September 2006 Tip Archive

Week of September 24, 2006

Get the Skinny on Shellfish

If you really want to take off a few pounds or if you'd just like to eat a nutritious and balanced diet explore shellfish. The good news is that these little critters are really a special treat, and they're good for you too!

Clams, crab, mussels, oysters, scallops and shrimp are all very easy to prepare. In fact, they taste best when preparation is kept simple.

Like with any seafood, the most important thing to remember when buying shellfish is: Make sure it is fresh! Shop at a fish counter or store that is always extrtemely busy. You can be assured that the fish products turn fast and you are not buying old but the very freshest fish.

Shellfish	Serving Size	Total Calories	Fat GMS	Protein GMS	Carbs GMS	Fiber GMS	Chol. MGS	Sodium MGS
Clam, canned, minced	1/2 cup	70	0.9	12.0	2.0	0	31	140
Clam, boiled	4 oz.	168	2.2	29.0	5.8	0	76	127
Crab, Alaskan King, boiled	4 oz.	110	1.7	21.9	0.0	0.0	60	1216
Crab, Blue & Softshell, boiled	4 oz.	116	2.0	22.9	0.0	0.0	113	316
Crab Alternative, made from surimi	3 oz.	87	1.1	10.2	8.7	0.0	17	715
Mussel, raw	3 oz.	73	1.9	10.1	3.1	0.0	24	243
Oysters, raw	3 oz.	50	1.3	4.4	4.7	0.0	21	150
Scallop, raw	3 oz.	75	0.7	14.3	2.0	0.0	28	137
Shrimp, raw	3 oz.	90	1.5	17.3	0.8	0.0	129	126
Shrimp, canned	3 oz.	102	1.7	19.6	0.9	0.0	147	144

Week of September 17, 2006

What is Miso?

Miso is a rich, salty condiment that characterizes the essence of Japanese cooking. To make miso, soy beans and sometimes a grain such as rice, are combined with salt and a mould culture, and then aged in cedar vats for one to three years. The addition of different ingredients and variations in length of ageing produce different types of miso that vary greatly in flavor, texture, color and aroma.

There are many variations of miso, which are basically all made from koji mixed with either rice, barley, and/or soy beans. The ingredients are fermented and aged in wooden kegs. Some of the lighter sweet miso is aged for only one to two months, while the darker miso may be aged for up to 2 years. Miso comes in many colours, ranging from creamy white, red and cocoa-brown. The texture and taste of these variations are just as diverse. The recipe below uses white miso.

Miso Salmon
Serves 6

1/4 cup white miso
1/4 cup mirin
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons minced green onions
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons good quality sesame oil
6 - 6 ounce wild Alaskan salmon fillets, with skin
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
Green onions for garnish

Whisk first 6 ingredients in 13 x 9 x 2 inch glass baking dish to blend for marinade. Add salmon; turn to coat. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.

Preheat broiler. Line a large baking sheet with nonstick foil or plain foil (if using plain foil, spray with cooking oil spray). Remove salmon fillets from miso marinade; using rubber spatula, scrape off excess marinade (If you like more miso flavor, don't scrape off). Arrange salmon, skin side up, on prepared baking sheet. Broil 5 to 6 inches from heat source until skin is crisp, about 2 minutes. Using metal spatula, turn salmon over. Broil until salmon is just cooked through and golden brown on top, about 4 minutes.

Transfer salmon to plates, skin side down. Garnish with green onions if desired. Serve immediately.

You can find white miso and mirin (a sweet Japanese rice wine) at Japanese markets and in the Asian foods section or refrigerated section of supermarkets.

Per Serving: 250 Calories; 8g Fat (31.4% calories from fat); 1g Saturated Fat; 35g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 88mg Cholesterol; 533mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 5 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

Week of September 10, 2006

If you love the taste of breaded chicken and fish, you will enjoy all four of these recipes for crispy “oven frying”.

The recipes below yield 1 to 1 1/2 cups coating. This will be enough for 1 whole cut up chicken, 6 chicken breast halves or 6 (4 ounce fish fillets).

To coat and bake chicken (with or without skin - no skin of course has less fat and calories) or fish, dip in skim milk or low fat buttermilk and dredge in coating. For a heavier coating, dip in flour first, then in milk and then into the coating. Place in baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking oil spray. Lightly mist coated chicken or fish fillets and bake.

Cooking Times:
• Chicken pieces - 400 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes or until juices run clear
• Chicken breasts - 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until no longer pink in center
• Fish fillets - 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until fish flakes with tines of a fork

Lemon Pepper
1 cup plain bread crumbs
3 teaspoons lemon-pepper seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons dried dill weed (not seed)

Cornmeal
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons garlic salt

Potato
1 1/2 cup mashed potato flakes
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Corn Flake
1 cup crushed corn flake crumbs
2 tablespoons dried Cajun seasoning
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

Seasoning blends can be stored in airtight containers in the pantry except for those that contain Parmesan cheese and that must be stored in the refrigerator.

Feel free to experiment with your own favorite flavors like taco seasoning mix, cumin or curry.

Week of September 3, 2006

Remember that if you want to lose weight, CALORIES DO COUNT! If you want to shed the pounds, you have to burn more calories than you consume. All physical activity burns calories, even activities like standing, sitting and sleeping. The more vigorous an activity, the more calories burned. To lose 1 pound, you must burn 3500 excess calories (500 calories per day over the course of a week).

Health care professionals recommend slow weight loss as the safest and most effective plan.

One-half to one pound per week slow weight loss promotes long-term loss of body fat.

If you reduce your calorie intake by 300 calories a day and increase your activity to burn 200 extra calories per day, you can expect a steady weight loss of approximately one pound per week

The heavier a person is, the more calories they will burn. Use our simple calorie calculator by clicking on the button below to see how many calories you will burn (for your weight) while executing various exercises.

As all fat contains 9 calories per gram, the type of fat you eat is irrelevant from a weight loss viewpoint. However, from a health viewpoint it is important to reduce your intake of animal fats and replace them with vegetable fats/oils.

There are just under 4 calories in each gram of protein. Protein is essential for good health. However it is better to lower your intake of animal protein (cheese and meat) and increase your intake of vegetable protein (beans, soybeans, lentils, nuts.)

There are just under 4 calories in each gram of carbohydrates (3.75 calories). It is best to choose carbs with a low glycemic index rating. Low-GI carbs take longer to digest and help maintain stable blood glucose levels. Carbs which are high on the glycemic index (refined sugary foods) contain more 'empty' or non nutritious calories and can upset blood glucose levels, which may disrupt our appetite mechanism and trigger food cravings.

If you want to lose weight, it is best to eat a diet which is low in animal fat, high in healthy (low glycemic index) carbohydrates with modest amounts of protein and about 1200 calories.