Its almost time for spring strawberries! The last of Florida's harvest will be coming this month and then it is time for the local berries to take center stage in late May - early June. Here is a head start on what to look forward to preparing for late spring picnics!
(slightly modified) from Abby Shelton
2 cups Greek yogurt, non fat, plain (Fage probably has the best texture for this)
1/2 cup low fat cream cheese like Neufchatel
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen)
3 each, fresh strawberries sliced
4 graham crackers crushed
1. Let cream cheese sit at room temp until soft. Then whisk together yogurt, cream cheese and vanilla either by hand or in a mixer.
2. Puree 3/4 cup strawberries (with 1 tablespoon water if they seem really thick) and then pour evenly over the yogurt mixture. Using a rubber spatula, fold strawberries in to create a swirl through yogurt mix.
3. Spoon about 1/4 cup into a serving dish, top with a sliced strawberry and 1 crumbled graham cracker.
ENJOY!
In 1/4cup: 7 grams protein
Monday, April 15, 2013
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Beef Satay with Peanut Sauce
Abby Shelton does it again!
1.5 pounds Sirloin tip steak, cut into 2" cubes (you could use chicken also or shrimp)
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
juice of 1 orange
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup water
1/2 cup peanut butter (remember to use natural! either creamy or chunky is fine!)
1/2 cup 1% milk
1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes (because some like it is HOT!)
2 green onions (otherwise known as scallions), sliced thinly
1. Mix OJ, vinegar, water, salt and black pepper in a bowl. Place steak into marinate and let soak for 1 hour at least.
2. While steak marinates, prepare the sauce. Combine peanut butter, milk and red pepper flakes in a bowl. You can change the thickness by adding more milk or the spiciness by adding more red pepper.
3. Once steak has marinated, remove the meat and pat dry, save the liquid.
4. Heat a saute pan over medium-high, spray lightly with cooking spray. Place meat in pan and let brown until meat easily pulls off bottom of pan, flip and repeat until all sides are cooked. ***
5. When you flip meat to its final side, add half of the marinate to pan. Stir briskly, scrapping up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Remove meat from pan.
6. Serve beef topped with peanut sauce and some slices of green onion.
**If using shrimp cook only about 3 minutes total but do flip the shrimp half way through - when you flip them add the marinate
ENJOY!
1.5 pounds Sirloin tip steak, cut into 2" cubes (you could use chicken also or shrimp)
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
juice of 1 orange
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup water
1/2 cup peanut butter (remember to use natural! either creamy or chunky is fine!)
1/2 cup 1% milk
1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes (because some like it is HOT!)
2 green onions (otherwise known as scallions), sliced thinly
1. Mix OJ, vinegar, water, salt and black pepper in a bowl. Place steak into marinate and let soak for 1 hour at least.
2. While steak marinates, prepare the sauce. Combine peanut butter, milk and red pepper flakes in a bowl. You can change the thickness by adding more milk or the spiciness by adding more red pepper.
3. Once steak has marinated, remove the meat and pat dry, save the liquid.
4. Heat a saute pan over medium-high, spray lightly with cooking spray. Place meat in pan and let brown until meat easily pulls off bottom of pan, flip and repeat until all sides are cooked. ***
5. When you flip meat to its final side, add half of the marinate to pan. Stir briskly, scrapping up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Remove meat from pan.
6. Serve beef topped with peanut sauce and some slices of green onion.
**If using shrimp cook only about 3 minutes total but do flip the shrimp half way through - when you flip them add the marinate
ENJOY!
Monday, April 8, 2013
Mini Quiches
With the dawn of a new term comes fabulously creative new students! The next few recipe postings will be from our newest student Abby Shelton, who is looking to join the Food Corps upon graduation in May. Food Corps is like the Peace Corps, but it works with people in the USA to ensure that everyone has access to nourishing food and that no one goes hungry.
6 egg whites
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup 1% milk
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon mustard (I like Dijon best but you could use whatever you favorite is!)
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup sliced onions
1 cup baby spinach leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon olive oil
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Crack 6 eggs, remove 3 of the yolks. Then whisk eggs together with milk and mustard.
