Latkes, Dreidels and Gelt!

December 13, 2012 at 10:12 am

By Bianca Tamburello, Dietetics Student, Sargent College

Every Wednesday Karen Jacobs EdD, OTR/L, CPE, FAOTA hosts the Sargent Choice Test Kitchen in Stuvi 2 Apt. 2302 from 8-11pm. She kindly welcomes the BU community to test new Sargent Choice recipes while we eat, talk and play Bananagrams
Check out the Sargent Choice event calendar and joins us next week!

Last week, Karen kindly opened her doors to the BU community for the last KJ SC Test Kitchen of the semester. Karen held an early Hanukkah gathering fully-equipped with dreidels, gelt and everyone’s favorite, latkes!

Karen revealed her grandmother’s latkes recipe, which called for 10 lbs of potatoes! Although the test kitchen was packed with students, 10 lbs of latkes was even too many for our hungry crowd of students. After making close to 40 latkes, it was already 11pm and time to close the test kitchen.

Here’s a picture of all the potatoes we had left at the end of the night.

The dietitians as the Sargent Choice Nutrition Center don’t want you to miss out on your favorite holiday foods but also want you to eat healthfully.

This holiday season eat mindfully. Choose your absolute favorite holiday dishes and sweets and pass on your least favorite items. Filling half your plate with veggies or eating your side salad before your meal can also help you pace yourself before feasting over the holidays.

Enjoy SC’s healthier recipe for potato latkes below this holiday season!

Sargent Choice Sweet Potato Latke
Yield 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 medium sweet potatoes peeled and grated
  • 1 cup minced onion
  • 4 eggs, lightly beaten
  • ½ cup whole grain matzo meal or whole wheat flour
  • 4 tablespoons light olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups unsweetened applesauce, as garnish

Directions

1. Combine grated sweet potatoes, onion, pepper, and eggs. Stir well to combine.

2. Add whole grain matzo meal or whole wheat flour and mix again. Note: Only add enough to make a batter; the mixture should not be too dry or stiff.

3. Heat half the light olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet. Drop large spoonfuls of the batter into the skillet, pressing gently with a spatula to flatten each latke. Each latke should be approximately ½ inches away from each other. Fry for 4 to 5minutes until the underside is brown, then flip and cook another 3 to 4 minutes more.

4. Remove latkes to a warm plate and repeat process with remaining oil and batter

5. Serve immediately with applesauce.

1 Serving
Calories 360
Fat 15 g
Saturated Fat 2.5 g
Protein 5 g
Carbohydrates 54 g
Fiber 7 g

 

 

 


 

By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in BU Community, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (1)

Healthy Cooking on a Budget Covers: Garlic Chicken

December 10, 2012 at 8:33 pm

By Bianca Tamburello, Dietetics Student, Sargent College

Did the class Healthy Cooking on a Budget fill up before you got a chance to register? Well have no fears! I’m here to give you the inside scoop along with a delicious SCNC recipe!

The SCNC recognizes that eating well on a budget, especially a student’s budget, can be quite challenging. Each week Lauren Ferraro MS, RD teaches BU students how to stretch their dollar and get proper nutrition at the same time.

 

Try this SC Garlic Rosemary Chicken with Lemon Zest using proper food safety techniques, of course.  The crowd at the HCB kitchen loved it!

Smiling faces of the HCB crowd. They loved the Garlic Chicken!

Lauren served the garlic chicken with a side of green beans and corn.

SC Garlic Rosemary Chicken with Lemon Zest
Makes 4 Servings

 

INGREDIENTS
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 ½ tablespoons rosemary
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt and pepper
Zest and juice of ½ lemon

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Add garlic, rosemary, olive oil, lemon zest, salt and pepper to baking dish.
  3. Arrange chicken in the baking dish, toss and coat the chicken with all ingredients, then place in oven. Roast 20 minutes.
  4. Add lemon juice and a splash of chicken stock to the dish and combine with pan juices. Return to oven and turn oven off. Let stand for 5minutes longer then remove chicken from the oven. Place baking dish on a trivet and serve, spooning pan juices over chicken.

