Need just a quick dusting of sugar on a cobbler, crisp, pie, cookies, pound cake, or fresh fruit? A bulb-shaped fine-mesh tea strainer is perfect for the job. Open the strainer, add powdered sugar, and dust away!
More about Baking, Desserts, Holidays, Kitchen Tips, Sugar
We’re advised by health experts to choose red wine for its potential cardioprotective benefits provided by the antioxidant resveratrol. With the holidays fast approaching, here are my suggestions for three delicious California reds for under $14 (you’ll get an even better deal if you can find them on sale).
Dancing Bull Merlot 2006: Flavors of dark cherry, plum, blackberry, with hits of vanilla. The label describes it as: “The perfect paring for pizza.” So, I followed their advice. It worked with pizza (we ordered a vegetarian pizza from our local pizza place, Vace). I would also suggest serving it with your turkey for Thanksgiving.
Beringer Founder’s Estate B Pinot Noir 2007: Black cherry, plum, and hints of toasted oak and spice. “Delicious with wild salmon and creamy risotto.” I paired it with grilled wild salmon, spinach-basil linguini, and baby romaine lettuce with feta cheese and roasted walnuts. Yes…it was indeed a lovely match!
Fetzer Vineyards Shiraz 2005: Described as “deep purple color with aromas of white pepper, plum, blackberry and licorice…It’s a wine well worth exploring.” I paired it with marinated grilled buffalo flank steak from Whole Foods (less cholesterol and fat than beef and tons of flavor), salsa verde, baked potatoes, asparagus, and a peach-blueberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream for dessert. Yum! (Note: I used the steak marinade, salsa verde, and cobbler recipes from my book, Eating for Pregnancy: The Essential Nutrition Guide and Cookbook for Today’s Mothers-to-Be.)
More about Heart Health, Red Wine, Resveratrol
More about Antioxidants, Fiber, Folic Acid, Healthy Life, Oils, Omega-3s, Resveratrol, Vegetable Proteins, whole grains
If you have the time to get crunchy, here’s a recipe for delicious granola from my book, Eating for Pregnancy: The Essential Nutrition Guide and Cookbook for Today’s Mothers-to-Be. Treat this surprisingly easy recipe is a blueprint: change it according to the availability of ingredients in your area and new items as you discover them. I just made a batch using maple syrup with candied pineapple bits and dried cherries. Some other common healthy additions include sunflower seeds, unsweetened coconut flakes, unsalted sesame seeds, shelled pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, or wheat germ. Freeze-dried fruits, such as raspberries and blueberries, add a burst of color and vitamins too.
Granola will keep in a zip-lock bag or air-tight container for weeks. It’s great as a topping on anything, including yogurt, cottage cheese, ice cream, applesauce, or oatmeal. This recipe can be easily doubled using two baking sheets.
Homemade Fruit-Filled Granola
Makes about 5 cups granola
Canola oil or canola oil spray for greasing the baking sheets
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup honey, molasses, or maple syrup or a mixture of any of the three
2 cups “old fashioned” rolled oats (not quick cooking oats) (see Substitutions below)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/3 cup dried cherries
1/3 cup chopped dried apricots
1/3 cup dried banana slices
1. Preheat oven to 250º F. Lightly grease a large baking sheet with sides; set aside.
2. Combine the honey and oil in a small saucepan and heat just until hot. (You can also use the microwave.) Place the rolled oats and sliced almonds in a bowl and mix. Add the honey-oil mixture to the bowl and mix until well combined.
3. Evenly distribute the granola mixture onto the baking sheet and bake for about 40 minutes, or until light golden. It will still be soft when it comes out of the oven, but it will harden as it cools. Do not overbake the granola or it will have a bitter burnt taste.
4. Allow the granola to cool completely, add the dried fruit, mix, then place in an airtight container or a zip-lock bag.
Cooking Tip: Measure the canola oil first, swirl it around the measuring cup to coat all sides, then measure the honey, which will easily slide out of the measuring cup.
Substitution: You can use 2 cups of barley, rye, or wheat flakes in place of the oats, or mix and match all 4 varieties.
Approximate Nutritional Information: Serving size: 1/2 cup fruit-filled granola: Calories: 357 kcals.; Protein: 7 g.; Carbohydrates: 55 g.; Fat: 14 g.; Fiber: 5 g.; Sodium: 2 mg.; Diabetic Exchange: Bread/starch 1, Fat 1, Fruit 1 (with decreased serving size of 1/4 cup)
My favorite way to serve large globe artichokes is steamed or boiled, cooled to room temperature, gently pried open to look like a blooming lotus flower, then drizzled with homemade vinaigrette that reaches right down to the heart. Or, I sometimes put the vinaigrette in a tiny dish and I dip the wider base of the leaves, one by one, into the sauce before scraping the nub of pulp with my teeth.
