What is New on Amy's Plate!

1) Snape Peas - those dried pea pods I was talking about in  my previous blog. I forgot to mention that the ones I like are the Cesar flavored ones. The oringal flavored ones are not quit is tasty.

2) NooSa All-Natural yogurt - I like the strawberry-rhubarb-pie flavored variety. It is so creamy and the fruit on the bottom taste like fresh rhubarb pie. I usually do not like "fruit on the bottome yogurt" but this one is a 'winner.' Nosa has a high saturated-fat content...so....I mix just a little bit of it with Danon-plain Greek yogurt for the perfect treat. This is one example of where a little bit of something ritch can add a lot of flavor to something plain - making it "out of this world" and still quite tasty.

one more thing: I will be featuring that awesome mango-salsa I was talking about tomorrow in my Healthy Meals in a Hurry Demo! Strawberry Pea handouts are here!

Time to catch up on my blog...but not tonight. Tomorrow, Wed. should leave a good amount of time for me to tell you...what new stuff both good...and bad has landed on my plate this past week.

I have been experimenting with figs for my King’s Garden Handouts and cooking demos in July. Figs are high in fiber (1 dry fig = 1 g of fiber!) and even contain a good amount of soluble fiber. Soluble fiber aids in lowering “LDL” and bad cholesterol.

Best experiment thus far: olive oil, onions, and dried figs sautéed in a pan and topped with parmesan cheese. This caramelizes the onions and makes a tasty topping to a sandwich, possibly a pizza, or with maybe some chick peas!

I also like them paired with oatmeal or as a subsitutue for raisins in other dishes.

I have seen many recipes that use dried or fresh figs in a salad paired with greens and balsamic vinegar. I thought this was alright but…nothing to rave about. I have tasted many other salads with fruit and balsamic vinegar that were much better than this. Perhaps, it was missing the pears?

What I will try next: paired with peaches and/or placed on a pizza. Apparently these combinations are very tasty. Traditionally the French also like figs wrapped in bacon and grilled!

Tonight I will keep it simple - long day...and very tired..yes I am human.

1. Kashi cereals - Two thumbs up for "Golden Goodness" and "Berry Blossoms," taste like desert, whole grain and are both an excellent source of fiber. Mix golden-goodness with plain Greek yogurt and strawberries and there is no need for granola. Believe me even the kids (not mine) like this.

2.  Snapea Crisps - Baked "sugar snap" pea chips (in the HealthMarket. Believe it or not they actually taste good...weird kind of like a good alternative to a potato chip. Of course, not as nutrient rich as fresh or frozen snow peas.

My latest experiments (stay tuned for details)

1. Dried figs all different kinds of ways…some were OK while others were amazing.

2. Strawberries all different kinds of ways in a salad.

3. Tuna with Strawberry-Mango Salsa

4. Dates from the Hy-Vee Organic section – yummy.

5. Colored Cauliflower in a salad (featured in a demo last week) & Curried Cauliflower (see this week’s demo)

6.  Two new Kashi brand cereals

Wow that is a lot for a little under 2 weeks time for most of the above – but it has been fun…

~Amy Scheuerell, Your Owatonna-Waseca Hy-Vee registered dietitian

I had to try this "5-star" rated mango salsa today. OMG it was so good! It is definitely demo worthy. The Tie-Dyed salad I am doing tomorrow is also pretty good, but not as good as this!  I added strawberries for fun and it tastes great with them also. Then I paired it up with leftover chicken for dinner…yum..Next time I will try it with Mahi Mahi or Tuna!

Here is the link... http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/mango-salsa/Detail.aspx

or you can find the recipe on the Mango's 101 handout at Hy-Vee located with the mangos. Look forward to it being featured in one of July’s Healthy Meals in a Hurry cooking demonstrations.

So, I just started a blog a few months back not sure what to do with it. Then I thought you know what? If you are like me and many other people I have encountered, you are always looking for something new and healthy to eat. However, you are a little hesitant to try new foods. This is especially true of new recipes. We tend to think, do I want to put the time, effort and my hard earned cash into taking a stab at it? Will it taste like saw dust? When a recipe says it is easy…is it really easy? (This is one of my biggest pet peeves). After all, not all of us were gifted and talented in the culinary arts.

Thus, I had an epiphany! Why not create a blog describing the new products and recipes I have tried or plan on trying in the near future. I figured, I would be the perfect person for it.  Setting my degrees and credentials aside, I am a rather ordinary - average person. I eat healthy but do not want to spend 60 minutes in the kitchen. I have other priorities too. Moreover, I was never blessed with the ability to cook. However, it is this weakness that has become one of my greatest strengths. Today, I am not too bad at coming up with quick, easy and healthy meal ideas, and I am still experimenting and learning. So follow me on this journey. You see, maybe there is hope for you after all!  

Amy Scheuerell MS, RD, LD CPT

Owatonna-Waseca Hy-Vee registered dietitian

certified personal trainer and health coach 

Your kid's will love this recipe - did this once and will do this two more times this month.

My latest Newsletter is available at the Owatonna and Waseca Hy-Vee stores. Come pick up a copy and learn about the fascinating French King, his palace, his court and his garden and how they shaped what we eat today!  

Also look for cooking demonstrations, handouts with recipes and nutrition information centered on this theme throughout May and June.  The first handout “Asparagus King of Vegetables” includes selection, preparation tips and several of my favorite recipes sure to suite a variety of different tastes.  This also includes my cooking demonstration recipes.

Coming soon…I will try to post upcoming cooking demonstrations recipes at this blog