3. Saute mushrooms and onions in pan with 1 teaspoon olive oil. When the onions and mushrooms are nearly done (soft) add spinach and let cook another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
4. Spray a non-stick muffin tin with cooking spray.
5. Once vegetables are cool, add them to the eggs and mix well. Then add about 1/4 cup of egg mixture into each muffin well.
6. Bake until fully set in center, about 25 minutes. Remove from pan and ssprinkle with cheese.
Enjoy!
6 egg whites
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup 1% milk
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon mustard (I like Dijon best but you could use whatever you favorite is!)
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup sliced onions
1 cup baby spinach leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon olive oil
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Crack 6 eggs, remove 3 of the yolks. Then whisk eggs together with milk and mustard.
3. Saute mushrooms and onions in pan with 1 teaspoon olive oil. When the onions and mushrooms are nearly done (soft) add spinach and let cook another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
4. Spray a non-stick muffin tin with cooking spray.
5. Once vegetables are cool, add them to the eggs and mix well. Then add about 1/4 cup of egg mixture into each muffin well.
6. Bake until fully set in center, about 25 minutes. Remove from pan and ssprinkle with cheese.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Oven Baked Fish Sticks
These ain't your frozen fishy smelling brown sticks. The kids might even like these!
1 pound white fish fillets cut into sticks (cod, tilapia or haddock will work best)
salt and pepper
4 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup panko (Japanese) bread crumbs
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Wash and dry fish fillets. Cut into sticks. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Mix bread crumbs, cheese, dill and parsley in a bowl.
4. Roll fish sticks in oil then roll in bread crumb mix. Place in a shallow baking dish.
5. Bake for 10-12 minutes, do not flip or turn.
Serve as is or with a yogurt based dipping sauce. Think something like honey mustard, curry, cucumber-dill - spice any of them up with a little chili or cayenne pepper!
ENJOY!
1 pound white fish fillets cut into sticks (cod, tilapia or haddock will work best)
salt and pepper
4 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup panko (Japanese) bread crumbs
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Wash and dry fish fillets. Cut into sticks. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Mix bread crumbs, cheese, dill and parsley in a bowl.
4. Roll fish sticks in oil then roll in bread crumb mix. Place in a shallow baking dish.
5. Bake for 10-12 minutes, do not flip or turn.
Serve as is or with a yogurt based dipping sauce. Think something like honey mustard, curry, cucumber-dill - spice any of them up with a little chili or cayenne pepper!
ENJOY!
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
New Research: Scientists identify gene that is consistently altered in obese individuals
Scientists identify gene that is consistently altered in obese individuals
Public release date: 21-Mar-2013
Contact: Toni Baker
tbaker@gru.edu
706-721-4421
Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Food and environment can chemically alter your gene function and scientists have identified a gene that is consistently altered in obesity.
The gene LY86 was among a group of 100 genes identified as likely contributors to obesity through genome-wide association studies comparing the DNA of thousands of obese and lean individuals, said Dr. Shaoyong Su, genetic epidemiologist at the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University.
Su looked at progressively larger groups of obese versus lean individuals and found LY86 consistently and highly chemically altered, or methylated, in the obese individuals. "The association is solid; the methylation of this gene is important in obesity," Su said.
It's known that obesity is highly inheritable; that if parents are obese, children are at higher risk. However environment, including high-fat foods and chemical exposure, can put you at risk as well, said Su. Methylation is one way the body adjusts to its environment.
He received the 2013 Scott Grundy Fellowship Award for Excellence in Metabolism Research for his studies and is presenting the work this week during the Epidemiology and Prevention/Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism Scientific Session of the American Heart Association in New Orleans.
Previously LY86 had been known as an inflammation gene and Su's studies show, in fact, it may be contributing to more than just obesity. He found high methylation of LY86 also was associated with increased inflammation – a risk factor for a variety of maladies such as heart disease and cancer – as well as insulin resistance, a cause of diabetes. This association also held up among a group of about 703 subjects that, like the general public, included obese, lean and average-weight individuals.
Now he wants to go back to the animal model to see whether methylation changes gene expression up or down in fat mice as well as fat, pregnant mice and their offspring. He believes that a lot of methylation starts in the womb and there are unfortunate real-life circumstances that support that theory.
