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Colorful, tasty, and nutritious.  What more could you ask of a dish?  I had some butternut squash left over from another dish and had some ground turkey meatballs in the freezer.   I brought them together with a lemon parsley pesto.

This dish was creativity at its best.  It’s how many of my recipes come together.  I have a starting point – in this case, the butternut squash.  What should I do with it?  What flavor would complement it?  With the subtle sweetness of the squash, I knew that something slightly acidic would be a good balance.  So, the idea of a pesto was forming in my mind. 

While most people associate pesto with basil, I didn’t want my pesto to overwhelm the squash.  By using Italian parsley, I got a fresh herb flavor that complemented the squash.  With it being the season for Meyer lemons (they’re a cross between lemons and tangerines so are slightly sweeter than regular lemons), I paired that with the parsley.

Lastly, I thought about the meatballs I had in the freezer.  I often will put my vegetable and meat together when including a sauce so both foods can benefit from the flavor.  The pesto worked beautifully with the meatballs.

I personally love to cook without a recipe.  I prefer to have a concept and then be free to flavor as my taste buds demand.  If you’d like to make this dish, here are some general guidelines:

Take one butternut squash and peel it.  Cut into cubes.  Cook either in the microwave oven or in simmering water.  Drain and season with a little salt and some margarine.

Make meatballs with about 1 1/2 pounds of ground turkey, 1 egg, 1/3 cup panko crumbs, and about 1/3 cup lowfat milk.  Season with about 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt and a pinch of pepper.  Brown in a frying pan over medium-high heat with a little olive oil.

For the pesto, in a food processor place about 3 cups of fresh Italian parsley, 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic, 1/2 cup chopped pecans, zest of one lemon and the juice of 1 to 1 1/2 lemons.  Drizzle about 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in the processor.  Process until fairly smooth.

Serve as shown in the picture, making a bed of squash, topped with meatballs and then a spoonful of pesto.

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Nuts are a powerhouse of a snack. They provide protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. Satisfying and flavorful, almost everyone enjoys including nuts in their diet. With all of the news in the media about the benefits of nuts, many people wonder “which nuts are best and why.”

Here are the facts. Different nuts have different nutrition benefits, however nuts are associated with:

• Improved cardiovascular health, because of the high monounsaturated fatty acids
• Good nutrient density—the calories they provide are healthful and useful to the body
• Taste and textures that are satisfying
• High levels of vitamin E and phytonutrients

More research exists on some nuts than others. The carbohydrate, protein, and fat ratio differs slightly among the different nuts, so eating a variety is possibly the best way to reap all of the benefits that they offer!

Almonds
Scientific evidence supports the role of almonds in cardiac health, specifically cholesterol-lowering properties when almonds are consumed in a diet that is low in saturated fats and cholesterol.

Other facts about almonds:

• 1 ounce (oz)/23 almonds/handful: 160 calories, 14 gram (g) fat (1 g saturated, 3.5 g polyunsaturated, 9 g monounsaturated), 6 g carbohydrate, 6 g protein, 4 g fiber
• Antioxidant power of vitamin E—rich in alpha-tocopherol, which is the form of vitamin E that the body absorbs most readily
• Add almonds to side dishes, cereals, and salads
• Eat them with fruit as a snack
• Try almond butter and jelly sandwiches
• Substitute almond flour when baking
• For more information, visit http://www.almondsarein.com

Cashews
Cashews have high levels of essential minerals—iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, and manganese.

Other facts about cashews:

• 1 oz: 160 calories, 13 g fat, (3 g saturated, 2 g polyunsaturated, 8 g monounsaturated) 9 g carbohydrate, 4 g protein, 1 g fiber
• High levels of magnesium are touted for heart, bone, and muscle health
• Good source of monounsaturated fatty acids
• Add to entrées, side dishes, and desserts or eat them plain
• Store in a cool, dry place in an airtight container
• For more information, visit http://www.organiccashewnuts.com/

Hazelnuts
Hazelnuts are a powerful source of vitamin E and phytonutrients and are associated with building a strong immune system.

Other facts about hazelnuts:

• 1 oz: 180 calories, 17 g fat, (1.5 g saturated, 2 g polyunsaturated, 13 g monounsaturated) 5 g carbohydrate, 3 g protein, 3 g fiber
• For more information, visit http://www.hazelnut.com/

Peanuts
Peanuts are classified botanically as legumes rather than tree nuts, because they grow underground.

