Cooking with Carin
Today Carin teaches us how to make a Delicious, Healthy, and Beautiful Salad!
Green Salad with roasted Delicatta Squash, Candied Pumpkin Seeds and a Pomegranate Vinaigrette
Source: Amy Murray, Venus Restaurant
- 1 Bunch Green Leaf Lettuce, washed, chopped, and dried.
- 1 Delicatta Squash.
- 1/4 Pomegranate, de-seeded.
Slice the Delicatta into full moons, bout 1/4 inch thick. Spoon out the seeds from inside the center of the moons. Toss in olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 350° for 30 minutes, or until browned and soft. Let cool
Eat Your Food Versus Drink It
Published Monday, 3 October, 2011 by guest writer Sarah Koszyk.
Sarah Koszyk, MA, RD, is a nutrition coach at Eating Free, one of our partners, who cooks with love and loves to eat.
Eating your food versus drinking it is the preferred choice. When you eat food, you take more time to chew, swallow, and digest. When we drink our food, we can consume a greater number of calories in a shorter amount of time. Also, when we eat our food, we take more time to get it down, so we have a greater chance of our body sending the signal to our brain that we are full. Did you know it takes at least 20 minutes for the body to recognize fullness?
Quinoa Cornbread
This gluten-free updated version of classic cornbread has more flavor and texture than most, thanks to the cooked quinoa folded into the batter and sprinkled on top. Plus, quinoa is a healthy whole grain! Serve squares of it underneath, alongside or crumbled on top of beans, soup, chili, greens or roasted veggies.
Ingredients
- 3 cups corn flour (not cornmeal)
- 1 1/4 cups cooked quinoa, divided
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups low fat buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper or foil; set aside. In a large bowl, stir together flour, 1 cup cooked quinoa, baking soda and salt until combined, breaking up any lumps of quinoa, if needed. In a second bowl, whisk together buttermilk and eggs, add to flour mixture and stir just until combined. Transfer batter to prepared pan, spread out evenly and then scatter remaining 1/4 cup quinoa over the top. Bake until cooked through and golden brown around the edges, about 30 minutes.
Nutrition
Per serving (about 3oz/74g-wt.): 120 calories (15 from fat), 2g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 30mg cholesterol, 350mg sodium, 21g total carbohydrate (3g dietary fiber, 2g sugar), 4g protein.
Chicken with Spinach and Ricotta
Ingredients
- 1 c. Fat Free ricotta cheese
- 1/3 c. reduced-fat Parmesan Cheese
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1-10 oz. pkg frozen spinach, drained
- 6-6 oz. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
- 1/2 c. dry white wine
Directions
1. Preheat oven 350 degrees.
2. To prepare filling, combine all filling ingredients.
3. To prepare chicken, place each chicken breast between 2 sheets heavy-duty
plastic wrap; pound to 1/4 inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Divide
and spread filling evenly over chicken breasts. Roll up jelly-roll fashion. Tuck in
sides; place chicken, seam side down, in a 9×13 inch baking dish. Pour wine
over chicken. Cover dish with foil.
4. Bake for 30 minutes, basting chicken with wine every 10 minutes.
Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until chicken is done.
Swordfish Sicilian Style with Pasta and Capers
This deliciously simple dish is a snap to prepare. The zesty sauce comes together in almost exactly the amount of time it takes to bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces whole wheat linguine
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 cups diced fresh or canned tomatoes with all juices
- 2 1/2 tablespoons drained capers
- 1 pound swordfish, skin removed, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
- 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
Preparation
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente, about 9 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook until just golden around the edges, about 3 minutes. Stir in pepper flakes first, then tomatoes and capers. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer 5 minutes. Add swordfish and stir into sauce. Cover skillet and simmer, stirring gently once or twice, until chunks of fish are almost opaque in the center, about 4 minutes. Be careful not to overcook. Drain pasta, transfer to a platter or large bowl, ladle sauce over pasta and sprinkle with basil.
Nutrition
Per serving (about 9oz/246g-wt.): 400 calories (80 from fat), 9g total fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 40mg cholesterol, 260mg sodium, 48g total carbohydrate (6g dietary fiber, 4g sugar), 29g protein
Lemon Garlic Spinach
Ingredients
- Bunch of fresh spinach
- 1 lemon
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2tbspn olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
Finely chop Garlic and lightly saute in medium to large saute pan with 2 tbspn of olive oil (less than 1 min, medium heat). Place all spinach into pan and lightly saute, stirring spinach around (1-2 min max) until the spinach barely starts to wilt and is coated with garlic and olive oil. Remove from heat and immediately zest and juice one lemon into pan, along with salt and pepper to taste (if desired). Don’t cook spinach too long or you lose valuable nutrients. Plate and serve.
Lime Cilantro Grilled Salmon
Ingredients
- 1-2lbs salmon fillet
- 2 whole limes
- 3tbspn olive oil
- salt and pepper
- fresh cilantro
Preparation
Put salmon in a large zip lock bag. Zest and juice 2 limes into bag with salmon, add in olive oil and a bit of salt and pepper. Tightly close the bag getting rid of all excess air, mix contents around to fully coat the salmon. Let marinade in refrigerator for 1-2 days. When ready, cook on grill (10-15 min or until done), can use any left over marinade to baste salmon while grilling. Serve in 6-8oz portions and enjoy! Great source of Omega 3 oils and protein!
Fresh Salad with Home Made Red Wine Citrus Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- lettuce mix of dark leafy greens found in whole foods produce section, or other healthy lettuce you prefer
- Cucumber
- bell pepper (red, yellow)
- tomato
- broccoli florets
- kalmata greek olives
- dried cranberries
- hard boiled egg
- 4-6 oz grilled chicken
- 2tbspn olive oil
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1/8 cup or less of red wine vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
Grill chicken and let cool. In a large boil combine lettuce and other chopped veggies, olives, and cranberries. Thinly slice egg and place on top, add in cooled chicken. In a separate small bowl add in olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Mix together thoroughly and drizzle over salad. Healthy, nutrient dense, antioxidant rich, good source of polyunsaturated fats, home made salad with lean protein! Mix together other ingredients as you wish for your own tasty combination! If not on a low fat diet, other editions such as goat cheese, walnuts or pecans work great too!