For example, in the Dutch famine of 1944 near the end of World War II, babies born to starving mothers experienced DNA methylation that made them better able to survive such depravation, but in the more plentiful environment in which they grew up, put them at increased risk for cardiovascular disease as well as diabetes, obesity and other health problems.
He's already moving forward with more human studies as well, looking at a new group of lean and obese individuals, analyzing their DNA expression to see if increased methylation of LY86 means the gene is expressed more or less. Generally, higher methylation is thought to translate to lower gene expression.
He also wants to pin down whether methylation results from things like a high-fat diet, unfortunate genetics or both. These types of details may help explain why some individuals grow obese with a bad diet and little physical activity while others don't, Su said. It also may mean that positive environmental change, such as a better diet or more physical activity, can reverse at least some of the methylation. People may not get thin, for example, but they may reduce their risk for obesity-related disease, Su said.
LY86's clear importance in obesity emerged by first merging the gene list from the genome wide association studies with a genome wide methylation database on a small cohort of seven obese and seven lean individuals. The finding of increased methylation held up in subsequent groups of 46 obese/46 leans, 230 obese/413 leans as well as the general population panel of 703 at the GRU Institute of Public and Preventive Health. The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-03/mcog-sig032113.php
Public release date: 21-Mar-2013
Contact: Toni Baker
tbaker@gru.edu
706-721-4421
Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Food and environment can chemically alter your gene function and scientists have identified a gene that is consistently altered in obesity.
The gene LY86 was among a group of 100 genes identified as likely contributors to obesity through genome-wide association studies comparing the DNA of thousands of obese and lean individuals, said Dr. Shaoyong Su, genetic epidemiologist at the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University.
Su looked at progressively larger groups of obese versus lean individuals and found LY86 consistently and highly chemically altered, or methylated, in the obese individuals. "The association is solid; the methylation of this gene is important in obesity," Su said.
It's known that obesity is highly inheritable; that if parents are obese, children are at higher risk. However environment, including high-fat foods and chemical exposure, can put you at risk as well, said Su. Methylation is one way the body adjusts to its environment.
He received the 2013 Scott Grundy Fellowship Award for Excellence in Metabolism Research for his studies and is presenting the work this week during the Epidemiology and Prevention/Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism Scientific Session of the American Heart Association in New Orleans.
Previously LY86 had been known as an inflammation gene and Su's studies show, in fact, it may be contributing to more than just obesity. He found high methylation of LY86 also was associated with increased inflammation – a risk factor for a variety of maladies such as heart disease and cancer – as well as insulin resistance, a cause of diabetes. This association also held up among a group of about 703 subjects that, like the general public, included obese, lean and average-weight individuals.
Now he wants to go back to the animal model to see whether methylation changes gene expression up or down in fat mice as well as fat, pregnant mice and their offspring. He believes that a lot of methylation starts in the womb and there are unfortunate real-life circumstances that support that theory.
For example, in the Dutch famine of 1944 near the end of World War II, babies born to starving mothers experienced DNA methylation that made them better able to survive such depravation, but in the more plentiful environment in which they grew up, put them at increased risk for cardiovascular disease as well as diabetes, obesity and other health problems.
He's already moving forward with more human studies as well, looking at a new group of lean and obese individuals, analyzing their DNA expression to see if increased methylation of LY86 means the gene is expressed more or less. Generally, higher methylation is thought to translate to lower gene expression.
He also wants to pin down whether methylation results from things like a high-fat diet, unfortunate genetics or both. These types of details may help explain why some individuals grow obese with a bad diet and little physical activity while others don't, Su said. It also may mean that positive environmental change, such as a better diet or more physical activity, can reverse at least some of the methylation. People may not get thin, for example, but they may reduce their risk for obesity-related disease, Su said.
