Community Garden

Tomatoes!

   
     This community garden is really great because it uses land along a fence that would otherwise not be used to grows fresh, healthy food for lots of people to enjoy! If you are interested in a community garden for next summer check on bulletin boards at your local town hall, in your local newspaper or on your city's website for information! It is a great way to improve the quality of your diet, get some exercise and meet your neighbors!

Cheers,
Brittney

Dietitian Approved!!

Have a good Labor Day Weekend!

Cheers,
Brittney

Recipe: Roasted Veggie Sandwich!

     Tonight for dinner I tried a delicious recipe from the Meatless Monday website: Zucchini Eggplant Sandwich (find the recipe here: http://www.meatlessmonday.com/zucchini-eggplant-sandwich/) I created a slight variation using squash, as well as zucchini and eggplant. I did not add the tomatoes and bell peppers. Half the fun of cooking is being creative in the kitchen! I had squash from my CSA box this week but I didn't have any bell peppers, and I used all my tomatoes in a roasted tomato recipe (recipe here: http://inspiredrd.com/2011/08/slow-roasted-roma-tomatoes.html), so I doctored it up to fit with what I had available!

     First I chopped up the veggies and heated some olive oil in a skillet. Then I sauteed the veggies until they were nice and tender.

     I used some french bread that I made using my bread maker earlier in the week and drizzled it with balsamic vinegar and added some shredded Parmesan cheese. I added some basil to the top and the veggies and voila! Delish!

     This is a great way to get your veggie servings for the day. Add a side of fruit and a dark chocolate square for dessert and you've got yourself a pretty nice little dinner!

Enjoy!

Cheers,
Brittney

Fresh Produce!

My fresh produce for the week is all washed up and ready to use!

Cheers,
Brittney

My Weekend Spent Preserving!

     One great way to make sure the food you are eating is fresh and free of artificial additives is by doing your own preserving! This weekend I made strawberry freezer jam and learned to make pickles and sauerkraut!

     I recently got a bread maker and have been making my own bread which I eat as a part of my breakfast. I wanted to have some homemade jam to put on my whole wheat bread. I made freezer jam, which doesn't involve using a water bath. It is really easy to do! The process of making the jam takes about an hour and then it sits for 24 hours.

     I started with fresh, organic strawberries, sugar, water, and Sure-Jell pectin. Unfortunately the season for the U-Pick farms in my area was in June, so I missed it. I bought my strawberries from the grocery store. I used the low-sugar version of the Sure-Jell, it has less sugar but still tastes just as good! Make sure you follow the recipe exactly when preserving!

The Ingredients!

     I washed up the strawberries and cut the stems off. Then I mashed them in a bowl with a potato masher, until I got 4 cups of mashed berries. Once those were all ready I set them aside. I mixed 3 cups of sugar, 1 cup of water, and the packet of Sure-Jell in a kettle. I brought it to a boil, stirring constantly, held it a boil for 1 minute then took it off the heat. I stirred for 1 more minute, then added the mashed strawberries and mixed thoroughly. Then I poured the mixture into 8oz jars, I ended up needing 12 jars. You can use whatever size you want! Last, I put the lids on the jars and let them sit for 24 hours! That's it; super easy!

Finished Product!

     I put one jar in the fridge so I can start using it right away and the rest in the freezer to use when needed, and to share with friends! This is going to go great on my home made bread tomorrow morning! Keep in mind that with freezer jam you don't need to use the water bath and seal the jars. You can even use plastic containers if you want to! I like the glass jars because they look so cute! This is the exact recipe my grandma always used!

Yum!

     In addition to making jam, I also attended a class on pickling through my Community Supported Agriculture (CSA - http://nutritionall-rd.blogspot.com/2011/08/community-supported-agriculture-csa.html) farmer! We made refrigerator pickles and sauerkraut, which were both just as easy as making the jam! Here's a pic of my pickles. They will be ready to go in 4 weeks!

Pickles!

     Overall, doing your own preserving is a really great way to make sure you and your family are eating pure and natural foods without added preservatives, flavorings, oils, coloring, sugar, and other additives. It also helps you and your kids learn about how food is made and the history of making food!

Enjoy!

Cheers,
Brittney

Recipes for Meatless Monday (or any day!)

      Wondering what to eat for Meatless Monday? Here area a couple of great recipes! I made enough to take for lunch all week!