 

NUTRITION FACTS (4oz chicken breast)

Calories 180
Fat 8 g
Saturated Fat 1.5 g
Protein 24 g
Sodium 280mg

 

Sauteed Green Beans
Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS
4 cups fresh or frozen green beans
½ cup low-sodium chicken stock
½ teaspoon pepper

DIRECTIONS

Heat chicken stock in sauté pan for 1 minute. Add fresh/frozen green beans and pepper, heat until cooked 3-4minutes.


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By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in BU Community, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (4)

A Constant Comfort During Finals

December 9, 2012 at 4:50 pm

By Kelli Swensen, Dietetics Student, Sargent College

Sophomore year I entered into blogging with a post on chocolate cherry cookies made in Karen Jacob's Test Kitchen. These gooey, delicious, stress-relieving treats helped me though my four finals that year. Graduating in January, I'm coming up to the last final exams of my undergraduate career, and while the courses have changed two things have not: the level of stress and these cookies. Baking alone is a stress-reliever for me, but if you aren't a fan of measuring, mixing, and baking no worries: eating these rich, chocolatey desserts is very soothing as well. Treat yourself and your friends to a study break by making and eating these cookies with a cold glass of milk! (For the original post click here)

Below an excerpt of the original post that has all the details you need to make these tonight. Enjoy!

If you’re someone who isn’t always a fan of fruit in desserts, give this one a shot – trust me, it’ll surprise you how perfectly the chewy texture of the cherries combines with the gooeyness of the cookie.

To start, reconstitute 2/3 cup of cherries by soaking them in a bowl of hot water; this will add back some of their original moisture. On Wednesday, we did a mix of dried cherries and dried cranberries, which I highly recommend doing to add another level of sweetness to the cookies.

Picture1

While the cherries and cranberries are soaking, combine 1 cup of whole white wheat flour, 1/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder, ½ tsp of baking powder, ¼ tsp of baking soda, and ¼ tsp of salt.

Picture2

In another bowl, beat, on high speed, ¾ cup of granulated sugar and 1/3 cup of unsalted butter in a large bowl until creamy. I know ¾ cup of sugar may not sound like enough sugar but trust me you do not want to add any more! The best part about these cookies is the combination of deep, chocolaty taste with bursts of sweetness from the cherries and cranberries.

Add 1 tsp vanilla and 1 egg to butter mixture. Put the mixer on low speed and slowly add in the flour mixture. Our batter was pretty dry so we added a little more than 1 Tbs of water. If this happens to you, only add 1 Tbs of water to start, and then add in little amounts as needed. The batter is supposed to be quite sticky, so don’t add too much liquid.

Picture3

The recipe says to drain cherries and fold them into the batter along with the 3 Tbs of semi-sweet mini chocolate chips; however, because our dough was a bit dry, we didn’t drain the cherries completely and poured some of that water into the batter.

Once the batter is sticky but not dry, make tablespoon-sized balls of dough and place each 2-inches apart onto baking sheets that have been covered with cooking spray. We found that the cookies come out best if you slightly flatten the dough, making small disks.

Picture4

Once the baking sheets are ready to go, pop them in a 350-degree oven for about 12-15 min. The edges should look chewy and the middles still slightly doughy – don’t worry they will continue to cook a bit after you take them out of the oven. The recipe says to cool for 5 min, which for us was impossible, resulting in many burnt, but still satisfied, tongues. If you’re impatient like us, I do want to warn you that although the cookies may be wonderfully hot, the cherries and cranberries will be painfully hot.

Picture5

So what do they taste like? The most accurate description is they are decadently rich, gooey brownies in cookie form. The cranberries and cherries in the recipe have a holiday feel to them, making this a perfect cookie to add to your holiday cookie platter. Remember to keep an eye out for next semester’s Test Kitchen Schedule! Happy Holidays!

PIcture6

Chocolate Chip Cherry Cookies

Makes 30 cookies

Preheat over to 350 degrees

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup 100% whole white wheat flour
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 2/3 cup dried cherries (we did half dried cherries and half cranberries) + Hot water
  • 3 Tbs semi-sweet mini chocolate chips or regular chocolate chips roughly chopped

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350

2. Measure out 2/3 cup dried cherries into a bowl and cover with hot water.

Let sit while mixing together other ingredients. (If using cranberries, soak

them with the cherries)

3. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife

4. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a

whisk.

5. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed

until well blended

6. Add vanilla and egg; beat well. With mixer on low speed, gradually add

flour mixture. Mix just until combined. If batter seems too thick or will not

stir together well, add 1 Tbs of water

7. Drain cherries and fold into batter with chocolate chips. (If your batter is

dry, you can opt to not completely drain the cherries and use some of that

water to moisten the dough)

8. Drop mixture by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated

with cooking spray. (It may help to flatten the dough into disks)

9.  Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or just until set. Remove from oven; cool on

pans 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

Tip: In our recipe we use White Whole Wheat Flour instead of All Purpose Flour. Milled from white whole wheat, White Whole Wheat Flour has all the fiber and nutrition of traditional whole wheat, with milder flavor and lighter color. We find that in cookies, muffins, pancakes and quick breads, using white whole wheat flour in place of the entire amount of all-purpose flour yields a baked treat that’s just as tasty as the original, with the benefit of increased fiber, vitamins and minerals. Our favorite brand is King Arthur’s Flour. Try next time you bake!

By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in BU Community, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Something crunchy, something smooth

December 4, 2012 at 9:34 am

By Bianca Tamburello, Dietetics Student, Sargent College

Every Wednesday Karen Jacobs EdD, OTR/L, CPE, FAOTA hosts the Sargent Choice Test Kitchen in Stuvi 2 Apt. 2302 from 8-11pm. She kindly welcomes the BU community to test new Sargent Choice recipes while we eat, talk and play Bananagrams. Check out the Sargent Choice event calendar and joins us next week!

Salads make great entrées or sides but they can also get boring very fast. The standard lettuce, tomatoes and onions are often not enough flavor or calories to satisfy you until the next meal.

Source

Try adding some healthy ingredients to boost the flavor and texture. But beware of toppings like full fat creamy dressings and bacon bits. Ingredients like these are laden with saturated fat and calories.

So what should you add to your salad? Add healthy fats,  whole grains, fiber and protein to stay fuller longer.

Something crunchy

  • Walnuts
  • Sliced almonds
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Pine nuts

Something smooth

  • Avocado
  • Crumbled goat cheese
  • Crumbled feta cheese

Whole grains

  • Quinoa
  • Wheat berries
  • Barley

More texture

  • Raisins
  • Dried tomatoes
  • Dried cranberries

Add protein

  • Tuna
  • Hard boiled eggs
  • Beans

Sargent Choice Vegetarian Taco Salad
Yields 6 servings

1 Serving (~1..5 cups)
Calories 420
Fat 14 g
Saturated Fat 3.5 g
Protein 18 g
Carbohydrates 59 g
Fiber 12

 

 

 

Ingredients

Pico de gallo:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1½ cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
4 large tomatoes
1.5 cups cooked quinoa
1 15-ounce can black, kidney or pinto beans
1 tablespoon chili powder
1½ teaspoons dried oregano, divided
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup prepared salsa
2 cups shredded iceberg or romaine lettuce
1 cup low-fat shredded pepper Jack cheese (Cabot)
2 ½ cups coarsely crumbled tortilla chips

 

Directions:

1.  Cook quinoa according to package directions.

2.  Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and corn; cook, stirring, until the onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Coarsely chop 1 tomato. Add it to the pan along with the COOKED QUINOA, beans, chili powder, 1 teaspoon oregano and ¼ teaspoon salt.

3. Coarsely chop the remaining 3 tomatoes. Combine with the cilantro, salsa and the remaining ½ teaspoon oregano in a medium bowl.

4.  Toss lettuce in a large bowl with the bean mixture, half the fresh salsa and 2/3 cup cheese.  Serve sprinkled with tortilla chips and the remaining cheese, passing the remaining fresh salsa at the table.

 

Adapted from Cookinglight.com

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Setting Yourself Up to Succeed

November 29, 2012 at 12:53 pm

By Kelli Swensen, Dietetics Student, Sargent College

“You have to have a dream so you can get up in the morning” – Billy Wilder

Monday morning I went to get the latest update from Danka Charland on how far she’s walked (for more background be sure to check out our previous post on Danka’s walking!). My expectation for the interview was that she would give me a brief update of how many miles she’s gone and how everything was going; these expectations were blown out of the water. Not only did I come out of the meeting impressed by just how many miles she has been able to pack into almost three years, but also left with a fire of motivation rekindled in me (and a delicious oatmeal recipe).

