Update!

I want to wish you all a very Merry Happy Holidays! I'll be taking some time off from blogging to visit with friends and family over the next week or so. See ya'll in 2010!

Health Packaged in a Supplement?! Not Likely!

I groggily role out of bed on my day off and decide there's no better time than now to go through all of those emails that have been patiently awaiting my attention. I should have stayed in bed! (Just kidding!)

I read an article by The Wall Street Journal entitled Toast to Your Health with a Supplement! The article discusses the newest research on reservatrol (found in red wine) and possible reasons to take a supplement of it. Have we really learned nothing?! Have we not learned that taking a vitamin, mineral, or substance from its natural location and isolating it tends to not have the same effects in the human body as when consumed in its natural, original form?! Remember the whole Vitamin E scare?! Vitamin E supplementation was once thought to aid in reducing the risk for heart disease, but then the AHA came forward and said not to take extra Vitamin E to help reduce cholesterol, reduce risk of strokes, and more. There is no scientific evidence to show statistical benefits of taking extra Vitamin E in supplemental form AND actually taking that extra supplement might even increase your risks for heart failure. (NIH Office of Dietary Supplements and AHA and Vitamin and Mineral Supplements.) Why are we even contemplating the idea to make another useless supplement? In my opinion, if the research intrigues you and you want to increase resveratrol in your diet, replace your whiskey with a glass of red wine!! (This advice also goes for other supplements such as garlic and cinnamon. By George, forget the supplement and just go for the real, whole item if you enjoy it! Cook with garlic! Add cinnamon to your dishes!!!!!) Just remember when it comes to alcohol (red wine or others), women are advised to limit their intake to one glass per day and men to two.

Happy pondering! :)

High Calorie Dip No More

Just a quick post here on something I stumbled upon. I'm sure you're tired of reading blogs that say something similar to 'avoid those high calorie dips when you eat veggies!' OR 'try hummus as an alternative.' I do completely agree with both of those statements, but that's not what I'm going to discuss today. I accidentally stumbled upon an alternative to a high calorie dip or hummus dip that I don't think I would normally think of. (I'm not really a huge dip/dressing fan anyway.)

The other day I was grocery shopping and picked up what I thought was low fat cottage cheese. (Saw light blue label, mental light went on and automatic thoughts 'yup that's low fat cottage cheese.') Plop in the cart ya go! I didn't take the three seconds (or less) to actually read the label, which stated c l e a r l y Low Fat Cottage Cheese with chive and toasted onion! Hmmm. How did I miss that?! (I'll spare you the psychoanalysis for today!) I only noticed when I got home, opened the package ready to mix it with the fresh pineapple I just chopped up, and noticed green specs in my cottage cheese. Hmmmm! I have to admit I was a little dubious on whether or not I should even try this version, but I did. (And no, not with my pineapple! Gross!) I tried it with some crackers and honey wheat pretzels. It pairs quite nicely. So the next time (maybe in the next few days or so) you are hosting a (holiday) party and you want to serve a healthier dip, try low fat flavored cottage cheese. It's a 1/2 cup for 90 calories versus 2 tablespoons of most regular full fat dressings (i.e. ranch) for about 160 calories. Quite a catch! :) Give it a try!

Leftovers for Breakfast Plllllease!

I'll admit, I get bored easily. (Or maybe that's just my excuse as...) I'm always looking for new recipes, new ideas, and new adventures.

In my hunt for a quick breakfast (as my tummy was rumbling and I needed a quick fix), I realized leftovers were the trick! My plan was to make eggs, but just eggs just simply wasn't going to cut it.

As I scoured my 'fridge, I saw sitting so sweetly and quietly the rice and bean mixture I had cooked the night before. (Please see my previous post 'Not Your Average Rice and Beans.') So I popped that into the microwave, while at the same time I scrambled an egg with a tbsp of low fat cheese. (FYI gas heat is GREAT! <5 minutes and my egg is done!) What's next is facile! Scoop up cooked eggs. Place eggs in a wrap. Add salsa! (So Yum!) Roll wrap. (Thank you Subway. My sandwich artist skills still come in use today, even in the privacy of my own home! What would I have done without you?!) Place aesthetically on dish. Take warmed rice and beans out of microwave and also place strategically on plate. (Feel free to add more salsa! Spice it up!) :) Voila! Eat up! Enjoy!

Shirataki Noodles

For the past few months now I've been hearing more and more about Shirataki noodles. They are made from the roots of a Konjac plant, which grow in Eastern Asia. They are tubers known as the Devils Tongue. (Courtesy of Japanese Kitchen)

The buzz is loud for multiple reasons. One is the low caloric content. 1 package (8oz) = 40 calories, 1 gram total fat, 4 grams of fiber, 2 grams protein. Glucomannan, the fiber found in these noodles, is also getting a lot of buzz. I've read studies on the potential benefits of glucomannan to help relieve childhood constipation, adult constipation, and potentially improve blood glucose control (for diabetics.) There appears to be inconclusive and/or non-statistical significance in regards to the effects on lipids (your cholesterol.) It may improve it, it may not, but it definitely won't worsen it (unless you decide to pan fry them in a half stick of butter. And that's a whole other story we'll just save for another day!) It's being marketed as a weight loss product and for 40 calories for 8oz I understand why! :)

Although I heard a bunch about these noodles, I hadn't seen them until the other day at Whole Food's Market where they jumped out at me! (Yes, literally jumped! Just kidding...) I quickly grabbed them and put them in my shopping cart!

