Our Favorite Chicken Sandwich Sports Watercress & Avocado

Chicken and watercress sandwiches on brown bread are a specialty of downtown Scranton, PA's PJ Scanlon's Restaurant.  They've moved around the city's square but still attract the courthouse and professional crowd alongside tony shoppers.  For years we did our best to imitate the original whenever watercress was in season.

Thinly sliced poached chicken breast on a light whole wheat bread-- just warmed-- and a schmear of mayonnaise to hold in a handful of peppery watercress.  We thought this lily could not be gilded. Then one day we added a few slices of avocado.

Perfection.

Our new favorite springtime chicken sandwich.

Thank you PJ Scanlons.  We never miss going back for the original to remind ourselves of how great, pure food should be made and served with joy.

Sugar Alternatives

Ah, lists.  Here are six realistic ways to cut back on sugar.  Pick just one or try all six.   A goal of swearing off sugar for good is great and a way to get there is even more useful.  Don't be without a plan as the winter gets colder and New Year's pledges start to look small in the rear view mirror. 

Six Ways to Cut Back the Sugar in 2016

1. Plan to eat fruit at least once a day.  The fiber is satisfying and you will soon find you crave really sugary treats less.  Give it time; it takes most people about two weeks to adjust their taste buds back to non-artificial levels.  Look forward to how good real food is going to taste. 
2. Change what you buy at the food store starting today.  If it is not in the house, it will be easier to avoid.  Buy fruit instead of cookies, whole grain varieties of breads, flour, rice and pasta and low sodium canned whole beans and proteins instead of processed meals with a high amount sodium and sugar in the ingredients. 
3. Bake it yourself.  If you have to work harder to eat a cookie and see what goes into the recipe, you will learn how much sugar is enough.  When you bake, use whole grain flour (look for white whole wheat) and look for recipes using less sugar per serving.  I'll be postng a few of these in the coming year.
4. Measure what you do use with a real measuring spoon in order to reduce the amount you use over time. Use 1/2 and 1/4 teaspoon measures.  Consider replacing white sugar with smaller quantities of natural sweeteners like honey and maple syrup.  If you like your morning coffee a little sweet, try stirring in maple syrup.  A little goes a long way.  
5. Take a long, hard look at the yogurt in your life.  If you are eating flavored yogurt because you think it is a healthy treat, you may be surprised to learn that the sugar content is often higher than that found in the pudding aisle.  Try buying plain yogurt and adding crushed fruit and a small amount, 1/2 teaspoon, of honey or maple syrup. Consider the whole milk or low fat varieties.  Non-fat does not always satisfy and can lead to more cravings.  
6. Speaking of sugar cravings, notice what is really happening during a craving.  When we are hungry our bodies often request the fastest way to refuel-- sugar and carbs.  If you have not eaten a real meal in several hours you may simply be hungry, and with good reason.  Eat some protein and a complex carbohydrate.  Plan for this at key times like the late afternoon and be ready with a handful of nuts, a piece of cheese or other pure, real food choice.  

Good Morning California! Croissant Avocado French Toast

California cousins inspired this Good Morning California! Croissant Avocado French Toast filled with savory ingredients including bacon, cheddar cheese and fresh summer tomatoes.  Slices of avocado as garnish signal the west coast nod.  Thanks to croissants being available in most supermarkets, you can make this simple baked french toast on either coast.

It's summertime and no one wants the kitchen to get too hot so we baked this pie-plate recipe in a toaster oven.  The dish serves two to four people so if you are making this for a brunch crowd, bake three of four using a regular oven. 

As with most baked bread puddings and quiches, this very likely keeps well and can be reheated or served room temperature with a side salad.  Sadly, we have no leftovers remaining to help us test the theory.

Good Morning California! Croissant French Toast
Serves 2-4

Ingredients 
2 large croissants, split horizontally
1 teaspoon vegetable oil to oil pie plate
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
salt & pepper
3 slices cooked bacon
1 ounce shredded cheddar cheese (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 sliced tomato
1/2 avocado

Method

1. Toast split croissants on lightest setting to help dry out the centers.
2. Meanwhile, oil 9" pie plate. 
3. Preheat oven to 325˚F.
4. Lay toasted croissants, face up, in pie plate.  
5. Mix together eggs, milk, sat & pepper.  Pour over croissants.  Use a fork to ensure egg custard mixture moistens all crevices of bread.  Let dish sit at least 15 minutes (covered and refrigerated overnight is OK too).
6. Break apart bacon and tuck in between croissants.  Lay tomato sliced in a nice pattern as top layer.  
7. Bake dish for 20-30 minutes at 325˚F until egg custard is slightly puffed and beginning to brown on top.  Check the center with a knife to ensure that the egg custard has cooked through.  
8. Let rest five minutes.  While dish is resting top with avocado slices. 