To briefly recap, almost three years ago Danka bought a pedometer and, thanks to a recommendation from a friend, decided she would walk the amount of steps that it would take to walk from Boston to San Francisco. Keeping the pedometer on all day, Danka has reached and far exceeded her first goal. She has now theoretically walked enough steps to walk from San Francisco to Alaska to Moscow. Her ultimate goal is to reach her home village in Poland, which she expects she will do by February 3rd (about 6 months ahead of schedule!).

With two handwritten pages, an excel spreadsheet, and a journal of numbers, Danka was more than prepared for our meeting. A lover of numbers, she credits the recording of her progress as the key to motivation. She explained that within a couple weeks of starting her walking she grew to love seeing the number of steps and miles in the log. She described this love as “the bite,” saying that once you get the “bite” for an activity you will stay on track because you’ll crave seeing your progress. While she has calculated how many steps she needs to walk each week in order to meet her ultimate goal of 11,093 miles, she makes challenges based on numbers to keep herself motivated. For example, last year Valentines Day was her 700th day of her walking plan. Because she liked the idea of 7000 miles on the 700th day, she cranked up her mileage to make sure she reached those 7000 miles on Feb 14th. More recently, one of Danka’s friends at Sargent was traveling to Moscow, so Danka increased her daily mileage so that she was “in” Moscow at the same time as her friend. Having a theoretical destination rather than just a designated number of miles has been another major motivating factor for Danka.

So what exactly are Danka’s numbers? Here’s a quick look at her statistics:

  • Number of days: 985
  • Number of total steps: 21,623,394
  • Number of miles walked: 10,464.6
  • Average miles/day: 10.62
  • Number of miles left to walk: 628.4
  • Number of days remaining to walk: 69.82

One question Danka commonly gets is how her walking is impacted by the weather during the winter. To answer, Danka has created a spreadsheet showing the total number of miles walked per month and average miles walked per day for each month for the past three years. While it is common belief that most people walk or run outside less during the cold months, Danka’s numbers show almost the opposite. In 2010, she was walking about 7 miles/per day during the spring and summer months. This increased to about 12 miles per day during December and continued to be around 10 miles/day for the rest of the winter. The winter during 2012 was a different story, due to her being on vacation and sustaining a leg injury in February; yet even with a painful injury, she still managed to average almost 7.5 miles/day! Another date that stands out is May of 2011. During that month Danka had to fly back to Poland for a family emergency. While she was not able to get as many miles in each day, she says that having her walking goal and her log helped keep her spirits up and aided in returning to normalcy when she got home; in her words, having a goal “helps you survive through the challenging times.”

One idea that really stuck with me is Danka’s idea of applying budgeting to exercise. She explained that she has a weekly goal to meet, and while she tries to walk a certain number of miles each day, there are days when walking a certain amount is just not possible. Rather than giving up or feeling like a failure, she either walks extra miles a day or two ahead of time (if the busy day is expected) or simply makes up those miles over the following days. The key to meeting your goal, according to Danka, is setting yourself up for success. This means setting a measurable goal, allowing for that goal to be revised a bit if needed, and being consistent in achieving that goal. It takes approximately three weeks for something to become a habit, so Danka encourages people to pick something that they’ve wanted to do, start small, and remain consistent.

Danka left me with a great quote, worthy of being taped to a mirror or a desk: “You have to have a dream so you can get up in the morning” – Billy Wilder. Hearing Danka’s story has motivated me to find a goal to work towards, and I’m positive she has and will continue to inspire others to do the same.

 

 



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HCB: Get the Skinny on Vegetarian Sources of Protein and Isoflavones

November 28, 2012 at 11:20 am

By Bianca Tamburello, Dietetics Student, Sargent College

Did the class Healthy Cooking on a Budget fill up before you got a chance to register? Well have no fears. I’m here to give you the inside scoop along with a delicious SCNC recipe!

The SCNC recognizes that eating well on a budget, especially a student’s budget, can be quite challenging. Each week Lauren Ferraro MS, RD teaches BU students how to stretch their dollar and get proper nutrition at the same time.

