Category: Health and Wellness (Page 4 of 5)

A celebration always calls for food and food is always a celebration.  The trick is finding dishes that are delicious but still keep those hips in check.  Your mom will thank you. Say, I love you, Mom by providing nutritious delicious dishes.  For some reason, greasy, heavy, and fatty breakfast food doesn’t seem to scream “I love you,” but rather “Here’s to purchasing Lipitor or any other cholesterol lowering drug!” cheers! Here’s a menu that provides a healthy alternative.

Menu

Fresh Fruit

Blueberries, strawberries, whatever if fresh and available!

• +Multi-grain pancakes
• ¼ cup whole flaxseed
• ½ cup oats
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 lg. eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk or plain nonfat yogurt
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 cup water

1. In a blender or spice grinder, grind the flaxseeds until the reach a cornmeal-like consistency.  Place in a mixing bowl.  Sift whole wheat flour, baking soda, and baking powder.  Mix well.
2. In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, buttermilk (or yogurt), oil, and water.  Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients.  Stir just until combined. 
3. Warm a lightly oiled skilled or griddle on medium-high heat.  When a drop of water “bounces: on the hot surface, ladle on about ¼ cup of batter for each pancake and cook until bubbles appear on the top, a minute or two.  Turn the pancakes and cook on the second side until golden brown, about a minute.

Serves 4 to 6

Yields about 8 large pancakes

Time: 25 minutes

Simply Baked Fruit Topping

Ingredients:

• 2 TBSP pure maple syrup
• 2 Tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 5 cups peeled and sliced apples
• (or mixture of apples and pears)

***Other fruits that can be used include softer fruits like peaches, plums, apricots, pineapple, and mangoes.  

*** Add pecans, walnuts, or almonds for crunch!

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix together the maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt.  In a nonreactive 9-inch square baking pan, combine the fruit and the syrup mixture.
2. Bake in a preheated 400’ oven, stirring once or twice, until the fruit is tender, 35-40 minutes.

Serves: 4

Hands on time: 15 minutes

Baking time: 35-40 minutes

Green Eggs, No Ham

Ingredients:

• 4 cups lightly packed spinach
• 4 large eggs
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 2 tsps. Olive oil
• 2 Tsps chopped scallions or snipped chives

Directions:

1. Rinse and drain the spinach and pat it dry, so that the eggs won’t be too wet.
2. In a bowl, lightly beat the eggs with dashes of salt and pepper and set aside.
3. Warm the oil in a skilled on medium-high heat, and then add the scallions and spinach.

1. Sprinkle with salt and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes, until the spinach has just wilted.  Add the eggs, lower the heat and cook, stirring to scramble, until the eggs are set.

Serves: 2-3

Time: 15 minutes

Mimosa

• 1 part champagne
• 1 part chilled orange juice

Happy Mother’s Day and Happy, Intelligent Eats to all!

Katie

About Katie Paige Haarala

Kate Paige Haarala is a registered dietitian (R.D.) from Minnesota who has an undying passion for nutrition education and helping others incorporate healthy dishes into their daily menu.  She graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Food, Nutrition & Dietetics along with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Exercise Science. You can catch more of Katie on her blog by clicking here.

Chef Nicholas Calias, CEC, has graciously provided us with some great tasting recipes for our Health & Wellness section.  This time it is a mouthwatering Hickory Smoked Lamb Loin, Truffle Heirloom Tomato Salad, Micro Arugula, Black Olive Oil & Fleur de Sel

Ingredients

• Lamb loin 8 oz
• Hickory chips 4 oz    
• Truffle oil 2 oz
• Shallots fine dice 1 each
• Baby heirloom tomatoes  12 each
• Lemon 1 each
• Micro arugula 1 oz
• Flor de Sal con olivas .5 teaspoon
• Olive oil 1 cup
• Kalamata olives (chopped) 1 oz
• Chervil 1 teaspoon
• Salt to taste
• Pepper  to taste

Method:

Soak the wood chips in water for at least an hour, strain and place in a pan on direct heat covered. Season the lamb with salt & pepper, when chips begin to smoke turn off flames and add the lamb. Let the lamb smoke for 5-10 minutes covered. Remove the lamb (the lamb should still be very rare) and heat a sauté pan, add oil add sear lamb on all sides for 1 minute. Remove lamb and allow it to rest.