Tandoori Chicken Pitas

Next time you are grilling, marinate a few chicken thighs in a Tandoori yogurt-spice mixture using spices you probably already have on hand.  Grill the thighs alongside or after your main meal is cooked.  The next day you'll have fragrant chicken to slice and stuff into pita pockets with some cooling salad ingredients.   We stuff cucumbers and radishes or sliced tomatoes and onions in with the chicken and add chopped cilantro and lettuce leaves.  Eat as is or add a fiery mango chutney and/or a cool spoonful of sour cream or plain yogurt.

Here how to make Tandoori Chicken Thighs for tomorrow's pita sandwiches.

Tandoori Chicken Thighs
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
6 ounces plain yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh, grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon each: cumin, tumeric, coriander, paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Method

1. Place the chicken thighs in a large resealable plastic bag.   
2. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over chicken.  
3. Marinate at least 2 hours or overnight.  
4. Grill things over direct heat, 4-5 minutes per side.  The chicken cal be roasted in the oven at 425˚F for 15-18 minutes.  Thighs are cooked when internal temperature registers 170˚F. 

Basil Mayo, Bacon and Tomato on Potato Chips

The title of this post is pretty much the recipe.  Basil Mayo, Bacon and Tomato on Potato Chips.  A simple twist on the classic BLT and sharable. 

The basil mayonnaise takes under a minute to make, starting with a good quality store-bought mayonnaise, some fresh basil leaves and a little lemon juice.  Per person, figure on about 2 strips of cooked bacon and ½ cup of grape tomatoes.  We used kettle chips but any thick chip you like will work.

It’s fun to let everyone assemble these mini hors d’ouevres themselves.  We liked the full set up best—a thick potato chip dipped in spring-green mayonnaise and topped with some bacon and half a grape tomato.  The mayonnaise helps the other ingredients hang onto the chip.  We did a taste test with our friend, Heidi, who created a simple variation with a grape tomato half smeared with basil mayonnaise.  Basil loves tomato and tomato loves basil back. 

Once you make these, you’ll start to think about adding flavored mayonnaise to rev up regular sandwiches.  This basil version goes well in a regular BLT and compliments any sandwich with lots of veggies or sliced chicken.  You could even mix basil mayonnaise into egg or tuna salad. 

Green Basil Mayonnaise
Makes a little over 1 cup

Ingredients
1 cup fresh basil leaves (tightly packed)
3/4 cup mayonnaise
¼ cup plain whole yogurt
juice of ½ lemon
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. In a small food processor (or my hand) finely chop basil leaves.
2. Add mayonnaise and yogurt and blend well.  
3. Add lemon juice and olive oil. Blend together and taste.  
4. Add a pinch of salt and taste again. Add pepper if desired. 

Place a small bowl of basil Mayonnaise on a platter and surround with dippers.   Bacon and  sliced grape tomatoes. with chips or sturdy baby romaine lettuce leaves.   Refrigerate leftover dip and use within 2 days.

Many thanks to Heidi, our hand model for this post.  In real life Heidi protects us, the land and its creatures as a Law Enforcement Ranger with the National Park Service.  

Chick Peas and Egg Salad

Two simple salads come together for a very sophisticated lunch or substantial snack.

Chick peas, aka garbanzo beans or cecci are the beans that most of us associate with hummus and falafel.  (Falafel is also made from fava beans in some parts of the world.)  Chick peas' nutty flavor and creamy texture can really enhance simple preparations like egg salad.  Here chick peas doused with some rich extra virgin olive oil and chopped cilantro top classic egg salad served on romaine lettuce leaves. 

Chick peas can also be pan sauteed with a bit of bacon or olive oil and replace croutons to garnish cream soups, especially cauliflower or potato soups.  Add any spices that appeal--a touch of cumin or smoked paprika, for example.

On their own, chick peas tossed with vinaigrette dressing, a few chopped olives and roasted red peppers make an easy side dish that can act as your starch or salad.  Leftovers can be wrapped in a flour tortilla for a post-workout snack.

End of February...short post for a short month! See you in March.

Scallop Soup

This is a model for almost any seafood you want to make into a soup.  The recipe has very few required ingredients and is darn fast to pull together.  Yes, it is a cream soup.  Your body likes dairy so don’t fret.  You can use a low fat version of milk here.  Also, the amount of butter used is minimal but if you are cutting back on that sort of thing, you can thicken the soup without a butter and flour-based roux.  I’ll show you how. 

Scallop Soup
Serves 4

Ingredients
Scant amount of butter or olive oil (enough to coat bottom of medium soup pot)
1 celery stalk, diced
½ medium onion, about ¼ cup diced
2 small baking (russet) potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 14-ounce can low sodium chicken broth
1 8-oz bottle clam juice
1 cup bay scallops, frozen is fine
¾-1 cup low fat milk
salt and pepper to taste, chopped parsley, dill or chives
Optional: ½ cup frozen or drained canned corn (cooked fresh corn is nice in season)

Roux
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon flour

Or substitute 1 tablespoon corn starch stirred into an ounce of cold liquid (water is fine).   Remember, the starch in the potato also helps thicken the soup.

