Christmas Panettone December 25, 2009

Jamie says:  Merry Christmas!  I am so thankful for all of the many blessings in my life, especially my wonderful family.  I have been enjoying all of the family holiday festivities.  Last night, we had a beautiful Christmas Eve party at our house, too.

Last Christmas, my Great Aunt and Uncle sent us a Williams-Sonoma Panettone with Glazed Chestnuts.  My family loved it so much that my Mom bought us one this year.  (Panettone is a cake-like bread that is traditionally served in Italy on Christmas.)  Although this Williams-Sonoma treat is quite expensive (about $40), the flavor is out of this world!   Today for Christmas breakfast, I made panettone french toast.  I cut slices of panettone, quickly dipped them in a mix of eggs and skim milk, and cooked them on the griddle until the slices was nice and brown.  The dried chestnuts pieces in the bread are amazing.  The bread is so sweet.  If you ever have the chance to try panettone, don’t miss out.  Panettone is such a treat.  “It’s no Christmas fruit cake!”

Nutrition note:  When cooking with eggs, don’t dump the yolk.  Just go easy on the amount of eggs you eat.  Although the yolk does contain fat and cholesterol, it has many important nutrients in it, such as vitamin D and vitamin E.

Toasted Garlic and Herb Yellow Squash December 23, 2009

Jamie says:  It was nice- all us ladies were in the kitchen together creating our own dishes for dinner.  Mom was working away preparing a delicious pork recipe with orange marmalade and mushrooms, Kathryn was experimenting with a mashed cauliflower recipe, and I found some yellow squash in the refrigerator to work with.  I quartered the squash and drizzled extra virgin olive oil on top.  I minced up some fresh garlic and sprinkled sea salt, dried parsley, and dried rosemary on top; and into the oven it went with Mom’s pork roast.  Our dishes came together nicely.  I enjoyed looking at our Christmas tree all lit-up and dressed-up during dinner.

Nutrition note:  Try to eat a variety of vegetables.  There are 5 vegetable subgroups- dark green, orange, beans & peas, starchy, and other.  The different subgroups offer different nutrients important for good health.  Squash falls into the other vegetable subgroup.

Let It Snow Brownies December 22, 2009

Jamie says:  Holiday baking can be so much fun.  When we was younger, Kathryn and I used to bake dozens of cookies with Mom and Aunt Angi for an annual Mother-Daughter cookie exchange.  We would bring home all sorts of different cookies.  This year, I felt like having a similar variety of treats.  The first dessert I whipped up was Mocha Brownies- or Let It Snow Brownies- as I would like to call my modification of the recipe.  My Mom introduced me to this recipe from the Williams-Sonoma Picnics and Tailgates Cookbook.  First, I preheated the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.  Next, I melted 3/4 cup Smart Balance Buttery Spread and 4 oz unsweetened Baker’s chocolate in the microwave.  In a medium-sized bowl, I dissolved 2 tablespoons of instant coffee in 1 tablespoon of very hot water.  I then added the chocolate-butter mixture to this bowl, along with 2 cups of sugar, 4 eggs (I realized I only had 2…thank goodness for good neighbors), 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt.  I mixed this using a rubber spatula.  I baked for about 30 minutes (toothpick should come out clean and brownies should be fudgy), allowed the brownies to cool, and then sliced 24 brownies.  I then used Martha Stewart Cupcake and Cookie Stencils and spooned confectioners’ sugar on top to make the pretty holiday designs.  They were delicious and really quite pretty.  My favorite design was the snowflake!

Nutrition note:  Be conscious of portion sizes, especially of sweets.  One of these brownies contains about 180 calories.

Stuffed Peppers December 21, 2009

Jamie says:  My Mom and Grandma are both wonderful cooks.  They make delicious stuffed peppers, too.  I would like to dedicate this pepper to my Grandmother.  Her style?  “Whatever falls out of the freezer.”  So, the other day I was leaving to come home for Christmas break, and there’s usually not too much left to cook by this time.  But, I had a green pepper and a couple of things that I wanted to use up.  So, I cooked like my Grandmother does.  I sliced the green pepper in half and stuffed it with two pieces of whole wheat bread (toasted, from the freezer), leftover anchovies from pizza night, the last of the low-fat mozzarella cheese, the half of tomato that was in the fridge, some minced garlic, basil, and salt and pepper.  I drizzled some extra virgin olive oil in the pepper and covered the outside with it, too.  I poured a small can of tomato sauce on top and baked it in the oven for about 50 minutes at 375 degrees next to my chopped sweet potatoes.  I made the sweet potatoes with extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic, and salt and pepper.  It was the perfect lunch.  Kathryn was so appreciative.  I think it was an “eye-closer” for Kathryn, which means the meal received her golden seal of approval.  K and I drove home with happy stomachs.   

Nutrition note:  Garlic is good for the immune system, has anti-tumor effects, and is an antioxidant.

Mac & Cheese with Style December 20, 2009

Jamie says:  I was in the mood for some mac & cheese, so I got out the large pot and boiled some whole grain ziti.  In the top of the pot, there’s a steaming basket, so I chopped up some fresh broccoli, threw it in, and put the lid on top of the pot.  I used the last of the onions from the 5 lb bag Mom and Dad brought us from their trip to Georgia.  I sliced the onion and sautéed the slices in a frying pan with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper until it caramelized.  I combined all the ingredients and poured in some Publix shaved parmesan cheese.  Kathryn came home just as I finished.  Perfect timing.  We both really enjoyed dinner.  And my mac & cheese craving was mostly satisfied. 

