February 2, 2012
 Super Bowl Sunday…football’s biggest day of the year. All over the world people will get together for football, outrageous ads and of course, fabulous food. I want my food to be bold and aggressive…full of flavor. How about you?
What do you have planned? Whether it’s a small party or a blockbuster, everyone looks forward to the food. But do you have to walk away feeling like a football? Absolutely not!
Bold, great tasting healthy food is not an oxymoron. I checked in with some of my colleagues for their Super Bowl recipes and tips. No need to punt when you can put out a spread the defensive line would be glad to plate up and at a cost that won’t be a budget buster.
Here’s our game day menu:
Classic Hummus
Tortilla Mexican Soup
Buffalo Chicken Bites
Dorine’s Super-fast Chili
Super Easy Super Cheesy Super Bowl Toast
Festive Fruit Bowl
Fruity Chocolate Clusters
Let’s get started. While you’re putting the finishing touches on your fabulous food spread, try dietitian Sharon Palmer’s recipe for Classic Hummus and serve it with whole wheat pita triangles, a big platter of veggies and a lighter version of chips. The hummus takes the hunger edge off. Remember you can make some of these items a day ahead.
Dr. Barb, known as the Nutrition Budgeteer, has a recipe for Tortilla Mexican Soup. It’s perfect to serve in a big coffee mug. If you’re in a hurry and don’t mind the additional expense, save time by purchasing a rotisserie chicken. Put this soup out along with the hummus and you have two filling appetizers your guests can start to enjoy.
Save about one pound of your rotisserie chicken to make these Buffalo Chicken Bites. Your guests can snack all thru the game on these easy-to-eat bites.
 Buffalo Chicken Bites
Source: These recipes were developed by the Unilever Chefs.
36 skewers
Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 8 minutes
2 Tbsp. Promise® Buttery Spread
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, lightly pounded 1/4-inch thick (about 2 breasts)
2 Tbsp. cayenne pepper sauce
12 ribs celery, sliced into 2-inch pieces (36 pieces)
36 cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup Wish-Bone® Fat Free! Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing
In 12-inch nonstick skillet, melt 1/2 tablespoon Promise® Buttery Spread over medium heat and cook chicken, turning once, 8 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked; cut into 3/4-inch pieces and keep warm.
In medium microwave-safe bowl, microwave remaining Spread with cayenne pepper sauce at HIGH 15 seconds or until melted; stir until blended. Add chicken; toss to coat.
On 36 wooden skewers, alternately thread celery, tomatoes and chicken. On serving platter, arrange skewers and serve with Dressing.
See nutrition information for sodium content.
Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories 90, Calories From Fat 20, Saturated Fat 0g, Trans Fat 0g, Total Fat 2g, Cholesterol 20mg, Sodium 240mg, Total Carbohydrate 7g, Sugars 2g, Dietary Fiber 2g, Protein 10g, Vitamin A 10%, Vitamin C 20%, Calcium 4%, Iron 4%
My go-to dish for Super Bowl Sunday is always a big pot of chili that stays on the stove at a lower simmer. My friend Dorine first made this chili. It was a hit and I begged for the recipe and found out that it’s super simple. I usually triple the recipe.
Dorine’s Chili
2 cans of reduced sodium tomato soup
2 cans of reduced sodium black beans
2 TBSP chili power
Optional: 1 pound ground turkey breast or beef or venison, chopped onions and bell peppers
First, sauté some chopped onions and green peppers in a Dutch oven or large pot (I use my pasta pot because I double or triple the recipe). Add a pound of ground turkey breast and brown (leave out if you’re vegetarian). Then add the soup, beans and chili powder. Stir and cook 10-15 minutes. Serve with grated cheese, green onions, reduced fat sour cream on top.
 Need a good gluten-free recipe? Dietitian EA Stewart shared a gluten-free recipe for Super Easy Super Cheesy Super Bowl Toast. With five simple ingredients including cheese, onions, olives, tomato paste and good bread, the result looks like a cheesy square of pizza…sure to be a big hit.
