Grapefruit Jalapeno Fish

  This recipe was inspired by an article I read in the September 2011 issue of Vogue magazine. The author had traveled to Mexico and wrote about a chef that used grapefruit with chili peppers. A lot of spicy Mexican dishes use lime to balance the heat from the peppers, so grapefruit seemed like a nice change up on the usual citrus fruit. I kept this idea floating around in my mind for a few months trying to figure out the best base for the sauce. Then a Foodista fish recipe caught my attention. It was a more typical lime and pepper recipe, but it had mayonnaise as the base. Mayonnaise is used more frequently in actual Mexican cooking, as opposed to the Tex-Mex that most Americans are used to. The taste of this dish is phenomenal, even if I did make it!

Ingredients: 

1/3 cup lite mayo

1 Tablespoon lime juice

1/2 red grapefruit

1/4 cup sliced, pickled Jalapeno peppers with the juice

12 ounces of Pollock fillets

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 425F. 

Combine the first 4 ingredients to make the sauce. Be sure to remove the juicy grapefruit segments from the tough membranes. Also, there's no need to chop the peppers, the slices from the jar are perfect! 

Stir together the ingredients for the sauce, mashing grapefruit with the spoon.  

Place fillets in a glass baking dish. 

Cover with sauce. 

Bake 9 to 11 minutes.

  Here is a picture of the feast I served with the fish. Fresh corn on the cob with tub margarine, a scoop of fat-free vegetarian refried beans with shredded mozzarella cheese, a cucumber, tomato, and buttery red leaf lettuce salad, and some chips and salsa for good measure.

Sauteed Baby Bella Mushrooms

  This recipe takes just a few minutes and only 4 ingredients. It can be served as an appetizer or a side dish. The portabella mushrooms have a meatier texture than regular mushrooms, and they hold flavors better and maintain a firmer texture when cooked.

 

Ingredients:

1 carton baby bella mushrooms

olive oil

garlic powder

dried basil

Directions:

Wash mushrooms thoroughly and drain to dry.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. 

Add whole mushrooms. Sprinkle with garlic powder and basil.

Saute mushrooms evenly on both sides. 

Serve immediately.

Broccoli Salad

  This is a really good broccoli salad recipe from the store brand broccoli mix. It's easy to make, and the slaw mix was super cheap.

I  

Ingredients: 

10 slices bacon or 1 package pre-cooked bacon pieces

1 - 12 oz. package FS Broccoli Slaw

1/4 cup red onion, chopped

1/2 cup raisins

3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar

2 Tbsp. white sugar

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sunflower seeds, shelled

(Note: I prefer to make it without the raisins, but it's just a personal preference.)

Directions:

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble, and set aside. 

In a medium bowl, combine the broccoli slaw, onion, and raisins. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar, and mayonnaise. Pour over broccoli slaw mixture, and toss until well mixed. 

Refrigerate for at least two hours. 

Before serving, toss salad with crumbled bacon and sunflower seeds. 

Refrigerate any leftovers. 

Oven Fried Chicken, Sweet Potatoes, and Green Beans

  Today I have another meal that fits the MyPlate model. It's based around oven fried chicken made with Kentucky Kernel flour. Sweet potatoes really taste good with chicken, and green beans go with everything. Kentucky Kernel flour is a bit salty at 544 mg. of sodium in 4 tsps. and has a strong flavor, so I blended it with whole wheat flour. 

Oven Fried Chicken

Ingredients: 

Vegetable oil

1 pound skinless chicken

1/2 cup Kentucky Kernel flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 eggs

1/4 cup skim milk

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

Pour enough oil into a baking dish to keep the chicken from sticking.

Beat the eggs and milk in a bowl.

Combine the 2 flours on a plate.

Dip the chicken pieces into the egg mixture first, then coat in flour. Place them in the pan. Bake for 30 minutes on each side, turning once. 

Sweet Potatoes

Wash and place desired number of whole sweet potatoes directly on the oven rack and bake while the chicken is cooking. It should only take around 30 to 40 minutes for the potatoes to bake. 

Top the finished sweet potatoes with some tub margarine and cinnamon. 

Green Beans

Open a can of Shelley Green Beans and drain to reduce the sodium. Place in a saucepan and add water, a generous sprinkling of black pepper, and one thick slice of onion, chopped. Cook on stove-top over medium to medium-high heat while the chicken and sweet potatoes are baking.

