It’s been 1.5 years since my last post, but I think it is time for a blog renaissance here in early 2013! Stay tunned for simple recipes, product reviews and more!
Tomato and Avocado Salad
Source: Curtis Stone
Serves 8
All YOU NEED -
2 ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 cucumber, coarsely chopped
1/3 whole avocado, chopped
20 Hy-Vee large ripe olives, coarsely chopped
3 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1.5 tbsp Grand Selections balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. Grand selections olive oil
Freshly ground Hy-Vee sea salt and freshly cracked Hy-Vee black pepper, to taste.
ALL YOU DO -
- For salad, in a large bowl, combine tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, olives and basil
2 For vinaigrette, in a small bowl, whisk together vinegar and olive oil.
- Evenly divide salad among 8 salad plates. Drizzle with vinaigrette. Season individual servings to taste with sea salt and black pepper.
Nutrition Facts per serving: 60 calories, 5g fat, 0g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 100 mg sodium, 4g carbohydrates, 1g fiber, 2g sugar, 1g protein.
Daily Values: 6% vitamin A, 15% vitamin C, 2% calcium, 2% iron.
Where has time gone? It has been about a week since I updated my blog! Don't worry I will make it up to you by revealing that Curtis Stone recipe I would not give to you a 1-2 weeks ago and mention another great summer-time recipe that also includes basil and is very simple! I think you are going to like it..but that will have to wait until tomorrow...my brain is too fried right now...It is time for relaxation time...I think I will read a few chapter's of a book I got a week ago "Pickled, potted and canned - How the Art and Science of Food Preserving Changed the World." Yep, I am such a neard.
Nothing exciting on today's plate...let's see there was some kashi cereal, almond milk, some dried figs, a huge chunk of awesome watermelon, some 100 calorie-pack popcorn, plain Greek yogurt, roasted pistachios, 1 cup of huge green olives, 2 small squares of Domino’s pizza with some greens to go with it and a ice-cream sandwich (yes..the Swan’s man has the best ones ever – taste the same as they did when I was a kid). I would say today.. I was …all about the grazing. Wednesday is my day off from Hy-Vee but that does not mean it is actually a complete day off…I work on my personal training stuff and do continuing education stuff on Wednesdays. Of course, there is always housework to do too.
Time to go, Off to the Deck to read "Pickled, Potted and Canned!"
Amy
I love hummus...all different brand and varieties. I was so excited when Wild Garden Hummus came out with "single serve" packs (available in the Owatonna Hy-Vee HealthMarket). These "little guys" were a dietitian's savior on my camping trip this past weekend. So filling, so yummy, so portable…they can even go with you when you go tubing down a river! The single-serve packs appear to be quite water proof. I think I ate hummus alone or with something else for just about every meal on my camping trip. People may have chuckled…but at least I was not chronically hungry on our 5 hour journey down the river or until we reached civilization again late the next day. Yes, apples, almonds, hummus, trail mix, more hummus, and hummus on a single-hot dog are all that I ate for supper, breakfast and lunch for about one day…oh and a beer or two. The combination of fiber, protein and carbs in these foods allowed me to feel full and feel energized...while also keeping everyone happy by...packing light. Although I only had 2 bears the b vitamins and other nutrients in the hummus and nuts probably did not hurt...either. Whops...almost forgot I had some beef jerkey with me too! yumm
Smart Chicken® Brats:
Smart Chicken® brats are the closest thing you will taste to the “real thing,” without the artery clogging “saturated fat.” No kidding, to me they taste like the real deal! I should know, I am from Wisconsin and I am half-German! Ok so that does not really make me an expert – but it does sound convincing
– right! Now, the true test would be offering one to my grandfather to see if he notices the difference!
Regular brats have around 220 calories, 22g of total fat and 8g saturated fat. Smart Chicken® Brats contain only 160 calories, 7g fat and 2g saturated fat. Quite the difference! Fat is cut by 1/3rd, saturated fat by 1/4th! OK, don’t ask about the sodium – it is still pretty high in the chicken brat!
Additional tip: Fill up on fewer calories and add nutrition by using plenty of grilled vegetables, lettuce, Sauerkraut (if you like it) and whole grain bread! And always, keep your portions in check by only having one brat! This weekend I had my “Smart Chicken® brat” with grilled peppers, onions and mushrooms. Delicious!
Stay tuned for more…
PS. Cooking demo this Friday, July 8th at ~3:15 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. at the Owatonna Hy-Vee!
Amy, your Owatonna-Waseca Hy-Vee registered dietitian.
Two Thumbs Up for This Curtis Stone – Recipe He is on TV, there is a life-sized cut out of him in the Owatonna Hy-Vee floral department, and his recipes are featured in the Season’s magazine and Hy-Vee stores. However, I just had to know…are his recipes as good as Curtis Stone’s striking good looks?
So, I was craving something seasonal, fresh and new to try to go along with the hot and sunny weather we are supposed to have this week (keeping my fingers crossed). Then I came across the Curtis Stone display (near the meat department in the Owatonna store) and saw a recipe with cucumbers, tomatoes and avocado on it called “Tomato and Avocado Salad.” So I thought, why not…it sounds delicious; I will give it a try. I gathered the ingredients, went home and whipped up the recipe in 15 minutes and decided to take it and eat it at lunch today on top of a bed of mixed greens and some cottage cheese.
The verdict? Yum…boy, is that good! If you like avocadoes, basil, tomatoes, olives, balsamic vinegar or anything Mediterranean-like, you will love this recipe! Sorry, not giving any more details at this time. You will have to head to your local Hy-Vee store while recipes last! Or, you will just have to contact me via e-mail or phone at Hy-Vee (e-mail: ascheuerell@hy-vee.com / Owatonna Hy-Vee: 507-451-0138/ (507) 835-8030).