Be sure to offer a big bowl of cut up fruit or a fruit platter for snacking.
What are we missing? Of course…chocolate! Prepped in the microwave, have this recipe available for your friends will ask for it.
Fruity Chocolate Clusters
Makes: 40 clusters
Prep: 15 minutes
Microwave: 1 minute
Chill: 15 minutes
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
1 1/2 cups toasted slivered almonds
2 cups broken-up pretzel stick pieces
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper; set aside.
2. In a medium-size bowl, stir together cranberries, almonds and pretzel pieces.
3.Place chocolate in a medium-size microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute, stirring halfway through; microwave another 15 seconds if necessary and stir until smooth.
4. Stir cranberry mixture into chocolate until completely coated. Place1 heaping tablespoonful of chocolate mixture onto prepared baking sheet, shaping into a mound. Repeat with remaining mixture. Chill for 15 minutes before serving.
Per cluster 74 calories; 4 g fat (1 g sat.); 1 g protein; 9 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 40 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol
By Family Circle© 2007 Meredith Corporation. First published in Family Circle Magazine.
When your selecting your beverages, registered dietitian and endurance athlete Julie Upton on her website appforhealth.com says to ‘bench the high-cal beer and beverages’. Since beer is the fourth food group of Super Bowl Sunday, Julie suggests to choose super light options if you want to enjoy a few. You can find ultra-light beers as low as 55 calories and many light beers are around 100 calories a bottle. Save those calories for the chocolate!
For more helpful tips, I’m linking in my blog to this week’s blog by Dr. Joy Dubost, Director of Nutrition for the National Restaurant Association. I know your party is going to be great and I want to hear about it…ok?
Want more information? Listen to this week’s podcast below.
Listen to this week’s podcast
December 17, 2011
Is your holiday to-do list over…whelming? Would you like to entertain family and friends but don’t know where you’d find the time to plan and prepare? Do you feel sleep deprived and more likely to say bah-humbug than Merry Christmas? Well, help is here.
My guest on the podcast this week is Heather McPherson who is the Food Editor, restaurant reviewer and a multimedia journalist for the Orlando Sentinel. She oversees the weekly Cooking & Eating section, writes four weekly columns and provides daily content for orlandosentinel.com. She is a past president of the Association of Food Journalists and currently serves on the Board of Directors.
You can follow Heather on Twitter at @OS_TheDish
I asked Heather to give us the 911 on holiday entertaining made easy and healthy. Some of her helpful tips include:
1. When you’re uncertain of the guest count, build your buffet around an item that works well to repurpose such as a ham or turkey that can be used for sandwiches, soups, casseroles, etc.
2. Begin your buffet like the pros do with salads and rolls first (the less expensive items). Your guests will fill their plates with these selections. Then place the more expensive items such as shrimp or meat at the end of the buffet line.
3. If you serve cocktails, be sure to offer nonalcoholic versions along with other non alcoholic beverages as well so people don’t have to ask.
Heather shared two of her go-to recipes that are full of flavor but can be put together in a jiffy.
White Bean Dip
Yield: 8 appetizer servings.
14-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 sprigs fresh thyme leaves, stripped from stem
Coarse salt and black pepper
3 tablespoons chopped chives
Bruschetta or sturdy corn chips
1. Pulse all ingredients except chives in food processor until a smooth paste forms and transfer to a bowl.
2. Fold in chives. Serve on bruschetta and garnish with chopped chives.
Feta Avocado Spread
Yield: 3 1/2 cups.
4-ounce package feta cheese (you can use reduced fat)
1 1/2-2 tablespoons olive oil
4 very ripe avocados, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
1 teaspoon hot sauce or to taste
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt to taste
1. Combine all ingredients with a fork until well-blended. Mixture should be slightly lumpy
2. Spoon into a serving bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve
Want more information on how to select fish in the grocery? Listen to this week’s podcast below.
