Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Brussels spouts? Oh-yes please! You may have turned your nose up at these cute little cabbages, but try them again, especially roasted.  Roasting brings out the natural sugars in vegetables, making them sweeter tasting, without adding on the calories.  You will amaze even the kiddos (yes, they will try them, maybe even ask for seconds).
Brussels sprouts are in the cabbage/cruciferous family, which has been linked to many health benefits such as decreased cancer risk, heart health, and detoxifying. The following is a super easy and enjoyable way to eat these little powerhouses!

Serves: 8 sides 
Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of Brussels sprouts
• 1 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
• 1/4 tsp salt 
• freshly ground pepper
• 1-2 tbsp of balsamic (our favorite is an espresso flavored balsamic, but regular is fine)

Instructions:

1. Cut sprouts in half length wise
2. Place onto a cooking sheet (our favorite is a stoneware sheet, but regular cookie sheet with a rim is fine)
3. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper
4. Roast at 375 for 15-20 minutes until slightly browned, flipping half way through to cook evenly. Be sure not to overcook, or you'll decrease the nutritional value, as well as run the risk of making them bitter.
5. Drizzle with balsamic and enjoy!
   

Nutritional Benefits:

• High in Vitamin K: 194% in 1 cup (about 3 oz)
• Jam packed with Vitamin C (yes, it's in more than oranges!) 120% of daily value in just 1 cup/3 oz.; an amazing anti-oxidant that helps with immune function
• Anti-oxidant
• Anti-inflammatory
• Reduces risk of heart disease, improves circulation, decrease cholesterol
• Zero Fat raw, in this recipe low in Fat: 14g of fat in entire recipe, due to oil
• Good source of  Fiber: 3 g per 3 oz serving

Asian Sloppy Joes

We've been craving Asian recipes this week.  This is not your usual sloppy joe.  This recipe is a fresh twist on a classic food.  It was devoured by our family.  This recipe is high in protein, low in fat and sugar, a great heart healthy dinner.  It was adapted from a food and wine recipe to reduce the salt and oil:   http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/asian-sloppy-joe-sliders

Serves 4-5       Prep Time: 15 minutes     Cook Time: 7 minutes
Ingredients:

• 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp freshly minced ginger (we keep ours in the freezer so we always have it on hand)
• 1-1/2 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 c chopped celery
• 1 red onion, chopped (about 1 c)
• 1 tsp sabal oelek/asian garlic sauce (you can add more if you like it spicy, we cut it to make it good for the kids)
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 c Hoisin sauce
• juice of 1 lime (about 3 tbsp)
• 1 pound of organic ground chicken or turkey (could use soy if desired)
• 1 c chopped tomatoes
• salt (we didn't add any since Hoisin sauce is high in sodium) & freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Saute celery, and onion in sesame oil until softened
   
2. Add in meat, seasonings, & tomatoes
   
   
   
   
3. Saute until cooked through about 5 minutes, adding in ginger and garlic towards the end to maximize their nutritive benefits
4. Serve atop salad, rice, as a lettuce wrap (use bib lettuce), or on slider rolls

   

   Lettuce Wrap

   
   

As A Salad

Nutritional Benefits:

As a Slider

• Low in Calories
• Low in Fat: heart healthy
• High in Protein: essential for repairing and rebuilding tissues
• Ginger: anti-inflammatory (reduces swelling)  and aides in digestive stimulation, immune health
• Garlic: anti-inflammatory, heart heart (lowers cholesterol/blood pressure/triglycerides), anti-microbial

Nutritional Information Meat Mixture

(4 servings):

Calories: 250 (1,001 in whole dish)

Fat: 5.5g (22g in total dish )

Carbs: 26g (104 g in total dish)

Fiber: 1.3 g (5g in total dish)

Protein: 22.8g  (91 g in total dish)

Vitamin C: 75% of daily needs in total dish

Iron: 57% of daily needs in total dish