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

Vegetarian Chili

It's chilly outside-and you want something warm to eat for dinner tonight (and tomorrow night).  How about Chili when it's chilly?! This healthy and satisfying meal will serve your family for 2 days-who doesn't love left overs? This recipe makes a big batch-feel free to cut it in half if you don't want it for more than 1 night.

Serves 10. Prep time: 20 minutes   Cook time (hands off): 40 minutes if using a pressure cooker, 1 hr 20 minutes if using traditional pot
Ingredients:

• 8 c beans-we used kidney and black beans (we did half and half)
• 2 c chopped carrots (unpeeled)
• 2 c chopped/peeled sweet potatoes
• 3 c onions
• 1 28 oz can chopped tomatoes (or whole and cut up)
• 1 16 oz can tomatoes
• 3/4 c barley 
• 1/2 c banana peppers (or 1 c of green peppers to reduce your spice)
• 3-4 cloves garlic
• 1 dark beer (optional)-if omiting, add more liquid
• 1-2 c water (depending on how much liquid is in your tomatoes)
• 4 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 2 tsp salt

Instructions:

1. Combine all of the ingredients into a pot except barley (save for later or see step 4)
2. If using a pressure cooker-bring up to boil and reduce heat once detector pop, cook for 20 minutes
   
3. If using a traditional pot, bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer for about 50 minutes-1 hour
4. Add in barley and bring back up to a boil (we did this because we didn't want the barley to expand too much but you could add it in with everything in the beginning)
5. Cook for another 20 minutes, until barley has softened (without pressurizing if using the pressure cooker)
6. Serve over brown rice or with these awesome molasses corn muffins, top with low fat cheese. Even better the next day!
   
   
   
   

Nutritional Benefits:

• High in Protein: awesome for healing and repairing damaged tissues-1c of kidney beans=15g of protein
• High in Fiber, 1c of kidney beans=13g of fiber in just the beans, Barley= 6g of fiber in 1 cup cooked: barley expands about 3-4xs (veggies are high in fiber too): essential for eliminating toxins from the body, aiding in digestion, and helping to maintain proper blood sugar levels
• Anti-inflammatory
• Low in Fat (almost no fat, less than 1g/1c of beans)-heart healthy
• High in Vitamin A (carrots & sweet potatoes): great for bone, teeth, and eye health
• High in Potassium-840 mg in 1 cup of beans
• High in Iron-about 20% of daily needs in 1 cup of beans: essential for oxygenating your muscles and improving circulation 
• Barley: high in fiber 54% of daily needs in 1 cup of cooked barley, great for diabetics in controlling blood sugar levels, high in magnesium, helps lower cholesterol

Health Benefits of Carrots

Peaceful Carrot

Carrots are touted for their benefits for the eyes.  There is more to a carrot than meets the eyes! Carrots are high in Vitamin A and can provide you 408% of your daily needs in just 1 cup (about 1 large carrot).  But wait..there's more! So peace out, eat a carrot :)

Carrots also:

• provide Vitamin K
• provide 14% of your daily fiber needs
• 12% of Vitamin C (healing nutrient and disease prevention)
• 11% of your daily calcium needs (good for those vegans)
• 11% of your daily potassium needs (good for nerve conduction)
• Kills harmful bacteria in the mouth, thereby preventing tooth decay!
• has been shown to inhibit colon cancer
• High in antioxidants
• Improve cardiovascular health (potassium in the carrot helps regulate sodium levels in blood)
• great for the skin (and yes, the eyes)

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/10-reasons-to-eat-more-carrots.html (site source)

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=21 (site source)

Coleslaw

Cabbage: Yes it's good! Try it!

 Most of us don't eat enough of the cruciferous vegetables, which are essential for heart health, and therefore improve our dental health.  Cabbage belongs to the same family as brocolli, brussel sprouts, bok choy, and kale.  Cabbage is a food high in fiber and anti-oxidants, preventing many forms of illness.

Often people have no idea how to prepare it.  Cabbage is very inexpensive and 1 head goes a long way.  Cabbage is in season in the fall and can easily be chopped and frozen (no need to buy it pre-chopped, it's so easy, especially if you have a food processor!).  You'll pay a lot more if you purchase pre-shredded cabbage and it won't taste as sweet and crisp.