Listen to this week’s podcast
October 12, 2011
The other morning I wanted to stay in bed so I kept hitting the snooze button. Then I had to really hurry and make myself a quick breakfast. Without it, my energy level is that of a slug and my brain remains in neutral. Sound familiar?
But I get bored with the same cold cereal and fruit plus I want more protein to start my day.
Joining me on the podcast this week to talk about beating breakfast boredom when you’re in a hurry is my guest Regina Ragone, registered dietitian and Food Director at Family Circle magazine.
Regina has recently tasted new products from a company called Good Food Made Simple. They have frozen egg patties (think Egg McMuffin) that can be kept at work and quickly cooked in the microwave and served with a 100-calorie whole grain sandwich thin. Other products include microwavable oatmeal.
Or spread almond butter on your favorite whole grain bread, top with sliced apples and a swirl of honey. This is one of my favorite quick fixes in the fall when apples are in season.
Regina likes to perk up whole-grain cereal with almond milk or coconut milk. Although I like the flavor of both for a change, I prefer fat free milk for the eight grams of protein per cup as compared to the one gram found in either almond or coconut milk. Soymilk also has a similar protein content to milk.
What are some of your favorite healthy breakfast ideas?
Want to make pizza this weekend? We do most every weekend. It’s a fun way to get family and friends together. Try this Deep-dish veggie & pepperoni pizza for a different twist.
The holidays are quickly approaching. If you neeed a gift for someone who loves to cook, check out Family Circle’s new cookbook.
Want more? Listen to this week’s podcast below.
Listen to this week’s podcast
September 29, 2011
Do you live where the seasons change? I love Florida but miss the seasons in Tennessee where I grew up. Especially fall…the leaves as they display their vibrant orange, yellow and red colors, the bright orange of the pumpkins and all the apples.
Here’s a little trivia for you. Do you know how many varieties of apples are grown in the US? According to the website fruitsandveggiesmorematters, there are over 2500 varieties. I had no idea. Did you?
OrlandoSentinel.com recently posted a helpful article discussing many of the new apple varieties, their flavor profile and availability. The next time you grocery shop, look for some of the newer varieties with names like SweeTango, Zestar, Jazz and Pinata.
Apples work at any meal or snack. For breakfast try Baked French Toast Fritters with Apples and Bananas. Gala and Braeburn apples are both tasty choices but most any apple will work. This recipe is from Keep the Beat Recipes™: Deliciously Healthy Family Meals and comes out of the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). You can download for free the PDF of this entire cookbook or choose individual recipes such as the fritters and print them.
 Do you want a good everyday baked apple recipe? Try Oven-Baked Harvest Apples. The recipe is easy enough for everyday as it can be quickly prepared in the microwave but pretty enough with the dried cranberries and pecans for the holidays when you have more time to bake the apples. Try Gala, Granny Smith, or Jonagold varieties.
If you love chocolate and apples together, check out this recipe for Apple Chocolate Dips. Four ingredients: Granny Smith apples, lemon juice, semi-sweet chocolate and chopped pistachios.
If you’re wondering why the lemon juice, it keeps the apple slices from turning brown since only part of the slice is dipped in chocolate.
The recipe calls for melting the chocolate over a double boiler. But I melt the chocolate in the microwave on medium power about 20-30 seconds at a time and stir until the chocolate is melted. These will be very fun treats for after school, fall festivals, Halloween, or to wrap in cellophane as a festive gift.
Let me know if you try any of these recipes or if you have one to share, send it to me
Want more? Listen to this week’s podcast below.
Listen to this week’s podcast
September 1, 2011
Have you gained any weight lately? How does it make you feel about yourself in terms of your overall self-esteem and sexuality? One of my girlfriends refers to this recently acquired weight on her back as ‘fack’ or back fat! If you’re involved with someone, does your partner support you and help you work to reach your desired weight and health goals?
Did you hear about the survey recently discussed on the Today show by psychotherapist and Today show contributor Dr. Robi Ludwig? The poll was a joint collaboration between Cosmopolitan magazine and AskMen.com and asked all types of relationship questions.
