BLOG 5 Oct 16

Ciao girls! Today we have a delicious recipe that I think you will all enjoy!

THIS WEEK’S THEME: Healthy Italian!

 Italian food is my FAVORITE! Who doesn’t love pizza and pasta?! Unfortunately, pizza and pasta is usually saturated in cheese which does nothing for my waist line or arteries! Wouldn’t it be AWESOME if we could eat chicken alfredo and meatball marinara all day long without gaining weight?? Well, while I think it would take a miracle to do that, I DID find an awesome recipe that combines authentic Italian ingredients to create a traditional flavor with less calories than traditional cheese/meat filled pastas!

Another reason, and perhaps a more important reason I decided to choose this theme is because I wanted to reference how important it is to eat whole grains by replacing foods that contain enriched or refined grains. Penne, rotini, fettucine, ziti, spaghetti, etc. are almost ALWAYS made of enriched/refined grains. Unfortunately, these grains have adverse effects on our health that most of us aren’t aware of.

We all know that wheat bread is more nutritious than white, or as my dad says, “the whiter the bread, the sooner your dead.” But do we even know why? REFINED GRAINS include white rice, white bread, regular white pasta, and other foods that have been made with white flour (also called enriched wheat flour or all-purpose flour), including many cookies, cakes, breakfast cereals, crackers, pastas, breads, and snack foods. During the refining process, however, the bran and germ are removed from the whole grain. The endosperm, the part of the grain that is left after the refining process, is primarily composed of starchy carbohydrates and is low in nutrients. Some nutrients, including iron and a handful of B vitamins, are added back to refined grains and flours during manufacturing (hence the term "enriched wheat flour"), but these represent only a FRACTION of what is initially removed from the grain. For these reasons, refined grains do not provide the same health benefits as whole grains. The type of carbohydrates you eat makes a big difference in the way you metabolize food and in the amount of energy you have. Refined grains are quickly digested into simple sugars and absorbed into your bloodstream; this can cause blood-sugar levels to spike and then quickly crash. These rapid swings in blood sugar can drain your energy and leave you feeling moody and tired. On the other hand, high-quality carbohydrates such as whole grains are rich in fiber, which helps temper blood sugars by slowing the absorption of sugar into your bloodstream after meals. They provide long-lasting energy that will keep you fueled for hours. That’s why it’s best to choose high-quality carbohydrates — which include whole grains as well as vegetables, fruits, beans, and legumes — instead of poor-quality carbohydrates, like refined grains, whenever possible (1).

RECIPE: Penne with Sun-dried Tomato Pesto (0:25 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces WHOLE-WHEAT penne pasta
• 1 (8.5-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves
•  freshly grated Parmesan

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. 

Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, blend the sun-dried tomatoes and their oil, garlic, salt and pepper, to taste, and basil in a food processor and blend until the tomatoes are finely chopped. 

                               Transfer the tomato mixture to a large bowl.

 Add the pasta to the pesto and toss to coat, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta, to taste, with salt and pepper (2). Top with Parmesan and enjoy your delicious HEALTHY ITALIAN!

Bon Apetit! 

The Food Enthusiast,

Aly

Sources Cited

1.  http://www.joybauer.com/food-articles/refined-grains.aspx

2.  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/penne-with-sun-dried-tomato-pesto-recipe/index.html

 

BLOG 4 Oct 10

YOU LADIES READY FOR ANOTHER INCREDIBLE RECIPE?! Now before I reveal the theme for this week, I want ya’ll to PROMISE you won’t immediately close your browser and go back to checking your Facebook notifications! Because let me tell you, despite the common beliefs we have about vegetables, this recipe is EXPLODING with flavor! Just because it’s healthy doesn’t mean it’s tasteless!

 THEME: Whole Food

 Many wonder what exactly whole food is. “Whole foods” are foods that are as close to their natural form as possible (1).

This could mean eating:

• Whole grains instead of refined grains whenever possible.
• Fruits, vegetables, and beans instead of supplements to provide the fiber and vitamins they contain.
• A skinless chicken breast cooked with healthful ingredients instead of chicken nuggets processed with added fats, flavorings, and preservatives.
• A baked potato with chopped green onions and light sour cream instead of a bag of sour cream and onion potato chips.
• Fresh berries with breakfast instead of raspberry toaster pastries or breakfast bars.
• A blueberry smoothie made with blueberries, yogurt, and a frozen banana instead of a blue-colored slushy or icee.

WHY has the whole foods lifestyle has become so popular? Many health experts believe that eating more whole foods is our best bet for improving health and preventing disease. Whole foods - like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and legumes -- retain their fiber as well as the whole portfolio of beneficial phytochemicals and nutrients that are often removed in processed foods (1).