Coleslaw is usually loaded with fat, in the form of oils or mayonaise.  The recipe below has very little fat, and no calories.

Asian Coleslaw: 

• Half head chopped of both green and purple cabbage (you'll need about 4-5 cups of each kind-shred remaining cabbage and put into fridge for use later in the week for a stir-fry or the freezer to be used in soups)
• 5 tbsp brown rice vinegar (any mild vingar will do)
• 5 tbsp soy sauce (low sodium)
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1/2 tbsp agave nectar or honey

Directions:

Mix above ingredients in a bowl.  Slaw will keep for about 2-3 days before getting soggy

Note: make smaller amounts of this each day if you prefer slaw to be crunchy.  1 tbsp of soy sauce/vinegar: cabbage.  Left over slaw is great on top of sandwiches, burgers, or on top of a salad

Fresh, undressed cabbage is great thrown as added crunch into a traditional salad.

Nutritional Benefits:
1 cup cabbage contains: 67% of daily Vitamin K and 43% of Vitamin K
High in anti-oxidants, cabbage helps to decrease inflammation
Red cabbage is much high in anti-oxidants than green cabbage (so if you want to replace all the cabbage with red, feel free!)

Apple Sauce-low to no added sugar

Use those apples that are awesome right now and make a delicious low sugar sauce to put on top of chicken, turkey, or to snack on.  If you're craving a warm, and comforting dessert-heat a little apple sauce up and it'll satisfy you (without added fat and sugar)!

.

 Directions:
1) Cut up apples (easiest way is to use an apple peeler).  You can keep skins on if you don't mind the fact that some will be floating around in sauce (does provide added fiber and nutrients, however).  The total amount of apples you use depends on how much sauce you want.  It does cook down a lot.

2)  Place in a large pot with a little bit of orange juice to prevent browning

3)  Add cinnamon and nutmeg to taste, and depending on amount of apples being used, add water or cider to prevent sticking and to allow apples to steam. *we use a large soup pot and add about 2 -3 cups of liquid and about 4 tsp cinnamon and 2 tsp nutmeg (adjust accordingly to taste)

4) Allow pot to steam and come to a slight boil, stirring to prevent sticking.

5) Once apples have cooked down and have mushed out, taste.  You can add a little bit of honey at this time. To a large pot we add no more than 1/3 cup of honey to keep added sugars low.

6) To save you sauce you can put into freezer containers or can.  To can, place hot apple sauce into hot jars, leaving 1" head space.  Place lids on and process in hot water bath for 10 minutes (pints) and 15 minutes (quarts).


Nutritional Benefits:
Little to no added sugar
No Fat
Cinnamon: aids in blood circulation
Apples: High in fiber and Vitamin C, a vitamin that aids in healing and disease prevention (anti-oxidant), soluble fiber helps to improve heart health by lowering cholesterol levels in the blood.  In 1 small apple there is 17% of your daily fiber needs and 14% of Vitamin C, so by consuming applesauce, you are consuming a great quantity of apples, and therefore fiber and Vitamin C amount (just watch total sugar)

Slammin' Salsa!

If you currently have an overabundance of tomatoes from the garden, the farmers market, or a CSA share-make SALSA!

 Salsa is high in nutrients and has zero fat! Great as a salad dressing, as a topping on fish, or to spice up your burritos, salsa is not just for chips!

Grab some of those in season green and banana peppers and get going! **Did you know green peppers are packed with Vitamin C, a vitamin that helps you heal?

**You Have To Peel Those Tomatoes:

The most annoying thing about making salsa is you have to peel those tomatoes.  To do so: 

1. Bring a pot to a boil.  
2. Mark the bottoms of each tomato with an X shaped slash (you can do this as you place them into the pot)
3. Drop in tomatoes for about 2-3 minutes, or until you see skin just start to peel
4. Take them out and place into a cold ice bath to stop cooking
5. Peel skins off

-Alternative: you can freeze tomatoes with skin on.  When you are ready to use them, the skins will peel right off while slightly thawed

Ingredients (recipe is easily doubled or tripled depending on how many tomatoes you have!):

• 10 cups (about 6 pounds) tomatoes (peeled)
• 2 c of chopped banana peppers or hotter peppers depending on your taste (wear gloves)
• 5 c of chopped green or assorted red and green peppers
• 4 cups of onions (about 1.5 pounds)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1.5 tbsp salt
• 3/4-1c apple cider vinegar (depending on how juicy watery your tomatoes are-if they are very juicey like ours, reduce the amount of vinegar or your salsa will be too soupy)
• optional: 1 tsp hot sauce

Directions (makes about 9 pints)

1. Place all of the above ingredients into a pot and bring to a boil for about 10 minutes
2. If canning: pour hot salsa into hot jars.  Place into a hot water bath for 15 minutes.