On vegetarian nutrition day in the HCB kitchen, Lauren explained some of the health benefits of choosing vegetarian sources of protein. Even if you’re not a vegetarian, opting for vegetarian protein instead of meat 1-2 times a week adds diversity to your weekly meal plan. Most importantly, opting for 1-2 vegetarian sources of protein per week can help you save money on groceries

Lean Vegetarian Sources of Protein

Tofu
Tofu is a soy product that is made in the same sequence as cheese making. The difference between tofu and cheese production is that cow’s milk is used to make cheese and soy milk is used to make tofu. Found in many different forms, tofu is a versatile vegetarian protein. It can be eaten raw or prepared by almost any cooking method.

Tempeh
Tempeh is also a soy product. Unlike tofu, tempeh is a fermented soybean product and must be cooked for consumption. Tempeh is often enjoyed marinated, steamed, crumbled or blackened.

Seitan
Seitan is primarily made from gluten. To add texture and flavor beans, nuts or vegetables are usually added to seitan. Seitan is often fried, grilled, broiled or roasted.

Beans
Beans are probably one of the most familiar and cheapest sources of vegetarian protein. Almost any type of bean can be found in canned and dried forms. The SCNC dietitians recommend sprinkling them on salads and adding them to soups, pasta dishes and stews.

Adapted from Barish, Ellenor. “SCNC Cooking with Meat Alternatives.” Boston: Sargent Choice Nutrition Center, 2008.

What’s the deal with Isoflavones?
Lauren also talked about the health benefits of isoflavones found in soy products. Isoflavones are phytochemicals found in soybeans and soybean products that have been shown to have certain health benefits. Although other plants contain isoflavones, soybeans and soy foods are the only foods that offer a significant amount of isoflavones.

Health Benefits
Studies in Asia reveal that young girls and adolescents who consumed at least 1 serving of soy a day through childhood reduced their risk of breast cancer from 25-50 percent later in life. It’s also believed that isoflavones in soy products improves artery flexibility and can improve overall cardiovascular health.
Source

Start cooking with vegetarian sources of protein with the recipe provided below! To create a balanced meal Lauren added stir-fried veggies and brown rice to the SC Easy Baked Tofu.

Easy Baked Tofu
Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 cake firm tofu (about 16 ounces)

BASIC MARINADE
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
3 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons grated peeled ginger root (optional)
1 garlic clove, minced (optional)

VARIATIONS TO BASIC MARINADE

SPICY TOFU: Add 2 to 3 teaspoons of Chinese chili paste with garlic to the basic marinade and reduce the soy sauce to 2 tablespoons.

SWEET AND SOUR TOFU: Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar and 1 tablespoon honey, maple syrup or sugar to the basic marinade.

CHIPOTLE TOFU: Use 2 tablespoons canola oil, 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy, 2 tablespoons chopped chipotles in adobo sauce, and ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional) for the marinade

BARBEQUE TOFU: Mix together 1 tablespoon canola oil, 1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce, and ¾ cup barbeque sauce

SOUTHERN STYLE TOFU: Coat the tofu with a mixture of 1 tablespoon canola oil and 1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning

DIRECTIONS – IN THE OVEN

  1. Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Cut the tofu into slices, cubes, triangles or sticks.
  2. Lightly oil a baking dish large enough to hold the tofu in a single layer. Whisk together the marinade ingredients (or variation ingredients if using) and drizzle over the tofu.
  3. Gently turn or toss to coat thoroughly.
  4. Bake uncovered, stirring once or twice, until the oil is sizzling and the tofu is firm and chewy, 30 to 40 minutes.
  5. Serve hot, at room temperature, or chilled.

DIRECTIONS – ON THE STOVE TOP

  1. Cut the tofu into cubes.
  2. Heat the canola oil and sesame oil in a large skillet. Add the tofu and sauté, stirring often, for 4 or 5 minutes, until lightly golden.
  3. Add the soy sauce and other marinade ingredients, lower the heat, and simmer for 3 or 4 minutes longer.
  4. Serve hot, at room temperature, or chilled.

Recipes adapted from the Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers, Moosewood Collective, Clarkson Potter Publishers, 2005.

