Dietitians Dish – March 21, 2022
Stretch Your Food Budget – by Adding more plants!
Inflation on food costs is making it even more important to be a savvy shopper. Especially, when you’re trying to eat healthier. Frozen and canned foods can help to stretch your food budget, while providing quality nutrition. In addition to meat, beans offer a quality source of protein. So, why not combine them together for a blended burger that costs a little less. You’ll still enjoy the flavor of a beef burger while stretching your budget further with the black beans. Plus, the beans add important nutrients like fiber, folic acid, and calcium that you won’t get in ground beef. It’s like adding a boost of veggies to your burger, beyond your choice of toppings!
Beef & Black Bean Sliders
- 1/2 cup low-sodium black beans drained, rinsed
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 1/4 of small, sweet onion finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 Tbsps. whole wheat breadcrumbs
- 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 8 whole wheat slider buns
- 4 slices low-fat Cheddar cheese cut in half
Directions:
- In a bowl, mash beans and then combine with ground beef, onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Form into 8 slider patties.
- Heat skillet over medium heat. Spray with nonstick cooking spray, add patties and cook 3-4 minutes per side, or until desired doneness is reached. Top with cheese and let melt.
- Top buns with burgers, lettuce and tomato (optional).
Baked Zucchini Fries
- 2 medium zucchini
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 3/4 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
- 3 Tbsps. grated Parmesan cheese
- 1-1/2 tsps. Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
Directions:
- Cut zucchini in half, then slice into thin sticks to resemble fries.
- Place eggs in small pan. Mix breadcrumbs, cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and salt on plate.
- In batches, dip zucchini in egg, then breadcrumb mixture, making sure to coat well.
- Place on prepared baking sheet and bake 20-25 minutes, or until golden and crispy.
Recipes (adapted) and images courtesy of HealthyFamilyProject.com.
Dietitians Dish – March 14, 2022
Traditions on the Menu
When you think of a St. Patrick’s Day meal, you probably picture things like corned beef and cabbage, Colcannon, and Irish soda bread. Cabbage took the place of potatoes during the Great Potato Famine in Europe during the 1850s. Immigrants to the US from Europe turned to beef brisket cuts because bacon and pork were too expensive. Keeping in the mindset of lowering food costs, plan a menu for the week featuring sale items and that uses up all the leftovers. Repurpose any extra Corned Beef from St. Patrick’s Day into a new meal entirely.
Corned Beef with Apple-Onion Sauté
- 1 Corned Beef Brisket Boneless with seasoning packet (2-1/2 – 3-1/2 pounds)
- 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
- 2 cups apple cider or apple juice, divided
- 3 Tbsps. butter, divided
- 2 medium onions, cut into thin wedges
- 3 medium apples, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
- 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
Directions:
- Heat oven to 350 F. Place Corned Beef Brisket in roasting pan; place coarsely chopped onion and garlic around brisket. Sprinkle contents of seasoning packet over brisket. Add 1-1/2 cups cider (or juice); cover tightly with aluminum foil. Braise in 350 F oven 2-1/2 – 3-1/2 hours or until brisket is fork tender.
- Meanwhile, prepare Apple-Onion Sauté. Melt 2 Tbsps. butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion wedges; cook 13-15 minutes or until onions are lightly brown, stirring occasionally. Add apples, remaining butter, remaining 1/2 cup of cider (or juice), brown sugar and thyme; cook and stir 6-8 minutes or until apples are crisp-tender.
- Carve brisket diagonally across the grain into thin slices. Serve with Apple-Onion Sauté.
Corned Beef Hash
- 12 oz. cooked Corned Beef, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 1-2 Tbsps. vegetable oil
- 4 cups cubed potatoes (red-skinned, baking or sweet potatoes)
- 2 medium leeks, thinly sliced
- 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
- Fried or poached eggs (optional)
Directions:
- Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Stir in potatoes, leeks and garlic salt. Cover and cook 12-16 minutes or until potatoes and leeks are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove cover and continue to cook 3-5 minutes or until potatoes begin to brown, stirring occasionally and adding remaining oil to prevent sticking, if needed.
- Add Corned Beef to skillet. Continue to cook 2-3 minutes or until beef is heated through. Serve hash with fried or poached egg, if desired.
Recipes (adapted) and images courtesy of Beefitswhatsfordinner.com.
Dietitians Dish – March 07, 2022
Convenient Meals at Home!
Sometimes, the simplest of meals happen when we put a bigger focus on grains and veggies. Pantry staples can be wholesome and convenient. Fresh, frozen or canned vegetables offer valuable nutrients and can be time-savers. Simple and convenient meal ideas are stuffed peppers and hearty salads. Peppers can be filled with a variety of textures and flavors. Salad kits can be topped with extra ingredients to make a complete meal. A great recipe or a little imagination can go a long way towards a meal that tastes better than take-out!
Greek Stuffed Peppers
- 1 cup pearled farro, rinsed and drained
- OR 1/2 cup whole grain brown rice (optional swap)
- 2 large green bell peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
- 1/2-pound lean ground turkey
- 2 Tbsps. olive oil
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
- 1/2 cup chopped eggplant
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) Italian style diced tomatoes
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 . Prepare farro (or brown rice) as label directs.