While the lamb is resting gather two bowls of water, one ice cold & the other boiling with salt. Score your tomatoes on the top and bottom, turn of the water and place the tomatoes in the hot water. Cook for 5-10 seconds until the skin begins to come off, remove from water add place in the ice water to stop the cooking process. Once all tomatoes are done place them in a bowl with, chopped chervil, shallots, truffle oil, juice from the lemon, zest from the lemon, arugula, salt and pepper. This can be made a day ahead.

For the black olive oil, quickly puree kalamata olives & oil until blended, set aside.

To plate place tomatoes in a circle in the center of the plate, slice lamb and shingle around the lamb. Top lamb with seasoned micro greens, season lamb with Fleur de Sel and finish with black olive oil.

Get more Health & Wellness advice by Clicking Here.

About Chef Calias CEC

With over 18 years of culinary experience, coupled with a passion for his craft, creative and artistic talent and his strong leadership roles, Nicholas Calias leads the culinary operation at The Colonnade Hotel, Boston and Brasserie Jo for the last 4 years. As a Certified Executive Chef, Nicholas spent the better part of the last 8 years with Starwood Hotels and Resorts and Merritt Hospitality. Previously, Nicholas was an Executive Chef of the Westin Stamford Hotel with Merritt Hospitality, where he also was a member of the Corporate Task Force team that facilitated property acquisitions to the company portfolio. Nicholas has also been an Executive Chef with Starwood, where in addition to his daily responsibilities; he was a member of the Starwood Regional Chef’s Task Force.

Kami Pastis is a certified personal trainer, life style educator, group fitness instructor and registered chiropractic assistant in the Phoenix area. From time to time, she enjoys sharing tips with you on eating well for life.

5 Tips

Click here to revisit Kami’s Thai Bliss Soup contribution

Get more Health & Wellness advice by Clicking Here.

About Kami

Kamara Pastis is a certified personal trainer, life style educator, group fitness instructor and licensed massage therapist in the Phoenix area. Clinical, therapeutic massage has been her mainstay for seven years where she has experienced the lasting therapeutic changes massage can make in cases with debilitating pain and disfunction. The traditional Thai and Yogi tradition of metta (literally “loving kindness”) is Kami’s healing philosophy. When not healing her patients, Kami is more than blissfully occupied with her husband and three kids.

To contact Kami and learn more about her services Click Here: www.kamaralmt.com or call (602) 622-1046. Tell her you saw her on intotheSoup.com

by Katie Haarala

Do you walk into the living room and forget why you were there, or call your youngest daughter by your pet iguana, Iggy’s name, and or even find yourself rummaging through the frig unable to remember what you were looking for?

Gosh, if only there was a way we could improve our brain’s health, inevitably boosting our ability to remember our never ending and rather daunting list of daily “To-Do.”  Luckily for your noggin, research has indicated that an increase of omega-3 fatty acids from our diet is highly beneficial and there is a tasty solution. 

One food that is high in these omega-3 fatty acids and renders unbelievable flavor is Salmon. The two specific omega fatty acids found in Salmon are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). 

So what? What do these fatty acids mean to your health? First, our body is unable to make these fatty acids on its own, so it relies on you to consume it in your weekly dishes. Second, our brain is more than 60% structural fat, and omega-3 fatty acids play a pivotal role in allowing synapses in the brain to transfer impulses efficiently, inevitably leading to a more intelligent and properly functioning brain! And, don’t we just love a smart brain?

Perhaps more omegas will help us remember where we put our car keys last night or what on earth we needed to pick up from Target. Was it batteries? Toothpaste? No, definitely needed some food for Iggy.  

