CSA Week 7: Fresh Meets Comfort

July 29, 2011 at 1:51 pm

By June Duan, Sargent Student, Sargent College

This week’s CSA box included:IMG_0407

Japanese Eggplant, Cherry Tomatoes, Pickling Cucumbers, Summer Squash, Green Peppers, Arugula, Sweet Corn, Beets, Carrots, and Garlic

For recipes and ideas see our previous posts here and here.

Our own Dietitian Jennifer Culbert has contributed another favorite recipe for eggplants!

Skip frying breaded eggplant in oil! For a fresh and light take on the classic Italian dish, try this Eggplant Parmesan that is baked to crispy perfection and layered with tomato sauce and parmesan cheese. Trust us, you won’t miss the grease.

Eggplant Parmesan

*based on recipe from Cook’s Illustrated

Ingredients

Eggplant

  • 2 pounds globe eggplant, cut crosswise into ¼ inch-thick rounds
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 8 slices whole-wheat bread, torn into quarters
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 4 large eggs
  • 6 tablespoons vegetable oil

Tomato Sauce

  • 3 cans diced tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press
  • 1/3 tsp red pepper flakes
  • ½ cup fresh basil leaves chopped
  • 8 ounces part-skim mozzarella, shredded
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 10 fresh basil leaves torn, for garnish

Instructions

For the Eggplant:

  1. Toss half of eggplant slices and 1 ½ tsps kosher salt in large bowl until combined; transfer salted eggplant to large colander set over bowl. Repeat with remaining eggplant and kosher salt, placing second batch in colander on top of first. Let stand until eggplant releases about 2 tablespoons liquid, 30 to 45 minutes. Arrange eggplant slices on triple layer paper towels; cover with another triple layer paper towels. Firmly press each slice to remove as much liquid as possible, then wipe off excess salt.
  2. While eggplant is draining, adjust oven racks to upper and lower-middle positions, place rimmed baking sheet on each rack, and heat oven to 425 degrees. Pulse bread in food processor to fine, even crumbs. Transfer crumbs to pie plate and stir in 1 cup Parmesan, ¼ tsp salt, and ½ tsp pepper; set aside. Wipe out bowl and set aside.
  3. Combine flour and 1 tsp pepper in large-zipper-locked bag; shake to combine. Beat eggs in second pie plate. Place 8 to 10 eggplant slices in bag with flour; seal bag and shake to coat eggplant. Remove eggplant slices, shaking off excess flour, dip in eggs, let excess egg run off, then coat evenly with bread crumb mixture; set bread slices on wire rack set over baking sheet. Repeat with remaining eggplant.
  4. Remove preheated baking sheets from oven; add 3 tablespoons oil to each sheet, tilting to coat evenly with oil. Place half of breaded eggplant on each sheet in single layer; bake until eggplant is well-browned and crisp, about 30 minutes, switching and rotating baking sheets after 10 minutes, and flipping eggplant slices with wide spatula after 20 minutes. Do not turn off oven.

For the Sauce:

While eggplant bakes, process 2 cans diced tomatoes in food processor until almost smooth, about 5 seconds. Heat olive oil. Garlic, and red pepper flakes in large-heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and garlic is light golden, about 3 minutes; stir in processed and remaining can of diced tomatoes. Bring sauce to boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and reduced, about 15 minutes (you should have about 4 cups). Stir in basil and season to taste with salt and pepper

To Assemble:

Spread 1 cup tomato sauce in bottom of 13 by 9 inch baking dish. Layer in half of eggplant slices, overlapping slices to fit; distribute 1 cup sauce over eggplant; sprinkle with half of mozzarella. Layer in remaining eggplant and dot with 1 cup sauce, leaving majority of eggplant exposed so it will remain crisp; sprinkle with ½ cup parmesan and remaining mozzarella. Bake until bubbling and cheese is browned, 13 to 15 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; scatter basil over top, and serve, passing remaining tomato sauce separately.

Makes 6 to 8 servings depending on size of eggplants

Calories: 459  Fat: 26 g Sat Fat: 8g Carb: 38.9g Fiber: 8 g Protein: 21.2 g

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

Best of the Food Web: Eat Good 4 Life

July 27, 2011 at 10:54 am

By Kelli Swensen, Dietetics Student, Sargent College

Every Wednesday this semester we will be posting about a new blog or cooking website that we love! The internet is filled with food websites, and our goal is to arm you with the “Best of the Food Web”!

eat good 4 life

An avid food lover since she can remember, Miryam became a registered dietitian to further her knowledge of how food acts in the body. She believes in the importance of eating as natural and as healthy as possible in order to live a full and happy life and shares this passion through recipes featured on her Eat Good 4 Life blog  (she also has a cookbook coming out sometime soon so keep your eyes peeled!). Born and raised in Spain, Miryam uses inspiration from her upbringing, resulting in deliciously flavorful and colorful dishes. She also has a self-proclaimed love for Asian food, so you can bet that there are some awesome stir-fry recipes to be found on her blog as well. The blog itself is brightly colored with beautiful pictures, and the recipe index is wonderfully specific, making it easy to browse through and find a recipe to make for lunch, dinner, or even dessert!