Facts about peanuts:

• 1 oz: 161 calories, 14 g fat (1.9 g saturated, 4.4 g polyunsaturated, 6.9 g monounsaturated), 4.6 g carbohydrate, 7.3 g protein, 2.4 g fiber
• Highest protein content of any nut, especially satisfying and beneficial for children, vegetarians, and those with higher protein needs
• Rich in essential minerals, such as magnesium, copper, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc
• Rich in B vitamins and phytonutrients
• For more information, visit http://www.peanut-institute.org/

Pecans
Pecans are touted for their antioxidant properties and cardiovascular benefits.

Other facts about pecans:

• 1 oz/20 halves: 200 calories, 20 g fat (2 g saturated, 6 g polyunsaturated, 12 g monounsaturated), 4 g carbohydrate, 3 g protein, 3 g fiber
• Add to cereals, breads, side dishes, and desserts or eat them plain
• For more information, visit http://www.ilovepecans.org/nutrition.html#antioxidants

Walnuts
Walnuts are a great source of alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid, and are associated with healthful weight loss.

Other facts about walnuts:

• 1 oz/14 halves: 190 calories, 18.0 g fat (1.5 g saturated, 13 g polyunsaturated, 2.5 g monounsaturated), 4 g carbohydrate, 4 g protein, 2 g fiber
• The highest nut ranking on the Index of Nutritional Quality
• Sweet or savory, enhancing almost any meal or snack
• For more information, visit http://www.walnuts.org/walnuts/

References and recommended readings
International Tree Nut Council, Nutrition Research & Education Foundation. Nutrition research. Available at: http://www.nuthealth.org/nutrition-research/.

The Peanut Institute. Eat well, eat peanuts. Available at: http://www.peanut-institute.org/.

At Thanksgiving time, I make a big turkey and a lot of stuffing.  Then I package each in dinner-sized portions so I can have it all year round.  I found a great way to make my stuffing even more interesting.  I made it into a waffle.  With my stuffing containing wild rice, water chestnuts, and dates, cooking it as a waffle upped the flavor quotient.  I put some slices of turkey on top and a spoonful of cranberry sauce.

If you want to try it, add an egg and a little bit of milk to about 3 cups of stuffing.  The egg and milk help hold the stuffing together.  Then I smooshed (very culinary term :> !) it into an oiled waffle iron and cooked it until it was golden and a bit crispy.  This is what I got, which was mighty delicious.

I served it with creamed spinach but any green vegetable would do.  I’m already thinking of other topping possibilities.  Got any you would like to share?

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What’s your favorite herb?  Be it rosemary, thyme, oregano or basil, you can make an herbal olive oil that makes any dish more special.  You can use either fresh herbs or dried.

When using fresh herbs, wash and thoroughly dry about 6 sprigs of your chosen herb.  If using dried, 1 tablespoon should do.  You’ll need about 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil.  Warm the olive oil over low heat in a saucepan.  Place your herb in a jar and cover with the oil.  Let it cool and then cover the jar.

If you’re using fresh herbs, refrigerate the oil and use within two weeks.  If using dried herbs, the oil can be stored in a dark, cool place for up to two months.  If you give the oil made with dried herbs about a week before using, you’ll enjoy richer flavor.

Drizzle your oil over pasta, salads, and vegetables.  It’s great used as a dipping sauce for warm bread, along with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

With the holidays coming, it would make for a great gift.  Consider putting together a basket with some crusty bread, pasta and your herbal olive oil.

Is there a color left for a packet of sweetener if and when a new one is developed? Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe the following is the packet color lineup for sugar and no-calorie sweeteners:

White: Sugar
Brown: Sugar in the Raw®
Pink: Sweet ‘N Low®
Blue: Equal®
Yellow: Splenda®
Green: Truvia®, PureVia®
Apricot: Splenda® Nectresse™

What Are They Made From?

Some artificial or no-calorie sweeteners were discovered by accident. Sweet ‘N Low® , for example, is made of saccharin, a chemical discovered in a lab that had been working on producing coal tar, a substance used in pavement sealants. Why the chemist working on this product was licking his fingers, finding out that the substance was sweet, is beyond me.

The basic ingredient in classic Equal® is aspartame, which is a combination of aspartic acid and phenylalanine. This, too, was found by accident by a chemist who was working on an anti-ulcer drug. Why he decided to taste it is a wonder. But if he hadn’t, we wouldn’t have aspartame. By the way, people who have the genetic condition called phenylketonuria (PKU) must avoid aspartame. Their bodies can’t break it down. Maybe it’s in the nature of scientists to taste things. We wouldn’t have known that diabetes causes increased sugar in the urine if a physician hadn’t decided to sample it.