Of course the one I want to focus in on has to do with weight gain. Don’t miss this… according to this poll of 70,000 people, nearly 50% of the men said they would dump a partner who gained weight. This is in comparison to only 20% of the women who responded the same.
According to Dr. Ludwig, she has not found this response to be typical in her private practice. She says that women are much harder on themselves and their looks and weight than their partners. Do you agree?
Do you think this survey response has to do with women being more objectified than men where their bodies are constantly evaluated and sexualized…and at younger and younger ages? Think about celebrities. Gain weight and your tabloid fodder. By the way, seems to me, this is true more for women but not so much for men. Hmmm
According to the Journal of Obesity, weight discrimination is an issue for woman.
Why do you think weight gain in women is such an issue for men? Going back to the Today show segment, is it because a man’s partner is seen as an extension of him and reflects how he wants to be viewed by the world? Do you think an overweight partner sends the message that the guy is not successful or has poor self-esteem?
Ladies, when you gain weight, is your self-esteem or sexy feeling diminished? Do men pick up on this? I’m not sure there’s one answer but rather a tightly interwoven net of thoughts and feelings. Whatever happened to mutual support, understanding and working together?
I want to know what you think so post your comment on my blog at susanmitchell.org or Facebook page…both which you will find at susanmitchell.org
On a completely separate note, if you plan to grill out this weekend, try these grilling recipes from I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!
*** For sharing their recipes with you, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!Ò has provided BBQ Roll-Up Tool Sets as giveaways so register to win one of these grill sets today! ***
SHRIMP SCAMPI SKEWERS
4 servings Prep Time: 10 minutes Marinate Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes
1 lb. uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails on
4 green onions, cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 lemon, halved and sliced
20 sprays I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!® Spray Original
Combine shrimp, onions, lemon juice and garlic in medium bowl. Cover and marinate 10 minutes.
Alternately thread shrimp, onions and lemon slices on skewers*. Grill or broil, turning once and spraying with 10 sprays I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!® Spray Original, 4 minutes or until shrimp turn pink.
Just before serving, spray with remaining 10 Sprays.
*If using wooden skewers, soak in water at least 30 minutes prior to use.
Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories 130, Calories From Fat 20, Saturated Fat 0g, Trans Fat 0g, Total Fat 2g, Cholesterol 170mg, Sodium 190mg, Total Carbohydrate 6g, Sugars 1g, Dietary Fiber 2g, Protein 24g, Vitamin A 8%, Vitamin C 50%, Calcium 8%, Iron 20%
Recipe Courtesy of Unilever Kitchens
SUMMERTIME GRILLED VEGETABLES
4 servings Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes
3 lbs. your favorite vegetables (red onions, zucchini, asparagus, bell peppers), sliced or cut into chunks
30 sprays I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!® Spray Original
Alternately thread vegetables on skewers*. Grill or broil vegetables until tender. Arrange vegetables on serving platter. Spray with I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!® Spray Original.
*If using wooden skewers soak at least 30 minutes prior to use.
Cost per recipe**: $4.92
Cost per serving**: $1.23
**Based on average retail prices at national supermarkets.
Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories 90, Calories From Fat 10, Saturated Fat 0g, Trans Fat 0g, Total Fat 1g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 40mg, Total Carbohydrate 17g, Sugars 9g, Dietary Fiber 6g, Protein 5g, Vitamin A 60%, Vitamin C 170%, Calcium 6%, Iron 20%
Recipe Courtesy of Unilever Kitchens
Want more? Listen to this week’s podcast below.
Listen to this week’s podcast
August 18, 2011
Suffering from an unfair bad boy reputation, avocados are plentiful right now and their nutrition credentials are impressive. Did you know that the avocado is considered a fruit? It’s in same family as cinnamon and bay laurel. California, Florida and Mexico lead the world in production.
South Florida grows an avocado called the Lite or SlimCado, which contains one third fewer calories and 50% less fat. According to an article on palmbeachpost.com, the SlimCado contains less fat due to the natural effects of Florida’s humid climate than the familiar Hass avocado grown in California.
