How To: Crunchy Baked Potato Wedges

One of my favorite junk foods are french fries - hot, golden brown and dunked in ketchup - my mouth is watering just writing about them.  But as we all know, fried potatoes aren't super high up on the health food list.  So of course, I've tried a million different ways to make healthy french fries at home.  But until recently, I could never get the crunchy exterior you find at restaurants.  They always came out with no crunch factor and most of the time ended up burnt onto my sheet pan.

So, when a dietitian at my internship hospital gave me the following recipe, I jumped at the chance to try something new.  It features a crazy sounding technique, but I swear, it's a potato miracle!  One batch of these delicious wedges barely made it a whole 24 hours in my house before somebody (possibly my husband) ate the entire tray.  You get super crunchy fries - and I mean crunchy...like you can hear them crunch in your mouth crunchy - and there is minimal added calories.  

But before I give you the secret recipe for these crunchified potatoes, I insist on some potato education.  Potato education?  Yes - because some of people have made the comment that potatoes are just empty carbohydrate calories that make you gain weight... Really guys?  Unfortunately, the low carb craze of the late '90's has forever put potatoes into the "evil carbohydrate" food group.  But for those of you who've ditched these delicious spuds, listen up to these nutrition stats:  for one small baked potato (no butter or sour cream) you're only getting 128 calories, but 22% of your daily Vitamin C, 3g of fiber, 21% of your daily Vitamin B6 and Potassium, and 10% of both Magnesium and Phosphorus.  Potatoes are literally a mineral warehouse - they got it all and lots of it.  So please, check out the recipe below for a new spin on potatoes - and enjoy their nutrition bounty!

Crunchy Baked Potato Wedges:

• 2 lbs Russet Potatoes cut into wedges or sticks
• 2 egg whites
• Salt and Pepper to taste (try out different spice blends too!)

Preheat oven to 450 F.  Line a large sheet tray with aluminum foil and set a wire cooling rack on top of the sheet - this allows the hot air in the oven to circulate around the potatoes preventing the bottom from becoming moist.  Add egg whites, salt and pepper to a large bowl.  With a wire whisk, beat the egg whites until frothy (no peaks here - see picture to the left).  Toss potatoes with egg white mixture and lay the wedges out evenly on the wire rack.  Bake in the oven for about 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and tender.  If you like your potatoes a little darker, feel free to broil them for a few minutes!  Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce.  

So Much More than Cranberry Sauce

Like many American families, my family does the same thing every year for Thanksgiving.  Go to Mom and Dad's house, argue over who gets stuck at the "kids table", and relish in Mom's delicious home cooking.  We also eat the same things every year - seriously - the exact same things.  But my family is so sentimental, somebody might freak out if we don't get the mashed potatoes or peas and bacon (OK I would freak out!).  But in addition to the turkey, stuffing and the rest of the fixings, we always have my grandmother's cranberry sauce.  Well...its actually my grandmother's Aunt Peggy's recipe, but regardless of where it actually came from, its quite delicious.  Its sweet, tart and as I now know, its a cinch to make!

This year I was in charge of making a huge bowl of Aunt Peggy's cranberry sauce and it barely made it to "day after leftovers."  My husband, sadden by the lack of extra sauce, was happy to see that today I made another batch just for the two of us.  The recipe is really way too easy not to make, plus after a little sugar reduction, this recipe packs a BIG nutrition punch!  Obviously filled with cranberries, this sauce also features oranges, celery, apples and walnuts.  The cranberries and apples are filled with high amounts of fiber, vitamin C and a host of antioxidants.  And the walnuts are a great source of healthy protein plus are super high in those heart healthy omega-3 fats!  But enough nutrition, here's the recipe:

Aunt Peggy's Cranberry Sauce:

• 2 cups fresh cranberries
• 1 cup roughly chopped celery
• 1 large navel orange, chopped with skin
• 1 cup finely chopped roasted walnuts
• 1 cup finely chopped apple
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 packet sugar free jello - cranberry flavor if you can find it

