Thursday, September 2, 2010

Salsa Burgers

The grilling season is coming to an end...
but before we get all sad and sentimental as we think back on our summer...
roll out that grill and fire it up just one one time for these yummy burgers.
Salsa Burgers
adapted from Clean Eating Magazine
Ingredients:
1 lb lean grass fed beef
1 lb ground turkey breast
2/3 c fresh salsa or pico de gallo, drain
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

for guacamole:
1 small avocado, peeled, pitted, and roughly chopped
1/4 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 T cilantro, chopped
1 tsp lime juice
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper
optional: Greek yogurt spread on each bun (kinda like sour cream)

Instructions:
Combine beef, salsa, salt, and pepper. Shape into 1/2 inch thick patties (don;t work them too much as they will get tougher).
Grill away.
In the meantime, prepare guac by smashing avocado and combining the above ingredients. Another simple way to make guac is to just combine the avocado with salsa and a squirt of lime juice.

Enjoy!

Be sure to pick up the September issue of Iowa's Momentum Magazine for Endurance Athletes and check out my article "Essential Nutrients for the Endurance Athlete."

Until next time...
look good, feel good, do good

How to "lean up" your next hamburger


source of graph: Department of Agriculture
Click on picture to get a larger view

I thought this pamphlet from the Iowa Beef Industry Council was worth sharing.
Look at the difference blotting and rinsing your meat can make! It reduced the calories by 100 in 80% lean beef.
Of course, I always recommend buying no less than 93% lean, but you can still try these techniques.

Another great way to reduce the calories and saturated fat is to combine 1lb beef with 1lb ground turkey breast and then make your patties.

Until next time...
look good, feel good, do good
http://www.sarabconsulting.com/

Clean Eatin' Scalloped Potatoes

mmmm...I can still remember when my mom would dish up ooey gooey scalloped potatoes. So creamy and cheesy.
As I flipped through my latest Clean Eating Magazine, I was so excited to see they had a "cleanified" version of the classic recipe.

This version omits the half a stick of butter, heavy milk, and white flour. It still has the yummy cheese, just in a smaller quantity.
You save: 285 calories, 16g fat, 10g saturated fat, and 628mg sodium
Scalloped Potatoes

Ingredients:
olive oil cooking spray
2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1/2 tsp sea salt, divided
fresh ground pepper, to taste
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 t white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour
2 C low-fat milk or skim
3 oz low-fat (2%) Monterrey Jack or white cheddar cheese, grated
2 1/2 lb Russet, Red, or Yukon Gold potatoes (I used Red and Yukon Gold), sliced thin as possible...I used my food processor to get the slices right. Leave the skin on for the extra nutrients.
2 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
2 T whole wheat bread crumbs (Panko is a Japanese brand you can find at HyVee)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350F.
Heat oil in large skillet or medium-high heat. Add onion, 1/4 tsp sea salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add garlic, thyme (be generous) and flour. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes or until onions are coated with flour. Add milk and increase heat to medium-high. When liquid begins to simmer, reduce heat to low and cook until mixture has thickened slightly, about 4 minutes. Add three-quarters of Monterrey Jack and remaining 1/2 tsp salt, and stir until melted, about 1 minutes. Remove from heat.

Note: if milks burns slightly on bottom of pan, try not to scrap up as stirring. It should remain stuck to bottom and you wont have to worry about it.

Arrange potatoes in an even layer in greased baking dish. (should be several potatoes thick).
Cover with half of onion and milk mixture. Repeat with remaining potatoes and onion mixture.
Make sure all corners of dish get covered. If a spot looks dry add a tablespoon of milk.
In small bowl, combine remaining Monterrey Jack, Parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs; cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Bake potatoes in center of oven for 70-85 minutes or until potatoes are tender when a fork is pierced through. When finished baking, remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese-bread crumb mixture. Preheat broiler to high and return baking dish to oven and broil until cheese is melted, about 2 minutes....careful not to burn! Let cool for 10 minutes and serve!

I may have gone a little heavier on the cheese :) Also, I prepared my dish the day before and refrigerated it covered. The only step I did not do was top it with the bread-cheese mix.
20 minutes before dinner the next night I topped the cooked dish with my cheese-bread mix and warmed it in the 350F oven for 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Until next time...
look good, feel good, do good
www.sarabconsulting.com

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Cedar Ridge Winery

I'm not really sure if it's the fact that we took our Italian honeymoon almost one year ago or the fact that I am craving cheese, but J and I are missing Italy and everything it had to offer....
the delectable foods, the soul satisfying wines & wineries, the rich history coming to life, getting lost on narrow brick streets, and taking in the beautiful Amalfi Coast views.

To help fill this void we are feeling, we headed up to
Cedar Ridge Winery
(half way between Coralville & Cedar Rapids)

It was a beautiful evening to sit, enjoy wine...and water, a tasty cheese platter, nice views and live music.





