Brussels Sprouts - You'll Want More!

After trying these last week, Matt and I looked at each other and commented that we never imagined that we'd be wishing for more brussels sprouts at the end of a meal. I think the key is using fresh sprouts, not frozen. Many of the recipes that I consulted for brussels sprouts paired them with butter, and while it probably would taste fantastic, globbing on butter to make veggies palatable isn't really in our heart-healthy regimen. But healthy doesn't mean resigning yourself to bland steamed veggies for the rest of your life. In the following recipe, I changed the butter to olive oil, and the results sacrificed absolutely nothing in the taste department. Give these a try and see if your family asks for more!

A dozen or so fresh brussels sprouts, rinsed, patted dry and cut in half
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
sea salt
fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Rinse, pat dry and cut the brussels sprouts in half. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over med-low heat. Sauté the garlic just until it begins to brown. Remove the garlic from the oil and place all of the sprouts in the skillet, cut side down. Turn the heat down to low and cover the skillet with a lid. Let them cook, covered for about 15-20 minutes until the cut side has browned and the sprouts are cooked through. Place in a serving dish and season with sea salt and the fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Roasted Purple Cauliflower and Garlic Soup

This week in our produce delivery from Timber Creek Farms we received a purple cauliflower. I had never seen one before and was excited at the challenge that something new presented. Turns out, it was beautiful and the soup was delicious. Plus, the girls got a huge kick out of eating purple soup!

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
2 Tbsp. olive oil
½ head garlic
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper

Preheat oven to 425°F. Cut the tips off of the head of garlic and place on a baking sheet with the cauliflower. Drizzle olive oil over the vegetables and season with the salt and pepper. Roast in the oven until soft and tender about 40 minutes.

1 Tbsp. olive oil
½ medium onion, finely chopped
3 Tbsp. flour
1 can (14oz.) chicken broth (preferably organic free range, but at least make sure it contains no MSG)
1 cup milk

Sauté onion until soft. Add flour and cook slowly while stirring for about 2 minutes over low heat. Add chicken broth and milk and stir until bubbly and thickened. Next, add the cauliflower and garlic (removed from their skins). Cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Puree with a hand immersion blender until desired consistency is reached. Serve with a crusty bread and a leafy salad. To enhance the purple color of the soup, garnish with blue corn tortilla chips crumbled on top. Enjoy!

Fun with Food

I always said in high school that I liked Chemistry because it was like cooking. Well, these guys have taken both to a whole new level. Not too sure how healthy some of these dishes are, but the whole presentation is fascinating.

High tech Dining with Homaro Cantu

Wheat & Honey Bran Waffles

I haven't made waffles since we started eating for lower cholesterol, mostly because they are traditionally loaded with butter. But tonight when Abigail requested waffles, I decided I was up to the challenge. I took inspiration from a couple of different recipes, and this is what I came up with: a waffle that won't send you into cardiac arrest that is wholesome, crunchy, and sweet all on its own, but perfectly delicious topped with warmed blueberries.

Preheat your waffle iron.

Whisk together in a large bowl:
¾ cup all purpose flour
¾ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup coarse bran
¼ cup wheat germ
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. salt

Whisk together in another bowl:
1 ½ cup buttermilk
⅓ cup honey
4 tbsp. canola or sunflower oil
3 egg whites
½ tsp. vanilla

Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and gently whisk them together, mixing just until everything is combined. The batter will be thick and bubbly. Spoon the amount of better recommended by your waffle iron's manufacturer onto the waffle iron. Close lid and bake until golden brown. Serve with honey, maple syryp, or warmed blueberries.

Veggie Lasagna

Lasagna on Valentine's Day for Matt was a tradition growing up. Every Valentine's Day, his Mom would transform her kitchen into Swaininis just for the occasion. The first year we were married, Matt surprised me with a homemade lasagna dinner for two that he made. Only being married several months, I wasn't aware of the extent of his culinary skills, so I went digging through the trash to make sure he hadn't popped a frozen lasagna in the oven! (He hadn't.) Anyway, this year I couldn't forego the long-standing Swain tradition just because we are now eating for long-term health, so I tinkered around and came up with this fantastic version which we'll probably repeat more often than just on Valentine's Day.

1 recipe Veggie Packed Pasta Sauce
1 10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed, drained and chopped
½ cup fat free ricotta cheese
2 egg whites
¼ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 medium zucchini, sliced
1 large red pepper, sliced thin
1 large green pepper, sliced thin
1 box whole wheat lasagna noodles (the kind that you don't have to boil ahead of time are great!)
6 oz. low-fat mozzarella cheese

Prepare the Veggie Packed Pasta Sauce. Combine spinach through parmesan cheese in a small bowl. Sauté the zucchini and peppers in the olive oil until veggies are soft. You favorite combination of veggies can be substituted here. Make sure to prepare enough to form two layers of the lasagna.

Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC).