Put the cranberries, celery and orange (with its skin on) in a food processor and pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped - but not into a paste.  Pour cranberry mixture in a bowl and add finely chopped apple, walnuts and sugar.  Leave in the fridge over night - this allows all the juices from the fruit to seep out.  After 8 hours or overnight, add in the packet of jello and stir to combine.  Again, stick the mixture back into the fridge and allow to set for about 4-6 hours.  Sauce should last about 2 weeks covered in the fridge.  I cut the amount of sugar down...quite drastically from the originally recipe.  If you find the sauce slightly tart, feel free to add more sugar or sugar substitute.  

Now you can eat this plain right out of the bowl, but I personally love this over a creamy greek yogurt or cottage cheese - or used in place of jam or jellies.  It's a lot more versatile than I originally thought.  I bet it'd also be really good slightly warmed over vanilla ice cream....hmmm might have to try that out soon!  But no matter how you eat it, I'm sure you'll love it and maybe it'll become a Thanksgiving tradition in your house too!

How To: Cooking with Beets!

For some reason, I feel that beets have been considered to be an out-of-date veggie.  Something your mom or grandmother would make...and you'd tried to get out of eating.  Mostly recognized in a can on the grocery store shelves or lumped together in mysterious neon pink juice on the salad bar.  But beets are making a big comeback these days - showing up in more and more recipes and being recognized for their phenomenal nutrition power.

For those of you still shying away from these delicious roots, here's a little history and info that might sway your mind.  Beets, as you know, are a root vegetable - part of the same group that swiss chard and spinach come from.  The most common variety are the deep magenta beets, but they also come in golden yellow and "candy cane" which are red and white striped.  It is believed to be originally cultivated around the edge of the Mediterranean sea but lost popularity as spinach made its way into the food scene.  Some interesting beet facts:  beetroot juice can be used to make wine, roots and leaves have been used in folk medicine to treat a multitude of ailments and regular consumption of beet juice has shown some evidence of improved athletic performance.

But how to actually cook and eat beets?  Simple enough!  Grab a bunch of beets at the farmer's market or grocery store - but make sure to grab some that have decent looking leaves as well - because they are just as edible and delicious as the roots!  (Note!  Beets stain pretty much everything they touch - so be very careful and wash hands thoroughly after handling them!)  Trim off the the stems/leaves and set aside.  Scrub beet roots in water to remove all grit and dirt.  If they're are large beets, cut in half or quarters to speed up cooking time. I prefer to roast them, as it intensifies their flavor, but you could steam them as well.
Roasted Beets:
Preheat oven to 400 F.  Toss beets with olive oil and salt/pepper to taste.  Roast uncovered for about 40 minutes or until beets are easily pierced with a fork.
Steamed Beets:
If you choose to steam the beets, peel the outer layer of skin.  Place beets in a steamer basket over     boiling water, and steam for about 15 minutes until tender.  

Beet Greens:
So you saved these beet tops - now what?  First step is a thorough washing.  They seem to hang on to dirt and sand like its their job - so wash 'em up.  Then give them a rough chop and sauté in a little olive oil until wilted.  Anywhere you would use cooked spinach or other greens, beet tops can be a great substitution.  You could also chopped them more finely and add them to salads.  Last night, I made creamed spinach, but instead of spinach, I used the sautéed beet greens - very yummy!

Once cooked, you can add the beets to just about anything.  I like serving the roasted ones by themselves as a side dish.  Leftover steamed or roasted beets can be tossed into a salad for the lunch the next day.  But one of my favorite all time recipes is my mom's summer beet salad.  It's so yummy and refreshing, I always have to make a bunch of it!  Here's the recipe!

