Tag Archives: Food

Chard & Beans served with Sausage

Grilling tonight?  Try this Swiss Chard and Bean dish by itself , or served with grilled bread or sausage!

Sausage with Beans and Chard

SWISS CHARD is a power packed vegetable loaded with vitamins & minerals.  Looking for a great way to increase your calcium intake without drinking milk?   Try including Swiss Chard in your weekly diet!  Milk is a common way to ensure adequate calcium. However, swiss chard is a good substitute. One cup of chard has about 35% of the calcium (and only 35 calories) as one cup of 2% milk. Other nutrients include Vitamin K and A, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium and Zinc.
Chard is a relative of beets and spinach. It has a slightly bitter and salty flavor that becomes stronger as the leaves mature. Avoid brown or wilted leaves or leaves with small holes. To preserve freshness, store unused chard in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.

Grilled Sausage with Beans and Chard

  Serves 4-6.  Cooking time 25 min.’s

Ingredients
1 pound Chard each leaf cut into 4 pieces.
1/3 c. Olive Oil
2 Garlic Cloves peeled
1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
4-6 cups Boiled Cannellini Beans
Salt
1/4 tsp Nutmeg

Sliced toasted or grilled Ciabatta Bread or sliced baguette .

Directions:  To remove bitterness from leaves, fill a pan with 6 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add 1 Tbsp salt and cut chard leaves. Boil for 7 minutes. Remove from oven and empty contents of pan into a colander. Allow water to drain from chard for 1 minute. In a frying pan on medium heat add olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes, allow to saute` for 3 minutes.
Remove pan from heat and Add  the Chard and with 2 forks work Chard into the oil for 1 minute. Return pan to  heat and allow to cook for 3 minutes.
Add beans to  chard in frying pan.  Add 1 tsp salt and nutmeg, allow to continue to cook together for 3 minutes.

Best when served on a grilled piece of bread and topped off with extra virgin olive oil.  Absolutely delicious when served with sausage on the side.

Pomegranate Health Benefits

Pomegranate Seeds NutritionThe pomegranate fruit is obtained from a tree  that is originally native to the Southwest Asia and is cultivated since centuries together. Pomegranate is widely cultivated throughout the Afghanistan, Iran, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey, East Indies, Malaysia, tropical Africa and southeast Asia. Later on, it was also introduced to the US and Latin America. The fruit is typically available from November to February (in the northern hemisphere), while in southern hemisphere, it seasons from March to May. There are more than 750 species that are observed and cultivated all over the world for various purposes from eating to forming pomegranate juice.  The name pomegranate literally means “the apple with many seeds”. The number of seeds in a single fruit varies from 300-1000.

Pomegranate tree can live up to many years, which is an advantage for the pomegranate growers. This way, it enhances the outdoor decoration of the house with additional fruits provided. The fruit of pomegranate is ruby colored with many seeds that are both juicy and citrus in flavor. Pomegranate seeds nutrition facts are just numerous and therefore, pomegranate seeds are used for many purposes from ancient times.

Health Benefits of Pomegranate Seeds
Often called as super fruit, the invaluable pomegranate seeds are loaded with numerous antioxidant properties that are said to be three times higher than the green tea. As we know, antioxidants are very important to control the free radicals from the body that can cause several troubles to the body. Antioxidants also maintain and repair the damaged body cells.  Pomegranate is high in vitamin C, vitamin A, folic acid, vitamin E , fiber, potassium, iron and calcium.

This ‘magic fruit’ is a bliss for the heart health, as regular intake of pomegranate seeds or pomegranate juice promotes:
Cardio health and reduces risk of strokes and heart attacks.
Contributes to proper thinning of the blood, reduce blood pressure levels, increase blood flow towards heart.                 Maintains good cholesterol levels (so that HDL cholesterol is elevated) and reduces arterial plaques.
Reduces symptoms of:
Anemia (add 1 tsp of cinnamon & honey to 1 cup of 100 % Pomegranate Juice)
Arthritis
Osteoporosis
Skin allergies
Skin disorders
Urinary tract infections
Wheezing linked to asthma
Sore throats
Tapeworms
Digestive disorders
Blood impurities
Anemia
Diabetes
Read on for health benefits of pomegranate juice.

Researchers are carefully observing the effects of pomegranate juice and prostate cancer as well as skin cancer. There are numerous products that are used by the pomegranate seeds including: pomegranate seed oil , pomegranate dietary supplements, pomegranate extracts and pomegranate concentrated juice.