 


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Avocado Quinoa Salad Minus the Lettuce

November 27, 2012 at 12:22 am

By Bianca Tamburello, Dietetics Student, Sargent College

Every Wednesday Karen Jacobs EdD, OTR/L, CPE, FAOTA hosts the Sargent Choice Test Kitchen in Stuvi 2 Apt. 2302 from 8-11pm. She kindly welcomes the BU community to test new Sargent Choice recipes while we eat, talk and play Bananagrams.

Check out the Sargent Choice event calendar and joins us next week!

Before the Thanksgiving holiday, we made SC Avocado Quinoa Salad with Dried Fruit, Toasted Almonds and Lemon-Cumin Vinaigrette.

Picture Source

Although it’s called a salad, this recipe calls for a quinoa base and disregards lettuce. The creaminess of the avocado, crunch of the sliced almonds and softness of the dried fruit offers contrasting textures to this diverse entrée or side dish. While the touch of citrus from the lemon-cumin vinaigrette brings a bit of sunshine to the warm fall salad.

5 Reasons you should try this recipe.

It has a touch of

  1. Sweetness
  2. Is crunchy
  3. Refreshing yet
  4. Warm
  5. And of course delicious!

Sargent Choice Quinoa and Avocado Salad with Dried Fruit, Toasted Almonds, And Lemon-Cumin Vinaigrette

1 Serving (~1..5 cups)
Calories 240
Fat 15 g
Saturated Fat 2 g
Protein 5 g
Carbohydrates 23 g
Fiber 6

Yields 8 servings

Ingredients
3 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons dried apricots, thinly sliced
1 cup red or white quinoa, rinsed well
½ teaspoon salt
1 large lemon
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon sweet paprika
¼ teaspoon salt
2 medium firm-ripe avocados, pitted, peeled, and cut into ½-inch chunks
3 medium scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped toasted almonds
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1.  In a medium bowl, soak the raisins and apricots in hot water for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2.  In a 2-quart saucepan, bring 2 cups water, the quinoa, and ½ teaspoon salt to a boil over high heat.  Cover, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is translucent and tender, 10 to 15 minutes.  Immediately fluff the quinoa with a fork and turn it out onto a baking sheet to cool to room temperature.

3. Finely grate the zest from the lemon and then squeeze 1 tablespoon juice. In a small bowl, whisk the lemon zest and juice with the olive oil, coriander, cumin, paprika, and ¼ teaspoon salt.

4.  In a large bowl, toss the vinaigrette with the quinoa, raisins, apricots, avocado, scallions, and almonds.

 

Adapted from Cookinglight.com


 

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Have a Healthy Thanksgiving

November 19, 2012 at 5:41 pm

By Sarah Butler, Registered Dietitian, Sargent Choice Nutrition Center

TurkeyDinner__1321016587_2101

Picture Source

Want to celebrate Thanksgiving with lots of good food but not overindulge? This year, challenge yourself to a healthy Thanksgiving Day, from sunrise to sunset.  Here are some healthy steps:

  • Don’t skip breakfast! “Saving” calories for the Thanksgiving meal by eliminating your morning can cause you to become extremely hungry and you’ll more easily overeat. Start off your Thanksgiving morning with a healthy breakfast of a yogurt parfait with a pumpkin muffin.
  • If the hunger starts kicking in before dinner try this delicious Spinach and Artichoke Dip served with cut veggies and whole wheat pita.
  • Instead of eating your Thanksgiving meal in the late afternoon or evening, try eating earlier in the day, around two o’clock. Then after dinner you’ll have time to take a refreshing walk outside before dessert is served. Alongside your main course, try the recipes below for healthy sides, salads, and soups at dinner.
  • After an early dinner and a rejuvenating walk, it’s time for everyone’s favorite course: dessert. This year, why not put a healthier option next to that pumpkin pie? Try the recipe below for Chocolate Cupcakes.

Recipe Suggestions for Thanksgiving Success:

Fruit & Yogurt Parfait

Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins
By Rebecca Bokat, Dietetic Intern, Sargent Choice Nutrition Center

Yield: 1 dozen (serving size: 1 muffin)

Ingredients
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cinnamon
⅛ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp salt
¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
½ cup low-fat buttermilk
1 large egg
2 tbsp canola oil
2/3 cup dried cranberries

Instructions
1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2.  Place 12 paper muffin cup liners in muffin cups.
3.  Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.
4.  Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, salt; stir well with a whisk.
5.  Combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin, oil, and egg in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 3 minutes).
6.   Add flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat at low speed just until combined.  Fold in cranberries.
7.  Spoon batter into prepared cups. Bake at 375°for 25 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center.  Remove muffins from pan immediately; place on a wire rack.