Tomato and Okra Vegetable Soup

  It's cold outside today, and this healthy soup is the perfect meal for warming up. The base of the soup is corn and tomatoes. I used a combination of no added salt and regular canned vegetables, simply because the grocery store didn't have everything I needed in the no added salt variety. This soup contains primarily canned and frozen vegetables, with the exception of a fresh onion and a green pepper, making it ideal for late fall and winter. A little bit of sugar and white vinegar add a boost of flavor.

 

Ingredients: 

2 cans no added salt whole kernel corn

2 cans no added salt diced tomatoes

1 can shellie beans

1 can sliced carrots

1 onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 12 oz. bag frozen okra

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. white vinegar

Directions: 

Combine all ingredients in a large pot and cook on medium-high heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

  Serve soup with hot, fresh cornbread.

 

Turkey Burgers & Sweet Potato Wedges

  Hopefully by the end of November you are not completely worn out with turkey, but even if you are, this recipe for Turkey Burgers should wake up the taste buds. The Sweet Potato Wedges served with it are sweet, savory, and delicious. Plus, sweet potatoes are a great source of fiber and vitamin A. According to the USDA, 1/2 cup of sweet potatoes provides 110 calories, 3 grams of fiber, and 180% of the Daily Value of vitamin A. 

Serve turkey burgers on whole wheat buns, with lettuce, onion, Swiss cheese, ketchup, and mustard. Add tomato slices in the summer, when the quality of tomatoes is better. I used whole wheat bread in place of a bun because I like the taste and texture, and that's what I had on hand. 

Turkey Burgers
Ingredients: 
1 pound ground turkey (93/7 lean meat)
3/4 tsp. sage
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Directions: 
Combine all ingredients and mix well with hands.
Form into 4 hamburger patties.
Spray a skillet with non-stick spray, and cook burgers over medium-high heat for about 30 minutes until well-done.

Be sure to use garlic powder, not garlic salt, for a low sodium dish.


Sweet Potato Wedges
Ingredients:
Whole sweet potato
Cinnamon
Dried basil

Directions: 
Plan to use one potato per person.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
Wash potatoes, peel, and cut into wedges.
Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray.
Arrange wedges on baking sheet, spray with non-stick spray, and sprinkle with cinnamon and basil.
Bake for 30 minutes, turning halfway through.

Shrimp & Grits

  This recipe is inspired by a lighter version of the traditional shrimp and grits that I had in Charleston, South Carolina this summer. Shrimp and grits is usually served with kielbasa sausage and enough butter and cream to make you smack your mama, but I've substituted with skim milk and part-skim mozzarella cheese, reduced the amount of butter, and added some vegetables while keeping all the delicious flavor. 

 

Grits

Ingredients: 

Quick grits, 4 servings prepared as directed with salt

1 Tbsp. butter

1/2 cup skim milk

1 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. salt

1 green onion, chopped, to garnish

Directions: 

Prepare grits according to instructions on container. 

Over medium-low heat, add butter and stir until melted. 

Add milk and cheese, and stir until cheese is melted and well blended. 

Add pepper and salt and stir. 

Serve grits and garnish with chopped green onion. 

Shrimp

Ingredients: 

1 Tbsp. butter

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1 chopped tomato

3/4 pound large 26/30 count shrimp, peeled, ready to serve

1/4 tsp. salt

The tomato in this recipe will cook down quite a bit, but it adds to the flavor and color of the dish and helps the shrimp to cook. I used a yellow tomato because that's what I had on hand, but red will work just fine. 

Directions: 

Over medium heat, melt butter in a skillet. Add garlic powder and immediately add shrimp. Stir well. Add chopped tomato and continue to stir often for about 10 minutes. Add salt, stir, and serve.

Corn

Ingredients: 

1 can low-salt whole kernel corn

1 Tbsp. tub margarine

Directions: 

(This one is easy.) 

Cook corn and margarine in a saucepan over medium heat until margarine melts. Stir often. It should only take a few minutes for the corn to get hot enough to serve.

Fish Dinner

  Continuing with the MyPlate meals, this is a quick and easy dinner with baked fish, steamed vegetables, and a baked potato. All the ingredients for this meal are added to taste, so no measuring or strict recipes are required.

 

  To prepare the fish and potatoes, first preheat the oven to 350F. Scrub the potatoes, poke holes in the tops, and place them in the oven for about 40 minutes, they may need to bake longer if you prefer softer baked potatoes. 

  While the potatoes are baking, prepare the thawed fish. I used frozen whiting because it was on sale, and let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Place the fillets in a glass baking pan and add olive oil, lemon juice, and a sprinkle of paprika. Bake the fish for about 20 minutes, until it flakes easily with a fork. This fish was delicious, and had a meatier texture. 