Nutrition note: Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable.  Cruciferous vegetables can help protect the body from cancer.

Yellow Tomatoes December 19, 2009

Jamie says:  I was grocery shopping at Publix and I saw yellow tomatoes in the produce section for the first time.  They were a lot more expensive than the red tomatoes, but I really wanted to try one.  It was worth the splurge.  I chopped them up and put them over spinach to make a salad.  I drizzled extra virgin olive oil on top and added sea salt and freshly ground pepper.  The combination is amazing.  To accompany my salad, I made grilled cheese with sliced low-fat mozzarella cheese and whole wheat bread.  Now that’s what I call a grown-up grilled cheese lunch.  I would highly recommend trying a yellow tomato if you haven’t already. 

Nutrition note:  Aim to increase your whole grain consumption.  Whole grain products offer the benefits of fiber and many other important nutrients, including magnesium (important in bone integrity and many reactions that occur in the body, including metabolism) and selenium (an antioxidant).

Pink Milk! December 18, 2009

Jamie says:  I love leftovers, or should I say good leftovers.  I used the leftover sweetened Publix Nutty Nuggets that I made the other day as a cereal for breakfast.  (To make the sweetened Nutty Nuggets, I had heated Smart Balance Omega 3 spread, cinnamon, light brown sugar, honey, and Nutty Nuggets in a pan.)  I added Publix frozen cherries and skim milk to the Nutty Nuggets for a special and sweet breakfast.  I like how the frozen cherries (or any frozen fruit) make the milk really cold and turns the milk bright pink.  I bet kids would love this, and there’s no artificial coloring either.

Nutrition note:  Go skim.  Although fat is an important part of the diet, the fat in milk is not the good type (saturated fat).  The unsaturated fats are the heart-healthy fats.  So stick with skim (fat-free) or low-fat milk.

Frozen Yogurt Banana Treat December 17, 2009

Jamie says:  I bought a box of Publix Nutty Nuggets (the generic brand of Grape Nuts) as a potential cereal to use for a project.  Although I did not end up choosing this cereal for the project, I was intrigued by the recipe on the side of the box.  So, I tried it out.  It was quite easy.  In a pan, I melted Smart Balance Omega 3 spread (the recipe had called for butter).  I then added cinnamon, light brown sugar,  honey, and the Nutty Nuggets and heated it for about 8 minutes.  The sweetened Nutty Nuggets tasted a lot more palatable than the plain cereal; and were actually quite tasty- almost like a granola bar.  From here, I made the recipe my own.  I covered the banana with a 4 oz container of Dannon Activia Vanilla Yogurt, and then topped it with peanuts, raisins, and the Nutty Nugget recipe.  Into the freezer it went that afternoon, and out it came for breakfast.  It was so good and really filling.  I would recommend slicing the banana first so that you don’t break the plastic bowl trying to cut the banana (oops).

Nutrition note:  Begin your day right by eating breakfast.  Among many other benefits, it will give you energy, reduce hunger throughout your day, and help you perform better.

Bagels December 16, 2009

Jamie says:  I finally got my bagel!  I had been craving one for over a week.  I purchased a bag of Thomas’ everything bagels one night at Target!  They were on sale, too.  Can’t beat that.  I put the bag in the freezer to keep them fresh (putting bread in the refrigerator actually causes bread to stale even faster than if it were left on the counter; but freezing is the best- it slows down this process).  I have been enjoying my private stash of bagels.  I made a scrambled egg sandwich with mozzarella cheese using one bagel.  I had another with cream cheese and strawberry preserves.  With a half of a bagel (pictured), I made an open-faced sandwich on a toasted bagel with sliced Boar’s Head turkey, chopped tomatoes, and spinach and onions that I sautéed on the stove top with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper.  (Hint: if the bagel does not fit in your toaster, you can lay it on top of the toaster and move it around to toast it.)  The sandwich was very flavorful.  My bagel craving has been satisfied.

Nutrition note:  Vitamin C improves iron absorption.  For example, the vitamin C in the tomato can help you absorb the iron in the spinach better.

Thankgiving Breakfast November 27, 2009

Jamie says:  I hope everyone is having a very happy Thanksgiving holiday.  I enjoyed watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and doing some Turkey Day baking.  I woke up early, so I started working on Thanksgiving breakfast.  I set the table with our Christmas Spode to kick off the Christmas season.  My contribution to breakfast was a fresh fruit salad made with an array of fruits- bananas, grapes, kiwi, oranges, watermelon, raspberries, and pomegranate seeds.  It was beautiful, delicious, and healthy.  Mom and Dad soon joined me in the kitchen- scrambling eggs, heating up the bacon, pouring tea, coffee, and juice, and bringing Mom’s tasty pumpkin bread to the table.  I also toasted up some English muffins.  I spread my Mom’s homemade cranberries on one half and made an open-faced egg sandwich with the other half.  We sat down to breakfast just in time to watch the ribbon cutting of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade- perfect timing!  We had a beautiful holiday together.  Happy Left-over Day!

Nutrition note:  There are no “bad” foods, just foods that should be enjoyed occasionally.  Everything can be enjoyed in moderation and part of a balanced diet.