Serving Size: 1muffin

Calories 180 calories
Fat 3 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Protein 3 g
Carbohydrate 39 g
Fiber 3 g
Sodium 200 mg

Spinach and Artichoke Dip served with Fresh Vegetables and Whole Wheat Pita

Sargent Choice Butternut Squash Soup
Makes 6 ¾-cup servings

Ingredients
¾ tsp Smart Balance
¼ cup chopped carrots
1/4 cup chopped onion
¼ cup diced celery
¾ tsp chopped fresh ginger
½ tsp low sodium vegetable base or 2 cups low sodium vegetable stock
2 cups water (omit if using stock)
2 cups cubed butternut squash
½ tsp coarse Kosher salt
¼ tsp Tabasco sauce
1/8 tsp black pepper
¼ tsp ground nutmeg

Instructions
1. In a large stock pot, sauté carrots, onions, celery and ginger root in Smart Balance until tender.
2. Add water and base (or stock). Whisk until well blended. Add squash. Simmer until squash is cooked.
3. Add salt, Tabasco, pepper and nutmeg. Stir until well-blended. Puree soup using an immersion blender or a traditional blender, being careful not to burn yourself.
4. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5-10 minutes.

Tips

  • Vegetable bases are available online, search for Minor’s Low Sodium Vegetable Base. Or, instead of water and base mix, try using 2 cups of low sodium vegetable broth.
  • Try serving with 1 tbsp of any of the following: fat free plain yogurt or sour cream, slivered almonds, or pine nuts.

Nutrition Facts (¾ cup serving)

Calories 45
Fat 2 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Protein 1 g
Carbohydrate 8 g
Fiber 1 g
Sodium 230 mg

Pear Carpaccio

Sage & Apple Seared Chicken

Even though chicken is the star of this dish, we just had to share because it makes a beautiful dinner for guests and the flavors of apple and sage would work perfectly all the way through the holiday season.

Roasted Parsnips and Sweet Potatoes
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

Cooking spray

½ pound parsnips, peeled and cut into bite size cubes (about 1 ½ -2 cups)

1 large unpeeled sweet potato, cut into bite size cubes (about 1 ½ - 2 cups)

3 firm, sweet red delicious apples, unpeeled, cored and cut into bite size cubes (about 2 cups)

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp honey

2 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce

½ tsp black pepper

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Lightly coat medium casserole dish or baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
  3. Peel and cut parsnips into bite size cubes.  Cut sweet potato and apple into bite size cubes.
  4. Mix together in large mixing bowl.
  5. Combine honey and oil in microwave safe bowl.  Heat for 10 seconds until warm.  Mix soy sauce into the honey mixture. Pour sauce over vegetables and apples.  Toss to coat well.  Transfer mixture into prepared dish or baking sheet.  Bake for 45min-1hour, or until tender.

Serve warm.

Nutrition Facts (1 cup serving)

Calories 180calories
Fat 4 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Protein 3 g
Carbohydrate 35 g
Fiber 5 g
Sodium 250 mg

Recipe modified from: The New American Plate Cookbook; American Institute for Cancer Research

Chocolate Cupcakes

By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in BU Community, Recipes | Tagged , , , , | Comments (2)

Butternut Squash Stuffed with Red Flannel Hash

November 15, 2012 at 9:11 pm

Completely Vegan,

Have you ever wanted to purchase a CSA box, but wondered what you would do with all the ingredients? Well, BU’s Dining Services Executive Chef Adam Pagan has a tasty and healthy solution to your query.

Pagan held 4 improv cooking classes this fall (2012) at the StudentLink in the GSU to teach students how to utilize all ingredients in their CSA boxes. Although students reported his dishes were “phenomenal,” they also thought they were “super simple” and would definitely try making the dish on their own.

Full-time CAS senior Rachel Acheson appreciated these improv classes as she lives in an all vegan house and cooks her own meals. She has found by cooking for herself she has become “more inventive and appreciative,” as well as found that being “healthier makes [her] feel happier.”

