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Week
of October 2, 2005
Delicious
Winter Squash
We
all know about zucchini and yellow summer squash,
but many of us are bewildered by the many and
varied bright green, orange and yellow varieties
of winter squash. The fact is, they were once
a very important part of the Native American diet
in North America.
Once you get past the tough exterior to the mellow,
sweet heart of a winter squash, you will be glad
you tried them. When cooked, the orange or yellow
flesh becomes soft and tastes wonderful in both
savory and sweet dishes.
Always select squash that's heavy for its size
and has a dull rind which tell you that the fruit
is ripe and flavorful. Store winter squash in
a cool, dry place. Acorn squash is probably the
best squash to just bake and eat. Its flesh is
golden yellow, dry, and sweet, with a definable
but pleasant texture.
Butternut squash is very versatile and easy to
handle. Its orange flesh is thick, dry, fine-grained,
and sweet. Because of its density and ease of
preparation, butternut is the squash to use when
you want to dice or slice or present squash in
any form other than a purée or a roasted
chunk.
Roasted
Winter Squash
Serves 4
1/4 cup liquid honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 acorn squash (2 ¼ - ½ pounds total)*
Whisk first 5 ingredients together in a large
bowl. Halve each squash crosswise, and scoop out
seeds. Cut into 1 inch thick rings & toss
in honey mixture until well coated. You can cover
and refrigerate for up to 6 hours at this point
if you are preparing ahead of time.
Arrange squash rings on a greased, foil lined,
rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with honey mixture.
Bake in preheated 400 degrees F oven, turning
once and basting with liquid, until tender and
golden, about 30 to 40 minutes.
*Or you may use 1 butternut squash, peeled (leave
the peel on acorn and peel butternut - peel can
be removed after cooking on acorn squash)
Per
Serving: 148 Calories; trace Fat (1.1% calories
from fat); trace Saturated Fat; 2g Protein; 39g
Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol;
440mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain (Starch);
0 Vegetable; 0 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.
Week
of October 9, 2005
Wrap
It Up or Stuff It - Low Fat Flatbreads!
If
you are looking for great low fat lunch-box
ideas or a quick lunch at home - experiment
with wraps, flatbread enclosed parcels stuffed
with any filling imaginable. Wraps are the
perfect meal for someone on the go or an excellent
way to use up leftovers meats, poultry and
salads.
Wraps
can be found among many ethnic cuisines; filled
crepes - France, tacos - Mexico, gyros - Greece,
spring rolls - Vietnam, sushi rolls - Japan,
moo shu - China, falafel sandwich - Middle
East. The filling does not necessarily have
to come from the same ethnic origins as the
wrapper. Try your own combination of ethnic
fusion in an every day sandwich. Cross those
culinary borders to combine your favorite
low fat flavors. (The combinations are endless.)
Probably
the most widely available flatbread are tortillas
(usually flour). As the popularity of wraps
has increased, tortilla manufacturers have
even started making more than just flour and
corn - you can now find different flavors,
different colors, herb, pesto, whole wheat,
jalapeno, lemon, spinach, tomato as well as
low fat and low carb. But don't
stop with tortillas; try soft low fat Greek
pita breads, Indian Chapati (Roti), Italian
piadine, Indian naan, Asian spring roll wrappers,
Chinese moo shu wrappers, French crepes, cornmeal
crepes and soft Armenian lavash (lavosh).
And don't worry if you can not wrap it - just
fold it over.
Week
of October 16, 2005
Fiber
Rich Beans in Your Diet
Tasty
little beans are good for you and they are
easy on your pocketbook too. In fact, beans
are one of the most inexpensive sources of
protein that you can find. Beans cost one
third to one half the price of hamburger meat.
Beans are available frozen, canned or dry
for ease of preparation and storage.
Beans have lot of vitamins and minerals such
as B vitamins including folic acid and iron.
They are also low in fat and calories and
contain fiber to help with digestion. Beans
are so nutritious and so rich in protein that
they are included in both the vegetable and
the protein groups in the USDA's new Food
Guide Pyramid.
Black
Bean Tostadas
Servings: 4
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained,
mashed
2 teaspoons chili powder
Cooking oil spray
4 - 8 inch corn tortillas
1 cup washed torn romaine lettuce leaves
1 cup chopped seeded tomato
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
2 jalapeño peppers,* seeded and finely
chopped
Combine beans and chili powder in small saucepan.
Cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until heated
through, stirring occasionally.