Due to the polyphenols (anti oxidant) within this wonderful fruit it’s nutrition promotes anti inflammatory effects which strengthens the immune system, wound repair and reduces skin wrinkling making it’s derivites the most sought after when addressing skin remedies.

Eat, Drink and Enjoy!

RECIPE

Pomegranate Apple Salad

Red seeds from a Pomegranate
1 Apple diced (remove core)
1/4 c. Feta Cheese crumbled (optional)
Lettuce Leaves: Endive, Rucula  (Arugula), Spinach, Green Leaf Lettuce. Tear into bite size.
Dressing
1/3 c Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese grated

Wash Pomegranate, Apple and Lettuce leaves. Over a salad bowl cut Pomegranate into quarter pieces, invert each piece so that the skin is push inward and the seeds com outward. Seeds will easily come out. Make sure to remove white pith that the seeds are attached to, discard pith. Cut apple in half, remove and discard seeds. Cut apple into chunks place into bowl. Add feta cheese and lettuce into salad to salad bowl.
Toss well so that all ingredients are incorporated.

Place all Dressing ingredients into a bottle or bowl, cover tightly, shake ingredients so that they are well combined. Pour dressing onto salad 5-10 minutes before serving.

Calorie Reduction, Keeping it Tastey

Yes, recipes can be altered in order to reduce calories without sacrificing taste.

Incorporate these cooking tricks  to enhance meals and desserts.  Use equal amounts of oil for melted shortening, margarine or butter. HEALTHY OILS: Olive Oil, Canola Oil

Shortening, butter, or oil in baking
Use applesauce, prune puree or low fat yogurt to replace butter, shortening or oil in the exact amount. May need to reduce baking time by 25% to avoid a dry cake.

Butter is still the best when it comes to making pie crusts. Reduce the serving size that you put on your plate and top off with fresh cut fruit!

Whole milk, half and half or evaporated milk
Replace with skim milk, 1% milk, evaporated skim milk, fat-free half and half , or plain soymilk with calcium.

Butter, shortening, margarine, or oil to prevent sticking. Fat to sauté or stir-fry.
When sauteing foods, use cooking spray, water, broth or nonstick pans. Use ¼ c. Canola Oil at medium temp to fry foods.

Full-fat cream cheese
Substitute with low-fat or nonfat cream cheese, Neufchatel or low-fat cottage cheese puree until smooth. Use low-fat yogurt to replace higher fat dairies in recipes. In some cases fruit flavored low-fat yogurt is also a good substitute.

Full-fat sour cream
Full-fat cottage cheese
Full-fat Ricotta cheese
Use nonfat or reduced fat sour cream or fat-free plain yogurt. (Yogurt is not heat stable.) Use 2% or fat-free cottage cheese. Use part-skim ricotta.

Cream
Whipping cream
Try utilizing evaporated skim milk
Use non fat whipped topping or cream (This is only non fat if one serving size is used.)

Eggs
Use egg whites (usually 2 egg whites for every egg) or ¼ cup egg substitute.
Whole fat cheese
Use reduced fat cheese, but add it at the end of the baking time or use part skim mozzarella.

Frying in fat
Try other effective cooking methods such as: bake, boil, broil, grill, poach, roast, stir-fry, or microwave.

Regular mayonnaise or salad dressing
Low fat, reduced or non fat mayonnaise or salad dressing. Top off salads: Whisk lemon juice, oil, oregano and pepper together.

Canned fish
Buy water-packed canned products.

Fat cuts of meat w skin on
Leaner cuts of meat or ground meat, remove skin before cooking.

By: Kimberly Crocker

Salsa, Guacamole Dips tied to Food Poisoning: CDC

Please remember to place dips into small containers for refrigeration, or which may also be frozen in order to avoid food poisoning.  Homemade dips should have all vegetables washed in the home. Best practices on washing vegetables:  2 tablespoons of baking soda into 4 cups of water, allow vegetables and fruit to sit in water for 5 minutes, rinse well before preparation of  food.  KMC

Rita Maas (Photo by Getty Images)

“WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Contaminated salsa and guacamole dips are common causes of food poisoning in restaurants, and food workers need to take greater care, researchers told a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention meeting on Monday.   

They said nearly one of every 25 traceable outbreaks of foodborne disease between 1998 and 2008 began with one of the increasingly popular dips, which are made using onions, tomatoes, peppers, avocados, herbs and other ingredients.