Watching others eat artichokes is almost as fun as eating them myself. I can tell the control freaks by how they neurotically stack their leaves in neat piles, all the same height, concentrically around the edges of their plate (I’m guilty, I admit). And then there are the slobs, whose leaves get scattered about like debris after a storm.
I always remind my children that reaching the inner sanctum of the artichoke is the fun part. We take time to marvel over nature’s amazing security system: endless overlapping layers of needle-tipped leaves protecting a soft, delicate heart. As one of my children aptly noted, “No animal could ever reach this part.” I walk them through the gentle process of pulling off the tender, light green, smaller leaves concealing the spiky choke. We cut the cone-shaped heart in half, then using our fingers, carefully pull off the hairs to expose the “bumpy part” of the heart, as they call it. We slice this, and dip it in the vinaigrette too.
Apart from being loads of fun to eat, artichokes are a powerhouse of antioxidants, vitamin C, magnesium, potassium and fiber. For more information visit http://www.oceanmist.com/health/vitamin.aspx
Vinaigrette for Artichokes
Makes about ½ cup (enough for 4 artichokes)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar (or your favorite)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Tiny pinch of sugar
1 tablespoon full-bodied olive oil
5 tablespoons canola oil
Mix the mustard, vinegar, salt, pepper, and sugar in a small bowl, then whisk in the olive oil and canola oil. Adjust the seasoning. Whisk again before serving.
More about Antioxidants, Artichokes, Recipes, Vinaigrette
Broiled Swordfish with Artichoke Heart-Green Olive Tapenade
This tapenade (a fancy name for a spread) doubles as a delicious dip with crackers. Use it and the Lemon-Oregano Marinade on any type of grilled fish, shellfish, or chicken.
Serves 4
Lemon-Oregano Marinade
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons minced shallots or 2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil or canola oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1-1/4 pounds swordfish steaks (about 1-1/4-inch thick)
Artichoke Heart-Green Olive Tapenade (makes about ¾ cup)
¾ cup canned artichoke hearts in brine (about 4 hearts) drained
10 pitted green olives (not with pimentos)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, or to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil
1 garlic clove
1 teaspoon ground coriander
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
¼ cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves
Canola oil cooking spray or canola oil, for greasing the baking sheet
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1. Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl, mix, then pour the marinade in to a shallow dish. Add the swordfish and marinate, refrigerated, for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours.
2. For the tapenade, combine all of the ingredients except the cilantro leaves in the bowl of a food processor and process until almost smooth. Add the cilantro and pulse a few times, until the cilantro leaves are chopped but not pureed. If the tapenade is too thick, add 1 tablespoon of water and pulse a couple more times. Adjust seasoning and transfer to a serving bowl. This sauce will be served at room temperature, so set it aside if serving within 1 hour; otherwise, refrigerate and bring it to room temperature before serving. (The tapenade can be made up to 2 days in advance and kept refrigerated.)
3. To broil the fish, preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with canola oil cooking spray or grease with canola oil. Place the fish on the foil and season with salt and pepper. Flip the fish and season the other side. Broil the fish for 4 minutes on one side, then flip and broil for 3 to 4 minutes more, or until the fish is cooked through. The cooking time will depend on the strength of the broiler and the thickness of the fish. (Note: When broiling anything, watch the oven carefully to avoid fires.)
4. Transfer the swordfish to a serving platter, and serve immediately with the tapenade on the side.
Cooking Tip: The swordfish steaks can be cooked on an outdoor grill for about 7 minutes total grilling time, on an indoor grill for about 5 minutes total grilling time. They can also be pan fried for about 3 minutes on each side.
Nutrition Highlights: Protein and B vitamins
Approximate Nutritional Information: Serving size: one-quarter broiled swordfish: Calories: 172 cals, 9%; Protein: 28 g, 56%; Total fat: 5.6 g, 9%; Saturated fat: 1.5 g, 8%; Cholesterol: 55 mg, 18%; Carbohydrates: 0 g, 0%; Fiber: 0 g, 0%; Sodium: 273 mg, 11%; Niacin: 14 mg, 69%; Vitamin B6: .4 mg, 23%; Vitamin B12: 2 mcg, 41%; Diabetic Vitamin K: 0 mcg, 0%; Diabetic Exchange: 4 Very Lean Meat, 1 Fat
Approximate Nutritional Information: Serving size: 2 tablespoons artichoke heart-green olive tapenade: Calories: 69 cals, 3%; Protein: 2 g, 3%; Total fat: 5.0 g, 8%; Saturated fat: .6 g, 3%; Cholesterol: 0 mg, 0%; Carbohydrates: 5 g, 2%; Fiber: .9 g, 4%; Sodium: 207 mg, 9%; Vitamin K: 24 mcg, 29%; Diabetic Exchange: 1 Fat
Source: Eating for Lower Cholesterol: A Balanced Approach to Heart Health with Recipes Everyone Will Love
More about Artichokes, Fish, Main Courses, Omega-3s, Recipes
Copyright 2009 - 2012 - Catherine C. G. Jones. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Disclaimer and Legal