Keep it tasty, Healthy, & Happy
Your Sargent Choice Ambassador,
Megan Smith


What do I need? [Ingredients]

~ 2 Butternut Squashes or other small winter squash, roasted
~ ¾ lb beets, roasted, peeled, diced
~ ¾ lb cooked potatoes, unpeeled, dices
~ ¾ lb bell pepper, diced
~ ½ lb brussel sprouts, quartered and roasted
~ 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
~ 1 Tbsp. flat leafy parsley, chopped
~ 2 Tbsp. Salt
~ ½ Tbsp. pepper
~ 1 Tbsp. Garlic, chopped
~ ¼ Cup Olive oil

Adam Pagan Cooking Advice [!]

“Keep it simple, you don’t need 15 ingredients –some of the best dishes only have 5 or 6 ingredients.”

“Focus on food and cooking technique.”

Pagan also teaches at SHA if you’re looking to pick up some more tips!

So Now What Do I Do? [Directions]

Heat Oil in a sauté pan, add garlic and cook for a few seconds. Add peppers and sweat for about 1 min. Add beets, potatoes and brussell sprouts and cook for a few minutes until mixture is well combined. Stuff Roasted squash with mixture and serve with wilted greens and topped with an apple slaw.

[ But how do I …?]

Roast Squash: Take off top, empty of seeds and excess pulp. Brush with Olive oil, sprinkle salt and pepper on inside. Roast in 375° oven for about 1 hour, or until squash is soft.

Roast Beets: Wash. Toss in oil and lay on sheet pans. Roast at  375° 20-25min or until flesh is soft, but not mush. Allow beets to cool, peel and ¼ inch dice.

Roast brussel sprouts: Cut off thick ends and slice into four wedges. Toss with a few Tbsps. olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, roast on a sheet pan at 375° for 20min or until golden brown.

Cook potatoes: Wash and dice ¼ in thick. Do not need to peel. Steam or boil until tender, but not mushy.


By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in BU Community, Events, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (1)

Gluten-Free Eating at Boston University Dining Halls

November 14, 2012 at 11:33 am

By: Elizabeth Treiber, Practicum Student

Image Source

Gluten-free diets can be extremely challenging to follow. For people who have a gluten allergy or Celiac disease, even just a little gluten can cause serious damage. Luckily for students following a gluten-free diet, BU Dining Services and the Sargent Choice Nutrition Center have been working together to provide students gluten-free foods that are safe, accessible, and, of course, tasty.

One great resource that gluten-free students now have on campus is BU Dining Service’s gluten-free kitchen at Marciano Commons and gluten-free station at West Campus. These gluten-free stations are equipped with their own cooking utensils and specially trained staff to make sure there is no cross-contamination.  They also feature some delicious recipes, such as the Braised Salmon and Sargent Choice Grilled Moroccan Chicken, which will provide some variety for students following a gluten-free diet.

These two locations also have gluten-free pantries, each with its own microwave and toaster designed only for gluten-free items. Here students can find food ranging from gluten-free frozen dinners to gluten-free pancake mix. At Marciano Commons the pantry is open access, but at West Campus, students must swipe into the pantry, or ask a staff member for a key. To get access to the pantry contact the Sargent Choice Nutrition Center at scnc@bu.edu to schedule a training session. Warren also has a small fridge where students can find a few gluten-free items or store their own. If anything from the pantry needs to be prepared, students can either ask a staff member once they get to the dining hall or they can email the dining hall manager in advance to have food prepared for a specific time. Mr. Derkrikorian is the manager at Warren Towers, Mr. Cacciatore is the manager at Marciano Commons, and Mr. Teixeira is the manager at West Campus.

Even with all these new improvements, BU Dining Services is still looking for ways to improve the dining experience for students following a gluten-free diet. Some ongoing projects include making all the rice in the dining hall gluten-free, labeling the gluten-free foods available throughout the dining halls, and stocking the pantries with items that students like the most. Both BU Dining Services and the Sargent Choice Nutrition Center are invested in creating a gluten-free friendly environment in the dining halls, and of course welcome any comments or suggestions from students.


By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in BU Community, Nutrition News | Tagged , , , , | Comments (2)