Week of March 30, 2002
It is beginning to warm up so clean up the grill and let's start grilling. It is one of the healthiest ways to cook meat and vegetables without added fat. Here are some of our favorite grilling rubs. Remember to use lean cuts of beef, poultry, fish or pork. Most rubs work best if rubbed onto all sides and allowed to sit in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours.

Most of these rubs can be kept in a covered container for up to one month. Feel free to adjust the seasonings to your taste.

Creole Rub: Combine 2-1/2 tablespoons of paprika with 2 teaspoons each of white pepper, dried oregano, dried thyme, 1 teaspoon each of cayenne, ground celery seeds and salt, 3 tablespoons of grated onion and 2 minced garlic cloves.

Indian Rub: Mix a teaspoon each of ground coriander, ginger, turmeric, cumin, paprika, and salt with 1/2 teaspoon each of ground cardamom and cayenne pepper, along with 2 minced garlic cloves.

Jamaican Rub: Mix 1-1/2 teaspoons of allspice, 1 teaspoon each of thyme, curry powder, paprika, and sugar, 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, freshly ground black pepper, cayenne, 1/4 teaspoon each of grated nutmeg and cinnamon, and 1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves.

Barbeque Rub #1: Combine 2 tablespoons each of black pepper and paprika, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon each of salt, chili powder and onion powder and 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard.

Barbeque Rub #2: Combine 1 Tablespoon each of ground black pepper, ground white pepper, sugar, ground cumin, garlic powder, brown sugar, ground oregano, celery salt, salt; 1 teaspoon of dry mustard; 2 Tablespoons Chili powder, 4 Tablespoons Sweet Paprika and 1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper.

Jerk Rub: Combine 2 teaspoons each of sugar, ground thyme, dried chives and salt; 1 tablespoon each of onion flakes, onion powder, cayenne pepper; 1 teaspoon each fresh ground black pepper and ground allspice; 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg and ground cinnamon; 2 teaspoons salt.

Savory Herb Rub: Combine 4 teaspoons of sage with 2 teaspoons each of thyme and savory, and a teaspoon each of salt and ground pepper.

Moroccan Rub: Mix 2 tablespoons of paprika, 1 teaspoon each of salt and sugar, 1/2 teaspoon each of black pepper, ginger, cardamom, cumin, fenugreek, and 1/4 teaspoon each of cloves, cinnamon, allspice and cayenne.

Spicy Chicken Rub: Combine 1/4 cup sweet paprika, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 3 teaspoons each of salt, dried ground chipotle peppers and ground garlic powder, 1-1/2 teaspoon each of celery salt, onion powder, fresh ground black pepper and ground chimayo red chili or cayenne.

Cajun Rub: Combine 1 tablespoon each of dried basil leaves, dried oregano and sweet paprika; 2 teaspoons each of salt and dried thyme and 1 teaspoon ground allspice.

Cajun Blackening Spice Rub: Combine 5 teaspoons sweet paprika, 1 teaspoon each of dried ground oregano, cayenne pepper and dried ground thyme; 1/2 teaspoon finely ground black pepper, finely ground white pepper and garlic powder.

Greek Rub: Combine 2 tablespoons dried thyme, dried rosemary, dried oregano; 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper.

Curry Chicken Rub: Combine 1/4 cup chili powder, 1 Tablespoon Curry Powder, 2 teaspoons celery salt, 1 teaspoon each of onion powder, garlic powder, dry mustard, white pepper, dried oregano and parsley flakes.

Tandoori Chicken and Fish Rub: Combine 1 teaspoon each of ground cumin, coriander, ground ginger, sweet paprika, turmeric, salt and cayenne pepper.

Italian Rub: Combine 2 teaspoons each garlic powder and salt; 3 teaspoons each ground oregano and ground basil.

Asian Rub: Combine the following and grind in spice or pepper mill. 2 Tablespoons each fennel seed, Szechuan peppercorns; 3 star anise, 1 Tablespoon coriander, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, 1/2 teaspoon each of whole cloves, cumin seeds, ground cinnamon, ground ginger and turmeric.

Week of March 23, 2003
Ever wonder how you come up with the % of calories from fat in a food? It may sound a little complicated but it really is very simple.

First you need to know how many grams of fat are in the food and that 1 gram of fat contain 9 calories. You also need to know the number of calories in the food. Most package labels include this information. For nonpackaged foods, use our food statistics section or use a calorie handbook. Then, plug in the numbers into the equations below.

Step 1: Total fat in grams x 9 = total calories from fat
Step 2: (Total fat calories total calories) x 100 = % calories from fat

Week of March 16, 2003
Easy meals can be nutritious and delicious! When you come in from work tired, it is great to have some recipes like these to fall back on. Try this easy Ginger Chicken Salad made with left over chicken breast.

1/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt 2 tablespoons lime juice 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger 2 cups chopped, cooked chicken breast

1 cup snow peas pods, long-bias cut or 2 cups torn bibb lettuce or spinach leaves 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced (1 cup) 1 tablespoon very thinly sliced red onion

Combine the yogurt, lime juice and ginger in a medium bowl. Add chicken and stir to coat. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes. Toss pea pods or greens, celery and onion together. Arrange in four chilled salad bowls. Top with chicken mixture. Makes 4 servings.

Per Serving: 139 calories, 23 g protein, 4 g carbohydrate, 3 g total fat (1g monounsaturated, 1 g saturated), 60 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 81 mg sodium

Week of March 9, 2003
Let's Talk Turkey! Turkey, especially the white meat is low in fat, cholesterol and calories. Selecting the turkey cut called for in a recipe may be confusing because there are so many new products on the market. Here are some brief descriptions to help you identify the different cuts.

Turkey breast tenderloin is the whole muscle on the inside of the breast. Turkey breast tenderloin steaks are cut lengthwise form the tenderloin. They are usually 1/2 inch thick and resemble a fish fillet.

Turkey breast steaks are cut crosswise from the breast. They are usally 1/2 to 1 inch thick. The 1/2 inch thick steaks are interchangeable with boned skinless chicken breast halves of the same weight.

Turkey breast slices or cutlets are also cut crosswise from the breast but are thinner than the steaks (usually 1/4 to 3/8 inch thick). They can be used in recipes that call for pounded skinless, boneless, chicken breast halves.

Week of March 2, 2003
Try new things. Variety is the key to keeping your menus new and exciting. Don't get stuck just eating the same old baked potato and plain grilled chicken breast or grilled turkey burger. So add a little spice and pizzazz to your diet. Experiment with new cuisines from different countries and new flavors.

Dishes don't have to be hot or spicy to be interesting. Try aromatic flavors like lemongrass in Lemongrass Chicken Soup. Or try experimenting with kaffir lime leaves, bay leaves, basil and arugula. Try our Arugula Tomato Salad. Arugula has a slightly peppery and sweet tang. Try one new flavor each week and you will soon find some favorite new flavors that you just can't live without.