But remember, the Florida avocado is quite a bit larger than its California cousin so your total portion still matters. The Florida avocado is a brighter green large fruit with a smooth skin while the California Hass is smaller with a dark green, pebble-looking skin.
My husband brought a SlimCado home from the market last weekend. It was not quite ripe (still hard to the touch) so I put it in a brown paper bag with a banana and it ripened in about two days.
The banana emits ethylene gas, which speeds the ripening process. You could put the avocado in the paper bag by itself but the days to ripen would be a little longer.
Let’s take a closer look at the creamy, buttery, smooth tasting avocado. It’s true, the avocado contains a fair amount of fat…but the majority of the fat is monounsaturated like you find in peanut, olive and canola oil plus it contains some polyunsaturated fat. These two types of unsaturated fat are considered the smart, heart healthy types of fat to add to the diet while cutting back on the much less healthy saturated fat and trans fat.
On fourth of an avocado contains only about 80 calories with five grams of monounsaturated fat and three grams of fiber. You’re also treated to a laundry list of healthful vitamins including C, K, and folate.
Avocados with their bright green flesh contain a bevy of carotenoids (remember these are naturally occurring nutrients that act as antioxidants) including beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin. Plus newer studies have indentified some lesser known but equally as important carotenoids such as alpha-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin (sounds like something out of Star Wars).
I’m a big fan of all avocados for they pair well with a wide variety of food. Slice them for salad and sandwich toppers, to include in quesadillas, and to make guacamole. Cube some for your salsa too and serve along side fish. Layer it on Swiss cheese for a sandwich in place of mayonnaise.
I’ll slice an avocado along with fresh heirloom tomatoes and a couple slices of fresh mozzarella cheese for a quick and healthy salad for lunch or a light dinner. Drizzle with a little basil-infused olive oil and balsamic vinegar and that’s it. Mm mm!
If you don’t have time to make fresh guacamole, try one of my favorites, Wholly Guacamole. We find it in 3-packs at Costco and keep it in the freezer. Also check out the California Avocado Commission for some delicious and easy to prepare recipes.
Want more? Listen to this week’s podcast below.
Listen to this week’s podcast
July 21, 2011
July 20, 2011
It’s so hot here in Florida that I want to use my herbs before the summer heat bakes them. I have a bumper crop of basil so decided to make fresh pesto to use on pizza instead of traditional tomato sauce.
Martha Stewart has a simple recipe that I like and have adapted in different ways based on the nuts and cheeses that I have on hand. Typically I also use more basil and less olive oil.
Basically pesto is a finely blended combination of pine nuts, fresh basil leaves, Parmesan and/or Romano cheeses, garlic and good quality olive oil. The word pesto means ‘pounded’ or ‘crushed’.
All of the ingredients except the olive oil go into the food processor, which you process until finely chopped. The oil is then slowly poured thru the food tube with the processor running to blend the oil with the other ingredients. That’s it.
I have used walnuts and pistachios or a mixture of both in place of pine nuts, which produces a robust and flavorful pesto.
Toast your nuts of choice for more intense flavor. This is easy to do. Just place them in a skillet on the stove over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn and be sure to stir or toss a few times. If you want to toast nuts in the micro or the oven, check out these tips from The University of Nebraska.
Basil is one of the easy-to-grow herbs and production overflows in the summer. Give basil morning sun, afternoon shade, and don’t let it dry out. I grow basil in a pot so it’s easy to move around to shady spots.
If you don’t want to grow your own, look for fresh cut basil at farmers’ markets and in the grocery most of the year. The leaves should be bright green and not wilting. Place the stems in water and top with a plastic bag or wrap basil in paper towel and put in a plastic bag. Either way, keep basil in the fridge and it will last about a week.
Once you make fresh pesto, it keeps for about 4-5 days so plan to use it in several ways. You can press plastic wrap on the top of the pesto to help retain the beautiful green color and then store it in the fridge.