  While the fish and potatoes are baking, cook the vegetables on the stovetop. I used fresh broccoli and frozen mixed vegetables. Just cook them in some water in a pan until the broccoli is lightly cooked (no mushy broccoli) and the frozen vegetables are thoroughly cooked. Then empty most of the water. Sprinkle cheese on the broccoli. The best and healthiest type of cheese to use for broccoli is the Mexican blend with reduced fat cheeses. It's available in a store brand and isn't any more expensive than the other types. Turn the heat down to low and let the cheese melt. The little bit of water left in the pan keeps it from burning. For the mixed vegetables, add some tub margarine like Country Crock Light, and stir it in thoroughly. 

  When the potatoes are finished baking, add tub margarine, reduced fat sour cream, and pepper. No salt is needed because the flavor is so good. Remember to eat the peel on the potato for a boost of fiber.    

MyPlate Complete Meals

  Since this blog is about healthy eating, I want to start featuring more full meals that match up with the MyPlate model and the 2010 Dietary Guidelines. The MyPlate model is a quick and easy way to think about meal planning. Just fill half of the plate with vegetables or fruits, one quarter with grains (preferably whole grains), and the last quarter with a lean protein (animal or plant). Top it off with low-fat milk, yogurt, or soy milk. 

http://www.choosemyplate.gov

A well balanced meal.

  Four of my recent posts are featured in this photo. Lean meatloaf, cornbread with a heart healthy fat source, a few slices of fried green tomatoes, and fresh, sliced heirloom tomatoes make a healthy, delicious, and filling meal. Have an 8 oz. glass of milk, or some yogurt or sugar-free pudding for daily calcium.

Fried Green Tomatoes

  Since tomatoes are now coming in from my little garden, I decided to fry up some of the green ones today. When made right, fried green tomatoes taste better then candy, and these are really good. I used whole wheat flour along with cornmeal, a small amount of sugar, and just a dash of salt, and lightly pan fried them in heart healthy vegetable oil. Draining on a wire rack helps to avoid sogginess. This recipe makes a lot of the coating, but it can be halved if needed. 

Ingredients:

4 to 5 green tomatoes, sliced

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons sugar

dash of salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions: 

Put cornmeal, flour, sugar, and salt on a dinner plate and stir together with a fork until well combined. 

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. 

Dredge sliced tomatoes in coating and fry on both sides until light brown. 

Place fried tomatoes on a wire rack to drain and cool. Eat within a few minutes of cooking.

Omelets

  Good Morning! One of my favorite breakfast foods is omelets. Not only are they are a good source of protein to keep you full during the day, they also allow you to have vegetables for breakfast! 

Tomato omelet. Yum yum.

  The omelet I made this morning has chopped garden fresh heirloom tomato and part-skim mozzarella cheese. Any vegetables that you like can be added. 

  Start off with a skillet on medium heat and spray it with some non-stick cooking spray. If you like onions and green peppers, add them first since they need to cook longer. Then add the softer veggies, like tomatoes, mushrooms, or raw spinach leaves. I would have never thought of putting spinach in an omelet until I had a veggie omelet at The Georgian Terrace Hotel in Atlanta, and it was amazing.

  Next, beat an egg with about a tablespoon of skim milk and pour it over the veggies. This is a Julia Child tip. Adding a little milk to an egg before you scramble it gives it a light, moist, fluffy texture. 

  Then top with some shredded cheese. I prefer part-skim mozzarella because it is the lowest in fat of all the natural cheeses. Specialty reduced fat cheeses tend to be kind of expensive, but they do taste good and are better for you.

Tomatoes!

  In early June I planted a flowerpot garden on the back deck of my house. Two of the tomato plants have grown really well, and they smell delightful. I had planted four tomato plants, but lost two of them because I planted them too deep and the stems rotted. The two that survived have some small green tomatoes on them now. The plants require a lot of water and some plant food. They are in a nice sunny spot where they can grow.

  I started the cantaloupes from seeds, and they are flowering nicely. I'm eager for some fresh cantaloupe. 

  I also planted a raspberry plant and some cherry pits in the two empty pots. We'll have to wait and see if they do any good, though.

Flowering cantaloupe plants.

Cantaloupe plants.

Little green tomatoes growing!

Surviving Summer Cookouts

  The 4th of July has passed, and I hope everyone had a good time grilling out and watching fireworks shows. Although the holiday is over, we are still in the middle of summer cookout season. Here are some tips for lower calorie foods and healthier cookouts. 