Method

1. In a medium-large lidded pot, sauté celery and onion until limp in a little olive oil or butter.   
2. If you are using the roux method to thicken, add the tablespoon of butter and melt.  Once melted, stir in the flour so that it coats the vegetables.   
3. Stir in potatoes, broth and clam juice. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer covered until potatoes are cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.  
4. Add scallops or other uncooked fish.  It is OK to add the scallops frozen.  Bring to a simmer again, then add milk.  
5. If using cornstarch to thicken your soup, stir a tablespoon of cornstarch into the milk- be sure it is dissolved, before adding to the soup.  (If you forget this step, just dissolve the cornstarch into a small amount of cold liquid and add to soup).  Cornstarch needs a few minutes to simmer in liquid to do its job as a thickener.  
6. Stir occasionally while the soup simmers for another 3-5 minutes and seafood gently cooks.  
7. At this point you can add any extra cooked vegetables (corn, asparagus, peas, etc) and/or additional fish (see below).  
8. Taste your soup and add salt and pepper.  Be aware that clam juice adds some salty flavor. 

Variations
Just about any seafood can be used in this soup base instead of scallops.  Try chunks of cod or other white fish, bi-valves like mussels or clams, leftover cooked fish, like the broiled salmon in my fridge from last night, or canned fish like tuna or salmon. If the protein you are adding is already cooked, stir it in last and heat gently just before serving.  Adjust the seasoning to bring out the best of what you have on hand.  For whitefish, dill is nice.  Canned tuna can get perk-up form a little tarragon or thyme and mussels will flourish with some paprika (or a pinch of saffron).

Pan Bagnat

Salade Nicoise is pretty terrific on its own but let me clue you in right now.  You will want leftovers.  The second recipe is Pan Bagnat, the sandwich version of Salade Nicoise that I first tasted from a food cart near Nice's stony beach.  When I make Pan Bagnat, I am going for that late-summer memory of olive oil and vinegar-soaked bread packed with tuna, egg, anchovy, sweet red onions and the famous olives de Nice. 

Some of you are already thinking you will omit the anchovy.   I beseech you to try it or at least drizzle some of the unctuous oil onto your tuna.  It is a salty match for the other ingredients.  In fact, there is no added salt in this recipe since both the anchovy and olives provide the right amount.

I like to arrange it so that if I am serving Salade Nicoise for dinner then bringing Pan Bagnat on a hike or to the beach I get slightly different flavor profiles.  Both are from the area of Nice along the southern cost of France where the famous olives de Nice abound.  The salad will feature all the basic ingredients while the sandwich gets a little more individual with possible additions of marinated artichoke hearts, sliced red onion, even fava beans if they are in season near you. 

If you can get your hands on olives from Nice and some French olive oil, by all means use them in this recipe.  If you are putting this together from your local supermarket, Kalamata olives and a good extra virgin olive oil will do nicely. The recipe is fine with either canned or grilled tuna but if using canned, get the kind packed in olive oil.  Also, insist on a really good crusty loaf of bread to make the sandwich.  I use a crusty roll I make in my bread machine that we also use for hamburgers.  A baguette or a small boule will suit.  If there is a lot of bread between the crusts, its advisable to tear out a bit so there is room for all the fillings.

Salade Nicoise makes a knock-out grilled dinner salad for a large or small party.  Most of it can be prepared ahead and guests get to create their own salads from the ingredients offered so it’s a great recipe for a crowd with varied tastes.  It is best served at room temperature with the grilled tuna coming right to the table.  Individual plates are nice for a small number.  For a large group set up big platters so that guests can serve themselves the items they enjoy best.

Salade Nicoise
Per person quantities
1 cup torn lettuces (romaine, bibb, spinach leaves, etc.)
2 new potatoes, boiled
1/2 cup haricots verts (or green beans), steamed
1/2 ripe tomato
1 hard boiled egg
1/3 pound tuna steak, about 1 inch thick*
Ground black pepper
6 pitted olives (nicoise, kalamata,etc.)
3-4 anchovies packed in oil
Vinaigrette (recipe below)

*if using canned tuna, plan on 1/2 can per person and skip grilling step.  When ready to serve salad arrange tuna, olives and anchovy alongside vegetables. 

