Recipe: Thai Pizza with Peanut Sauce!

      Keeping in the spirit of Asian inspired dishes, as well as finding a use for the leftover ingredients from my egg rolls, I created this delicous Thai Pizza with peanut sauce!

      I used my breadmaker to make a whole wheat pizza crust. You could use a store bought crust too if you don't feel like making one! If you plan to make one using your breadmaker there should be a recipe for a pizza crust in the manual/recipe guide.

      I placed the pizza dough on a hot pizza stone and then spread the peanut sauce on the dough.

Peanut Sauce Recipe
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 table spoon rice wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, finely chopped (I use a garlic press)
1 tablespoon ginger, shredded
1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice
splash of water, enough to make the sauce smooth and spreadable
optional: red pepper flakes

    The peanut sauce can be used for stir fry too!

     Then I chopped up all the toppings. You can mix and match what type of toppings you want to include on your pizza. I used:

red cabbage

green onions

carrots

bean sprouts

herbs: cilantro, mint, basil

mozarella cheese

     I spread the toppings on top of the sauce and baked in the oven at 415 degrees F for about 10-15 minutes, until the cheese was bubbly and the crust was browned. You can see that I used fresh mozarella. I had it left over from another dish but you can use shredded cheese too!

     I hope you enjoy this pizza!

Cheers,

Brittney

Baked Veggie Egg Rolls!

     Last night for dinner I made some delicious veggie egg rolls. I had actually originally intended to make spring rolls but could not find the wrappers anywhere! So I decided to make egg rolls instead, and ended up being very happy with them!

Baked Veggie Egg Roll Recipe

Ingredients:
olive oil
1/2 head of red cabbage, sliced
1/2 cup of carrots, julienne
1/2 cup of bean sprouts
4 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup of mint leaves, cilantro, and Thai basil, finely chopped
1 package egg rolls wrappers (usually found near the tofu in grocery stores)
dash of salt and pepper
dipping sauces (I used sweet and sour, soy sauce, and hot mustard)

Directions:
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a skillet. Saute cabbage, carrots, bean sprouts, green onions, and herbs until just tender. Add a dash of salt and pepper to taste.

When the veggie mixture is done sauteing, let it cool. Then add a small amount of the mixture to the center of the egg roll wrapper and wrap according the directions on the back of the package (it's actually very easy!). Place the egg rolls on a cooking sheet. Once all the egg rolls are on the sheet, brush the tops lightly with olive oil.

Bake on the center rack for about 10 minutes, or until the egg rolls are beginning to turn golden brown. Enjoy with your selected dipping sauces!

    You can add whatever ingredients you want for the filling of these. It can be a fun activity with kids to have them fill their own egg rolls. Enjoy!

Cheers,
Brittney

Appetizer Alert!

      I don't know about you guys, but joining Pinterest ( http://pinterest.com/ ) has given me inspiration to try lots of new recipes! I made these little caprese bites for the Super Bowl party last weekend!

     Super delicious and, unlike most Super Bowl snacks, super healthy too! A pretty basic recipe, but find the original here http://www.framedcooks.com/2011/09/mini-caprese-bites.html.

    P.S. I loved that Super Bowl commercial for the Honda CR-V with Mathew Broderick! If you didn't see it (or want to see it again like me), watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhkDdayA4iA

Cheers, Brittney

Adventurous Eaters Club!

      Over the weekend I had the pleasure of enjoying a sushi dinner with some of my co-workers! Here are some of the rolls we ordered:

     My favorite was the green one on the left called the Mountain Dew Roll! Hope you all had a fabulous weekend!

Cheers,
Brittney

My Take on Coconut Water

      Food trend alert: Coconut Water! This liquid extracted from inside young coconuts has been making headlines lately. Celebs are drinking it, and marketers are claiming that it's an "all natural" sports drink.

      What's so great about the latest nutrition craze? One thing manufacturers are are pointing out is it's high level of potassium, around 650mg per box (coconut water usually comes in a 12-ish ounce juice box-like container). Compare that to a banana, which is a food that is usually noted for it's high level of potassium, at 422mg for a medium sized fruit. The average adult requires about 4700mg of potassium per day to maintain health.