“Possible reasons salsa and guacamole can pose a risk for foodborne illness is that they may not be refrigerated appropriately and are often made in large batches, so even a small amount of contamination can affect many customers,” said Magdalena Kendall or the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education.

“Awareness that salsa and guacamole can transmit foodborne illness, particularly in restaurants, is key to preventing future outbreaks,” Kendall, who worked on the study, said in a statement.

“Salsa and guacamole often contain diced raw produce, including hot peppers, tomatoes and cilantro, each of which has been implicated in past outbreaks.”

Kendall and colleagues analyzed all outbreaks of foodborne illness reported to the CDC. None were associated with salsa or guacamole before 1984, they found, but by 1998 to 2008 the two dips accounted for 3.9 percent of outbreaks traced to restaurants.

“We want restaurants and anyone preparing fresh salsa and guacamole at home to be aware that these foods containing raw ingredients should be carefully prepared and refrigerated  to help prevent illness,” Kendall said.

In March a coalition of consumer and public health groups said foodborne illnesses cost the United States $152 billion in health-related expenses each year.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill a year ago to reorganize the convoluted U.S. food safety system, but the Senate has yet to act, despite broad bipartisan agreement on the issue.

The CDC estimates that 76 million people in the United States get sick each year with foodborne illness and 5,000 die.”

(Editing by Paul Simao)

Resourse: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100712/hl_nm/us_food_usa_salsa

Southern Italian Lasagna

Delicious Italian Lasagna commonly served in Southern Italy. Buon Appetito!

Lasagna in an hour!

1 Carrot’s diced
1 Celery stalks diced
1/2 Onion diced
1/3 cup Olive Oil
1/2 pound ground meat
2 28 ounces tomato sauce (unseasoned)
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup water
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 cups Mozzarella Cheese (shredded) 250 g freshly cut Mozzarella
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1 box Barilla Lasagna

*Optional: Consider enhancing your Lasagna providing a slight creamy taste and reducing the tomato flavor.
Additional foods that will make your dining experience more tasty:
1 hard boiled egg. Peeled sliced and added into a layer of the lasagna.
6 slices. ham Place ham slices into lasagna and reduce salt granule’s by 1/2 tsp.
6-10 Basil Leaves or (1/2 tsp dried basil) Steps up the meaning of Party!

If adding in the egg slices for additional protein: On high heat, place a sauce pan with 2 cups of water and uncooked egg. Allow to boil for 15 minutes.

In a separate large pan combine vegetables, meat and oil and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, using a wooden spoon to break to pieces the ground beef and to combine with vegetables. Add wine and cover for 5 minutes. Reduce to medium-low heat.  Add sauce, milk, water and salt.  Placing a wooden spoon on top of pan, place lid so that is slightly tilted which will allow for water vapor to escape. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Add basil leaves. Turn off stove and remove from heat.

Pre-heat oven to 350 F or 180 C.

In a 9×11 cake size pan add to bottom of pan 3-4 large ladles of sauce. Add 4 pasta sheets distributed side by side in pan. Add 2-3 ladles of  sauce to cover pasta. Place on a layer of mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle on 1 tablespoon of parmesan (OPTIONAL: place egg slices all over sauce covered pasta.)
Add second layer of 4 pasta sheets distribute so they are side by side. Pour 2-3 ladles of  sauce to cover pasta. Place on a layer of 6 mozzarella slices. Sprinkle on 1 tablespoon of parmesan (OPTIONAL: evenly distribute ham slices)
Add third layer of 4 pasta sheets distributed side by side in pan. Pour 2-3 ladles of  sauce to cover pasta. Place on a layer of mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle on 1 tablespoon of parmesan.
Add fourth layer of 4 pasta sheets distributed side by side in pan. Pour 2-3 ladles of  sauce to cover pasta. Place on a layer of mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle on 2-3 tablespoons of parmesan.

SECRET TRICK to ensure perfect lasagna! Look at the constructed lasagna in the baking pan. The sauce on the side of the lasagna should stop and not elevate past the side of the third pasta layer. There is sauce on the fourth layer with cheese; you are looking for about 1/4 inch of space between the fluid which stops at the third layer and does not rise to the last layer. It will be “soupy” if the sauce on the side of the lasagna completely evens out with the fourth layer.

Place in oven and allow to bake covered with aluminum foil for 20 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and allow lasagna to cook uncovered for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to sit and cool down for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.