Pat's Spotlight on Light & Healthy and January To-Do's

I can tell you that every year at this time, in my adult past; my focus has been on diet and losing weight, as it is  with many friends and co-workers I’ve known over the years. For those of you that don’t have to worry about losing pounds, I ENVY YOU!!.  I’ll add that sometimes my good intentions have lasted for only a couple of weeks into January, and only on occasion those good intentions made it to the end of the month.

But eating healthy does not have to only mean losing weight. It’s a lot to do with eating less of the foods that contribute to high cholesterol, high blood pressure, fatigue, and more. Most all of us know that the worst culprits are fats, sodium, and sugar.

We also know to eat more of the foods that contribute to good all-around health like green vegetables, sweet potatoes, garlic and onion, fish, chicken, and of course, fruits, and to buy organic when at all possible.

 I believe that in January we are more apt to be ready and willing to do this because we have just spent two months eating, perhaps gorging, on some pretty fantastic holiday foods, and we just want to lighten it up now.

So this month I will focus on some lighter and healthy foods, recipes, and any tips that I might come across in my research on this subject. If you have any requests, suggestions, or looking for certain recipes please e-mail me at patakitchen@yahoo.com.

The Recipes:

                  Creamy Veggie Dip 
     
Fix cut-up veggies for yourself and your family and mix up a batch of this dip to go with them. If you want to include some crackers, there are some good crackers in the supermarket that are whole grain, reduced-fat, and low in sugar, and taste good. The whole point is healthy, lighter snacking that tastes good.

Ingredients:
1 carrot, 2 radishes (and/or 4 scallions), 1/4 each; red and green pepper, 1 celery stalk;
all cut into chunks and pulsed in food processor or food chopper till fine.
3 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
1/3 cup light mayo
16 ounce low-fat sour cream
1 teaspoon worstershire sauce
1 and 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon of each; salt & pepper
Mix until smooth cream cheese, mayo, sour cream, worstershire, lemon peel and salt and pepper. Add finely chopped veggies. Store covered in frig till ready to serve.
    Chicken with Tarragon Mustard Sauce

This recipe is great when you are in a hurry. It is low in calories and fat, but right up there with flavor.
It is ready to serve is less than 20 minutes. Makes 8 servings.
 
Ingredients:
    8 small skinned, boneless chicken breasts
    1 teaspoon garlic salt
    1/4 teaspoon pepper
    3 tablespoons light olive oil
    1 cup plain yogurt (fat-free Greek yogurt has a richer taste)
    2 and 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
    1/2 teaspoon tarragon leaves
    1/4 teaspoon sugar
    1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
Pound chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thickness; Sprinkle chicken with garlic salt and pepper. In fry pan, place olive oil and heat to medium-high temperature. Add chicken and cook, turning once, 8 minutes or until chicken is brown and fork tender.
In a bowl, mix together yogurt, mustard, tarragon, sugar, and hot pepper sauce. Pour sauce over chicken and cook on low just till sauce is heated. Arrange chicken on serving platter. Drizzle sauce over chicken.

     Skillet Green Beans                              

Ingredients:

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 medium shallots, minced (1/2 cup) Substitute red onion if you like.

1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest plus 1/3 cup juice from a large orange

Pinch of cayenne (optional, does add flavor)

1 and 1/2 pounds green beans; fresh best flavor, ok frozen

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 teaspoon minced fresh sage leaves or 1 teaspoon dried sage (add more to taste)

Ground black pepper

Toast pecans in a nonstick dry skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes, stirring until fragrant.

Stir in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the salt, cooking another minute; Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Wipe out skillet. Heat remaining olive oil, adding shallots, orange zest, and cayenne, and cook till shallots are soft, about 2 minutes. Toss in green beans, chicken broth, and orange juice. With heat at medium high, cover and cook until beans are partly tender, about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook until beans are as tender as you like them.
When done, adjust salt and pepper to your taste, transfer to serving dish and toss with the pecans.  
 6-8 Servings

                      January Kitchen “To Do” List

 

• Replace baking supplies.

Over time, moisture accumulates in opened packages of baking powder or soda and can alter the results of your baking. After opening, store cans or boxes in a sealed zip-top plastic bag to keep them fresh longer.

Check spices. Some are dated. Some spices don’t have as long a shelf life as others. Spices don’t spoil, they do lose flavor intensity. If the color appears faded, the intensity probably is also.

Here are replacement guidelines for some:

            Ground spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon, turmeric; 2-3 years

            Basil, oregano, dried parsley; 1-2 years

            Whole spices; 4-5 years

            Poppy seeds and sesame seeds; 2 years

• Check Flours.

You should throw out flour once a year if you don’t use it often. Whole wheat or soy flour will keep longer stored in your refrigerator or freezer, because the oil in the flour causes it to become rancid faster than regular flour. Just be sure to allow cold flours to come to room temperature before using.

It is wise to transfer flour from its paper package to an air-tight opaque container.

• Check your freezer.

Toss frozen foods that may have opened or developed serious freezer burn.

            *********