     The comparison to a sports drink comes from coconut water's high level of potassium, as well as its sodium sodium content. For sodium, it has around 20mg per box. A typically sports drink like Gatorade has about 45mg potassium, and 165mg sodium. These electrolytes (potassium and sodium) are lost in sweat during exercise. However, because the average person does not work out as strenuously as a professional athlete, which Gatorade was designed for, water is ideal for re-hydrating the body after a workout! And of course, American's get sodium from other foods, and it is unlikely for the average person to take in too little!

      Of course, added sugars are something that have been gaining lot of attention lately. As for the sugar content of Coconut Water, this particular brand contained 11 grams per box. Not terrible compared to pop which has around 41 grams per 12 ounces or Gatorade with around 21 grams per 12 ounces. The particular brand of coconut water that I tried had about 60 calories per 12 ounces, which is less than Gatorade, at about 75 calories, but more than water at 0 calories!

      As for taste, I am not a big fan. It is kind of stale tasting and not very sweet. I can't really compare it to anything in particular but I definitely prefer plain water!

      All-in-all, I find that Coconut Water can be enjoyed occasionally, much like juice or pop. Water is best for re-hydrating after a workout, and doesn't contain added calories. You can meet your potassium requirement by eating fruits and vegetables such as potatoes and bananas. So, treat yourself to a Coconut Water on occasion if you so choose, but stick with your standard water for regular hydration and daily drinking!

Cheers,
Brittney

What's the Scoop with Iron?

       Iron is the most common nutrient deficiency in the world. Most of the iron we have in our bodies is recycled, but some is lost through the stool. What is lost must be replaced from the foods we eat to prevent iron deficiency.

     There are two types of iron found in our food supply. One is found in animal products such as meat, and the other is found mostly from plant sources. The type of iron found in animal sources is more easily absorbed  by our bodies then the iron from plant sources. For this reason, iron deficiency may be a concern for those people who do not eat meat. If you are a vegetarian you may want to discuss with your doctor or Registered Dietitian about having your iron level checked regularly.

     Our bodies' can detect how much iron is available in storage and will absorb more iron from the food we eat if our level is low. Our bodies can do a better job of absorbing the iron from plant food if we have vitamin C or animal protein in our digestive tract at the same time as the iron. Therefore, it is a good idea to consume a food with Vitamin C (see below) at the same time as a food with iron if you are trying to increase your iron level!

     Foods that provide iron include:

• liver
• seafood
• kidney and heart
• lean meat
• poultry
• beans
• spinach
• potato skins
• egg yolks
• whole grain and enriched breads, cereals, and rice
• dark molasses 

Foods that provide Vitamin C include:

• citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruit, lemons, limes)
• tomatoes and tomato juice
• potatoes
• Brussels sprouts
• cauliflower
• strawberries
• cabbage
• spinach

     Iron deficiency is most common in children and women of childbearing age. It can also occur when large amounts of blood are lost, such as with severe injury. Iron deficiency can lead to iron deficiency anemia. Symptoms include: decreased physical ability, impaired cognitive ability, delayed development in infants, and during pregnancy: increased risk of premature delivery, low birth weight babies, and infant mortality. If you believe that you or your child may be iron deficient, schedule and appointment with your doctor to have your iron level checked.

     The Recommended Daily Allowances for Iron are as follows:

Birth to 13 years: 7-11mg/day

14 to 18 years: Males: 11mg/day; Females: 15mg/day

19 to 50 years: Males: 8/mg/day; Females: 18mg/day

50+: 8mg/day

Pregnancy: 27mg/day

Lactation: 9-10mg/day

     Now you've got the scoop on iron!

Cheers,
Brittney

Grilled Cheese with Fig Spread and Sweet Potato Fries!

     One of my favorite dinners when I don't have much time, or don't feel like making a big production! Grilled cheese on sourdough bread with fig spread (Obviously a favorite, as I've blogged about it before!). This is adapted from a seasonal promotion that Cosi (http://www.getcosi.com/) ran in 2010.

     Fresh sweet potato fries are super easy. Chop a washed sweet potato into strips. I spritz the sticks with olive oil from and oil sprayer then sprinkle them with whatever spices I'm in the mood for. Usually a little bit of garlic salt or seasoning salt. Bake them in the oven at 425 degrees F for about 8 minutes on each side. Voila!

     Have some fresh fruit for dessert and you're all set! Enjoy!

Cheers,
Brittney