Method

• Slice vegetables and egg.  Leave beans whole.  
• Arrange vegetables on plates or platters starting with a layer of lettuce.  Arrange remaining vegetable ingredients and sliced egg (except olives and anchovies) in clusters to create a colorful tableau.  Leave room for the tuna.  This step may be done ahead of time and salads can be covered and refrigerated 1-2 hours.  
• When ready to serve, heat grill or grill pan over medium-high heat and coat tuna steaks with coarsely ground pepper.  Lightly oil grill and cook tuna about 2-3 minutes per side for medium-rare.  
• When fish is ready, remove fish to a separate platter and let sit 3-4 minutes.  
• Slice tuna steaks in thick slabs and place alongside the vegetables. Garnish with olives and anchovies.   Serve with vinaigrette (recipe below).

Pan Bagnat
for 1 sandwich:
baguette or hard roll
1/2 portion of Salade Nicoise
Roasted red pepper
Marinated artichoke hearts
Red onion
Basil
Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Method

1. Split the bread in half and brush an ounce of vinaigrette onto the open halves.  
2. Next layer the Salade Nicoise leftovers with the remaining ingredients drizzling a bit more vinaigrette in between the layers. 
3. Tightly wrap sandwich in plastic or wax paper and place in a second protective bag or resealable plastic bag.  Get thee to the beach or park to enjoy.   

La Vinaigrette
4 ounces extra virgin olive oil
1 ounce apple cider or red wine vinegar
Salt & pepper
Additions: Dijon mustard, capers a spoonful of pesto sauce

Vigorously mix all ingredients together. 


A recipe for Pan Bagnat direct from Nice (en francais) that is not too different than mine….

Mostly Spinach, Some Tuna

Heat wave food should be easy to prepare, light and tasty and ---keep the kitchen cool.  This Tuna Spinach Salad wrap is all that and made from ingredients in the pantry and in most refrigerators right now so it keeps life simple.  If you don’t have all the ingredients below, there is a list of other things that taste good with a base of spinach and tuna.  Mix all the ingredients together and roll it into whole wheat tortilla with lettuce, tomato and avocado.  Or serve it as a salad with pita bread or a roll.

Tuna Spinach Salad Wrap
 Serves 2

Ingredients
3 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 3.5 oz can water packed tuna
8 black olives, chopped
1 celery stalk, sliced thinly
1/4 roasted red pepper, chopped
1/2 Bermuda onion, chopped*
Juice of 1/2 lemon (or 1 tablespoon rice vinegar)
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon each dill and thyme (use more if you have fresh herbs)
2 whole wheat flour tortillas, lettuce, tomato, avocado, etc.

Method

• In a medium bowl, combine spinach, tuna, olives, celery and onion with a fork until nicely blended.  
• Add lemon juice, olive oil and herbs and remix.  
• Lay out tortillas and lay lettuce and other add-ins onto bottom third.  Scoop half of spinach-tuna mixture on top and roll bottom up and over filling.  
• Bring in both sides and continue rolling to form the wrap.  Slice in half to serve.   Optional: add toothpicks to keep wrap closed.   

*You can use a freshly chopped red Bermuda onion or try marinating sliced or chopped onion in 1 part apple cider vinegar/3 parts cold water for a few hours.  The water-vinegar soak will cut any sharpness from this mild onion and infuse it with a slightly pickled taste that adds depth to this salad.  The marinated onion keeps well in its bath for up to a week, refrigerated.  Use it as a condiment on hot dogs and hamburgers or in a Greek salad, 

Extras
Artichoke hearts
White beans
Chopped hard boiled egg
Pine nuts
Sliced mushrooms
Chopped water chestnuts
Parsley, cilantro, basil, oregano

Here's a variation on the sweeter side:
Tuna-spinach- raisins-apple chunks-lemon juice-mayonnaise or plain yogurt

Falafel Burgers

Since the 1970’s street food carts in  U.S. cities have been packing pita pockets with middle eastern falafel and salad drizzled with yogurt and tahini sauces for just a few bucks.  I remember a time when lunchtime crowds would converge on a certain mid-town Manhattan street corner to get what was rumored to be the best falafel in the city.  My colleagues and I would often walk 15 blocks passing several other vendors to get the falafel with the special hot sauce served from this cart. 

True falafel uses chickpeas soaked in bicarbonate of soda that are ground with parsley and spices then fried as bite-sized balls or patties. In Egypt, fava beans rather than chickpeas are used for falafel, a word that is used to describe things of a fluffy and crunchy texture in Arabic.  It is also thought to be a derivative of the Arabic word for peppers which sounds like “filfil.”

My falafel burgers shortcut the process with cooked chickpeas giving them a slightly softer texture but the same satisfying experience.  The burgers are baked rather than fried and can be made ahead and frozen for a future snack or lunch. A batch makes a week’s worth of bag lunches.  Peppery, spicey, fluffy, crunchy falafel burgers are easy to prepare and make a pure snack for big after-school and post-workout appetites.  For the truly time-starved (or oven-challenged) I've even included a no-bake falafel pita dip. 


