennel Slaw

Carmel Apple Bread Pudding With Jeni’s Ice Cream


Tuesday, October 27, 2009
5:30pm
$25 per person
Class size limited to 8
RSVP (name, email, phone number) to livingwell@columbus.rr.com by Friday, October 23rd.

Recap: Living Well, Eating Well - Back To School!

The second Living Well Nutrition Education & Cooking Class was a great success! Thank you to those that participated!

This class was definitely more education, less cooking. Parents and their children were invited to talk, eat, sample, create, and learn! Nine eager participants helped me read labels, discussed healthy alternatives to processed foods, created balanced and nutritious lunches, and then chowed down! My friend and neighbor, Rita, came over to take a few pictures...

A few of the topics included:

• Limiting Processed Foods, Fats, and Sweets
• Eating The Rainbow
• Wholesome Lunch Choices
• Strategies For Success

We tried out a really exciting product called a Bento Box Set made by Laptop Lunches, and one winner, Arabella, has a stylish new back-to-school accessory!

I already have some other ideas specific to packing healthy lunches, and for more general nutrition topics as well. I would like to include more discussion of the food pyramid. If it is not new information, it is always good to review, and I have a lot of fun ideas for food pyramid activities for kids. If you would like to schedule a Nutrition Education course for Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, a school classroom, or a sports team, I can tailor the topics to suit your needs! Please contact me.

Back To School!

It’s the end of summer, and that means it is time to go back to school…

At most schools that means eating those sometimes loved (tater tots!), sometimes hated (canned green beans, anyone?) school lunches. But the lunch lady has disappeared, and what has replaced the hot meals cooked on-site has turned into copious amounts of processed food and junk food, pre-packaged and re-heated meals, beverages and snacks packed with high fructose corn syrup and preservatives, vending machines, and fast-food delivered to cafeterias. Even with the National School Lunch Program, meals offered at full-price, low cost, or free are required to include ⅓ of the Recommended Daily Allowance of vitamins and minerals, but they lack the fresh fruits and vegetables that are so important to childhood growth and development.

As a result of the low quality, non-nutritious food offered at many schools, childhood obesity has become an American epidemic, and health problems such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and sleep disorders are not far behind. You can find a well-written article and staggering statistics here:
http://www.sustainabletable.org/features/articles/backtoschool/

Make sure that your child has the healthiest food possible by packing their lunch for school. Turns out, packing a lunch is cheaper than a full-price school lunch too – especially when you figure in the expensive a la carte options that tend to be the unhealthiest choices anyway!

Living Well, Eating Well – Back To School!

The Nutrition Education and Cooking Class this month will feature kid-tested and parent-approved ideas for creative and healthy school lunches! Breakout of the PBJ rut and lose the fruit snacks – this class will completely change the way you think about school lunches!

Monday, August 17, 2009 (one week of summer left!)
7:00pm
$15 per adult, kids are free
$5 more will help a less fortunate parent and their child attend the event
Class size limited to 12 adult participants and unlimited kids – we need a tasting panel!
RSVP (name, email, phone number) to livingwell@columbus.rr.com by Friday, August 14th

More "Back To School" features to come - I'll be helping my friend Amy with a Back To School brunch that should be off the hook!