Summer Beet Salad:

• 2 lbs cooked beets, sliced thinly (steamed or roasted)
• 1 can drained and rinsed chickpeas 
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped mint
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, mix together the beets, chickpeas, red onion and mint - tossing to combine.  Add in the balsamic vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper, and stirring to coat the ingredients well.  I like to let this salad sit for about 30 minutes so all the flavors can merry.  Serve cold or room temperature!

Now, if I haven't convinced you to munch on some beets yet, check out their nutrition info!  1 cup of beets contains only 58 calories, 4 g of fiber, 325 mg of potassium, 11% of your daily needs of vitamin C (beet greens contain almost 50% of your daily vitamin C needs) and 27% of your daily needs of folate.  In addition, that great color that is so unique to beets is due to plant compounds called carotenoids and betalains.  These have been shown to provide, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and detoxification support in the body.  The combination of these plant compounds in addition to high amounts of vitamins and minerals, makes beets a nutrition power house!

Delicious and Nutritious Comfort Food

Squash and Mushroom Mixture

One of the best parts of the Fall and Winter seasons is the food - at least in my opinion.  Its warm...cozy... stick to your ribs type of stuff.  It always feels good to come inside from a cold Fall or Winter day and dig into something warm like soup or stew or a big bowl of pasta.  That feeling is what inspired the two dishes I'm sharing with you today.  Delicious, nutritious comfort food!

The first recipe is my Butternut Squash and Mushroom "Alfredo."  A delicious and new take on your typical alfredo sauce.  Surprisingly good for you, yet incredibly delicious - I promise!  I followed up this tasty dinner with a steaming mug of my hot chocolate (tis the season!!).  Both of these dishes are easy and quick to make.  I really hope you'll try them out on the next cold evening!

Butternut Squash and Mushroom Alfredo:
Ingredients:

• 1 lb short cut pasta (shells, elbows, or orichette)
• 1 lb 1" cubed butternut sqaush
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lb cremini mushrooms slice/chopped into 1" pieces
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic minced
• 3/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/4 fat free half and half
• 1 cup reserved pasta cooking water
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp pepper

Fill a large pot of water and heat to boiling over high heat.  Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add olive oil, mushroom and herbs and sauté until the mushrooms have released all their moisture and begin to crisp up -about 10 minutes or so.  Add minced garlic the last minute of cooking - that way it wont burn!  

While you're cooking the mushrooms, add the cubed butternut squash to the boiling water.  Cook for 3-5 minutes until the squash is easily pierced with a fork.  With a spider or slotted spoon, scoop out the squash and add it to the mushroom herb mixture.  Toss to combine and keep over low heat.

Bring water back up to a boil and add pasta and cook until al dente.  Add the parmesan cheese, 1/2 and 1/2 and enough of the reserved cooking water to the squash/mushroom mixture until a nice thick sauce forms.  You may need more or less pasta water, so make sure to save enough!  Smash some of the squash with the back of a spoon - it helps create a nice thick sauce.  Add hot pasta and toss together!  Serve warm with a touch more parmesan cheese!

Favorite brand of cocoa powder!

Rich and Creamy Hot Chocolate:

Ingredients:

• 8 oz skim milk
• 2-3 tbsp unsweetened unprocessed dutch cocoa powder (depends on how chocolately you want it)
• 1 tbsp Splenda or other no-calorie sweetener
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Pour milk into a microwave mug (you can also do this all on the stove top, but microwave is fast and convenient).  Add the coca powder, Splenda and vanilla extract stirring to combine.  It might be hard to get everything mixed at first, but once heated, the cocoa powder melts easily into the hot milk.  Microwave for 2-3 minutes depending on how hot you like your cocoa.  Give the cocoa another few stirs until everything is combined nicely.  Enjoy warm!  

How To: Cooking with Lentils

I was brainstorming for my next blog post and thought it would be a fun idea to do a blog series.  Something that would come out once a week and examine a particular topic.  So I came up with the idea for a "How-To" series - focusing on in depth instructions, background information and great recipes on anything from an unusual ingredient to a healthy cooking technique.  Each Wednesday you can check my blog for the newest "How-To" post and get a short but comprehensive foodie lesson!