According to Science Daily, “Dietary deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids in humans has been associated with increased risk of several mental disorders including attention-deficit disorder, dyslexia, dementia, depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia” and “A deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids in rodents results in impaired learning and memory.” Perhaps on your way home from picking up Iggy’s food, stop at the local grocer and pick up some of this glorious fish.

Why Salmon, specifically? Simply put… it’s yummy. Salmon is rich in flavor, versatile, and quite simple to prepare. One way that I like to prepare Salmon is to start by rubbing lemon juice, salt and pepper on the fish. Use the broiler, on high, to cook the fish. Place on a pan about 5 to 7 inches from the heat source.

Remember that the Salmon will cook quickly and must be cooked on each side. Salmon will flake easily when it is cooked appropriately. Now, you can simply dress the Salmon with olive oil, more lemon juice, salt, and pepper or you can try some more exquisite flavors such as sun-dried tomato mixture: sundried tomatoes, olive oil, lemon juice, white wine, basil, thyme, and rosemary; or dijon mustard with capers and dill weed; or plain yogurt, dill weed, and black pepper.

Since we are now contemplating Salmon for dinner, let me reiterate one more crucial point why this fish and the omega-3’s found within are beneficial to your health. Salmon promotes a healthy heart and cardiovascular system. The omega 3- fatty acids found in Salmon are deemed a heart health promoter as they allow the blood to flow more freely and prevent blood clots. It is well documented in scientific literature that these omega-3 fats have been found to reduce hypertension, improve blood flow, protect against coronary heart disease, and lower triglyceride levels. Salmon is also noted to be a good source of selenium, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, niacin, and magnesium all of which would have been tied to cardiovascular health.  Here fishy, fishy. You and all your health benefits are definitely making your way to the dinner plate!

So here’s to an increase in brain activity and a healthy pumper! Enjoy all that is Salmon and enjoy all that is health!

Katie

Get more Health & Wellness advice by Clicking Here.

About Katie Paige Haarala

Kate Paige Haarala is a registered dietitian (R.D.) from Minnesota who has an undying passion for nutrition education and helping others incorporate healthy dishes into their daily menu.  She graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Food, Nutrition & Dietetics along with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Exercise Science. You can catch more of Katie on her blog by clicking here.

Chef Nicholas Calias, CEC, has graciously provided us with some great tasting recipes for our Health & Wellness section. Lets start this healthy meal with a salad. Asparagus Salad à la Polonaise to be exact.

Ingredients:

• 12 each peeled, blanched asparagus                
• 2 each hard boiled eggs chopped
• 1 oz capers 
• 1 T chopped parsley
• Salt & Pepper TT
• 2 oz Arugula                       
• 2 oz Champagne vinaigrette

Method:

Peel & blanch asparagus in salted water for 3 minutes, cool. Season arugula and toss with vinaigrette

For Vinaigrette

• 1 cup Champagne vinegar    
• 2 cups Blend oil                     
• 1 oz Dijon Mustard                         
• 2 T Fine chopped parsley  
• 1 T Lemon juice                
• Salt TT
• Pepper TT

Method

Mix together all ingredients except oil, slowly add oil to emulsify

To plate

Coat asparagus with dressing and line up on a plate, top with egg and capers. Finish with arugula, salt & pepper.

Get more Health & Wellness advice by Clicking Here.

About Chef Calias CEC

With over 18 years of culinary experience, coupled with a passion for his craft, creative and artistic talent and his strong leadership roles, Nicholas Calias leads the culinary operation at The Colonnade Hotel, Boston and Brasserie Jo for the last 4 years. As a Certified Executive Chef, Nicholas spent the better part of the last 8 years with Starwood Hotels and Resorts and Merritt Hospitality. Previously, Nicholas was an Executive Chef of the Westin Stamford Hotel with Merritt Hospitality, where he also was a member of the Corporate Task Force team that facilitated property acquisitions to the company portfolio. Nicholas has also been an Executive Chef with Starwood, where in addition to his daily responsibilities; he was a member of the Starwood Regional Chef’s Task Force.