Tag: healthy eating
Fennel Carrot & Beet Salad with Orange Dressing
This is a delicious salad, inspired by Martha Stewart. I watched her during the holidays and this was a salad she made with roast pork.. but I think it would be great with a yummy pasta dish. It is especially very nice in the winter as it includes beets, carrots and fennel. All the veggies are grated or sliced. The mixture of all the colors is beautiful.
I made it easy and bought shredded carrots. I peeled the beets and grated them using a box grater. I used my trustee mandolin to slice the fennel. One could just use a sharp knife to slice the fennel thin as well.
The great thing about this salad is that one can make it in advance. The flavors and colors meld together and taste delicious.
I made an orange dressing with fresh orange juice, agave, Dijon mustard and white wine vinegar- very simple and yet very flavorful!
The salad was delicious and full of crunch!
- 2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and peeled and sliced thin
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 2 medium beets, grated
Place all the grated and sliced vegetables into a salad bowl. Mix well and keep aside.
- ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 3 teaspoons agave
- 4 to 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (depends how tart you like your dressing)
- Salt
- Pepper
Place the orange juice, vinegar, mustard, agave, oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Place a lid and shake for 30 seconds or till the dressing is emulsified.
Dress the salad half an hour before serving. Check for seasonings and serve.
Pan Seared Flounder with Bok Choy Tofu Noodles
If you are trying to feed your kids less pasta- you need to try this dish. A few months ago, I started buying tofu noodles (shirataki noodles) from an Asian store. Later I noticed them in my regular super market and was thrilled. They are very low in calories and are delicious. The texture is a bit different and might need a bit getting used to- but sky is the limit with them.
I usually use them in Asian preparations but they can be used in anything. My daughter loves, loves them. When I was planning on making this dish, I made sure I bought enough packs of these noodles (each pack is a small quantity). I actually bought five to make sure all three of us get enough noodles. I then sautéed some delicious flounder which I sprinkled with a spice mix. The dish was delicious with sautéed bok choy with the noodles and the fish. I used a bit more chicken broth to mimic some of the delicious noodle soups we have been having at Asian restaurants.
The dish was a big success! Try this super healthy meal…
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Brown Rice with Minted Green Peas
I served this super healthy rice dish with the lentils I made yesterday. I love when I am able to make very flavorful dishes that are good for you. Especially when I am feeding my daughter and husband. As the cook in the family, I feel responsible for feeding them delicious and healthy food. I want to make sure my daughter grows up learning healthy eating habits.
This takes absolutely no time at all. I had cooked brown rice in the fridge so it didn’t take me long at all. You can also use the frozen brown rice available at Trader Joes. I always have some on hand. It is great for a quick meal.
For this dish, all I did was saute a shallot in some olive oil. I then added some sweet, frozen peas and chopped mint. The rice came next with a bit of salt. That it- all done. It was delicious with the brown lentils. It was a healthy meal we all enjoyed…
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Indian Style Sauteed Mushrooms and Peas
I love mushrooms- I can eat them three times a day, seven days a week. My daughter is the same way- she especially loves mushrooms on her pizza. She is very particular about the kind of mushroom on the pizza, though- they can be canned ones. She wants the fresh ones- I don’t blame her.
Anyway, this is a great side dish to make with any entree with chicken, fish or pork.
It is very easy to make. I sauteed the mushrooms with onions, garlic and cumin seeds. Once the mushrooms are cooked down and all the water is evaporated, I added the peas. They add great color and a yummy sweetness to the dish.
We had it with some sauteed chicken sausages but this concoction will be delicious on top of pizza as well. Try this mushrooms and peas dish- you will love it…
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Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution- A Few More Comments…
So the show came to an end last Friday and my daughter was quite upset knowing this was the last of Jamie Oliver for a while. I am not sure if the show is coming back at all- I didn’t tell her that.
What was the show about, you ask? Well, much of the same but also that Jamie returned to the elementary school where it all began. Turns out, since the school started serving fresh food, they had a surplus of frozen, processed food sitting in the warehouse. In order to use it up, they decided to introduce ‘junk food’ Fridays. Seriously? They couldn’t come up with any other solutions other than feeding the kids that crap food again??
Another problem was surfacing at the same time. A lot of kids not wanting to eat the healthy food at school, were now bringing their own lunch. Ordinarily home cooked lunches would be ideal- well, only if the parents are knowledgeable about healthy eating.