To assemble the lasagna:
First coat the bottom of a 9x13 in. casserole dish with sauce. Then place a layer of noodles. Now layer with half of the zucchini and peppers, 2 oz. mozzarella cheese, and cover with more sauce. Next, place another layer of noodles followed by all of the spinach mixture and another layer of sauce. Follow this with the third layer of noodles, the remaining zucchini and peppers, 2 more ounces of mozzarella cheese and another thin layer of sauce. The last layer consists of one more layer of noodles, a generous layer of sauce and the remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake until heated through 30-35 minutes. Serve with a garden salad, crusty bread and fresh strawberries for dessert. Enjoy!

Veggie Packed Pasta Sauce

I started making my own spaghetti sauce way back in 2001 when we first moved to Spain. In fact, I started making a lot of thing back then. . . Anyway, over time, my sauce has improved from a rather watery concoction flecked with bits of Italian seasoning to a robust, flavorful, and nutritious sauce with lots of body. Whenever I feel like the girls are lacking in veggies, I make this and know with confidence that they are getting the vitamins and minerals they need.

One medium onion, chopped
3-4 medium carrots , chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
One red bell pepper, cut into chunks

Sauté all of the above in ¼ cup olive oil. Once the onions and peppers are soft, add 2 tsp. parsley, 2 tsp. Italian seasoning (or when available ¼ cup fresh chopped basil). In the summer when I have fresh basil growing, I always choose the basil - it makes a fantastic sauce.

Then add one large can of tomato sauce, and one large can chopped tomatoes (drained) and ½ tsp. salt. Let all this simmer for at least 20-30 minutes, then blend it all up to your desired consistency with a hand immersion blender. Since my girls are not fond of chunks, I blend up everything till it's pretty smooth.

Enjoy!!

Banana-Orange Smoothie

I got the munchies today at the café, so I dug around and started throwing things in the blender. I know it's January, and icy drinks aren't the usual fare, but this really hit the spot.

Juice of 2 oranges (the fresh squeezed juice is what makes it so good)
12 ice cubes
½ cup plain non-fat yogurt
2 tsp. sugar
2 tbsp. skim milk
1 small banana

Dump all these in a blender and BLEND. Add more milk until you achieve your desired consistency. Yummy.

Auntie Rita's Minestrone Soup

While our dear friends the Baileys were in the states over Christmas, their friend "Auntie" Rita gave them this fantastic recipe. Just looking at the page, spattered in olive oil with penciled-in additions, you can tell that this in one of those well-loved and made-often recipes that has gradually improved over the years.

It has gotten COLD here in Santiago (the talk is that it might snow!), so today this soup really warmed us up. It was relatively simple to make and even better, it made a ton. Since I do most of the cooking, I love leftovers!

One thing to look out for when purchasing your ingredients is to make sure that your chicken broth or bouillon cubes don't have any hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils or MSG (monosodiun glutamate). You want to avoid the hydrogenated oils to protect your heart and the MSG to avoid migraines, headaches,and even asthma-like symptoms.

¼ cup olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
8 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups (2L) chicken broth
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes
5 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
2 cups chopped celery
3 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and quartered
¾ cup small shell pasta
2 cups chopped cabbage (collards or grelos work well too)
2 (15 oz.) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

In a large stockpot, heat olive oil. Sauté onion and celery about 3 minutes on med high heat. Add minced garlic and sauté another minute, careful not to burn the garlic. Add broth, diced tomatoes, carrots, parsley, and cabbage.

Add
1 tbsp. dried basil
1 tbsp. italian seasoning
1 tbsp. oregano
½ tsp. salt and ground pepper to taste.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add zucchini and beans, bring to a boil again. Then add the pasta, boil for one minute and then shut off heat and let sit for approx. 15 minutes. Garnish with fresh grated parmesan cheese and serve with a nice crusty whole-grain bread.

Southwest Chicken and Black Bean Soup

This recipe came together in about 15 minutes this morning and it was great! I used leftover homemade black beans, so if you choose to use the canned variety be sure to rinse them to eliminate the excess sodium. This is fantastic with corn bread.

1 onion, chopped fine
1 Tbsp. olive oil
5 cups water
2 cans black beans or 2 cups cooked
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 cup cooked brown rice
½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. chicken bouillon granules
2 tsp. cumin
½ tsp. garlic powder (not garlic salt)
2 tsp. chili powder
1 10oz. package frozen corn
½ lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into small pieces

In a large sauce pan, sautee the onion in the olive oil until soft. Then add water, beans, tomatoes, rice, seasonings, corn and chicken. Simmer at least 15 to 20 minutes to allow the chicken to cook and the flavors to blend.
Serves 10.

Healthful Eating Hazards

Often when we try to revamp our diet we are met with many obstacles. Even when we completely change our shopping list, we still need to think about changing our eating habits when we are not eating in our home - which for most of is quite often.

• the workplace - Do you have a breakroom stocked with high fat/low nutrition snacks? Think about bringing healthier alternatives such as carrots sticks and hummus (our new favorite combo) or your favorote in-season fruit. For us our workplace hazard was our own business: We own a café and had grown accustomed to eating breakfast there. What started out as a pastry every once in a while became a full fledged habit at 3-4 times a week. Exchanging the pastry for two generous slices of rustic toast with jam eliminated at least 14g total fat and 8g saturated fat every time we normally would have eaten a pastry.
  