Splenda® is made of sucralose, a no-calorie sweetener produced by selective chlorination of table sugar (sucrose). In so doing, the chemistry is changed just enough that the body doesn’t know how to absorb it and therefore, it’s eliminated from the body.

Truvia® and PureVia® are made from the stevia plant. While natural, it does goes through some chemical manipulation to extract only a certain part of the plant.

Nectresse™ is probably the most natural of the no-calorie sweeteners, using an extract of the monk fruit. Being so new, it will be some time before the jury comes in on a verdict for or against it.

By the way, when did we go from calling these “artificial” sweeteners to “no-calorie” sweeteners? I suppose the sugar industry changed the name when they started using natural ingredients even though they were changing the chemistry of the original substance. Besides, “no-calorie” is much more marketable than “artificial”.

None of these sweeteners consist of just the one ingredient for sweetness. They each contain something more, either to enhance or balance the sweetener or give some bulk to the product. Some add dextrose, a form of glucose, which adds some sweetness or balance to the product and bulk. Some add erythritol, a sugar alcohol. It, too, adds sweetness. But in order to make these sweeteners no-calorie, the manufacturers use such things as sucralose or aspartame to give the taste without the calories.

Sweetness Level of No-Calorie Sweeteners

There you are sitting in a coffee shop with the colors of the rainbow in the sweetener container on the table. Which to choose? You could go with good old sugar, the plain white stuff, or get a little extra flavor by going with Sugar in the Raw® that has a little residual molasses left after the processing. (That’s why it’s slightly brown in color.)

However, you’ve decided that to avoid the calories, you’ll go with a no-calorie sweetener. So, will it be the pink, blue, yellow, green, or apricot (the new kid on the block) packet? For me, it comes down to flavor and too many of them have an aftertaste that makes me look for something else to use as a chaser to improve the taste in my mouth after using them (totally counterproductive). Some of them have a metallic taste, while others are bitter.

And why are all of the no-calorie sweeteners made to be so much sweeter than sugar? All we’re doing is training our taste buds to like sweeter and sweeter foods. While we should be looking to fruits as our sweet offerings, they pale by comparison to anything sweetened with no-calorie sweeteners. Just look at the sweetness level of the no-calorie sweeteners compared to table sugar:

Sweet ‘N Low® – 300 times sweeter
Equal® – 200 times sweeter
Splenda® – 600 times sweeter
Truvia®, PureVia® – 200 to 300 times sweeter
Nectresse™ – 150 times sweeter

Cooking With No-Calorie Sweeteners

Sucralose is heat-stable, which means it can be used in cooked products. However, as compared to sugar (sucrose) that will melt at high temperatures, sucralose maintains its granular texture. So don’t think about browning sucralose on the top of your crème brûlée.

For the longest time, Equal® reigned supreme in the no-calorie sweetener market if being used in cold foods such as beverages, puddings, ice cream, etc. There was talk for a long time of trying to encapsulate the crystals to make the product a viable alternative for cooked products. Instead, Equal® settled on sucralose, the same ingredient found in Splenda®. Equal® was losing too much market share to Splenda® and so had to come up with their own version.

Saccharin can be used in cooking, as well. I can remember when I was young, my mother wanted to cut down on the amount of sugar she put in rhubarb. So she used saccharin instead. It was the only no-calorie sweetener available at the time. For me, saccharin is one of those no-calorie sweeteners that has a very distinct metallic flavor. With rhubarb being as acidic and tart as it is, adding saccharin ended any love affair I might have had with rhubarb.

Obviously, everyone’s taste buds are different. What I might find distasteful, you might enjoy. There will continue to be debates about the safety of these products. We’d like to believe that when the FDA has finally given its approval on a food, it’s safe. Some people are more sensitive than others to the manipulation that occurs in these products.

Maybe just training your taste buds to enjoy a lower level of sweetness may help you avoid these altogether. Using one teaspoon of sugar in your coffee will cost you only 16 calories. That’s not much in a 2000-calorie diet. However, if you want it sweeter, a tablespoon of sugar will set you back almost 50 calories and then, maybe a no-calorie sweetener would be right for you. I appreciate that if you have diabetes, having no-calorie sweetener options is a necessity if you want to sweeten foods that won’t cause a spike in your insulin response.

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I know this doesn’t have to do with cooking, but it touched my heart and I thought maybe it would touch yours, as well. Just get out the Kleenex.