The Grill: 

  Meats typically used for grilling-hotdogs, sausages, and hamburgers-often contain high amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol. Look for reduced fat hotdogs, sausages made with chicken, lean hamburger meat, ground turkey for turkey burgers, or veggie burgers that can be grilled. 
  The grill is not just for meat, try grilling marinated vegetables like tomatoes, zucchini, onions, and peppers. They can be put on skewers or into aluminum foil. Chopped potatoes with the skins on are also great grilled in foil. Just spray some non-stick cooking spray onto aluminum foil, place a handful of potatoes or other vegetables in the middle, and wrap them up into little potato boats.
  Another opportunity to add some extra vegetables is in toppings, slice fresh tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers to top burgers and hotdogs. Also try whole wheat buns rather than white.

Salads and Side Dishes: 

  A nice, fresh salad is another great way to get some extra servings of vegetables. Top tossed salads with reduced fat dressing to lower the calories, but still get the health and taste benefits of polyunsaturated fats. Leave the peels on vegetables and fruits for more fiber and nutrients. Make potato salad with lite mayo and unpeeled potatoes. Use whole wheat pasta for pasta salads. Also try one of these Yummy Salads.

  Baked beans are a good source of fiber and protein, but can often contain a lot of extra sugar and saturated fat. If you are preparing baked beans, limit the amount of brown sugar and bacon fat that you add. Have a moderate sized serving, about 1/2 cup. Have chips in moderation, too. If that bag of potato chips is calling your name, go ahead and have a few to avoid feeling deprived and eating the whole bag.

Desserts:

  One of the best desserts in the summer is fresh fruit. Any variety is available this time of year, especially yummy berries. Try blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries over frozen yogurt or sorbet.

  Throw together your own Fresh Fruit Salad , or try my Fruit Salad recipe. Frozen bananas or other types of frozen fruit can be refreshing on a hot summer day.
  My American Flag Cake recipe is also a lighter option for a more traditional dessert.

Beverages:

  The best thing to drink in the heat to cool off and rehydrate is ice water. Since it can be a little boring sometimes,and not everyone likes water, lower calorie drinks like sugar-free lemonade or diet sodas are good, too. If you're planning to have alcohol at your cookout, go for light beer and spritzers.  

  Cookouts are a staple of the summer season. These healthy tips should keep you on track and eating right all summer long.

How to Make Healthy Nachos

As a dietitian, I'm always looking for ways to make foods healthier and to add extra vegetables to meals. Nachos are actually one of my favorite foods, but the typical nachos with salty cheese sauce would definitely be considered junk food. Preparing foods at home, rather than eating out, is a great way to reduce calories and improve the nutritional content of meals.

Start with tortilla chips, which are lower in saturated fat and sodium than most chips, just be aware of the serving size. Then add an assortment of your favorite vegetables, such as black beans, corn, tomatoes, peppers, and onions. Top them off with part-skim mozzarella cheese, which is the lowest fat natural cheese. Add salsa for another serving of vegetables. You can microwave each plate of nachos, or heat the ingredients in pots on the stove top when serving a group. Garnish with fresh lime and cilantro for extra flavor. I like to add a side salad with fresh greens and ranch dressing, as well.

Fresh Salads

Today I have 5 fresh salad recipes ideal for summer. 

Chunky Chicken Salad
Ingredients: 
2 1/2 lb. chicken breast 

1 1/2 cups celery

1 1/2 cups grapes (any variety)

1 cup pecans

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 cup lite mayo

Instructions:

Boil chicken until cooked thoroughly. Tear into bite-sized pieces. 

Chop celery, cut grapes in half, and break pecans in half. 

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. 

When boiling the chicken for this recipe, I like to use a chopped onion and a few stalks of celery, usually the yellow inner stalks from the bunch, with the leaves still on. Throw everything into a stock pot and cook the chicken. This makes the most delicious broth that can be drained and used later for any type of soup or dumplings! 

This recipe is also versatile. Any variety of grapes can be used, whatever you prefer or have on hand. The chicken salad is also good with some pineapple added. It's excellent on a green salad, a sandwich, or with some crackers.

Pear Spinach Salad

Ingredients: 

1 bag raw spinach leaves

1 ripe green pear

1 cup walnuts

2 cups raspberry vinaigrette dressing

Instructions:

Slice pears longways. 

Toss all ingredients together in a large salad bowl. 

Serve immediately. 