LY86's clear importance in obesity emerged by first merging the gene list from the genome wide association studies with a genome wide methylation database on a small cohort of seven obese and seven lean individuals. The finding of increased methylation held up in subsequent groups of 46 obese/46 leans, 230 obese/413 leans as well as the general population panel of 703 at the GRU Institute of Public and Preventive Health. The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-03/mcog-sig032113.php
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Chicken Tagine with Prunes and Olives
Ingredients
10 chicken thighs with bone and skin
Salt and black pepper
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon smoked paprika, the hotter the better
1 teaspoon ground cumin
18 pitted prunes
36 pitted picholine or other green olives
1 cup chicken stock
1 lemon, zest removed in thin strips
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint leaves
1.Dry chicken and season with salt and pepper. Heat a large, heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, to very hot. Add chicken (in batches if necessary) skin side down, and sear until skin is golden brown. Remove chicken when browned (do not turn it) and set aside.
2.Discard all but a thin film of fat from the pan. Add onion and garlic and sauté on low until soft. Stir in paprika and cumin, cook about a minute and then add prunes, olives, and stock. Cook, stirring, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer contents of pan to a 12- to 14-inch tagine (clay pot), oven safe sauté pan (no rubber on the handle) or casserole. Place chicken on top, skin side up.
3.Cover and cook on medium-low heat about 40 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Serve immediately or set aside to be reheated. To serve, scatter lemon zest and mint over the chicken, squeeze juice of the lemon on top and bring tagine to the table covered.
ENJOY!
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Colcannon for St. Patty's Day
I came across this recipe in the Orlando Sentinel which was adapted from a recipe by Darina Allen. The Colcannon recipe appeared in the section about St. Patty's day - how Irish it is, I am not sure - this Armenian is no Irish expert, but it will give you some variety to the regular corned beef and cabbage.
3 pounds starchy potatoes (Yukon Golds or Russet will work best), unpeeled
1 pound kale
1 cup milk (you might want to use 1% for a little more creaminess)
1 tablespoon salt
fresh cracked black pepper
my additions to this would be for extra flavor:
2 strips bacon, cooked until crispy, drained, fat reserved
1 sweet yellow onion, diced
1. Put the potatoes in a pot of COLD water, make sure potatoes are covered by at least 1 inch of water. Add salt. Cover and bring to a boil, when water boils, reduce heat to simmer. When potatoes are cooked half way (about 20 minutes), pour off about 2/3 of the water, replace lid and let potatoes continue to cook (they will be steaming at this point).
2. Strip the stems from the kale and roughly chop the leaves (discard stems). Throw leaves into pot with potatoes and let steam until they are wilted.
3. Meanwhile heat milk in a separate saucepan until warm - be careful not to let milk boil. Keep warm until potatoes have finished cooking.
4. Saute chopped onion in 1-2 teaspoons of reserved bacon fat (or you could use olive oil) until nice and soft.
5. When potatoes are finished cooking, drain water and quickly mash them. Then beat warm milk into potatoes to make them fluffy. Mix kale in with potatoes, add onions, crumble bacon on top and season with black pepper.
ENJOY!
3 pounds starchy potatoes (Yukon Golds or Russet will work best), unpeeled
1 pound kale
1 cup milk (you might want to use 1% for a little more creaminess)
1 tablespoon salt
fresh cracked black pepper
my additions to this would be for extra flavor:
2 strips bacon, cooked until crispy, drained, fat reserved
1 sweet yellow onion, diced
1. Put the potatoes in a pot of COLD water, make sure potatoes are covered by at least 1 inch of water. Add salt. Cover and bring to a boil, when water boils, reduce heat to simmer. When potatoes are cooked half way (about 20 minutes), pour off about 2/3 of the water, replace lid and let potatoes continue to cook (they will be steaming at this point).
2. Strip the stems from the kale and roughly chop the leaves (discard stems). Throw leaves into pot with potatoes and let steam until they are wilted.
3. Meanwhile heat milk in a separate saucepan until warm - be careful not to let milk boil. Keep warm until potatoes have finished cooking.
4. Saute chopped onion in 1-2 teaspoons of reserved bacon fat (or you could use olive oil) until nice and soft.
5. When potatoes are finished cooking, drain water and quickly mash them. Then beat warm milk into potatoes to make them fluffy. Mix kale in with potatoes, add onions, crumble bacon on top and season with black pepper.
ENJOY!
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