As Jamie walked in the cafeteria while the elementary kids ate, he looked through their brown bag lunches and you wouldn’t believe what he found. Jello, juice, candy and potato chips for lunch. I was horrified! Some kids had lunchables– which is a packaged lunch available at the super markets filled with salt, fat and God knows what. What happened to regular sandwiches for lunch??? There are so many ways to pack a healthy lunch for your child- a delicious sandwich made with whole-wheat bread, some fresh fruit and maybe a small cookie for dessert.
I don’t even know what to say about the potato chips and candy for lunch- I can’t believe someone would pack that for their kids. People are so busy these days and are always looking for fast and easy solutions for everything- including what we feed our kids- not realizing what it is doing to their bodies. As parents, it is up to us, to instill healthy eating habits in our kids so they can grow up to be healthy adults.
In a way I am happy the show has come to an end for now- I am not sure if I can handle the stress I feel after watching an hour of it…
Want Milk? Jamie Oliver Food Revolution Continued…
One more week of the food revolution reality show left on ABC- I can’t believe the season finale is next week. As I mentioned before, my daughter and I watch this fascinated show together. Last week’s show was no exception. Curled up in bed together, we watched the show on the weekend.
This particular show had the usual theme of showcasing all the unhealthy foods our kids get to eat in their schools. Besides introducing dishes made with fresh food, Jamie also eliminated things like chocolate and strawberry milk. Only plain, low-fat milk was left for the kids to drink.
When he returned to the school, all was going as planned, except for the milk. The flavored milk bottles were back and when he noticed the kids picking up their lunch, most of them opted for the flavored milk.
When my daughter started kindergarten, she was not interested in eating at the school cafeteria- which was just fine with me. As she got more comfortable in the school, she wanted to buy a drink to have with her homemade lunch. That was fine with me until I saw she was purchasing chocolate milk. I sat her down and explained to her that flavored milks have tons of sugar and most of them have high fructose corn syrup. I told her I can make chocolate milk for her at home and pack it for her but I didn’t want her to drink the one available at school. She understood what I was saying but still wanted to buy the one at school. We agreed on maybe purchasing a carton once a week.
I agree with Jamie Oliver and think the kids shouldn’t be given a choice between the ‘boring’ plain milk and the sugar laden flavored milk. Kids don’t know what is best for them and need to be told what to eat and drink- so they can grown up knowing what is healthy.
The Monday after watching the show, I forgot to pack a drink with my daughter’s lunch. I asked her what she bought at school- and she told me plain milk. I was extremely happy knowing she made the right decision, on her own. It is so important to equip your child with information about good food and nutrition. They may wander off and eat what they like as they get older, but will eventually get back to eating healthy- especially if they have all the information as they grow.
Please do your bit and sign the petition …
Healthy Tuna Salad with Tamarind Vinaigrette
I love tuna salad, especially made with lots of mayonnaise- but then I saw how many calories one tablespoon has- can you guess? A whopping 90 calories!! I just couldn’t get myself to make tuna salad for myself after getting the calories and fat facts.
Since I have been eating the GG crackers, I have been making cold salads for lunch. I thoughts of tuna the other day and felt like eating my usual tuna salad but I knew I couldn’t do it with the usual suspects. So, I took out one of my favorite ingredients- Greek yogurt. I always have the non-fat version in my fridge and I decided to use that as the base. I added Dijon mustard, sweet pickled relish and jalapenos. I love the sweet, salty and spicy combination. I added lots of black pepper and some salt. The idea was to add lots of flavor so I don’t miss the mayo- and I didn’t.
The tuna was delicious, especially with the tamarind vinaigrette drizzled on top of it. I was happy to eat a really healthy yet satisfying lunch.
Next time you are in the mood for tuna salad, give mine a try.
- One (6 oz) tuna can- either packed in water or oil and liquid squeezed out
- ¼ cup non-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Dash of hot sauce
- 2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
- 1 teaspoon chopped pickled jalapenos- optional
- Salt
Add the tuna to a small bowl and add the yogurt, mustard, hot sauce, relish, jalapenos and salt. Mix well and check for seasonings. Keep aside. Enough for two servings.
Prepare to platter with a mix of greens, carrots, etc. Add half of the tuna salad on top and drizzle with tamarind vinaigrette.
Tamarind Vinaigrette
- 1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Add the tamarind concentrate, mustard, honey, white wine vinegar and salt in a small bowl. Drizzle the olive oil while whisking the mixture until it is emulsified. Pour on to of the tuna and green salad. Serve with the GG crackers.