Falafel Burgers with Yogurt-Cucumber Sauce
Makes 5 burgers

Ingredients
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained or 2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup fresh parsley or cilantro
1 cloves garlic, mashed
1 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup plain dry bread crumbs
spray cooking oil

Method

1. In a large bowl mash chickpeas with a fork until the mashed beans hold together but are still a bit chunky.
2. Microwave diced onion on high 1 minute (or cook in a covered pan with a tablespoon or two of water).  Watch it carefully to ensure onions stay moist while they soften.  Add onion and parsley to chickpeas.
3. Using the side of a chef’s knife, smash garlic clove and remove outer skin.  Sprinkle peeled clove with a bit of salt to provide friction and chop to a fine consistency.  Use the side of the knife to smooth garlic and salt into a paste.  Add to bean mixture.
4. Next add cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, cayenne, lemon juice and olive oil.  Taste mixture and adjust according to your tastes for more cayenne, lemon or spices. 

The falafel mixture can be eaten at this point, scooped into pita pockets with salad and tahini sauce or the yogurt-cucumber sauce below or served as a chunky dip.  To turn the dip into burgers, continue with recipe.

1. Preheat oven to 425˚F.  Line a baking sheet with tin foil and lightly spray with cooking oil.
2. Stir in egg and baking powder.  Using a 1/3 cup scoop or measuring cup, place a scoop of falafel onto a shallow dish covered with a few tablespoons of breadcrumbs. Flatten into a patty using the back of a fork or the measuring cup.  Sprinkle top of patty with more bread crumbs.  Use a spatula to carefully lift falafel patty to baking sheet.  Patties are quite delicate at this stage.  Use a fork to make any needed repairs from the dish to thje baking sheet.  
3. When all patties are formed, spray the tops with a little more cooking oil and bake for 15 minutes, turning once.  

Falafel burgers can be served at once over a salad dressed with yogurt-cucumber sauce (below) or tucked into a pita pocket with lettuce, cucumbers, radishes and tahini sauce (see note).  Your favorite hot sauce finishes these burgers for those who like even more spice. 

Yogurt-Cucumber Sauce
Makes about 1 1/3 cups

Ingredients
8 oz plain yogurt
1/2 cucumber - peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
several fresh mint leaves, chopped
salt and pepper

In a small bowl combine yogurt, cucumber, dill, mint, salt and pepper. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

Note: Tahni is sesame seed paste.   Thin a few tablespoons with water and lemon juice to make tahini sauce.  Natural peanut butter can be substituted.  If you find you love these burgers, buy some real tahini which comes in resealable cans and can be found in most international sections of your grocery.


When in New York City-- Falafel can be found served from carts on just about every corner but when I am in NYC and want some great falafel I head to Taim, a little shop in the west village where they serve falafel flavored three different ways.  Try a combo to learn what great falafel should taste like. (222 Waverly Place, west of 7th-- closest subway stations: Christopher St (#1) or 14th Street (#1,2,3).

Breakfast of Pure Champions

Switch out a few things to purify your breakfast habits and you will feel it around your waistline and around 10am when your energy reserves are still there for you.     

Lunch for Breakfast   
Many Americans consume over half of their daily sugar quotient by 9am.  Cereal, toaster cakes and tarts, energy bars and functional drinks provide a quick meal that promises to jump start the day but by mid-morning our bodies are wondering when the next sugar hit is coming.  The front of the box says its wholesome but you know you should be reading the label on the back to get the full picture.  Still, this is what we see in the grocery aisle marked breakfast so it’s got to be good for us, right?

Instead of sitting down to dessert every morning, try something really revolutionary: lunch.  Widen your idea of what a breakfast sandwiches can be.   A ham sandwich on rye, turkey on whole wheat,  peanut butter and bananas on multi-grain toast, grilled cheese with tomatoes, avocado or red peppers can all qualify as breakfast. They are fast, portable and will give you more staying power through morning meetings and classes.  If you like eggs but don’t have time to scramble some in the morning, scoop some pre-made egg salad or sliced hard boiled eggs and sliced tomatoes on a hard roll and head out the door.

With a few extra minutes you can assemble a mini whole wheat pita pocket filled with Canadian bacon, a fried egg or egg white and an ounce of cheddar cheese.  This is a first class treat and packed with long-lasting, valuable foods.  You can make a batch of these and freeze them individually in aluminum foil for a toaster-oven breakfast sandwich ready in minutes. My mother taught me to make open-faced Swiss cheese melts over grilled mushrooms and rye toast.  Sauté extra mushrooms tonight and have a fast elegant breakfast tomorrow.  What do all of these sandwiches have in common?   Some protein with a whole grain carbohydrate.  Some even pack in a little dairy.  That and the fact that you can pronounce every ingredient in your breakfast.