Featured Recipes:

Disclaimer: The Sargent Choice blog includes links to other websites only as information to consumers, not as medical advice. When you access an external website, keep in mind that Sargent Choice has no control over its content.  Sargent Choice is not responsible for the content found at any of the sites, nor do any links imply endorsement or promotion of the company/organization, its content, services, therapeutic treatment options, or products. Accordingly, you visit any site at your own risk.  Sargent Choice is also not responsible for the policies and practices of these sites, such as their Privacy Policy, use of “cookies”, etc. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of each site that you visit through a link on our website

By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in Best of the Food Web | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Salads for Summer: Tuscan Tuna Salad

July 26, 2011 at 2:10 pm

By June Duan, Sargent Student, Sargent College

Sargent Choice Tuscan Tuna Salad

Light, indulgent and well-balanced. This northern Italian twist on simple tuna salad will surely leave you licking the mixing spoon. And there’s about a thousand different ways to eat it too. Prepare it whenever you need a refreshingly crisp and creamy dish with lots of lean protein and monounsaturated fat ( the good stuff). Spread out generous pats onto whole-grain crackers or a crunchy bed of romaine lettuce. Tuck it inside a whole-grain tortilla and juxtapose the creaminess with some crispy fresh-cut vegetables and a sprinkling of feta cheese. Be adventurous and replace the scallions with red onions for more crunch. Add a few shakes of oregano for the faintest hint of that classic warm, balsamic aroma.

This salad keeps well in the refrigerator for several days, so you can try all these combinations and more. Go wild. Experiment.

Tuscan-Style Tuna Salad by Dietetic Intern Ashley Packer

INGREDIENTS

2 6-ounce cans chunk light tuna in water, unsalted, drained

1 15-ounce can small white beans, such as cannellini or great northern, rinsed

18 cherry tomatoes, quartered

4 scallions, trimmed and sliced

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

¼ teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

PREPARATION

1.      Combine tuna, beans, tomatoes, scallions, oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir gently. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

NUTRITION FACTS (per 1 cup serving)

Calories 260
Fat 9 g
Saturated Fat 1 g
Protein 27 g
Carbohydrate 19 g
Fiber 5 g
Sodium 230 mg

MEAL PLANNING EQUIVALENTS

Protein 4 ounces
Oil 1.5 tsp
Vegetables 1/2 cup

Tips and Serving Ideas:

  1. For a sweeter salad, add ¼ cup golden raisins. For added fiber and increased “filling power,” add ½ - 1 cup of chopped vegetables (e.g., bell pepper, zucchini).
  2. Instead of scallions, try using ¼ of a regular red onion. If you have extra red onion left over from the Napa Valley Chicken Salad this is a perfect time to use it!
  3. Serve salad with whole-grain crackers or on a bed of romaine lettuce; you can also make a wrap using a whole-grain tortilla, some lettuce, and a sprinkling of feta cheese
  4. This salad stores well in the refrigerator for several days and can be used for lunches throughout the week!

Recipe from EatingWell.

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

Salads For Summer: Napa Valley Chicken Salad Sandwich

July 25, 2011 at 12:03 pm

By June Duan, SAR Student

Summer is here and it is wonderful. So wonderful in fact that it inspires us to make light, crisp salads and lightly seasoned dishes using the bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables spilling out of the markets.

Chx Salad 1

Take this classic chicken salad.

Our very own Dietetic Intern Kara Cucciano and Executive Chef Chris Bee have collaborated to present a lightened up twist on an old classic. Refreshing with just the right amount of creamy, it is the perfect little salad to tuck into whole-wheat bread for a picnic on the beach.

Napa Valley Chicken Salad

Chx Salad 2

Makes 4 Servings

  • 2-5-ounce baked chicken breast, chopped
  • 8 Slices 100% Whole Wheat Bread
  • ¼ cup light mayonnaise
  • 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 3 Tbsp celery, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp red onion, finely diced
  • 1 Tbsp walnuts, chopped
  • ½ cup red grapes, sliced in half
  • 1 1/3 cup alfalfa sprouts
  • 12 slices tomato
  • ¼ tsp cardamom
  • ¼ tsp black pepper

Directions:

  • Combine mayonnaise and vinegar in a medium bowl. Add Chicken, celery, onions, spices and walnuts; combine. Gently fold in grapes
  • For sandwiches: spread chicken salad mixture onto one slice of bread add tomato slices on top of chicken salad, and then add alfalfa sprouts. Place other slice of bread on top.