Use the basil pesto as the base for your pizza…it’s fabulous. But also toss it with pasta and roasted veggies. I roast purple onion, yellow squash and grape tomatoes while I cook whole grain pasta and then toss both with the basil pesto. Delicious and so easy! What’s your favorite way to use pesto?
Want more on pesto? Listen to this week’s podcast below.
Listen to this week’s podcast
July 13, 2011
July 13, 2011
So you’re trying to eat more fresh foods that are less processed. You’re preparing some meals ahead or making meals that do double duty. But on some days even make-ahead meals never happen. What to do?
This week on my podcast, Regina Ragone, registered dietitian and Food Director at Family Circle magazine joins me as we share some of our favorite quick-fix items that don’t sacrifice on taste or nutrition. We’re not spokespersons for these products, we just like them.
And… don’t forget you can now find our podcasts at familycircle.com, keyword ‘podcast’.
1. Rustic Crust’s Great Grain Pizza Crust ($3) and Old World Pizza Sauce (3 packs/$4), you can get dinner on the table in less than half an hour (often faster than pizza delivery!).
Regina suggests topping the pizza with your favorite low-fat cheese blend and then piling on plenty of veggies. Make an extra pizza for leftovers…it’s good hot or cold.
2. Brush some ColavitaBalsamic Glaze ($7.50) on chicken breasts or pork chops during the last minute of cooking for a sweet, caramelized coating. Or step up steamed vegetables with a light drizzle of Lucini’s Robust Garlic-Infused Extra-Virgin Olive Oil ($16).
Also toss the garlic infused oil with potatoes. I use a lemon-infused on my salads regularly along with balsamic vinegar.
3. Enjoy one of the newest better-for-you frozen microwave dinners. Regina says that time and again their staff turns to Kashi’s Frozen Entrees ($4). Their current top three are Lemongrass Coconut Chicken, Mayan Harvest Bake and Chicken Florentine. Each meal boasts Kashi’s famous 7 whole-grain pilaf plus fresh vegetables, for a great-tasting, high-fiber, low-fat meal.
Watch for sales and put a few extra in your freezer. When you’re schedule changes at the last minute, which often happens, you’re prepared.
4. Having an ice cream craving? Try Arctic Zero a frozen treat made from whey protein that’s like eating a frozen protein shake with only 150 calorie per pint…yes, I said pint. ($4.49-4.99)
This is the perfect option if you have family members or friends who are diabetic, follow a gluten-free diet or you just want a frozen ice cream-like treat that’s creamy but without all the fat and calories. My current favorites are Maple Vanilla and Cookie & Cream.
5. Looking for meatless options? Dr. Praeger’s burgers contain no fillers or egg products—just fresh vegetables. Regina loves the California, Bombay, Tex Mex and Italian Veggie Burgers (4/$5), stacked high with lettuce and tomatoes on a whole-wheat Arnold reduced-sodium Sandwich Thin.
Add a Dr. Praeger Sweet Potato or Spinach Pancake (6/$4) and you’ve hit your veggie requirement for the day.
Be sure and try the recipe for Burrito Casserole. You can make the assemble up to 2 days in advance and refrigerate. Leave out on counter for 15 minutes before putting in oven.
It takes on 15 minutes to put this casserole together. Depending on the size of your family, you may have leftovers for lunch the next day.
Want more details? Listen to this week’s podcast below.
Listen to this week’s podcast
July 6, 2011
July 6, 2011
 Last weekend fresh blueberries were a deal at my grocery so I bought 3 containers. On Sunday I made Blueberry-Maple Muffins. This is a recipe from EatingWell magazine that I’ve had for probably five years and my family devours them.
Blueberry-Maple Muffins
See the recipe
Courtesy: EatingWell: Summer 2004, The Essential EatingWell Cookbook (2004)
Whole-wheat flour and flaxseeds give these maple syrup-sweetened blueberry muffins a delicious, nutty flavor. Compared to a traditional version of the recipe, they have four times the dietary fiber and substitute healthful monounsaturated fat (canola oil) for saturated fat (butter).