• in a rush - Convencience food can be a killer - literally! When we don't plan out our meals and we only think about them when we want to eat in the next 15 minutes to a half hour, we are particularly vulnerable to eating junk food. I'm not just talking about potato chips and soda - I mean all kinds of fast food, ordering pizza, many frozen dinners, and take-out. If you aren't very careful with your selections you may wind up eating more fat, cholesterol, and calories in one meal than you should for an entire day. Watch out!
• Some tips:Think about your week and on days when your have time to cook make a little extra so that you'll have healthy options on your busiest days. LefOr for a great meal in just minutes keep ingredients on-hand for salad anytime. One of the greatest innovations in recent years for fast-yet-healthy-food are the bags of pre-washed greens that just need toppings.
  

• beverages - Everyone knows that regular soda is loaded with tons of sugar, but what about our favorite morning beverages? In Spain, pretty much all cafés and restaurants serve a café con leche with whole milk. My husband was averaging about three a day (~15oz.) Just switching to three cortados (a shot of espresso with just a few drops of milk) saved him 14g total fat and 8.5g saturated fat every day. Sometimes little changes can have the biggest difference.

These are just a few hazards we've encountered and how we try to deal with them. Where is it hardest for you to eat well and how do you deal with it?

Lemon Garlic Chicken with Broccoli

Who says a dish has to have a lot of fat to be packed with flavor? The lemon really adds a lot of zing and brings a new twist to everyday ingredients.

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 tbsp. canola oil
1 tsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ cup water
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. low-sodium chicken bouillon granules
1 large bunch fresh broccoli, cut into florets

In a medium sauce pan, brown chicken in the canola oil. Add all other ingredients except broccoli and allow to simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes. Add broccoli and continue to cook until broccoli is just tender. Fantastic over whole grain pasta or brown rice.

Serves: 6 Per serving: calories 118; total fat 3g; saturated fat <1g;>

Hummus

This has been one of our family 's favorites for some time - even before we were intentional about cutting out cholesterol. I make this one so often that my girls call garbanzo beans "hummus beans." This is a fantastic dip with crackers (make sure they are
free of all hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils!) and fresh vegetables.

Hummus

1 (15 oz.) can chick peas (garbanzo beans)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon tahini (a paste made from sesame seeds)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt (optional)
1 teaspoons olive oil

Drain the chick-peas, reserving 1 tablespoon of the liquid. Rinse and drain the chick-peas. In a large bowl combine all ingredients except for the olive oil. Using a hand blender, process until a smooth creamy texture is achieved. A food processor also works well. (I have not had much luck with conventional blenders and making hummus.) If desired, salt to taste. Place in a serving bowl and drizzle olive oil on top.
Makes 1 1/2 cups: 12 servings
Per serving (2 tbsp): 53 calories, 1.8 g fat (.1g saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 2 g protein, 8.6g carbohydrates, 106mg sodium, 1.6 g fiber

Our Journey to Wellness (Poached Pears)

A few months ago there was a scare in my husband Matt's family, so he decided to go to the doctor and get a check-up and have his cholesterol checked. Being only 29, active, running three times a week, and eating what we thought was a fairly healthy diet, we really weren't expecting the results we got - the doctor even joked a bit at why such a young guy was so concerned when Matt first went in.

Then we got the results back - really high LDL (bad cholesterol) and really low HDL (good cholesterol) - not a good combo at all. The doctor immediately wanted to put Matt on cholesterol lowering drugs, but we asked for a three month grace period to see if we could improve his levels through changing our diet and exercise habits. We thought that if lifestyle changes didn't affect his levels, then it would seem that in his case heredity was winning out and he would have to begin medication. But if there was something we could do about it without costly medication, then this was the preferable choice for us.

We have three girls, and the week after his diagnosis our third daughter was born so there was no way that I was going to prepare special meals for Matt. So thus began our whole family's journey toward eating to take care of our hearts.

I knew that I would need some help so I immediately ordered two new cookbooks: the American Heart Association's Low-Cholesterol Cookbook and Eating for Lower Cholesterol by Elaine Trujillo and Catherine Jones. These have been great. Not only do they have great recipes but they have great tips for eating well, cutting cholesterol and boosting nutrition.

Matt has since gone in for his three month check-up and his levels were drastically reduced. So much so that the doctor said that for now medication is not necessary. In six months he has another test to make sure things are not creeping back up. An added bonus of all this was that Matt lost weight as well. We weren't eating with the intent to lose weight, but to gain health, however in the process Matt has lost 12 kg. (about 26 lbs.).

So all of this to let you know why healthful eating is so important to us in the first place. And so I'll leave you with a fantastic dessert that we discovered over the holidays that is fat free yet tastes absolutely decadent.

Pears Poached in Red Wine with Cinnamon and Orange

1 bottle red wine (75cl.)
1 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
3 strips orange zest
6 large ripe pears, peeled

Bring first four ingredients to a boil over medium high heat in a medium sized saucepan. Add pears, return to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow pears to absorb the syrup for at least three hours. Can be served warm or cold and can be prepared several days in advance.