I think this is our sign that it's time to go.
There are sooo many wineries popping up in Iowa...I once heared Iowa is like the new Napa Valley :)
Find one near you, most have evening entertainment and sampling like we enjoyed at Cedar Ridge.

Until next time...
look good, feel good, do good

Monday, August 30, 2010

About as easy as it gets Tortellini Soup

A few weeks ago when I was still trying to fill my belly with whatever would settle it, I remembered this easy tortellini soup recipe my mom use to dish up.
Quick & EasyTortellini Soup
Ingredients:

1 package tortellini's
1 container V8 vegetable juice
1 container of frozen, chopped spinach OR 4-5 cups fresh, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes (Italian flavor)
1 lb lean ground beef or ground turkey breast
Italian seasoning
Instructions:
Brown meat in large sauce pan. Add various Italian seasonings such as oregano and basil.
Add cooked meat, V8, tomatoes, and spinach to large sauce pan over high heat. Add tortellinis. Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium heat. Heat until tortellini's are tender.

Serve with a slice of fresh mozzarella or grated Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

Until next time...
look good, feel good, do good
http://www.sarabconsulting.com/

Friday, August 27, 2010

Stroll in the Woods & Our Favorite Italian Picnic

Yesterday was beautiful! You can feel fall in the air. J and I decided to take advantage of the perfect weather last night and headed out to Lake McBride for a hike and picnic dinner.


Here's a perfect spot!

I packed J and I's favorite Italian picnic....in fact, it was almost a year ago we were trekking through Italy for our honeymoon!
the menu:
Tuscan Open-Faced Sandwiched
(as my good pal Robin like to call them)
crackers
cheese
apple slices (Granny Smith have a nice sour/sweet bite)
pesto (last night's was homemade by Robin....recipe here)
sliced deli meat is optional.
experiment with different cheeses (J likes pepperjack, I like anything fresh and flavorful)
Serve these up on a romantic picnic or for a satisfying appetizer.
Here we are on the beach of Positano, Italy.
Until next time...
look good, feel good, do good...

Thursday, August 26, 2010

The Egg McMuffin....Healthified

I'm not sure if it's the pregnancy thing or what, but I can't get enough cheese! J didn't help the situation when he brought back some delectable Wisconsin cheese after a salmon fishing trip.
We've got squeaky cheese curds on the left, 2 year aged cheddar, and Apple Jack (blend of mozzarella and something else yummy)
I LOVE cheese and fruit platters. I mean the apple with the aged cheddar is like peanut butter & jelly....a match made in heaven.
The only thing missing in this picture....a nice glass of wine :(

I incorporated one slice of the aged cheddar and one slice of the apple jack into the Egg McMuffins, but you could use laughing cow for a lower calorie option.

Egg McMuffin...Healthified
modified from Clean Eating Magazine
Ingredients:
White vinegar, as needed
1 large omega 3 egg
olive oil spray
1 C spinach
1 whole-wheat English muffin
2 thin slices cheese or 1 Laughing Cow wedge
1 slice tomato or 1 T salsa
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
1 tsp hot sauce like cholula
Instructions:
This was my first time making poached eggs! Bring a large, deep sauce pan with at least 5 cups water to a boil. Add about 1 tsp vinegar for every cup of water. (Taste to make sure vinegar is barely noticeable). Lower heat to a slow simmer. Carefully crack egg into a teacup or ladle. Lower teacup pr ladle into water and pout egg out as gently as possible to not break yolk. Egg white will coagulate in water and turn white. Cook until white is formed and set and yolk beings to thicken but is not hard, 3-4 minutes. Remove egg with slotted spoon or strainer; set aside.
NOTE: to have a more fully cooked poached egg as J likes and I have to have right now.....let cook for about 6-8 minutes. Gently lift egg out of water and lightly press yolk (without breaking) to see if it has solidified. Toast English muffin in toaster.

To assemble, melt or spread cheese on base slice of muffin, add spinach leaves, top with salsa or fresh tomato slice. Top with poached egg, sea salt and pepper, a splash of hot sauce and the toasted top.

Enjoy!
Nutrition: calories about 243, fat 8.5g, protein 14g, carbs 31 g, fiber 5.5g


Your kids aren't the only ones that get to go back to school....
Looking for a fun way to learn about nutrition and socialize with your friends? Try a Health Study. Each week a small group of friends, colleagues, etc, meet for a "nutrition get-together" based on various topics including: truth on fad diets, clean and green eating, label reading, how to feed the family nutritiously, nutrition beauty secrets and many more! You will be the savviest foodie on the block! A healthy snack and recipe will be provided. Topics can be selected by the group.
Prices vary on group size.

Until next time...
look good, feel good, do good
http://www.sarabconsulting.com/