Blender Breakfasts
Energy drinks are easy to grab on the go from convenience stores and vending machines but did you know that low fat milk (also widely available) has the perfect balance of protein and carbs for replenishment?  Just make sure you get the real thing, not an enhanced version (which generally means added sugar).  You can also get serious benefits from downing a, 8-ounce shot of low-fat chocolate milk.  For those with bigger ambitions and a blender try these quick morning smoothies:

For chocoholics, a Chocolate Monkey smoothie….
Thank the banana for no added sugar and a nice dose of potassium.
6 oz low-fat or non-fat milk
1 small ripe banana, cut in chunks )try a frozen one)
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add half the milk and the banana to the blender and mix on low until the banana is smooth.  Add remaining ingredients. 


For fruit lovers, a Freezer Fruit smoothie is available year round.  Because the fruit is frozen it thickens the shake naturally. 
6 oz low-fat or non-fat milk
4 oz fruit juice (orange juice, pineapple, pomegranate, cranberry)
1 cup frozen fruit: mangos, peaches, berries, any combo
2 teaspoons honey
1/4 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract
Blend all ingredients together first on low, then for a few seconds on high to get a frothy mixture.

Toasties

Think your toaster strudel is doing the trick? Sure, it’s fast and satisfies a sweet tooth’s craving for energy but you could do better.  Try a fruit and cream cheese burrito with a cinnamon spiked all-fruit spread.  You’ll get an immediate lift plus more long lasting back-up ingredients.   Assemble the night before and heat it in the toaster oven or eat it straight from the fridge. 

Toasted Fruit Burrito
1 whole wheat tortilla
1 ounce cream cheese or ricotta cheese (heaping tablespoon)
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash vanilla extract
1/2 sliced fruit of your choice—peaches, pears, mango, baked apple, berries, etc
1 tablespoon jam or all-fruit spread- any flavor

Spread the jam on tortilla, leaving a two inch edge.  Next spread a layer of cream cheese or ricotta cheese over jam.  Pile fruit down center of tortilla, leaving edges clear.  Roll tortilla into a burrito by folding the bottom edge over the fruit. Fold the sides over perpendicular to that edge and close burrito by bringing top flap over the three folded edges.  Refrigerate overnight and take it on the road or heat in a toaster oven until the tortilla is crisped and the filling is warm.  Enjoy.

Have Your Bagel and Eat It Too
Have you noticed things getting larger?  The average size of a bagel has almost doubled.  Cut you bagel in half and slather on a full ounce of low fat cream cheese.  It’s the cream cheese that is holding the bagel and you together for the morning not the excess bread.  An ounce of low fat cream cheese has 2 grams of protein, 4% of your calcium requirements and about 55 calories.  If you choose a (normal-sized) bagel with some whole grains you can add in another 6-7 grams of protein.

Speaking of protein, take a road trip to England or South America where beans are on the breakfast menu.  Baked beans on toast and black beans on a corn tortilla both pack a wallop of protein and taste great plain or with a poached egg on top. 

94% say breakfast is most important meal but only 43% eat breakfast…
Many dieters make calorie cuts at breakfast.  Turn this idea on its head today.  Instead of trimming the life out of the early part of your day, feed your body and supply it with what it needs to get through the day. It’s much more fun to add up then cut back when it comes to calorie counting. By ensuring you have enough energy and nutrition reserves at the start of the day you will not be tempted to overeat at lunch and during the afternoon.  I aim for at least 300-350 calories in real foods by 10 am every day.

Dessert- The End
Enjoy cereal but put it in its proper place: dessert.  Serve it after dinner with milk and dried fruit (try warm milk).  Crunch it up on top of fresh fruit and bake it to make a cereal fruit crisp and add ice cream or frozen yogurt.  Layer it into a parfait-to-go with plain yogurt and berries as an after school snack.  And when the box is empty, take a fresh look at the cereal aisle and in the natural food section of your grocery store for something with less sugar to try in desserts next month.

Sick Days

Growing up, my favorite meal when I was sick and home from school was vegetarian vegetable soup and a cucumber and sour cream sandwich.   The soup was canned and easy for my mother to heat up.  Cucumbers and sour cream, a vestige of my family’s eastern European heritage, delivered in a surprisingly neat sandwich made with soft bread was pure comfort food.  It was cool and kind to a tender throat.  Sometimes, there was homemade chicken soup from my great aunts instead of canned soup.  Stocked with thin egg noodles in a full flavor broth, if you had to be sick, this was some consolation. 

Soup still remains the top choice for most when a cold hits and energy reserves are low.  Parents try to tempt their children with foods that will keep dehydration at bay and provide some nourishment along the way to recovery.  After a few days, some new ideas suited to improving appetites are in order.  These are good for adults or children. 

Some soothing and easy breakfasts can include smoothies, cottage cheese or yogurt, scrambled eggs and bananas slathered with peanut butter.  Pancakes and hot cereal can both be served with fresh or canned fruit.  Next time you make pancakes, put some extra in the freezer between sheets of wax paper in reserve for sick days. 