Enjoy the good weather while it lasts and eat some Tomato and Avocado Salad for the 4th of July or …just because!
Amy, your Owatonna-Waseca Hy-Vee registered dietitian
P.S. Don’t forget to come to my Healthy Meals in a Hurry Cooking Demonstration on Thursday or Friday. We will be featuring a salad you just can’t miss: Strawberry – Lime Poppy Seed Chicken Salad. Check my schedule of events at the store or online at the Owatonna-Hy-Vee web page.
I have been on a mad search for the perfect fig recipe to go with this summer’s “Sun King’s Garden theme.” In July, I will be featuring dried figs. Why? Not just because they were one of King Louis XIV’s favorites, but also because they are full of fiber, one of my favorite “sports fuels,” and considered by some culinary resources “the new IT food.”
A tried several different combinations: figs in a salad with balsamic vinegar, figs with peaches, figs with prosciutto, fig pizza you name it. However, there is one combination that “had me at first bite.” You may not believe in “love at first site”…but…I bet you do believe in “love at first bite”...for food that is.
So enough build up… here is the combination: figs, pistachios and ricotta cheese. It was an appetizer recipe I got off of foodntework.com. The original recipe, called “Figs with Ricotta, Pistachio & Honey.” was created by Food Network dietitian, Ellie Krieger. However, I thought this combination could be more than just a one-bit appetizer. So I created my own twists on the original recipe…so that “our relationship” would last longer and be more meaningful.
Here is what I came up with:
Summary of recipe:
Nutty-Fig Crepe or Tortilla Wraps Servings: 4
1/4 cup of honey
4 crepes or whole-grain tortillas
1 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
1/2 cup roasted pistachios with shells removed
Optional: add a few raspberry halves inside and/or on top as a garnish for an even more exquisite taste.
Directions in summary: spread it on, roll it up, take a bite, fall in love! so easy...ok these are not the official instructions, they will be in my "fig handout"
Watermelon at its best & what I had for Supper:
Watermelon: Today at work I had the Hy-Vee salad bar and a big craving for watermelon…and boy was it ever good. It is watermelon at its very best. Watermelon is at its peak during mid to late summer so go get some while it is worth eating. As for the salad bar at Hy-Vee…it is always good. You can depend on a high quality meal, full of plenty of healthy and seasonal choices. It is always dependable when I forget my lunch or do not feel like preparing it.
Supper: Nothing new...just another thing we have not had in awhile. That is my “Red Curry Stir-fry”. Last August when our garden was full of a bumper crop of peppers and tomatoes I swear we had it at least 2x’s per week for one month. Don’t worry…you can find a copy of this recipe outside of my office near the pharmacy in my stash of Healthy Meals in a Hurry Recipes. The subtitle: “Stir Fry Me – Part II.” This recipe also includes sugar-snap peas which are perfect right now and are featured in this month’s handout and cooking demonstrations.
P.S. Stay tuned – as I discuss the Fig recipe that “had me at first bite!”
Good evening and sweet foodie dreams,
Amy, your Owatonna-Waseca Hy-Vee registered dietitian.
This sandwich is really not anything new to me. I was trying to think of what I wanted to cook for dinner that both Tyler (my fiancé) and I would both like. I thought...you know what? I have not had that "Philly-steak thing" that I make for awhile. So I went with it. Don't know why we have not made it in awhile, but boy did it hit the spot.
ALL YOU NEED
- One carton sliced button mushrooms
- 2-3 bell peppers sliced
- ½ pound rare roast beef (Hy-Vee deli) shredded into then slices
- 4 slices provolone cheese or fresh mozzarella (for a low-sodium option)
- 4 Artesian Flatout™ Fold it flat bread slices (located near deli in Owatonna store).
ALL YOU DO:
- Sautee mushrooms and bell peppers in olive oil until crisp-tender over medium-high heat. Add shredded rare lean roast beef to pan for 1-2 additional minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Toast flat-out bread in pan. Add veggie beef mixture to flat-out bread, add provolone cheese and continue to toast unit cheese is melted. Remove
Tyler is rather picky, but even he said it pretty much tastes like a "Philly steak" sandwich but….wayyyy… healthier.
Your Owatonna-Waseca registered dietitian
Amy
P.S. See you Thursday for another great way to use Strawberries and Peas in a Salad!
To be fair…a few things I did not care much care for!
Just because I am a dietitian at Hy-Vee does not mean I will not tell you about a few products I did not care much for that I tried this past week for the first time.
- Sticky Toffee cheese:
I love cheese, dates, raisins and toffee; however, I concluded that together they do not make for some “good eats.” Or in my mother’s words it is “not worth the calories.”Born in Wisconsin, I am somewhat of a “cheese head” and cheese tasting expert.I enjoy trying many of the cheeses that can be found near the deli in the “gourmet cheese section.” In fact, the Fresh Belgioioso Mozzarella cheese not only taste great but is actually low-sodium. Just a small amount of good quality cheese can add do much taste to a sandwich, salad or other dish leaving no need for mayo or dressing!
2.Sahale Snacks Brand – Sing Buri Cashews
Again, it is the combination here that does not seem right. I like Asian food and I like cashews but something just did not seem right about these cashews. I expected the best because all other Sahal Snack Brand nut mixes are AWESOME (you can find them in the Hy-Vee healthmarket or partnered with a salad in two of my upcoming Healthy Meals demos). Also featured in my Strawberry-Pea handout which will be available tomorrow!
Reminder – Cooking demo tomorrow and Friday (see the event’s schedule for details)
Peace, good night and healthy-tasty foodie dreams!
Amy, your Owatonna-Waseca Hy-Vee registered dietitian.
