Part II from the 10/24/17 Support Group with Sara Stiles, RD, LDN. This recipe was also taste tested at group. The turmeric-date balls can be used as part of a breakfast, snack or dessert! You could add a little ground cinnamon (I prefer Saigon Cinnamon) for extra anti-inflammatory help and for a little extra flavor.

Anti-Inflammatory Turmeric Date Balls

Adapted from www.Spinach4Breakfast.com

Makes about 8-10 balls

 

Ingredients and Equipment Needed:

§  1/3 cup walnuts

§  1/2 cup rolled/old fashioned oats

§  1 Tbsp. ground turmeric (plus extra for rolling)

§  1 cup soft pitted dates

§  Stevia to taste

§  1-2 pinches of black pepper

§  High speed blender

Instructions:

1)      In a high speed blender, add the walnuts, oats, turmeric, stevia and black pepper and blend until thoroughly broken down.

2)      Add in the dates and blend for about 5-10 seconds.  It is acceptable to see tiny chunks of the dates in the mixture.

3)      Shape and roll desired amount of the mixture into balls and roll each ball into more turmeric to evenly coat.

4)      Store in air tight container (preferably in the refrigerator).  May also be stored in the freezer as well.

Spotlight on Turmeric:

§  Contains the active compound curcumin which numerous studies have showcased it’s power in reducing inflammation. Many studies are now investigating curcumin’s effects as a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.

§  Turmeric use has been associated with increased wound healing as well as helping to control psoriasis flare-ups.

§  Studies has shown the effectiveness of turmeric’s curcumin on arthritis management (including rheumatoid arthritis).

§  More natural sources for pain relief as opposed to NSAIDs or acetaminophen. 

Rhubarb-Mango Smoothie/Protein Drink

I found this recipe in the latest edition of Food and Nutrition Magazine ( #foodnutrimag ) - it was developed by Karmon Meyer and I thought it would be great new flavor for bariatric patients' protein drinks. Add vanilla whey or soy isolate protein powder, unflavored whey isolate powder or egg white powder to make it a protein shake for post op supplementation!

1 cup unsweetened soy milk
1 cup frozen mango chunks
1 cup frozen sliced rhubarb
1/3 cup fat free, no added sugar, vanilla yogurt
1 date, pit removed, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon chia seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 serving of protein powder

1. Add everything to blender and blend until smooth. Add ice cubes if desired.

ENJOY!!!

CBS February Newsletter Recipe: Blueberry & Hemp Green Smoothie

Sara's recipe pick this month for the newsletter is a smoothie/protein drink. Don't be afraid to change out the fruit for a different flavored beverage! Recipe is from Lindsey Bomgren

This refreshing smoothie is completely plant-based &  features alkalizing & inflammation fighting ingredients.  If also features the super food hemp seeds.  Hemp seeds provide a good source of iron, an excellent source of magnesium & zinc and provide nearly 12 grams of protein (per 3 Tbsp. serving).  Hemp seeds are easy to incorporate into your diet and make for a  great plant-based protein alternative.    

Serves: 1

Ingredients/Materials Needed

•High speed blender

•¼ cup blueberries

      (Tip:  Try Wyman’s frozen wild blueberries!)

•½ cup spinach

•½ cup kale or 1 large kale leaf, de-stemmed & chopped

•6-8 walnuts

•½ golden pear

•1 tsp hulled (shelled) hemp seeds

§1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

§optional: 1 inch chunk fresh ginger (peeled)

Instructions

1)Blend all ingredients together in a high speed blender until smooth. You can also add a couple ice cubes as desired.  Feel free to sprinkle some additional hemp seeds on top before serving.  

Supergrains with Pomegranate, Cucumber and Feta

Recipe is from the Holiday Edition of The Plaid Horse, please visit for the whole menu and some great tips on eating behaviors during the holidays or at a party! 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Supergrain mix (I found this at Whole Foods – you could also purchase all three items independently under the ‘Bob’s Red Mill’ brand)
• 2 cups water
• Seeds from 1 pomegranate (this is messy endeavor and amounts to approx. 1 cup if you buy seeds pre-shelled)
• 1 cucumber, peeled and diced
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary chopped
• 4-6 oz feta cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions: Boil water, add supergrain mix, and cook 15 minutes until grains are soft and liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. When grains are cooked, pour into a bowl, mix in all other ingredients. Serve immediately or chill for a cold side dish.