For lunch, try some mild fish, baked or broiled with a dab of butter or olive oil and lemon.  Cooked vegetables can be served hot or room temperature.  Try lightly steamed carrots with a dip made from yogurt mixed with a little honey. Tuna and chicken salad sandwiches are another way to pack in a little protein before heading back to bed. 

Dinners can include simple pasta meals made with light sauces.  Tortellini, steamed shrimp and peas doused with a little olive oil and lemon or angel hair pasta tossed with cream cheese thinned with milk and garnished with grated Parmesan cheese are easy and appealing.  Potato lovers will enjoy them mashed and covering a Shepard’s pie made with layers of cooked ground meat and diced vegetables.  A simple cheese omelet is both welcome and easy to put together for lunch or dinner and is appealing with a freshly tossed side salad. 

There is nothing wrong with providing sweets like frozen fruit pops and pudding as snacks but consider sick days as a good bridge to better eating and keep things in moderation.  Make snacks work double-duty by providing extra doses of fruit and calcium.  Bananas make great emergency fruit pops after a few hours in the freezer.  Chunks of orange, melon or pineapple on a skewer or served in a bowl with a toothpick make fruit an easy pick for languid eaters.  Canned fruit like pears, peaches and apricots packed in juice are soft and easy on the throat and tummy.  If you can only find fruit packed in syrup, rinse it off to reduce the extra sugar.  The fruit’s sweetness will come through loud and clear.  

Pudding, flan, tapioca, and my dad’s favorite when he is under the weather—junket—are pleasant sources of calcium to try as appetites revive.  Use caution with flavored yogurts that include lots of sugar.  Enjoy some plain with maple syrup or jam.  Try it as a fruit dip to start and you’ll soon build up to bowls of it.  Or go back to the soup concept and blend up a fruit soup.  In a blender, mix the patient’s favorite frozen fruits like cherries, strawberries and blueberries and add some orange juice and honey.   Garnish with or mix in some plain yogurt.  Sprinkle on some cinnamon and indulge. 

With a few extra ideas for sick days, everyone will be feeling better soon. 

Thanksgiving Nibbles

Pre-Thanksgiving dinner nibbles should be the antithesis to the day’s turkey and stuffing.  Some wait time often occurs during the day as the turkey bastes, footballs are tossed and facebook chats are replaced by real life chats.  A little brunch or lunch can ward off hunger but needs to be light, soak up any alcohol that’s flowing and balance the day’s diet.  Also, to keep out of the cook’s hair, the nibbles should be prepped ahead and either served from the refrigerator or easily reheated in a microwave or stovetop so they do not compete with the oven’s activities.

This menu is appropriate any time over the Thanksgiving weekend.  It can be prepared ahead of time and pulled out for serving at short notice.  It serves about 8 people.

Soup—The idea of pumpkin-pear or butternut squash-apple soup always looks good in food magazines but feels a bit heavy as a first course to the main meal.  On the other hand, soup is perfect for the wait.  My version of butternut squash-apple is easy and freezes well. 

Salad-- Not everyone makes room on their Thanksgiving plate for salad so it’s a nice offering ahead of time.  Try a plain mixed green salad or something more unusual like dressed salad ingredients served in an endive or romaine leaf.  Serving salad in a leaf turns it into a finger food that frees up utensils. This salad can also be served in the traditional manner. 

Appetizers—Give dips and crudites an update via grilled or roasted vegetables served on thin baguette slices or skewers. Likewise, a tomato-roasted red pepper bruschetta topping drizzled with olive oil can be prepared in advance.  Skewered fruit is refreshing and easy to handle. My recipe adds a holiday note with a cranberry glaze.  The glaze is amazing plain but the adventurous may want to try the cinnamon or curry variations. 

This vegetarian soup is easy to make because it has only a few ingredients.  This is the easiest from scratch soup you will ever make.     
Roasted Butternut Squash Apple Soup
1 butternut squash
olive oil
salt and pepper
3 –4 cups vegetable broth (part water is fine)
2 apple, peeled and shredded (or 1 cup plain applesauce, no added suagr)
1-2 tablespoons white wine (optional)
Yogurt or cream for garnish.

Preheat oven to 450˚.  Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise.  Remove seeds with a spoon.  Rub well with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Place cut-side down on a rimmed baking pan and roast 30-40 minutes until very tender.  Allow squash to cool a bit before handling.

Scoop out roasted squash into a medium saucepan.  Mash together with shredded apple or applesauce.  Slowly stir in 1 cup vegetable broth and wine if using.  Soup can be pureed at this stage.  If using a blender, be sure soup is cool enough to allow pureeing.   Now add remaining vegetable broth to bring soup to desired consistency. Heat, stirring frequently and taste for seasoning.