Lime Cilantro Quinoa Salad
     From www.5dollardinners.com

Ingredients:
Salad:
3 cups cooked quinoa (1 cup dry)
3/4 cup dried fruit (I used golden raisins and cranberries)
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1 bell pepper of any color, chopped

Dressing:
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (it's used as an emulsifier - to keep the oil and vinegar from separating)
2 garlic cloves, minced (I used a garlic press)
Pinch of salt

Directions:
1. Prepare quinoa using package directions.
2. Mix all salad ingredients together in a large bowl
3. In a seperate, smaller bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients
4. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix thoroughly
5. Can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge!

Greek Salad
     Adapted from "Skinny Bitch" by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin

Ingredients:
Salad:
3 tomatoes, diced
1-2 cucumbers, peeled and diced
1 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
Optional: tofu cubes or feta cheese

Dressing:
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 garlic cloves, minced (I used a garlic press)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients, except the olive oil. Once mixed, slowly whisk in the olive oil. Set aside
2. In a large bowl, combine the salad ingredients, except the tofu or feta cheese.
3. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix thoroughly.
4. Add tofu or feta right before serving.
5. Can serve as a dish of itself or over salad greens.

Lunch!

   
     This, along with fruit and a dark chocolate square, is going to be my lunch all week! Its a great option for Meatless Monday, and if you don't use feta cheese it makes a vegan meal! This is a great way to meet your daily recommendations for grains and vegetables! Enjoy!

Cheers,
Brittney

Dietitian Approved: More Fresh Veggies!

     Participating in a CSA is one of the best things you can do to support your health and you local economy. As the summer goes on the loot from my CSA keeps getting better and better! Check out this pic of some of the fresh veggies I got this week!

Dietitian Approved

     Keeping with the spirit of eating locally and healthfully, give these super easy recipes a try sometime! 

Caesar Salad

Caesar Salad:

I used arugula today since it was fresh picked from my local community!

Fresh Parmesan cheese, shredded or shaved

Homemade croutons (Mix any of the following: garlic powder, Ms. Dash, oregano, or pepper  with some olive oil and toss with cubed, stale bread. Bake in the oven at 300F for about 15 minutes or until crisp)

Red or white onion, chopped

Hard boiled egg, chopped

Caesar dressing

Caprese Salad

Caprese Salad:

Fresh tomatoes from the garden, chopped

Fresh basil from the CSA, ripped in half

Fresh mozzarella from the grocery store, cut into bite sized pieces

Sprinkle with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar

If you like it spicy, sprinkle some red pepper flakes!

      It is recommended that adult women consume 2 to 2 1/2 cups of vegetables per day. Men should consume 2 1/2 to 3 cups. For younger kids the number is 1 to 2 cups. Another way of looking at it is to make 1/2 your plate fruits and vegetables at each meal. Most of us are probably falling short on this goal. One way to increase your vegetable (and other healthy food) consumption is to turn the tables on the way you might usually approach making healthy changes. Instead of thinking "Man, I really have to cut out [insert your guilty pleasure food here]", think of it as ADDING servings of fruits and vegetables each day. If you try to meet your vegetable servings goal you will be filling yourself up on vegetables and have less room/time for those unhealthy foods. You can have just a bite or two to get the satisfaction, but you will be replacing the unhealthy foods for the healthy ones! Think of it as adding instead of taking away! 

    What exactly counts as a cup? Here are some examples so you can judge what you are eating without getting out the measuring cups every time. 

Examples of 1 cup:

• 2 medium carrots
• 1 large tomato
• 3 broccoli spears
• 1 large ear of corn
• 8 large strawberries
• 1 small apple
• 1 mango
• 32 seedless grapes
• 1 medium pear

Here's some examples of  1/2 cup:

• 10 string beans
• 1 medium orange
• 6 asparagus spears
• 8 baby carrots
• 6 canned peach slices

     Other ways to increase fruit and veggie intake: add a fruit to your breakfast, bring a fruit or vegetable to snack on during your evening commute, make sure you always have at least 1 fruit and 1 vegetable at lunch, try fruit for dessert! Don't forget about dried fruit!

     So, try some of these suggestions in the upcoming days to increase your vegetable consumption and cut down on your intake of less healthy foods!

For more information for fruit and vegetable intake recommendations, check out: http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/

Cheers,

Brittney

Recipe: Veggie Stir Fry

     Happy Meatless Monday everyone! Here is a great dinner idea for a Monday or any other day you want to go meatless! I find that the greater variety of veggies you add, the less you will feel like you are missing meat. And if you absolutely cannot go without it, try adding a meat substitute such as tempeh, tofu, or veggie sausage. (More on meat substitutes in the future!)