- Place bell peppers, cut side up, on rimmed baking pan. In large skillet, cook turkey over medium-high heat 8 minutes or until browned, breaking up turkey with side of spoon; with slotted spoon, transfer to paper towel-lined plate.
- In same skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; add onion and cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add eggplant; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes with juice; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in salt, pepper, farro and turkey.
- Fill bell peppers with farro mixture; sprinkle with cheese. Bake 30 minutes or until peppers are tender.
Turkey Taco Salad
- 4 (10-inch) burrito flour tortillas
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 3/4 cup enchilada sauce plus additional for serving (optional)
- 1 bag (11.5 ounces) Southwest chopped salad kit
- 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 F; turn 4 (20-ounce) ramekins upside-down on rimmed baking pan. Spray both sides of tortillas with cooking spray; lay over ramekins, pressing sides of tortillas down around ramekins. Bake tortillas 12 minutes or until golden brown and crisp; let stand 5 minutes.
- In large skillet, cook turkey over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until browned, breaking up turkey with side of spoon; stir in enchilada sauce and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Makes about 2-1/2 cups.
- In large bowl, prepare salad kit as label directs; serve in tortilla bowls topped with turkey, avocado and enchilada sauce, if desired.
Dietitians Dish – February 28, 2022
Let Nothing go to Waste!
Planning a menu around items on sale and uses for any leftovers is a great strategy to save money and stay on track with healthier choices. If you have a plan, you’ll be less likely to get to the late afternoon and face the question of “What’s for dinner tonight?”. That makes the costly option of take-out too real. To stay on track with intentions you set for 2022, try to create a weekly menu that makes use of leftovers in a new way. Don’t just reheat or serve them the same way for a second meal. Upcycling leftovers in a new way keeps things more exciting and may help you stick with a weekly menu. Add this vibrant, flavorful salad to this week’s menu and then use any leftovers blended with a few other ingredients as a smoothie for breakfast the next day. You’ll feel full of energy with this nutritious start to the morning!
Kiwi, Clementine and Blackberry Salad
- 1/2 cup unsalted pepitas
- 1/3 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 2 Tbsps. fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tbsps. raw honey
- 1 Tbsp. grapeseed oil
- 1 tsp. poppy seeds
- 3 clementines, peeled and separated
- 2 kiwis, peeled and thinly sliced crosswised
- 4-1/2 cups spring mix salad greens
- 1-1/2 cups halved blackberries
Directions:
- In large skillet, toast pepitas over medium-high heat 4 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant, stirring frequently; transfer to plate to cool.
- In large bowl, whisk yogurt, lemon juice, honey, oil and poppy seeds; fold in clementines, kiwis, spring mix and blackberries. Makes about 6 cups.
- Transfer 2 cups salad and 2 tablespoons pepitas to zip-top plastic bag; freeze overnight or up to 1 month.
- Serve remaining salad sprinkled with remaining 6 tablespoons pepitas.
Winter Kiwi, Clementine and Blackberry Smoothie
- 1/2 avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped
- 2 cups frozen leftover Kiwi, Clementine & Blackberry Salad
- 1-1/2 cups unsweetened coconut water
- 1-1/2 Tbsps. honey
Directions:
- Purée all ingredients in a blender on high until smooth. Makes about 3-1/2 cups.
Dietitians Dish – February 21, 2022
Achieve Plant-entions with Simple Additions
If your intentions for 2022 included adding more fruits, veggies or other plant-based foods, sheet pan meals are one easy way to accomplish it! You can easily add diced up fruits and vegetables to a sheet pan with smaller portions of protein and then serve up a side of whole grains to round out the meal.
Meal Planning Tip:
Cook up a large batch of a grain such as brown rice or quinoa for the first meal and then plan other meals during the week to use up the leftovers. It’ll cut down on cook time for those later week meals!
Cook up a large batch of a grain such as brown rice or quinoa for the first meal and then plan other meals during the week to use up the leftovers. It’ll cut down on cook time for those later week meals!
This yummy recipe for pork and apples serves 4 and takes just 25 minutes to roast. The only hands on time is about 15 minutes of prep work! If you can’t find the acorn squash, swap for yams and dice them into smaller pieces to reduce their cook time.
Sheet Pan Pork Tenderloin and Apples
- 1-1/4 lbs. pork tenderloin
- 2 tsps. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 2 Tbsps. olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 large apple, cored and chopped
- 1/2 medium acorn squash, sliced 1/4-inch thick
- 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup dried cherries
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 . Line rimmed baking pan with foil; spray with cooking spray and place pork on pan. In small bowl, stir cinnamon and paprika. Brush all sides of pork with 1 tablespoon oil; sprinkle with 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon mixture, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
- In large bowl, toss garlic, apple, squash, onion, cherries, remaining cinnamon mixture and 1 tablespoon oil, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper; spread on pan around pork. Roast 25 minutes or until internal temperature of pork reaches 145 and vegetable mixture is tender. Let pork stand 5 minutes before slicing.
For this and other recipes, check out inseasonezine.com.