A farmer had some puppies he needed to sell. He painted a sign advertising the 4 pups and set about nailing it to a post on the edge of his yard.As he was driving the last nail into the post, he felt a tug on his overalls.

The world is full of people who need someone who understands.

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We’ve been busy at Spin-a-Recipe, getting even more recipes on the slot machine for you to play.  You know how frustrating it can be to decide what to cook.  We’ve got the answer for you, a way that helps you decide and have fun at the same time.

See how easy it is to play the ultimate recipe decision-maker:

Because you can spin for different ingredients, you can make dozens of recipes from just one recipe.  Visit www.spinarecipe.com and give it a try. 

The reason to join Spin-a-Recipe is so you can have your own personal recipe box to save your recipes to. Without it, there’s no guarantee that you’ll end up with the same recipe to spin for more variations. Besides, as a member you get to see all the recipes not just what the demo slot machine has.

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Many food programs on television are strictly for entertainment.  Are you running out and buying truffles or caviar?  Not likely.  Most of us struggle to keep our grocery bills within some sort of budget.  That’s not easy.  We health professionals are constantly harping on eating more fruits and vegetables.  With the price of produce today, bananas may be all you can afford.  Last week at the market I paid $0.89 per pound.  But apples were upwards of $1.99 per pound.  Bulk carrots are priced reasonably but it can be a stretch to buy green beans.

So, I’ve got some ideas for you that will hopefully help you stretch your food dollars.

1.  Write out a grocery list.  I know as well as you that when I go to the market without a list, a lot of stuff ends up in the cart that I didn’t plan for.  That’s not to say that I don’t mind occasionally browsing the aisles to find some interesting new products.  But it’s that that gets us into trouble. 

2.  Go grocery shopping on a full stomach.  Everything in the store looks appealing on an empty stomach.  That’s when you’ll see a lot of snack foods ending up the cart or processed foods that you figure you can quickly heat up when you get home.  And what about all those samples in the store?  The hungrier you are, the more likely you are to try them.  I’m curious.  How many times have you tried an in-store sample because you really were considering buying it?

3.  Cut out coupons.  Coupons are great only if you use them for food you were going to buy anyway.  If so, shape your week’s menus around the coupons to save some extra bucks.

4.  Don’t forget frozen vegetables.  In most cases, frozen vegetables are less expensive than fresh (unless there is a promotion being run by your market).  Frozen vegetables are every bit as healthy as fresh, sometimes even fresher because they are flash-frozen right when they’re picked.  Frozen vegetables also make cooking a meal quicker since you don’t have to prep them first.

5.  Shop at farmers’ markets.  Shopping at farmers’ markets just make a lot of sense.  You’re getting much fresher produce, often at much lower prices than you’d get at the supermarket.  You’re also helping out your local farmer and economy.

6.  Cook filling meals.  A filling meal often consists of rice and beans.  Beans are full of fiber, which helps fill you up and stay fuller longer.  Cooking dried beans is even cheaper than buying canned beans.  Just leave yourself the prep time to soak the beans, throw off their water, and then cook.  Try a pressure cooker for really quick cooking of beans.

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There is so much to love about the Mediterranean region— the weather, the beauty, the charm, the people, their lifestyle, and most especially their food.  All the countries that border the Mediterranean—Greece, Italy, France, Spain, Turkey, North Africa, and the Middle East—offer their unique culture, character, and food.

 In spite of their different customs, what these people share is their desire to eat what is grown locally and regionally.  While most Americans shop in a supermarket, selecting foods from far and wide, the people in the Mediterranean region are shopping at their outdoor markets from local farmers who they get to know on a first-name basis.  They’re not stocking up for a week’s worth of groceries as we do.  They’re buying what they need for just a day or two, ensuring that whatever they buy is very fresh whether it’s produce, seafood, breads, pasta, and cheeses. 

You notice I didn’t mention beef, pork, and chicken.  That’s because there is far less meat produced in the Mediterranean area; so they rely more on a meal of fresh vegetables, legumes, grains, and fish, with fruit for dessert. 

It’s actually amazing how many different ways you can prepare these foods with each country having its own distinctive flavor.  Italian dishes are rich in basil and oregano.  In France, Herbes de Provence (a blend of such herbs as thyme, rosemary, savory, fennel and lavender) is widely used.  If you travel to Turkey, you’ll find a generous use of cumin, paprika, mint, and allspice.