Although whole foods lifestyle might appear somewhat limited, it is NOT limited in flavor! Combining whole food ingredients differently can create some pretty darn DELICIOUS meals!

 RECIPE: Veggie Sandwiches (0:10 minutes)

Ingredients

2 slices of WHOLE-wheat bread

*For those of you interested in preparing your own whole-wheat bread, visit this link for a simple recipe! http://www.thekitchn.com/baking-recipe-whole-wheat-sandwich-breadrecipes-from-the-kitchn-167267

Mustard

(PROCESSED, NOT A WHOLE FOOD INGREDIENT)
Mayonnaise
(PROCESSED, NOT A WHOLE FOOD INGREDIENT)
 Lowry’s seasoning salt

1 slice of preferred cheese

1 ripe tomato

1 ripe avocado

1 yellow onion

Pickles

Yellow peppers (banana peppers)

Alfalfa sprouts

Directions:

Spread one slice of bread with mayonnaise LIBERALLY. Then, spread the other with mustard. Top one slice with seasoning salt. 

Begin with placing cheese and tomato on top of bread. Slice remaining ingredients and arrange on top of bread as shown below.

 

 Then fold over slice to sample your nutritious masterpiece!

 

 Don't be scared...give it a try! The combination of flavors compliment each other. You'd be crazy not to LOVE it!

The Food Enthusiast,

Aly

Sources Cited:

1. http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=62664

BLOG 3 Oct 3rd

EVENING LADIES! I hope you’ve all cancelled your plans for tonight because I got my hands on one INCREDIBLE recipe! Ready for the THEME?!

"NUTRITIOUS AND DELICIOUS"

This week’s inspiration was a request from a woman with a husband that has diabetes. She told me it’s hard to find desserts to make for her and her husband that don’t taste like cardboard. She wanted to know if I had any flavorful but low sugar recipes as a substitute for those frosting covered, cream filled, chocolate stuffed desserts they both miss.

The good news?? I FOUND ONE- Fruit tarts! It allows you to indulge without all the excess sugar. 

EXPLANATION: Now, a lot of people avoid a lot fruit because it “has a ton of sugar.” Yes, fruits do have natural sugars. Fruit are also some of the most healthiest foods in the world. Fresh fruit offers much more than the natural sugar it contains – including water, vitamins, minerals, fiber, etc. Where else can you get a package like that for about 75 calories per serving? The idea that fruit is “loaded with carbs” or is “full of sugar” needs to be put into perspective.  It’s true that when you eat fruit, the overwhelming majority of the calories you consume are supplied by carbohydrate mostly in the form of fructose (the natural sugar in fruit). But that’s the nature not just of fruit, but of all plant foods – they’re predominantly carbohydrate ( not just natural sugars, but healthy starches as well as fiber) (1). When you eat vegetables, the majority of the calories you’re eating come from carbohydrate, too! :o Surprised?!

Before dismissing foods as being loaded with sugar, or too high in carbs, consider not only the amount of sugar or carbs you’re eating, but the form of the carbohydrate. There’s a big difference between the nutritional value of the natural carbohydrates found in fruits and other plant foods – the sugars, starches and fibers – and what’s found (or, more accurately, what’s not found) in all the empty calories we eat from added sugars that find their way into everything from brownies to barbecue sauce (1).

COMPARE AND CONTRAST: A 20-ounce cola will set you back about 225 calories and, needless to say, won’t be supplying any antioxidants, vitamins, minerals or fiber while a cup of strawberries has only about 7 grams which is less than two teaspoons.

Mini Fruit Tarts (2:20 hours)

Ingredients:

1 8oz cream cheese

1 14oz can Eagle Brand

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

40 tart shells

 

 

Beat cream cheese. Gradually mix in the eagle brand until smooth.   

Stir in Lemon juice and vanilla. Spoon 2 teaspoons into each shell then refrigerate for 2 hours. 

While chilling, begin making the filling.

Filling:

Rinse and dry a container of FRESH strawberries, 4 kiwis, container of fresh blueberries, and a container of fresh raspberries. 

                                                        Peel Kiwis. 

                                       Then combine and fill tart shells. 

Place 2 tablespoons of Smucker’s hot fudge into sandwich bag and cut a VERY small hole in bottom corner to drizzle. Arrange as you would like to display your masterpiece!

 MMMMMM! I had THREE :o I couldn’t help myself! For all of those who have a sweet tooth, TRY IT! I chose this recipe because the fruit has natural sugars that allow you to feel good about what you’re eating. Plus they make for one very cute presentation!

I know you want to eat them all but don't forget to share! :)

The Food Enthusiast,

 Aly 

Sources:

 1. http://www.discovergoodnutrition.com/2011/02/the-truth-about-sugars-in-fruit/
 2. Recipe from Martha Stewart iving