Recipe:     

     Start with the rice! When using long grain brown rice, not instant rice, it will take the longest to cook, so its best to put the rice on first and then do the veggie prep. Long grain brown rice has more protein, iron, thiamin, and niacin than brown instant rice. It has more fiber than white instant rice.

    Follow the directions on the back of the package of rice. I made enough for dinner and to take leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Since I wanted to make two servings, I used 1/2 cup dry rice and 1 cup water; stirred it up in a small kettle, and let it simmer while I was chopping and stir frying the veggies. The rice fluffs up with cooking so 1/2 dry turns into over a cup when cooked!

     For the stir fry itself, I usually use whatever type of veggies I have around. This week I got quite a variety in my CSA and I used some I bought at the grocery store too. 

     Today for the stir fry I used: 

• broccoli 
• mushrooms 
• garlic 
• sweet potato
• orange bell pepper
• carrots 
• green bell pepper
• purple basil
• lime for garnish!

Raw ingredients

     I heated some canola oil in a frying pan and once it was nice and hot I added all the ingredients except the garlic, basil and lime. I like to use canola oil because it has a higher percentage of mono-unsaturated fats, which can help improve cholesterol levels! But don't take this as an invitation to go crazy, only use as much as necessary! As it was stir frying, I added some red pepper flakes (spicy!) and a Thai seasoning blend that I bought from Whole Foods. Once the veggies were nice and tender, I added the basil and garlic. Before I took the veggies off the heat I added the stir fry sauce and stirred it to coat everything. You don't need a lot of sauce, a little goes a long way! Last, I squeezed a little bit of fresh lime over the top.

Stir fryin'

     By the time the veggies were all done, the rice was ready too! Right away I put half of the food in a container for my lunch tomorrow. That way I wasn't tempted to eat more than I should! The rest I served up on my plate and enjoyed, guilt free!

Dinner is served!

     Yum! This is just one of the many ways to enjoyed a meat free meal! Veggies have lots of fiber so the bulk helps you feel full. Eating slowly, enjoying each bite, and listening to your body's fullness cues help make sure you are not stuffing yourself. Nobody wants to feel full and bloated hours after eating a meal! 

Enjoy!

For more information on mono-unsaturated fats please visit: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fat/NU00262

Cheers, 

Brittney

Recipe: Savory Summer Peach and Avocado Salad!

     In celebration of National Peach Month, I would love to share this recipe that I just discovered. It was sent out in the Vegetarian Resource Group's last emailing. It is amazing, I made it twice in one week! So fresh and healthy, and the flavors work wonderfully together!

2 cups diced, fresh, ripe, pitted peaches (not peeled)
2 cups diced, fresh, ripe, pitted, peeled apricots (I didn't peel them!)
2 Tablespoons minced, fresh chilies (I used jalapeno)
1/2 cup diced, peeled, ripe avocado (I used more avocado!)
1/4 cup diced fresh red bell pepper
1 Tablespoon minced red onion
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tablespoons peach nectar or orange juice (I didn't add this)
I did add some salt and pepper, to taste

In a non-reactive bowl, combine ingredients. Allow salad to chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Serves 10

Nutritional Information (without my changes)
Total Calories per serving: 45
Total fat as % of Daily Value: 2%
Protein: 1 gram
Fat: 1 gram
Carbohydrates: 8 grams
Calcium: 8 milligrams
Iron: 0 milligrams
Sodium: 1 milligram
Dietary Fiber: 2 grams

     I hope you enjoy this! I absolutely love it! I ate it as a side with tacos and took it to a cookout. It would also make a great addition to a lunch!

For more information on the Vegetarian Resource Group please visit: http://www.vrg.org/

Cheers,
Brittney

Garden Fresh Veggies!

Almost time to pick the tomatoes!

My garden plot in a community garden!

     Garden fresh veggies make great snacks, and gardening can be a good workout. This is my first year gardening so I started small. I have two rows of lettuce, 4 bell pepper plants, and 4 tomato plants. Even if you don't have a yard where you live you can still have a garden, by renting a plot in a community garden! While its late in the season this year, you can keep it in mind for next spring. I found out about this community garden by reading my town's weekly newspaper. You can also search online or contact your city hall or chamber of commerce!