**recipe adapted from Ball canning recipe

*Use as a heart healthy topping for seafood or chicken

Nutritional Benefits:
Tomatoes: High in Lycopene, an anti-oxidant that prevents cancer
Peppers: High in Vitamin C, promotes healing and disease prevention (196% of daily needs!-1 cup has more than 2x's the amounts of an orange)

Garlic: Anti-inflammatory and aids in blood circulation/cardiovascular health
Apple Cider Vinegar: lowers blood sugar levels, can aid in heart health/blood circulation/lowering blood pressure

Roasted Indian Spiced Cauliflower

It's officially fall-cauliflower is coming into farmer's markets and grocery stores.  Cauliflower is a vitamin packed food which is great for healing! It's a cruciferous vegetable.  Other veggies in this group are: cabbage, broccoli, kale, and collard greens. This group of vegetables are linked to cancer fighting compounds and are suggested to be consumed 4-5 times a week. The anti-oxidants in cauliflower help aid in fighting all kinds of infection, while it's anti-inflammatory properties help to reduce inflammation in the digestive tract and cardiovascular system.  Eating anti-inflammatory foods are great for those with periodontal disease or other infections.

Nutritional Information for 1 cup of raw cauliflower:
Vitamin C-86% of your daily needs (DN)
Vitamin K-21% (an anti-inflammatory vitamin)
Folate-15% (linked to brain and nerologic function and formation for developing brains)
Fiber-2g
Protein: 2g
Calories: 27
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=13

Roasted Indian Spiced Cauliflower

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp tumeric

1/4 tsp cayenne

2 pinches of salt (about 1/4-1/2 tsp)

1 tbsp of oil (canola, olive, or coconut)\

Raw with spices

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Wash and cut cauliflower into florets
3. Mix above together in a large bowl
4. Place on a roasting pan or cookie sheet
5. Roast for about 15 minutes, stirring/flipping once 1/2 way through (once you begin to smell it, it's probably finished)
6. Enjoy!

   

   Roasted Indian Spiced Cauliflower

**You can also saute this on the stove if you'd like to not cook as long (increased health benefits by less cooking)

Additional Health Benefits of this recipe:
Tumeric: Highly anti-inflammatory-used to decrease swelling topically or internally
Cayenne: Increases blood circulation and stimulates digestion

Peanut Butter Banana "Ice Cream": Nondairy, No Sugar Added, Instant Cold Treat!

It's late at night, but you want a cold and sweet treat.  You feel that you shouldn't be eating cookies, ice cream, etc.  How about a fruit whip that tastes just like ice cream?

How To Make It:

• 2 frozen bananas
• 1/2 tbsp. both organic peanut butter 
• 1/2 tbsp. raw cacao powder (if you want a little chocolate flavor)
• Blend-viola! No fussing, no added sugar, and a treat all will love! www.altmandental.com

This recipe makes enough for several people.  You can change it up with any frozen fruit

Quinoa Salad with pistachios, artichokes, and avocado

Looking for a different kind of side dish? High in protein, gluten free, and delicious, this food will help you to repair and heal.  Easy to eat after any dental procedure and can be eaten cold or hot (we like it cold).

Quinoa Salad: Pistachios, Artichokes, Avocado:

Ingredients:

• 3 c cooked quinoa (or 1 cup dry and then cook)-click here for directions on how to prepare quinoa
• 1 can artichokes coarsely chopped
• 1/4 c chopped pistachios
• zest and juice of 1/2 lemon 
• 1/4 c craisins or dried cherries (unsweetened)
• 1 avocado
• pepper and salt to taste

Directions:

1. Cook quinoa and let cool if you'd like the dish to be cold (it can be made several days in advance)
2. Mix above ingredients together and enjoy! (how easy is that?)