Other vegetables that can be added to this soup: cooked parsnips, sweet potato, carrots, ripe peeled pear

Holiday Endive Salad Bites
1 endive, leaves pulled from base (about 15 leaves) or inner leaves from a head of romaine lettuce plus:
1/2 head each of red leaf lettuce, radicchio and romaine
1/2 cup dried cranberries or cherries
1/2 cup almonds or roasted pumpkin seeds
1 recipe Creamy Orange Salad Dressing

Shred romaine and radicchio or cut into 1/2 centimeter  slices to  create long thin strands. You are going for a home-made cole slaw consistency (not diced). Toss with dressing.  Add in dried fruit and nuts.  Allow salad to rest a few minutes or up to an hour, chilled.

Scoop a generous tablespoon into each endive leaf.  Arrange on a platter for guests to eat with their hands.

This is a variation on buttermilk dressing that uses a bit of orange juice and honey to compliment the dried fruits in the salad.  For those who like orange creamsicles, this is your dressing.
Creamy Orange Salad Dressing
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon honey
salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients together and toss with salad greens. 

If you have never made your own cranberry sauce, this glaze is a nice foray into the simplicity of cooked cranberries.
Fruit Kabobs with Cranberry-Orange Glaze
1 cup cranberries
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1/2 cup cranberry juice (or water)
Skewered fruit: apples, firm ripe pears, melon, pineapple, seedless grapes (about 3-4 cups)

Over medium heat in a small saucepan, heat cranberries until they soften and release their pectin (mixture will begin to thicken).  Add marmalade and cranberry juice and cook until well integrated and heated through.  Allow mixture to cool then puree with an immersion blender, small food processor or blender.  You can also pass the glaze through a sieve in a pinch. 
Use the glaze plain or try one of these seasonings:
1) Cinnamon, ginger, white pepper, pinch salt
2) Curry powder
Toss fruit in glaze then skewer and serve.  Note: this can be served as a fruit salad in bowls with the glaze added over individual servings.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Lunch Special

When was the last time you had a real chicken sandwich?  Was Easter your most recent taste of ham “off the bone”?  Did you know you could make inexpensive roast beef sandwiches from an easy-to-slice eye round at home?

A Harris Poll completed last month reports that 47% of us are saving money this year by brown-bagging more.  The number has held firm since at least last June.  One of the best ways to increase the “pure quotient” in those lunches is to replace sodium-rich processed cold cuts with meats you make easily yourself from high quality larger cuts. 

Planned leftovers like chicken, turkey, ham, pork and beef make the best sandwich meats and are less expensive than pre-sliced cold cuts.  Your family will also benefit from less handling by others as well as lower sodium content.  Bake a few extra chicken breasts with dinner tonight and thinly slice the leftovers tomorrow for a tender sandwich with lettuce and tomato. In the summer, we stuff these with basil leaves for a sublime midday meal.  Chicken breasts normally sell in my area for about $1.49/pound.  Last week they were $1.29.  I stocked up, cooked some and froze the rest in 2-4 piece servings. 

Holiday hams are going on sale soon and many supermarkets run promotions that earn you a ham or turkey.  Leftover turkey sandwiches are a natural after Thanksgiving but often forgotten the rest of the year.  Stash a sale-priced turkey breast or ham in the freezer for a future meal followed by a week’s worth of sandwich fixin’s.   Large sizes can be cut into smaller portions before freezing so small families can take advantage of this pure technique.

Look for sales on pork loin, pork tenderloin and lean cuts of beef like eye round.  Buy a slightly larger size and after you enjoy the roast for dinner you can thinly slice the cold meat for sandwiches.  Here’s how to cook an eye round for rare roast beef and a few nice sandwich combos to try out this month.

Eye Round Roast Beef

2 –3 pound eye round

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 450˚ and remove meat from refrigerator to allow it to take the chill off while oven preheats.  Lightly grease a roasting pan with a thin coating of oil.   Pat any excess moisture from meat and place in roasting pan.  Coat the top and sides of beef with mustard and cover mustard with black pepper.  Place pan in preheated oven than immediately reduce temperature to 325˚.  Roast until beef reaches an internal temperature of 140˚ for medium rare, 135˚ for a bit more rare.  Remove roast and allow ti to rest undisturbed for at least 15 minutes before slicing. 

A 2-pound roast will take about 1 hour and 15 minutes but begin checking with an instant read thermometer after 1 hour. (Meat will continue to cook and final temperature will increase as meat rests.)

Sandwich combos that will leave your co-workers hungry for pure food too:

• Roast beef with horseradish-Greek yogurt-mayonaise dressing on an onion roll
• Sliced pork, Swiss cheese, relish or chutney (try Major Grey’s) on a baguette
• Sliced chicken breast with mayonnaise spiked with dried dill and basil on whole grain
• Ham with mustard and apricot jam (1 teaspoon of each) on rye
• Turkey, avocado, fresh cilantro and lettuce in a flour tortilla wrap-salsa optional.