Considering today is actually Wednesday, this will be my first blog in this "How-To" series.  I choose to focus on lentils because they are one of my all time favorite ingredients.  I always have them on hand, pre-cooked and ready to use and also a variety of dried lentils stored in the cupboard.  They are a great addition to any recipe - taking on the flavors of whatever herbs and spices you choose.  You can find lentils every where these days.  It's great to find a vacuum-pack or cans of pre cooked lentils (like at Trader Joe's) so you can skip the cooking step.  But if you can't find the precooked, dried works just fine!

Lentils are a part of the same group as beans - legumes.  And like beans, these little guys have been around for over 8000 years - originating in central Asia.  They grow in pod, with 2 -3 lentils (actually the seeds of the plant) per pod and then they are dried and packaged.  Lentils come in a variety of colors and each type cooks just slightly different.  The most common are the french green lentils, brown lentils, red lentils, beluga lentils and yellow lentils.  I generally stick with the french green and beluga lentils as these keep their shape and texture through cooking.  The red and yellow lentils, used frequently in Indian cuisine, can easily turn to mush if you don't watch their cooking time!

In addition to being a great cooking ingredient, lentils are incredibly healthy.  For one cup of cooked lentils, you get:  <1 g of fat, 16 g of fiber, 90% of daily folate and 17 g of protein all for a mere 230 calories.  These little legumes are a great and inexpensive way to boost your protein and fiber in one easy dish.  Here's how to cook up a batch of plain lentils that you can use in a wide array of recipes.

Plain Lentils:
1 cup dried lentils (turns out to be about 2 cups cooked)

Wash and rinse over lentils in a colander - washing off dirt and picking out any stones.  Bring a pot filled with water to a boil over high heat.  Once boiling add a few pinches of salt just for flavoring and the lentils.  The french and beluga lentils take about 30 minutes to cook, while the red and yellow lentils take about 20 minutes.  Test the lentils a few times, and drain once they are tender.  Each type of lentil requires different cooking times, so read over the package to check how long they should cook.

My Lentil and Potato Soup

After the lentils are fully cooked, you can add them to just about anything.  I've listed a few recipes below - some are mine and some I found in magazines or online.  But in general lentils are great in:  soups, turned into dips, cold salads or tossed with rice or other whole grains.  But I encourage you to get creative with them on your own!

Lentil Recipes:
My Lentil and Potato Soup
Indian Lentil Pilaf (Vegetarian Times)
Red Lentil Hummus (Cooking Light)
Salmon Over Lentils (Food Network) 
Warm Lentil Salad (Eating Well)

Dario's Favorite Greek Lentil Salad:
This is one of my best creations ever!  I always make a HUGE amount of this salad on the weekends and my husband and I never fail to devour it by Tuesday!  I suggest whipping up a batch on a Saturday afternoon and storing it in the fridge for a great healthy lunch all week!
Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked french or beluga lentils (follow recipe above for plain lentils)
• 1 cup diced cucumber
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 avocado diced

Dressing:

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic minced finely
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
• 1 tsp honey
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix dressing ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

In a larger bowl, toss together the salad ingredients except for the avocado.  Mix in enough dressing to coat lentil mixture well.  Gently fold in avocado, being careful not to mash it - you want to see the chunks!

Serve cold with whole wheat pita bread or chips.

Kale? It's Edible?

Purple Kale

Not too many people consider kale as a particularly edible vegetable.  It's tough, bitter and usually just stuck on the side of your plate as a garnish.  Not the most appetizing or tantalizing of uses.  But lately, there seems to be more and more talk about how wonderful kale is - a supposed "super vegetable."  Filled with enough Vitamin A, C and K to last you a week and more minerals than I can keep track of, kale seems to be more than a dried up garnish.  