Nutritional Benefits:

Quinoa: 1 cup cooked quinoa provides the following:

• 5 g fiber
• 8 g protein
• 4 g fat
• 39 g carbohydrates
• 222 calories (when cooked in water)

Avocado: High in Vitmains C (20% DV), K, B5, Potassium (20%), and folate (25%),fiber 9g!, and omega-3 fatty acids, avocados are a power food that helps to reduce inflammation, support heart health, and supports blood sugar regulation

Lemon: high in Vitamin C, provides antioxidants to fight infection

Artichokes:Very high in fiber (more than prunes!) 1/2 c provides 4g fiber and 2 g protein with 0g fat, helps lower bad cholesterol, cancer fighting antioxidants, and aids in digestion
Pistachios: high in protein, healthy fats, and micronutrients: copper, Vitamin B6, Manganese, Magnesium, Phosphorus, and Thiamin

Baked Spaghetti Squah

Love pasta but want to replace those heavy carbs? Try spaghetti squash!

This squash can be cooked quickly in a microwave and is a great swap for pasta.

To Prepare:

1) slice squash in half and remove seeds without taking out flesh

2) place half flesh side down in a pan with a little water, cover, and place in microwave for 15 minutes

3) remove from micorwave (be careful jot to get burned by steam) and use a fork to scrape out flesh.  It'll come out in strands

4) Top with your favorite sauce and enjoy!

Additional Suggestion: 

We made a vegetarian "pasta" bake that's kid approved!

-mix sauce into squash, and top with fresh herbs like basil and low-fat cheese, such as Parmesan or part-skim mozzarella.
-Bake in oven at 375 until cheese has browned.
*For additional protein, you can add organic veggie burgers or beans, as was done in the picture below.

Benefits of Spaghetti Squash:
Nutrients: Spaghetti squash supplies modest amounts of carotenoids, plant substances that the body turns into Vitamin A and that may help protect against some diseases.  While not as nutrient dense as other squash, spaghetti squash provides 3 percent of the Daily Value for calcium, 5 percent of the DV for Vitamin A, 9 percent of the DV for Vitamin C and 8 percent of the DV for dietary fiber.

If you top with sauce, you will gain the added benefits of tomatoes, a nutrient-packed food with many 

cancer fighting properties.

Pasta Comparison

One cup of cooked enriched spaghetti yields 221 calories, 1.3 g of fat, 43 g of carbohydrate and 2.5 g of fiber. Pasta does provide more B vitamins. If you have diabetes or are watching your weight and carbohydrates, you can save 179 calories and 33 g of carbohydrate by eating a cup of spaghetti squash instead of a cup of pasta.

Calorie Content:Per 1 cup of cooked spaghetti squash provides 42 calories, 0.4 gram of fat, 1 g of protein, 10 g of carbohydrate (4 g as sugar) and 2.2 g of fiber

*If prepared as above, you will increase your protein amounts depending on the veggie burger/bean of your choice, increased fiber, and added calcium from the cheese. Your fat content will increase as well, depending on the cheese of your choice (go low-fat!).

Beets-how to enjoy them

Can’t Beat It!  Looking for a way to enjoy these amazing beauties in season right now?

Here is an easy way to do it!

How to prepare the greens:

1. Cut off greens right after you pick them or purchase them.  The greens loose a lot of water through them, and are best used right away-or washed and kept in a storage container. DO NOT WASTE THESE! 
2. Methods of preparation for greens:

• chop and saute with a little water and add fresh herbs like basil or dill towards the end of cooking.  After the greens wilt, you can season with a little salt and pepper.  Greens also are great with a little acidity added at the end.  Great choices are: fresh lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, or a white balsamic vinegar
• Throw into a smoothie-raw
• Chop and mix in with other greens to make a salad, or eat on their own in place of lettuce

How to prepare the beets:

1. Roasting: chop off tops and roots and wash.  Place into foil, and drizzle with balsamic vinegar (or water if you don’t like vinegar).  Roast at 375 or 400 until a knife inserted goes in easy-you will smell them when they’re ready.  Let cool and rub skins off.  They will peal right off when complete.  You might want to wear gloves (I have looked like a murderer after peeling before!).
2. Shredding raw: grate beets and carrots for a great salad.  Add some sunflower seeds for a added crunch and protein.  Drizzle with a little vinegar and add a little freshly ground pepper.
3. Stovetop: peel beets and place into a pan.  Cover with balsamic vinegar and boil on stove until fork tender