Simple and nutritious, yet wonderfully flavorful. Eat, Relax, Enjoy.

NUTRITION FACTS

Calories 370 calories
Fat 11 g
Saturated Fat 1.5 g
Protein 34 g
Carbohydrate 36 g
Fiber 5 g
Sodium 440 mg

Have some leftover red onions? Use it up in our equally delicious Tuscan Tuna Salad.

By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in Recipes | Tagged , , , , | Comments (5)

CSA Week 6: Sweet Corn Days of Summer

July 22, 2011 at 4:45 pm

By June Duan, SAR Student

This week’s CSA from Ward’s Berry Farm at the BU Farmer’s Market included:

IMG_0333

Blueberries, corn, cucumbers, zucchinis, potatoes, beets, carrots, peas, green beans, and garlic

Blueberries: are featured in nearly every health mag – with good reason. They’re packed with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and are also phenomenally low in sugar. Try them stirred into yogurt or cooked into seafood sauces.

Garlic: is a fabulous way to add some extra kick to your favorite dishes without upping the sodium levels. Why not add a dash the next time you saute some veggies?

Green Beans: can be steamed, boiled, stir-fried or even baked into casseroles. Be sure to enjoy them as they pack a healthy dose of vitamin C, K, and A.

Carrots: are perfect during the summer with some veggie dip or hummus. They add a satisfying crunch to any snack-time

Beets: these little gems are full with phytonutrients as well as tons of Vitamin A. They also offer a gorgeous magenta color to your plate.

Potatoes: Peel’em, mash’em, have them anyway you want them! Potatoes are extremely versatile and can be used in anything from salad to rolls.

Cucumbers: are one of summer’s best refreshing treats. They taste great on their own, in tea sandwiches,  or even sliced and put into water to make your own cucumber-infused drink!

Zucchinis: are another extremely versatile vegetable. They can be a key ingredient in anything from casseroles to muffins.

Our very own Dietetitian Jennifer Cuthbert has contributed two of her favorite recipes to use with corn. They taste like summer!

Penne with Roasted Tomatoes and Corn

  • 2 pounds small, sweet cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/3 cup freshly grated pecorino Romano cheese
  • 1/3 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
  • 4 ears corn, husked
  • 1 pound whole wheat penne pasta
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

1.       Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Line the bottom of a baking sheet with the tomato halves in a single layer, halved side up.  Pour ¼ cup olive oil on top.  Season with Salt and pepper.  Dust the tomatoes with the cheese and breadcrumbs.   Bake until the tomatoes have wilted and ones on the edge are caramelized, about 25-30 minutes.

2.      Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. When it comes to a boil, add the corn and turn off the heat.  Let sit for 3 minutes.  Take the corn from the water and scrape the kernels and any juice from the cobs.  Collect the kernels and juices in a bowl.  Bring the water back to a boil and add the penne.  Cook until al dente. While it cooks, scoop out a cup of the pasta water and reserve.

3.      Drain the pasta and add back to the pot.  Scrape the tomatoes and any pan juices into the pot, along with the corn.  Fold tomatoes, corn and pasta together, adding some of the reserved pasta water it needed to loosen it up, if you think it needs it.  Enjoy!

Makes 8 servings Calories: 494 Fat: 25g Sat Fat: 4.07 Carb: 58 Fiber: 7.6 Protein: 11.15

Corn Salad

  • 4 ears corn, husked
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, minced
  • ½ small red onion, diced
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro (OR basil, for those who don?t care for cilantro)
  • 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ¾ teaspoon salt

1.       Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Drop in the corn and let cook for 3 minutes, then fish the ears out of the water and let cool.  As soon as you can hold onto an ear without burning your fingers, cut the kernels from the cob and scrape off any excess pulp and juices by running a knife edge down the length of the cobs.

2.      Gather the corn and juices in a bowl.  Halve the tomatoes and add them, along with the jalapeno, red onion and cilantro.  Season with salt.  Sprinkle in the vinegar.  Fold the salad together, using a large spoon and turning the bowl as you scoop and lift.  Pour over the oil and fold again, until the corn glistens.  Let the salad sit for a good 30 minutes before serving.