12 muffins | Active Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients
- 1/5 cup whole flaxseeds
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 cup nonfat buttermilk, (see Tip)
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat 12 muffin cups with cooking spray.
- Grind flaxseeds in a spice mill (such as a clean coffee grinder) or dry blender. Transfer to a large bowl. Add whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; whisk to blend. Whisk eggs and maple syrup in a medium bowl until smooth. Add buttermilk, oil, orange zest, orange juice and vanilla; whisk until blended.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients with a rubber spatula just until moistened. Fold in blueberries. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops with sugar.
- Bake the muffins until the tops are golden brown and spring back when touched lightly, 15 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen edges and turn muffins out onto a wire rack to cool slightly.
Nutrition Per muffin : 208 Calories; 8 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 4 g Mono; 36 mg Cholesterol; 31 g Carbohydrates; 6 g Protein; 3 g Fiber; 184 mg Sodium; 149 mg Potassium
From start to finish you can bake up a dozen muffins in an hour and I typically double the recipe so there are leftovers to freeze. The hint of orange citrus combined with the blueberries gives off a comforting aroma as the muffins bake. Nothing like the scent of homemade bread or muffins….can you smell them?
You can use frozen blueberries when fresh ones are not in season. Plus I’ve used both lime and lemon zest and juice. At about 200 calories per muffin, it sure beats the 300-400 calorie content of many muffins.
Blueberry’s benefits:
84 calories per cup
4 grams of fiber
Good source of vitamins C and K plus the mineral manganese
Rich in antioxidants
So, add those blueberries to your cereal, smoothies, muffins, yogurt and salads!
Want more? Listen to this week’s podcast below.
Listen to this week’s podcast
June 16, 2011
June 15, 2011
One of my favorite things about summer is that the farmers’ markets and grocery stores are overflowing with beautiful, brilliantly colored produce. From the deep reds and burgundy of red peppers and cherries to the bright orange of cantaloupe, these brilliant colors suggest a powerhouse of nutrition hidden within just waiting to help protect and nourish your body.
The synergistic effect of eating various brilliantly colored fruits and veggies is too powerful to ignore. Think of synergy as the effect of a team working together.
So you have a quick and tasty summer recipe using your favorite fruit or veggie? Tell us about it at my blog or facebook
To create some synergy on the podcast this week is my guest Regina Ragone, registered dietitian and Food Director at Family Circle magazine. We chat up the latest research/health benefits of many fruit and veggie favorites such as:
Cherries: Studies by Dr. Reiter from the University of Texas Health Science Center suggest that consuming a small handful of cherries (dried or fresh is fine) one hour before you sleep on a long flight can help increase melatonin levels and may help with both jet lag and to reset sleep cycles.
Pineapple: One cup provides128% of the recommended daily amount of manganese, an essential nutrient that helps to destroy free radicals in the body…one more way that various fruits help protect the body.
Blueberries: Often referred to as the ultimate brain food, these berries may help protect against dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Limes: contain potential cancer-fighting properties called limonoids that remain in the bloodstream up to 24 hours after consumption of limes and other citrus.
Need a 15-minute recipe for an easy summer dinner? Check out the Family Circle recipe for Mango Chicken Salad. The recipe calls for rotisserie chicken and can be put together in no time.
Want more? Listen to this week’s podcast below.
Listen to this week’s podcast
And… don’t forget you can now find our podcasts at familycircle.com, keyword ‘podcast’.
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Super Bowl Sunday…football’s biggest day of the year. All over the world people will get together for football, outrageous ads and of course, fabulous food. I want my food to be bold and aggressive…full of flavor. How about you?
Need a good gluten-free recipe? Dietitian EA Stewart shared a gluten-free recipe for Super Easy Super Cheesy Super Bowl Toast. With five simple ingredients including cheese, onions, olives, tomato paste and good bread, the result looks like a cheesy square of pizza…sure to be a big hit.
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