When Americans eat at a Mediterranean restaurant in the United States, most of the time they’re not really eating authentic Mediterranean cuisine.  I’ve traveled to such places as Italy, Greece, Spain, France and Turkey, experiencing their delicious cuisines.  Then I come home, hoping to enjoy those flavors again and end up being disappointed.  Thank goodness for the ability to cook at home to replicate those enjoyable times abroad.

Instead of our restaurants duplicating what you would get in these countries, they put their own spin on it and most often, an unhealthy spin.  Let me give you an example.  But first, I want you to think about what you’d expect to be served when you order Fettuccine Alfredo.  Would you say, “fettuccine cloaked in a white creamy sauce”?  If you did, that is so far from being the authentic dish. 

I’ve eaten at the Original Alfredo’s in Rome and had traditional Fettuccine Alfredo.  In fact, when I was very young and my folks took my family to Italy, we had the opportunity to meet Alfredo, the creator of the dish.  What he served, which he prepared at our table, was a light, airy dish simply made with fresh fettuccine, a little butter and four types of cheeses, all tossed together.  Not an ounce of cream went into the dish.  Once you’ve tasted the real thing, you’d be sadly disappointed eating it in American restaurants.

In Greece, my husband and I dined at a restaurant where the owner grew olive trees in order to make his own olive oil for his restaurant.  I kid you not—you literally could just drink the oil from a glass it was so delicious.  The fish we were served was only hours old.  Have you ever had just caught fish?  If everyone had the opportunity to eat fresh fish no one would say, “I don’t like fish.  It just tastes fishy.”  Yes, fish does taste fishy when it isn’t fresh.

I realize that most of us have no choice but to rely on the grocery store for what we eat, at least during the winter.  But during the summer, find a local farmer’s market and experience what fresh really tastes like.  Try to become a “locavore”, a person who eats foods that are grown locally.  Buy your fish from a fishmonger.  Try to eat like someone from the Mediterranean.  Your heart will thank you.

Mediterranean Bean Soup with Olives,
Raisins and Marsala Wine

Created by Roberta Schwartz Wennik, M.S., R.D.

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 Serves 4

2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 quart low-sodium chicken stock
1 (15-ounce) can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
¼ cup pitted Kalamata olives in red wine vinegar (pitted and sliced)
¼ cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon fresh orange zest
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper, to taste
2-4 tablespoons Marsala wine, to taste
1/8 cup pine nuts

1. In a medium pot, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the sliced onion, sautéing until browned and caramelized.  This could take about 5-10 minutes.
2. Add the broth and beans.  Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to simmer.  Cook for 15 minutes.  Using a potato masher, gently mash the beans until slightly broken up and starts to thicken the soup. 
3. Add the olives, raisins, orange zest and thyme, simmering for another 20 minutes.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Stir in the Marsala wine and serve immediately, topping with pine nuts.

With May being National Mediterranean Diet Month, check out http://www.oldwayspt.org/  for more information and recipes.

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Last night I was making cabbage for dinner and thought “how can I make it different?”  I also had an orange pepper and figured I would combine them somehow. 

I cut the cabbage into shreds and roasted the pepper over a gas flame, removing the skin.  After cutting the pepper into strips, I started cooking the cabbage in a little bit of peanut oil in a wok.  When it started to soften, I added the pepper, a little bit of kosher salt and some smoked paprika.  Then I tasted it.  I thought it needed something more.  I added maybe about a teaspoon of sugar and some dried cranberries both for the bit of tartness they would add, as well as color.

The flavor was marvelous.  The colors were fantastic.  And the only thing I might do if I made it again would be to sprinkle on the top some almond slivers for crunch.

What made this dish so great was not only did it taste great but what a powerhouse of nutrients it provided.  The cabbage provided phytochemicals that pack an anticancer wallop from isothiocynates to sulforaphane.  And if I make it again, I might try it with red cabbage that is a great source of anthocyanins, a flavonoid that is a powerful antioxidant that fights free radicals and has anti-inflammatory effects – a great weapon against cardiovascular disease.

The orange pepper is a great source of vitamins C and A (beta-carotene) and a good source of potassium that’s protective against hypertension.

Lastly, the cranberries contain a bunch of flavonoid compounds including anthocyanins (think red color), flavonols, and proanthocyanidins that could be protective against many types of cancer.  The heart is helped with these, as well, since flavonoid and phenolic compounds found in cranberries can potentially reduce bad LDL-cholesterol and raise good HDL-cholesterol.

The bottom-line is that you can get so many health compounds through food without having to resort to popping supplements.  Best of all, the dish was delicious!

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