Nectarine Salsa

Ashley our Johnson & Wales Student made this for support group last week. Great on its own or atop fish or chicken, or mix it 1/2 and 1/2 with cooked quinoa for a vegan meal!

2 Nectarines, diced
1/4 of a red onion, diced
1 orange bell pepper, seeds/stem removed, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1-15oz can black beans, strained and rinsed
juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
4-6 leaves mint, sliced
Sea salt to taste

1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Feel free to add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil if you feel like you want the salsa to have more moisture.

ENJOY!!

High Protein 'Spread'

Often times patients are looking for something that is high protein that they can use as a dip/spread on crackers/pretzels or fruit like apples. It could also be added to a protein shake (make sure you mix shake in the blender for proper emulsifying. Here is a nifty idea I modified from something my mother makes to put on toast.

1 very ripe banana (you want the banana to have some brown spots, it will be very sweet at that point)
2 tablespoons peanut butter/almond butter/cashew butter/walnut butter
2 tablespoons wheat germ
2 tablespoons raw pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1. Mash banana. Stir in nut butter, wheat germ and seeds.

Can be stored in an airtight container in ice box for up to 4 days. Please note: the banana will turn brown due to oxygen contact. It is still fine to eat.

Entire Mix has 20 grams of protein (if using peanut butter) and 10 grams of fiber - a serving should roughly be 2 tablespoons at a time.

ENJOY!

Apple-Cabbage Slaw with walnuts and balsamic

Some days it's just to hot to cook and other days you get goodies from the farmer's market or CSA program and wonder what the heck to do with the items! I found myself in that double-whamy situation last night and this is what I came up with. No cooking necessary and full of fiber!!


1 small head green cabbage (about the size of softball), quartered and then thin sliced
1 small red onion fine diced (about 2/3 cup)
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced lengthwise, seeds and pith removed, fine diced
1 large red apple, shredded (I just pulled one off a tree outside, but a Pink lady would work nicely or a Granny Smith would add some nice tang whichever you prefer)
1 handful raw walnuts, rough chop (cashews would also be nice or raw pumpkin seeds)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar (I used white balsamic so that the color of the vegetables wouldn't change but you could use regular balsamic as well)
1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1. Combine all the vegetables, apple and nuts in a bowl.
2. Whisk oil, vinegar and mustard together and then pour over slaw mix. Toss to combine and coat vegetables fully.
3. If not serving immediately, let sit in ice box up to overnight. I let it sit for 30 minutes before dinner and the cabbage had started to soften from the acid but none of the other vegetables were getting soggy yet at that point.

ENJOY!!!

Overnight Oats = breakfast without thinking

These can soak overnight and up to 3 days if you want to make a whole bunch of them at a time!

Makes getting out the door in the morning easy and great start to your day a snap!








3/4 cup old fashion oats
3/4-1 cup milk of your choice, I prefer unsweet almond (milk should cover the oats)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4-1/3 cup fruit, I used blueberries and strawberries this morning, but peaches/mango/frozen mixed berries/bananas would all be great!

1. Put oats, cinnamon, fruit into a Tupperware container. Pour in enough milk to completely cover oats.
2. Put lid on Tupperware
and place in the fridge. When ready to eat, give it a stir and you are done!

ENJOY!

Pesto-Pork (or chicken) Pinwheels with Grilled Peaches

It's peach season people!! Time to find some fun things to do with your peaches. Give this recipe (adapted from one in Eating Well Magazine) a try out on your BB-Q!!

3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup prepared pesto (see Big Ter's Famous Pesto recipe under 'sauces' or purchase at store)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
1 pound pork tenderloin (or chicken breasts), trimmed
2 large peaches, quartered

1. Preheat grill to medium.
2. Combine breadcrumbs and pesto in a small bowl and set aside. In another small bowl, combine oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.
3. Lay pork on a cutting board. CAREFULLY, slice pork (or chicken) the short way by holding your knife blade parallel to the cutting board and cutting 3/4 of the way across (place your free hand on top of the meat to hold it steady). DO NOT cut through the far end (leave about a thumb nail's worth of meat connected). Open the pork slice up so that you have a piece of meat that is now twice as wide but half as thin. Spread a thin layer of pesto mixture on the meat, leave 1" of meat along the far edge without pesto on it (you are going to roll the meat up the long way not the direction you cut it).
4. Starting with the side closest to you, roll the meat tightly lengthwise. Brush with olive oil mixture.
5. Slice roll crosswise (if using pork you will get 6-8 equal slices, if using chicken you will get 2-4 slices). Insert a skewer through 2-3 pinwheels to help hold the meat in its rolled up shape while cooking. (NOTE: if using wooden/bamboo skewers you need to SOAK them in water at least 30  minutes prior to use so they don't catch fire. If you using metal skewers you can lightly oil them prior to skewering the meat or spray with cooking spray so it is easy to remove meat once cooked). Toss peaches in oil mix and skewer as well.
6. Oil the grill rack. Place meat and peach skewers on grill. Grill, flipping all skewers once. Peaches should be soft (will take about 5 minutes) and meat should read 145 degrees if pork (take about 8-10 minutes) or 165 if chicken (takes about 10-12 minutes).
7. Remove from grill (metal skewers will be hot!! use tongs or pot holders).

ENJOY!!!

Pork Tenderloin with Fresh Plum Sauce

Original Recipe: Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery, edited by the fab 

intern Lumi Bota to follow our program guidelines

When we were trying to come up with an Asian-style pork recipe, almost every one we researched contained hoisin sauce (very heavy on sugar). So we 

concocted this plum sauce, which not only tastes incredible, but is

incredibly versatile as well.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon paprika

1 packet artificial sweetener (Splenda or Sweet ‘N Low)

½ teaspoon allspice

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground thyme

1 pound lean pork tenderloin 

Fresh plum sauce (makes approximately 1 cup):

Cooking spray

½ cup onion, chopped

3 large red or purple plums, peeled, seeded and chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

½ small jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

Brown-sugar artificial sweetener (1 teaspoon equivalent)

Method of preparation:

1.      To make the plum sauce: coat a nonstick saucepan with cooking spray. Heat and sauté onion until just translucent. Add all other ingredients and cook over low flame for 10 minutes until thick. Let cool slightly, pour into food processor, and blend until smooth.

2.      Preheat the oven to 375° F.

3.      In a small bowl, mix all spices and sweetener together to form a dry rub.

4.      Rub spice mixture all over tenderloin and bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

5.      Spoon ¼ cup of the plum sauce onto tenderloin and bake for another 10 minutes.

6.      ENJOY!!!

Fun Snack with Mini Toasts

Fun snack (or meal idea) for children (ahem or adults like me!) They are bite sized and easy to hold for kids or easy to pop in for adults!

Ingredients:
*Mini toasts
*Natural peanut butter or other all natural nut butter (I prefer Smucker's but any peanut butter whose ingredients are only 'peanuts and salt' will work)
*Banana

Maui-ish Quinoa Salad

This dish is going to be a great source of protein from the bariatric friendly, Quinoa, but the produce part of this dish is about 50%, which gives an appropriate amount of carbohydrates for energy along side the protein for muscle sparing.

1 cup dry, quinoa - which ever color you prefer
1 cup fresh snow peapods, sliced
1/2 cup cucumber, peeled and diced
1/4 cup carrots, diced
1-8oz can diced pineapples in juice (not syrup!), strained
1 cup mango cubes (frozen are fine, but let them thaw before using)
1/2 cup fat free, plain yogurt (could also use 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil and 1/4 cup rice vinegar instead)
1 tablespoon fresh chives, washed and chopped
salt and pepper

1. Cook quinoa to package directions (likely 2 cups water to 1 cup dry quinoa), once water is boiling will take about 10 minutes.
2. Mix all other ingredients together in a bowl. When quinoa is finished, stir it into the mixture. Serve immediately or chill and serve later.

ENJOY!

Mango-Pomegranate Salsa

Trying to think of something to bring to the 4th of July-rain day party tomorrow? Try this new spin on salsa!

1 cup diced mango
1 cup pomegranate seeds
1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
1/8 teaspoon dried mint, ground up (can use a mortar and pestle)
3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
1/2 teaspoon chilies minced (optional)
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Mix it all together and let sit at least 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature.

ENJOY!!

Balsamic Tofu, Cranberry, and Apple Stir Fry

This is wonderful recipe by Marni Sumbal over at the vegetarian nutrition group. To make it bariatric friendly - substitute quinoa for the long grain rice, the quinoa will be easier to digest and sit lighter in your stomach. Tofu tastes like whatever you put on it, so in this case it will absorb the balsamic and any juice released from the apples. Purchase extra firm tofu as it will hold its shape better during cooking and remember to open the package over the sink as tofu is packed in water!

Enjoy!!

Balsamic Tofu, Cranberry and Apple Stir Fry

Add some spice to your life

A patient gave us this recipe at support group yesterday - it was such an interesting idea! Great for a mid afternoon snack!

1 mango
juice from 1/2 a lemon
2-3 Tablespoons raw pumpkin seeds, shelled (can be purchased at Trader Joes)
Cayenne pepper

1. Peel mango and cut into wedges or dice
2. Squeeze juice from half a lemon over mango pieces.
3. In a saute pan over medium heat (or in the toaster oven) toast the pumpkin seeds until just lightly browned.
4. Put pumpkin seeds in a coffee grinder to grind up or you can use a mortar and pestle to grind them up.
5. Sprinkle ground pumpkin seeds over mango. Sprinkle a tiny bit of cayenne pepper over it.
6. Mix and enjoy!

Fun Fact of the Day

Before 1913, most Americans had no idea what a banana was. Trade of bananas out of Latin America's banana belt did not begin until early in the 20th century. Today, a banana is something that most everyone eats across the generations and 26 pounds of bananas are consumed per person per year in the USA. Bananas have the highest production volume of any fruit and are in the top 5 fruits consumed across the planet (not just the USA!) So enjoy your 'naner' today!

Apple Corn Chili

Well, I don't know about where you live, but here in Boston, winter has set right in. Temps in the high 20s at night and 30s during the day definitely make me want to come home to a bowl of something warm for dinner. Try out this fun version of chili brought to us by the people over at Fruits and Veggies More Matters.

This recipe costs $7.43 (or $1.86/serving and there are 4 standard servings - probably 8-10 bariatric servings) and has 20 grams of protein in each one of the 4 servings.

*2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
*8 oz chicken breast, skinned, deboned and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
*1 medium onion, diced
*2 cloves garlic, minced
*salt a pepper
*15 oz can yellow corn, no salt added, drained (or use 2 cups frozen kernels)
*2 firm red apples (like Braebrun, Empire or Fuji), peeled, cored and chopped
*1/2 tablespoon cumin
*1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (because some like it hot)
*15 oz can black beans, no salt added, drained, rinsed
*2 cups low sodium, low fat chicken broth (or 2 cups water + 2 teaspoons sodium free chicken bouillon)
*4.5 oz can diced green chiles, drained
*1/4 cup fat free sour cream
*1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in stock pot over medium heat
. Add chicken and brown, about 7 minutes.
2. Remove chicken and set aside. Add remaining olive oil to pan and heat. Add onions, garlic, season with salt and pepper and saute until vegetables are starting to get soft.
3. Then add cumin, cayenne, apples, beans, chiles and corn. Cook another 5 minutes.
4. Add chicken back to pot. Pour broth into pan and using a wooden or thick plastic spoon, scrape the bottom of the pan to get all the bits up off the bottom. Stir to combine and let simmer for about 20 minutes. (if to much liquid boils off you might need to add more broth).
5. To serve, ladle into bowls and top with sour cream and cilantro.

ENJOY!

Turkey Kielbasa with apples, cucumbers and quinoa

It's apple season, which means fall is here! Many of you are sad I am sure, that fall usually means an end to BBQ season, so this recipe combines a great part of summer (grilled kielbasa/sausages) with a fall staple (fresh apples)!!

*1 tablespoon olive oil
*1 white onion, sliced
*2 cloves garlic, sliced
*2 Macintosh apples (I like the tartness of these in the dish, but you could use Cortland or Baldwins too), peeled, cored and sliced
*1 cup white wine (use a wine that you would WANT to drink - don't use a 'cooking wine', cooking wine = bad wine and that will give terrible flavor to your dish)
*1 tablespoon stone ground/grainy/French style mustard
*24oz turkey kielbasa (or chicken sausage) cut into 2" pieces
*2 springs fresh thyme, leaves removed from stems
*1 cup cucumber, grated
*1 cup black or red quinoa
*salt and pepper to taste

1. Set oven to 350 degrees
2. In an oven safe pan, heat oil on stove top over medium-low heat. Add the onions, half the apples and garlic, saute until soft. Remove from pan.
3. Turn heat up to medium-high (you may need to add a touch more olive oil). Sear the kielbasa, by placing in pan. Let cook about 2 minutes then flip and cook 2 minutes more, you want each side to be nicely browned.
4. Turn heat back down to medium, add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden/plastic spoon to get up all the brown bits. Then add the mustard, onions, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine.
5. Arrange kielbasa pieces on top and transfer pan to oven, roast for 30-40 minutes, until the kielbasa is well browned.
6. Meanwhile, cook the quinoa according to package directions. Use a box grater and run the cucumber over the larger grating holes. Set cucumber aside.
7. When kielbasa is cooked, stir in the reserved apple and sprinkle with thyme. Serve kielbasa mix over the quinoa, then top with a small amount of grated cucumber which will lighten the dish and refresh/cleanse the palette for the next bite.

ENJOY!!

Kale, Sweet Potato and Apple soup

Apple season will soon be upon us and the next crop of kale will be ready to pick also! I understand from the food trendies that kale 'is so last year' but that doesn't mean we can't keep making great recipes with it. Keep this recipe in a safe place for when we get to apple picking season!

2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 pound kale, carefully washed and stemmed
1 large sweet potato (or yam), peeled and cut into small cubes
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 vidalia (sweet) onion, diced small
1 small MacIntosh apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1/2 cup fat free, plain Greek yogurt
1/2 tablespoon , chopped fresh rosemary (optional)

1. Bring the broth to a boil in a large sauce pan. Add the diced sweet potato - let cook until soft. Add the kale, cover and simmer for 8 minutes.
2. Meanwhile in a saute pan over low-medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, cumin, salt, and let cook for about 8 minutes. Then add the apple and cook an addition 5 minutes.
3. In a blender working in batches, puree the cooked kale, sweet potato, apple-onion mix, cooking liquid and yogurt until smooth. CATION - use a THICK dish towel to hold down the top of the blender! The steam will make the top very hot and it could pop the top off so be careful!
2. At this point you can either put the soup back on the burner to stay warm or garnish with a small amount of rosemary and eat.

ENJOY!

Spring Strawberries!

They're here! I went out to the garden today after the rain cleared up to see how the lettuce faired, and to my surprise about 8 new asparagus staulks had shot up through the dirt during the rain and were ready to pick, and as I gazed just beyong them, I noticed the greenery was speckled with red dots.The strawberries were ready! The first harvest of the year! We currently have wild strawberries growing in our garden, they have basically taken over the back part of it, sprawling beyond the bed barriers, and they have tiny berries but they are so sweet, like little bursts of juicy goodness - similar to what I think an all natural, organic gusher candy would be like (if it were actually possible to make such a thing)! I was thinking as I picked them - these would be perfect bari-strawberries because of their mini size! Hope you all have begun to enjoy the first sign of summer - strawberries!

ENJOY!!