Kelsey Jacobson: May 2008 Archives

Courtesy of Stacy Beeson.
Celebrate salad month-- every month!

May is salad month and salads have come a long way!

They used to be the colorless iceberg lettuce side dish, but now spotlight as main entrées at home and restaurants.

The key to a great salad is to not get bored with it - don't feel like it is your obligation, but rather get excited about salad night!

THE BOWL:
Find the largest bowl you have because greens are one item you can go hog-wild with.

THE BASE:
Experiment with various greens such as arugula, chicories, radicchio, curly red leaf and baby spinach. Aim for taste and texture differences.

THE BANG:
By adding a few often over-looked additions, the salad can turn into something spectacular.

For bang, add:
• Cabbage
• Cranberries
• Gorgonzola
• Mandarin Oranges
• Olives
• Parmesan cheese
• Pears
• Pecans
• Pine Nuts
• Sesame seeds
• Sliced almonds
• Sun-dried tomatoes
• Sunflower seeds
• Walnuts
• Water chestnuts

BECOMING MORE OF A REAL MEAL:
To include satiating protein sources in the salad, use these easy items:
• Beans, black, pinto, garbanzo, Great Northern, kidney
• Chicken, fresh or canned
• Cottage cheese
• Egg
• Flank steak
• Salmon, fresh or canned
• Tofu, already marinated
• Tuna, use light more often than Albacore due to mercury content

THE BEST:
Below are four favorite combinations that use 5 ingredients or less and one type of healthy, store-bought dressing.

1) Mixed greens, pinto beans, salsa, olives, avocado with Salsa Ranch dressing by Litehouse
2) Tofu, snow peas, baby spinach, mandarin oranges with light Sesame Ginger dressing by Paul Newman.
3) Romaine, sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, red onion, parmesan cheese with Paul Newman's light vinaigrette.
4) Mixed greens, pears, toasted pecans, gorgonzola, with Raspberry vinaigrette dressing by Annies.

THE BODY:
A homemade salad will do wonders for the body - because of all the nutrients from whole foods and because vegetables are so low in calories.

Two cups of leafy greens only have 20 calories. If you stick to a dressing with 50 calories per 2 tablespoons, a humungous salad is still likely to be under 250 calories.

Call Stacy at St Luke's Health Solutions with any questions. 381-2403.

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Strawberries Brulee

Ingredients
6 ounces Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup Sour Cream
2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
4 cups fresh strawberries
2 tablespoons Orange Juice
1 tablespoon Granulated Sugar
¼ cup packed brown sugar

Directions
In a small mixing bowl, whip cream cheese till smooth.

Add sour cream and the 2 tablespoons brown sugar.

Beat until smooth.

Reserve 2 strawberries for garnish.

Quarter the remaining berries.

Pour the orange juice and the 1-tablespoon granulated sugar in with the strawberries and toss well.

Arrange the berries into two 12-14 ounce broiler proof bowls.

Spread & split the cream cheese mixture evenly over each berry bowl.

Sprinkle the ¼ cup brown sugar evenly over each bowl.

Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat for 1-2 minutes until the sugar turns a golden brown.

Remove from oven and top with reserved berry.

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Squash Ribbons with Daikon and Herbs

Turn off the stove! This is a great recipe to take on a picnic or to the Shakespeare Festival. It's totally GREEN- in color and environmentally. It doesn't need to be cooked.

Ingredients
3 small zucchini (about 1 lb.)
3 small yellow squash (about 1 lb.)
1 large daikon radish (about ½ lb.)
20 medium basil leaves, very thinly sliced
2 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Small basil leaves for garnish

Directions
Trim the ends of the zucchini and yellow squash.

With a vegetable peeler, shave the zucchini lengthwise into long, wide strips about 1/16 inch thick.

When you get to the center of the zucchini, where the seeds are, turn it over and slice from the other side until you get to the center again.

Discard the center.

Put the zucchini ribbons in a large bowl.

Slice the yellow squash using the same technique, and add them to the zucchini.

Peel off and discard the rough exterior of the daikon and shave the diakon as you did the squash.

Add the strips to the bowl along with the basil and oregano.

In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, and zest.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Toss the veggies with the enough of the lemon vinaigrette to lightly coat them (you may not need all of the vinaigrette).

Garnish with small basil leaves.

This recipe is great with grilled chicken or Kabobs.

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Scallion and Garlic Fritters

Ingredients
2 cups thinly sliced Scallions (white part only)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 tablespoons minced Garlic, fresh
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons Flour
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1/3-cup fresh chopped basil leaves
Salt & Pepper to taste

Olive oil, for frying

Orange Lemon Pepper Mayo(made by combining 1 cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoons salt-free Lemon Pepper, and 1/3 cup Orange Juice)

Directions
Heat a skillet and add the olive oil, garlic and scallions.

Sauté quickly over high heat for about 3 minutes.

Remove to a bowl to cool.

Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix together.

Heat a skillet and add the olive oil for frying.

Measure out about 1/3-cup quantities of the fritter mixture and add to the hot pan.

Fry about 1 minute each side, until golden brown.

Remove fritters and drain on paper towels.

Place fritters on a serving platter and drizzle with the orange lemon pepper mayonnaise.

Makes about 6 fritters.

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Italian Meatballs with Orzo

Ingredients
• 1 pound ground beef
• ½ pound minced bacon
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1/3 cup minced green onions
• 1 egg, beaten
• Salt & Ground Pepper To Taste
• 2 teaspoons thyme
• 1 teaspoon mace
• 1 teaspoon crumbled rosemary
• 2 cups bread crumbs
• ¾ cup tomato juice
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 2 cups of your favorite marinara sauce
• 2 cups beef broth

4 cups cooked orzo pasta tossed in 1 tablespoon olive oil & 2 tablespoons fresh chopped oregano (placed in a large bowl, covered, and left at room temperature until ready to use)
1-1/2 cup Garlic cream Sauce(2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons minced garlic, 1-1/2 cups heavy cream, salt & pepper to taste)
Parmesan Cheese for garnish

Directions
In a large bowl, combine first 12 ingredients and mix well.

Form into 1 inch diameter meatballs.

Heat olive oil in a skillet or medium to large pot on medium high.

Sauté 16 meatballs at a time in the skillet. After searing the meatballs, transfer to a pan and set aside.

Repeat process with the remaining 16 meatballs.

Add the set aside meatballs back to the skillet.

Pour in the 2 cups beef broth and 2 cups marinara sauce.

Place a lid on the skillet and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes,(after 20 minutes, keep warm until ready to serve).

Making sauce
While the meatballs are cooking, make the Garlic Cream sauce by pouring 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons minced garlic into a small saucepan.

Heat until the garlic starts to brown, add 1-1/2 cups heavy cream.

Season with salt & pepper and simmer for about 10 minutes over medium heat. The sauce will turn a slight yellow.

Uncover the cooked orzo and pour the garlic cream sauce into the bowl, tossing well.

To serve place a ring of the orzo in a serving bowl. Pour the meatballs and sauce in the center. Garnish with the Parmesan cheese.

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