Nutritional Information on Beets: High in calcium and iron-beets can be found locally almost year round (they’re super easy to grow also!). Calcium is needed for healing and building strong bones and teeth.  Iron aids in oxygen binding, and therefore helps with proper circulation which helps in healing. www.altmandental.com

Grape Nutrition and Salad recipe

www.altmandental.com

Grape Nutrition

One cup of grapes, with about 100 calories, provides more than a quarter of the daily recommended values of vitamins K and C. Grape seeds, which are edible, are chock-full of antioxidants. Choose organically grown! Grapes are often grown with a lot of harmful chemicals.

Grapes also:

1) Prevent heart disease. A study from the Journal of Nutrition showed that eating fresh grapes could prevent the accumulation of harmful oxidized cholesterol and atherosclerotic lesions. This means less coronary heart disease from plaque build up on the walls of your arteries. The polyphenol called “resveratrol” in the grape skin breaks down bad cholesterol. It can also be found in grape juice, grape jelly, and wine.

2) Fight illness. Grapes are high in another polyphenol called “tannin.” Canadian scientists discovered that tannin eliminated disease-forming viruses in test tubes; tannins move into the intestinal tract and protect from viruses and tumors alike. Fight cancer. Grapes have a high level of caffeic acid. Caffeic acid helps fight cancer. Read more about this in Johanna Brandt’s book, The Grape Cure.

3) Prevent brain damage from strokes. Studies from the University of Missouri-Columbia show that grapes prevent brain damage in the event of a stroke.

4) Boost brain activity. Grapes have a significant amount of potassium and increase brain activity.

5) Boost metabolism. Grapes have a light laxative effect that boosts metabolism. A handful of grapes can do wonders for dieting.

6) Increase calorie burning. As grapes clean out your cholesterol and intestines and strengthen your heart, they increase your blood flow and help with calorie burning. They compliment workouts very well.

7) Enhance endurance. Grapes flush the system out and make it more active for longer; don’t worry about exhausting yourself as quickly with your workout when you have grapes on your side!

8) Helps stave off tuberculosis. Patients in the first stage of tuberculosis are told to include a higher amount of grapes in their diet.

9) Grapes are mostly water. Grapes are anywhere from 65-85% water, which means low calories and high hydration. *Of course, it’s fair to mention one cautionary factor about grapes: they’re no good for a mouth with cavities. Make sure to rinse your mouth out with mouth wash after consumption, especially if you have cavities for the grape juice to eat away at.

Healthy Recipe: Grilled Shrimp and Grape Salad

Makes 4 servings

Dressing

2 tbsp Champagne or white balsamic vinegar

2 tsp olive oil

¾ tsp Dijon mustard

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp ground pepper

Salad

cooking spray

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 tbsp chopped walnuts

1 cup shelled edamame

4 cups washed arugula, baby spinach, or mixed greens

1 cup seedless green grapes, halved

1 cup seedless red or black grapes, halved

1 large yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced

¼ cup fresh tarragon, chopped (or 1 tsp dried)

2 tbsp crumbled goat cheese

¼ cup sliced green onions

Directions

To prepare dressing, combine first five ingredients in a jar or blender; process until smooth.
Preheat grill or griddle to medium high. Spray with cooking spray. Grill shrimp 2–3 minutes per side with grill cover closed.
Preheat toaster oven to 350°F. Spread walnut pieces on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake walnuts for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes, until just toasted.
Combine edamame and 3 tbsp water in a bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Steam edamame in microwave on high 3 minutes. Let stand 2 minutes; drain.
Place shrimp, greens, grapes, edamame, yellow pepper, and tarragon in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing; toss gently to coat. Garnish salad with goat cheese, walnuts, and green onions.
Per serving: 335 calories, 31 g protein, 25 g carbohydrate, 13 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 176 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 14 g sugar, 372 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 35%

Find more articles, browse back issues, and read the current issue of “WebMD the Magazine.”Adapted from WebMD the Magazine - Feature Reviewed by Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD