23 August 2011

You’re Probably Not Eating Enough…

…of all these foods! I thought I’d round up all my past YPNEE posts for your reading pleasure.

Click each link to find out why you’re probably not eating enough of the food, why it’s so great, and how to incorporate it into more of your meals. So, you’re probably not eating enough…

Any requests for future YPNEE posts?

17 February 2011

All You Ever Needed to Know about Spaghetti Squash

This week on More than Mary, I tackle my favorite pasta look-alike.

It’s true: There IS a healthier way to eat your favorite pasta dish — with spaghetti squash instead of empty carb-rich spaghetti. But before you get too excited, know that spaghetti squash doesn’t have the same texture, taste, or general mouth-feel as spaghetti. But! It does taste neutral enough — and act enough like spaghetti — to be a very respectable substitute! Here’s what you need to know.

How to find a good one:

When shopping for spaghetti squash, look for hard fruit that is heavy for its size, about eight to nine inches in length and four to five inches in diameter with a pale even color. Avoid any squash with soft spots or a greenish color. The average four-pound spaghetti squash will yield about five cups of “noodles.”

How to cook one:

There are several methods, but I prefer baking (even though it takes a bit longer).

Bake it: Preheat your oven to 375. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, remove the seeds, and place it rind-side up on a baking sheet or dish. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the flesh of the squash is tender and you can easily scrape out the noodles with a fork.
Boil it: Heat a pot of water large enough to hold the whole squash. When the water is boiling, drop in the squash and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on size. When a fork goes easily into the flesh, the squash is done.
Microwave it: Cut squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Place squash cut sides up in a microwave dish with 1/4 cup water. Cover it with plastic wrap and cook on high for 10 to 12 minutes, depending on size of squash. Add more cooking time if necessary. Let it sit for 5 minutes and then scrape out the noodles.

What to serve with one:

Anything you would serve with regular spaghetti/pasta! A few of my faves:

But seriously, go nuts with pesto, alfredo, etc. It has such a neutral flavor, you really can’t mess it up! One more incredible idea for the road: Mix the squash noodles with the same proportion of real noodles to boost health but maintain a similar pasta texture.

10 August 2010

Eat More Basil! 5 Must-Make Recipes for Fresh Basil

Have you planted a patio herb garden yet? If not, what are you waiting for?! It’s easy, cheap, and will provide you with more fresh herbs than you know what to do with… literally! My basil is growing faster than I can make pesto. So I thought I’d do a little research on what’s so great about the herb (besides the fact that my childhood cat was named after it — RIP, Basil!).

According to WHFoods, basil has 60% recommended daily value of vitamin K, along with between 5-10% recommended value of calcium, iron, vitamin A, and fiber. It’s a good source of magnesium as well as potassium and vitamin C.

Basil’s flavonoids and volatile oils are supposed to have health-protecting properties. (Read more here!)

Okay, but I don’t have to convince you to eat more basil, right? I mean, the stuff makes ANYTHING taste gourmet! And fresh basil is so much more tasty than the dried stuff. Store your fresh basil in the refrigerator wrapped in a slightly damp towel, or freeze extra herb in an airtight container (I’m definitely going to have to do this at the end of the summer!).

Now onto the good stuff. How can you use all that basil? I have a few ideas:

Chop it up and add it to fruit salad for a unique, summery flavor! I just tasted a fruit salad with added basil last night, and it really made for a special dish. The savory, almost spicy flavor of the basil just enhanced the sweetness and tartness of the fruit!
Make easy creamy pesto cream sauce. Combine garlic, olive oil, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, and salt/pepper in your food processor. Then, heat cream over very low heat until it summers. Add it slowly to the food processor for a pasta topping TO DIE FOR.
Go classic with tomato and mozzarella. You really can’t go wrong when you combine tomato, basil, and mozzarella. I made a really easy caprese salad using those three ingredients, and it was lovely. Mary also has a great recipe for caprese bombs. Oh, and this caprese burger always looks mouth-watering.
Infuse olive oil with it. For every cup of oil, use two cups of tightly packed basil (you can also do this with any other herb). Blanch the basil in boiling water for five seconds and then throw it in an ice bath. After you squeeze out the liquid, puree the basil with the olive oil in a blender or food processor. Strain it if you want (I think the green bits would be pretty!), and then store refrigerated in a glass bottle. Use the oil any time you’d use regular olive oil for a wonderful added flavor!
Make basil-infused tea. Just let your basil sit in boiling water for about eight minutes to create a unique, savory tea.

And of course, I didn’t include pesto (presto!) in this list because it’s so obvious. But you can CERTAINLY make pesto — and you should!

6 July 2010

caryrandolph:

DAILY DOSE OF SUMMER (SNACKS).

Where should I put my berries?

in your cereal or oatmeal
in your smoothie
in your yogurt
in your salad
in your rice (yes, this is good!)
in a bowl with cream
in a hot pan with butter or coconut oil, then saute til they turn into pie filling
in a bowl with nuts or nut butter
in the oven to dry
in a baggie or small tupperware to eat in an hour or two
directly into your mouth!

10 June 2010

You’re Probably Not Eating Enough: Turnips

I got a few red turnips in my Door to Door box last week, and I admit, I had no idea what to do with them. When I was googling around to find out, I discovered this hilarious description:

Many people think of turnips as woody, leaden spheres, the color of baseballs and with about as much culinary appeal.

I can’t stop laughing at “leaden spheres.” But anyway, turnips are actually a good source of vitamin C, potassium, and iron. For like no calories, of course (36 per cup). But what do with them?

First of all, store them unwashed in plastic bag in the fridge for up to a week.

The best turnip flavor enhancers are lemon juice, vinegar, curry powder, chives, oregano, marjoram, thyme.

When I read about the first two, I immediately thought, “Why not put them in a salad?” Raw turnips are actually quite good. Mild, slightly spicy, a little bit crunchy.

Other good things to do with turnips:

Boil in salted water for 10 minutes, or steam for 12.
Make garlic-mashed turnips and potatoes by boiling the turnips, potatoes, and garlic in hot water, mashing, and then adding butter and seasoning.
Saute the turnips with spinach or other greens. Then add texture with dried fruit and/or nuts.
Puree them in a soup. They combine well with apples and onions.
Roast them with your chicken, turkey, or duck.
Make them in place of potatoes. They have a similar texture, but aren’t as starchy.