The package is accurate in stating that they smell a little fishy. Butttt, for anybody who cooks with fish regularly, it's really no big deal. To me, these noodles, are a healthier version of ramen (aka non-fried and non-laden in salt!) For someone who grew up with ramen, it was kind-of exciting to see if these noodles would bring me back to my childhood, but in a healthier way! (Yes, yes I'm kinda a dork!)

I wasn't totally sure how to prepare these noodles, so like everything and everyone else, I googled it. I came across this site, which has many recipes! I looked at a few and decided to take on my own stir-fry version. In one frying pan I sauteed garlic, carrots and celery in a dash of olive oil. In another pan I pan fried some shrimp in a bit of olive oil as well. I rinsed, drained, patted dry, and then cut the noodles as directed per the package. I tossed the noodles into the vegetable pan; cooked 'til warm. Tossed in the shrimp and added soy sauce!

For my first go at these noodles, I would say this was a quick, easy, fairly tasty dish! I am absolutely going to give it another try. (The Fettuccine Shirataki Noodle Tuna Casserole has totally caught my eye!) What you read about these noodles, being bland, is true. So be sure to add lots of sauce. Next time around I might sautee the garlic solo, to bring out the flavor better. Then I might not need so much soy sauce (salt laden yummy-ness!)

I'm all about experimenting. And with cooking (and baking) it's rare that recipes are fabulous the first go. So give it a second, third, fourth... seventeenth go if needed until perfection arises. Happy cooking! (Also check out Hungrygirl.com for additional recipe ideas!)

*Of note, I am not being paid to review these products or sites.

Practical Gift Idea

Today as I was unhappily cleaning for 2 hours I realized a couple of things. My usual cleaning is merely a swipe here and a wipe there in an attempt to mask the dirt and grime without having to spend hours cleaning. Today is when I also realized how gross my apartment really is (and hence the two hours of scrubbing! YUCK!) Then I also realized what a great gift it would be to receive a couple of prepaid visits by a cleaning lady! There are some things money can buy- and one of them should be someone who enjoys cleaning! Or at least someone who doesn't mind sticking their hand down a dirty toilet for some green! At first this idea came as I was scrubbing the dried and plastered food off my stove top, to which my arms got tired before the stove got clean. Then as I pouted my way into the bathroom I really wished I was one of the fairies in Sleeping Beauty. Reality hit me in the face, as it usually does, that all the wishing and hoping wouldn't put a magical wand in my hand! So, if you're a last minute shopper, like myself, then here's a last minute gift idea for you- get someone a gift of a cleaning lady! It's perfect for a cook, a baker, a foodie, or really just anyone who hates to clean! Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah!

Sweet Indulgence- Part IV

As I was routinely reading the Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, I was intrigued by the holiday recipes presented. I, like many people, enjoy looking at a photo of a dish or dessert before attempting the cooking process; however, there were no pictures. The description of a truffle cookie simply alone lured me in.

I was discouraged while making the cookie as it was crumbling and not coming together as I had hoped or expected. The recipe I used called for peanut butter and it seems I have not yet quite mastered the art of cooking or baking with peanut butter. As I chugged along, these cookies also didn't seem to grab my visual interest. I thought '...geez, what a waste of ingredients. I'm gonna have to throw all of this away.' None-the-less, I finished the cookies, placed them in the refrigerator as directed and waited. To my utter surprise, these cookie balls were an unexpected simultaneous explosion of salt and sweet providing instant gratification to my taste buds. They aren't as visually stimulating as I hoped for, but boy did my taste buds love them! Moral of the story- don't judge a book by its cover! :)

Enjoy!

Peanut Truffles with Dried Cherries and Chocolate
Beat a 1/2 cup of unsalted chunky peanut butter, 1/3 cup of a confectioners' sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla extract with an electric mixer until smooth. Add 1/2 cup of coarsely chopped dried cherries, 1/3 cup of chopped toasted almonds, and 1/3 cup of chopped bittersweet chocolate chips. Mix together with a wooden spoon. Form into 1 inch balls. Refrigerate covered until firm at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight. Makes about 24 truffles. Each ball is 67 calories, 2 grams protein, 7 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 4 grams total fat.

*Of note- I don't think you need to use a mixer. There's not enough liquid to form a smooth fluid consistency. I think you're better off just using your (clean, pre-washed) hands! :)

Toasting Almonds
Toasting nuts helps to enhance the flavor. Place chopped nuts in a small frying pan over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until nuts are toasted/light brown and you can smell their fragrance.