Super veggie or not, kale was not on my list of "need to try foods."  I have to admit, I have never in my life been tempted to chow down on a bunch of kale.  I'm not sure too many people have for that matter.  But as a foodie, there's only so many kale-based recipes I can read before I feel the need to get in the kitchen and do some experimenting.

Raw Kale Salad w/ Root Vegetables

I happened to come across some crazy purple kale (pictured above) at the farmer's market that looked a lot better than I thought it would taste.  When I got it home, I washed it and stuck in the fridge and went to work on researching any recipe that made kale looked even mildly enticing.  I found one on VegetarianTimes.com, "Raw Kale Salad with Root Vegetables", that looked decent enough and I gave it a shot.  Well, I have to say, I might be a kale convert!  This salad AND the kale were delicious.  I never thought I'd say it, but kale is not only quite edible, but also very tasty!

Watermelon Radish

Click here to view the recipe.  The recipe called for Lacinato kale - some specific type of kale that's supposedly a little more tender than your regular old kale.  But I used what I found at the farmer's market instead and it worked out fine.  I also subbed out the called for rutabaga and turnip for more carrots and the watermelon radishes that I also picked up at the market (see picture on right).  Both substitutions worked great and really brightened up the whole salad!  Plus, the home-made candied pecans that were part of the recipe were to die for.  I really hope you give this recipe a try, or other kale recipes you may find.  This once tossed aside vegetable really can be transformed into a delicious dish!

Beans, Greens and Such

One of the perks of living in Northern VA is the access to the multiple farmer's markets and their unique products throughout the week.  Of course, as a foodie, I love checking out these farmers' market every chance I get.  I'm always on the lookout for the vendors with some unusual and delicious finds.  This weekend I got lucky and found some super cool vegetables that I haven't seen before - purple carrots, watermelon radishes and fresh cranberry beans.

I was super excited about the cranberry beans because I've noticed them in recipes before, but have NEVER seen them in any market, store or specialty shop.  So I grabbed a quart of the un-shelled beans and toted them home.  They're beautiful beans...really - the pods themselves are marbled magenta, green and brown.  But when you shell them, the large beans are a creamy white color except for a few splashes of bright pink.

To cook the cranberry beans, you just treat them like any other raw bean - stick 'em in a pot covered with water, add any aromatics you want and boil until the beans are tender (about 30 mins).  I chose not to add any aromatics to the pot because I wanted to really taste the actual cranberry bean.  They have a really meaty and earthy flavor and a very creamy texture.  Somewhat similar to a great northern bean.  I decided to add them to one of my all time favorite dishes - my arugula and quinoa salad.

The ingredients in this salad vary depending on whats in season or if I find something cool at the farmer's market - like my pretty little cranberry beans.  But no matter what I add, I always love the taste and texture of this dish.  There's a high ratio of quinoa to arugula - which I guess is somewhat unusual for a salad.  But it's really good, trust me!  It's super high in fiber and high quality protein from the beans and quinoa.  Plus the amount of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants would make even the biggest health-nut happy!  It's a delicious treat that leaves you feeling 100% satisfied.

Here's my recipe for Arugula and Quinoa with cranberry beans!
Arugula and Quinoa Salad:

• 1 bag arugula
• 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
• 1 can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
• 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 1/2 cups fresh (raw) cranberry beans - or other creamy textured bean

• Dressing:
• 4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup good olive oil
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp agave - or honey, maple syrup or plain old white sugar
• salt and pepper to taste

In a medium bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients together until well combined.  You may need to re-mix right before dressing the salad to ensure all the ingredients are emulsified.

Preheat the oven to 450 F.  Place the quartered artichoke hearts on a sheet pan and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Roasted for 25 minutes or until edges and tips of quartered artichokes start to brown.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, place the arugula, sundried tomatoes, goat cheese, quinoa and cranberry beans.  Once artichokes have finished roasting, add to the arugula mixture.  Slowly add the dressing - don't dump the whole thing on because you might have too much dressing!  Add just enough for your preferences.  Mix well and serve immediately!