This salad is healthy, low calorie, and super quick and easy. The ingredients really don't even have to be measured. You can just toss everything together and add the dressing straight from the bottle. 

Summer Salad

Ingredients: 

1 small container cottage cheese

1 Tbsp. chopped green onion

1/2 cup finely chopped cucumber

1/2 cup finely chopped tomato

Instructions: 

Combine all ingredients. 

Refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to mingle.

Simple and delicious! 

The final 2 salads for this post are linked from previous articles on my blog. 

The first is my absolute favorite fruit salad ever, so enjoy! 

http://goodsouthernfood.blogspot.com/2011/02/aunties-fruit-salad-recipe.html

And the second is a delicious crab salad.

http://goodsouthernfood.blogspot.com/2011/02/seafood-recipe.html

Gardening

  Yesterday I planted four heirloom tomato plants and a packet of cantaloupe seeds in flower pots. I know it's a little late in the season to be starting a garden, but the plants look like they will do fine. Plus, everything was on sale! 
  Since I'm new to gardening, and don't have a good history of a green thumb, I used the flower pots, rather than tilling up a place in the yard. This makes the plants easier to manage, and more convenient to water. 
  In just a few weeks, I should have lots of yummy tomatoes and cantaloupes. I used heirloom tomato plants because, let's face it, what else is there? Heirloom tomatoes are so much juicer and flavorful than anything available in stores. When people tell me they don't like tomatoes, I always tell them it's because they haven't had an heirloom tomato. Cantaloupes ripened in the sun and picked on a nice warm day always taste better, too. 
  I'm looking forward to enjoying some fresh tomatoes and cantaloupes. I'll post more pictures when the harvest comes in! 

Heirloom tomato plants.

Cantaloupe and heirloom tomato plants.

 

New My Plate Food Guide From USDA

  The United States Department of Agriculture recently upgraded from the Food Guide Pyramid to the new My Plate food model. The plate method is something Dietitians, such as myself, have been using in nutrition education for a few years now, so it was a welcome change. The plate method is easier to follow than the old pyramid, as it gives a model for each meal, and encourages an increase in fruit and vegetable intake, more whole grains, and skim or 1% milk.  

   Follow this link to view the new My Plate model: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/

   The website has several helpful tools including the tip of the day, food tracker, and food planner, so take a few minutes to explore.
 The Dietary Guidelines for Americans were updated earlier in the year. Click this link to read my previous blog post on the guidelines: http://goodsouthernfood.blogspot.com/2011/02/new-dietary-guidelines-for-americans.html
 These links provide helpful website information on the updated Dietary Guidelines:
http://goodsouthernfood.blogspot.com/2011/02/httpwww.html  
http://goodsouthernfood.blogspot.com/2011/02/dietary-guidelines-executive-summary.html
http://goodsouthernfood.blogspot.com/2011/02/dietary-guidelines-selected-messages.html

Quick Quiche recipe

  This easy and healthy quiche is one of my mother's favorites. It was originally a Bisquick recipe that she found about 30 years ago. She has continued to use the recipe, with a few adjustments.   
  One of the best things about this quiche is that it can be altered with different vegetables or cheeses to suit everyone's own taste. Tomatoes, chopped ham, spinach, mushrooms, part-skim mozzarella cheese, or pepper jack cheese would all taste great. 
  The fact that the quiche is crustless reduces the calories, saturated fat, and trans fat significantly. It also has only 3 whole eggs in the entire 6 serving dish, but the whole eggs can be replaced with egg substitutes to reduce the cholesterol and saturated fat even more. 

Ingredients: 
2 cups fresh or frozen broccoli
   (Note: Do not cook the frozen broccoli.) 
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup green peppers, chopped
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups skim milk
3/4 cup Bisquick
3 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Instructions: 
Preheat oven to 400 F (reduce to 375 F for glass bakeware). 
Lightly grease 10 inch pie plate. 
Place broccoli, onion, green pepper, and cheese in pie plate. 
Beat remaining ingredients until smooth. Pour over vegetables. 
Bake 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Easter veggies

This is a link to the Fruits and Veggies More Matters page with some tips on adding vegetables to recipes. The first is for mac and cheese with added veggies, yum!
http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/?page_id=17626

Fresh Veggies!

Here's a healthy food tip. When you buy fresh vegetables, go ahead and wash them and and cut them up into ready to eat pieces so it will be convenient to grab the veggies for a snack, to eat with a meal, or for packing lunches. Store them in bags or plastic-ware in the refrigerator. Some vegetables will keep for up to a week.