Spray large nonstick skillet with cooking
spray. Heat over medium heat until hot. Sprinkle
tortillas with water; place in skillet, one
at a time. Cook 20 to 30 seconds or until
hot and pliable, turning once during cooking.
Spread bean mixture evenly over tortillas;
layer with lettuce, tomato, onion, yogurt
and peppers. Garnish with cilantro, sliced
tomatoes and peppers, if desired. Serve immediately.
COOKS
NOTE: *Jalapeño peppers can sting and
irritate the skin. Wear rubber gloves when
handling peppers and do not touch eyes. Wash
hands after handling.
Per
Serving (Per Tostada): 151 Calories; 2g Fat
(9.4% calories from fat); trace Saturated
Fat; 8g Protein; 28g Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary
Fiber; 1mg Cholesterol; 280mg Sodium. Exchanges:
1 1/2 Grain (Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable;
0 Non-Fat Milk; 0 Fat.
Week
of October 23, 2005
With
the possible exception of bread baking, nothing
fills the house with a more welcoming aroma
better than a savory stew gently simmering
on the stove. As the outside temperature plummets
and blistering north wind blows, these one-pot
meals warm us to the core as no other food
can.
These
terrific one dish meals usually cost less
money and are also wonderful for families
that have varied schedules - just keep the
stew warm for stragglers who get home late
from school activities or the office. The
following quick and easy chicken stew can
be spiced up or down for your particular preferences.
Spicy
Chicken and Hominy Stew
Serves: 2
1
teaspoon olive oil
2 large skinless boneless chicken breast halves,
cut into ½ inch strips
1 - 14 ½ ounce can diced Mexican-style
tomatoes
1 cup drained canned golden hominy
1 1/4 teaspoons chili powder
Dash of cumin powder or to taste
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Heat
olive oil in heavy large nonstick deep skillet
over medium-low heat. Sprinkle chicken with
salt and pepper. Add chicken to skillet and
sauté until no longer pink and juices
run clear, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes,
hominy, chili powder and cumin and bring to
boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until
chicken is cooked through and sauce is slightly
thickened (this is due to the hominy) and
reduced, about 8 minutes. Season stew to taste
with salt and pepper and serve. Garnish with
cilantro.
Per
Serving: 268 Calories; 5g Fat (16.9% calories
from fat); 30g Protein; 1g Saturated Fat;
26g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 68mg Cholesterol;
713mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain (Starch);
4 Lean Meat; 2 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat.
Week
of October 30, 2005
—
From the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter,
August 2005
How
come some people successfully lose weight
and keep it off, while so many others
fail? That's what the National Weight
Control Registry has been looking into
for over a decade. Begun in 1994, the
registry has amassed information on nearly
5,000 people who have maintained at least
a 30-pound weight loss for five or more
years. Periodically, they are interviewed
to see what makes them able to stick to
their goals. According to Dr. James Hill,
the registry's co-founder, these successful
maintainers share several key strategies:
They
eat a high-carb, low-fat diet. The
low-carb craze hasn't influenced these
successful maintainers. On average, they
get most of their calories (55 to 60%)
from carbohydrates and 24% of their calories
from fat; the rest is from protein. They
emphasize "good" carbs--fruits,
vegetables, and other high-fiber foods--not
high-sugar carbohydrates.
They
are conscious of calories. Successful
maintainers know that total calories count,
no matter what diet they follow. Whether
the calories come from carbs, fat, or
protein, a calorie is a calorie.
They
eat breakfast. Eight out of 10 successful
maintainers eat breakfast every day. This
may help people better manage calories
during the day, says Dr. Hill. They also
eat often--an average of five smaller
meals and snacks a day.
They
self-monitor. Successful maintainers
weigh themselves at least once a week;
some more frequently. Many occasionally
still keep food diaries.
They
engage in lots of physical activity -
60 to 90 minutes a day. In line with
the new government guidelines, successful
maintainers carve out time every day for
planned exercise, but they also look for
ways to get more activity during the rest
of the day. Walking is their No.1 activity.
-
Most
people who become successful maintainers
have failed several times before. Hardly
anyone "gets it right" the first
time around. It may take a few rounds
before you succeed--so don't give up.
-
Successful
maintainers live in the real world. While
they tend to eat most meals at home, they
do eat out nearly three times a week,
on average, and even visit fast-food restaurants
about once a week.
-
No
surprise: 90% of participants report that
life is better after weight loss. They
report better energy, mood, and confidence.
-
It
gets easier. If you can keep the weight
off for two years, chances are you'll
keep it off long-term. According to participants,
you still have to work at it, but you
gain more confidence in your ability,
which goes a long way towards success.
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