Makes 4 servings. Calories: 170 Fat: 9 grams Sat Fat: 1.33 Carb: 23 grams Protein 4 grams

By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in BU Community, CSA | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (5)

Best of the Food Apps: Seafood Watch

July 22, 2011 at 10:33 am

By Allison Mars, Dietetics Student, Sargent College

Seafood WatchSeafood Watch is a must-have app for anyone who eats seafood! Produced by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Seafood Watch is an extremely informative guide to sustainable seafood. You can enter the name of any type of seafood or sushi in the search bar and it will tell you the “Best Choice” and some “Good Alternatives” for the type of fish you’re looking for. It also takes into account the fish that are being over-farmed and other environmental factors. If you don’t have a particular fish in mind but want to know what would be a good choice you can look at the lists for both seafood and sushi, which list the “Best Choice”, a “Good Alternative” and which fish to “Avoid”. If you tap on the name of the fish, it will give you a summary of information about the species, consumers notes, and places to find it near you. Overall, Seafood Watch is very useful and has a huge amount of valuable information for any seafood lover!

Download Seafood Watch onto your Android or iPhone today!

Image Source

Disclaimer: The Sargent Choice blog includes links to other websites only as information to consumers, not as medical advice. When you access an external website, keep in mind that Sargent Choice has no control over its content.  Sargent Choice is not responsible for the content found at any of the sites, nor do any links imply endorsement or promotion of the company/organization, its content, services, therapeutic treatment options, or products. Accordingly, you visit any site at your own risk.  Sargent Choice is also not responsible for the policies and practices of these sites, such as their Privacy Policy, use of “cookies”, etc. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of each site that you visit through a link on our website

By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in Best of the Food Apps | Tagged , , , | Comments (3)

Best of the Food Web: Herbivoracious

July 20, 2011 at 10:50 am

By Kelli Swensen, Dietetics Student, Sargent College

Every Wednesday this semester we will be posting about a new blog or cooking website that we love! The internet is filled with food websites, and our goal is to arm you with the “Best of the Food Web”!

herbivoracious

Food boredom. It happens to the best of us. We get in a flavor rut, repeating the same combination of spices and condiments over and over because hey, at least you know it’ll turn out. But even as you sit there eating a once-exciting-but-now-all-too-familiar meal, you’re longing for something different. Herbivoracious is an answer to your desires. Started by Michael Natkin, Herbivoracious is a food blog dedicated to providing vegetarian recipes with “modern techniques and bold, authentic flavors.” A vegetarian since 1984 (he has a great post on why he chose a vegetarian lifestyle that you should definitely check out), Natkin finds inspiration from numerous ethnic cuisines, resulting in vegetarian dishes bursting with flavor, spices, and fresh ingredients. Although the recipes are originally vegetarian, many of them have tips on how to modify them for a vegan diet. Some ingredients may be a bit pricey for the average college student, so while there is still over a month of summer left, take advantage of being home and convince your family and friends to try out a recipe from Herbivoracious.

Disclaimer: The Sargent Choice blog includes links to other websites only as information to consumers, not as medical advice. When you access an external website, keep in mind that Sargent Choice has no control over its content.  Sargent Choice is not responsible for the content found at any of the sites, nor do any links imply endorsement or promotion of the company/organization, its content, services, therapeutic treatment options, or products. Accordingly, you visit any site at your own risk.  Sargent Choice is also not responsible for the policies and practices of these sites, such as their Privacy Policy, use of “cookies”, etc. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of each site that you visit through a link on our website

By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in Best of the Food Web | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Best of the Food Apps: True Food

July 15, 2011 at 8:24 am

By Allison Mars, Dietetics Student, Sargent College

TrueFood

This Friday on Best of the Food Apps we review “True Food”. The True Food Network is the action network portion of the Center for Food Safety. They have various campaigns to stop factory farming and the production of genetically modified foods. This is where the app comes in, providing shopping tips on avoiding GMO foods.

True Food is a guide to learning about genetically modified foods. It offers “4 Simple Tips for Avoiding GM Foods" and news stories about GM and food politics. This app is good to have if you’re concerned with keeping genetically modified foods out of your diet or if you want to learn about where they’re found and why. If you go to the “More Info” section on the app (hidden under the menu) it provides information about organics, supermarkets and GMO, and it has a “Myths and Realities” section. Overall, True Food is useful if you’re looking to cut out GMO foods or interested in becoming involved in a campaign against factory farming.

True Food is available for download on Android and iPhone

Image Source

Disclaimer: The Sargent Choice blog includes links to other websites only as information to consumers, not as medical advice. When you access an external website, keep in mind that Sargent Choice has no control over its content.  Sargent Choice is not responsible for the content found at any of the sites, nor do any links imply endorsement or promotion of the company/organization, its content, services, therapeutic treatment options, or products. Accordingly, you visit any site at your own risk.  Sargent Choice is also not responsible for the policies and practices of these sites, such as their Privacy Policy, use of “cookies”, etc. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of each site that you visit through a link on our website

By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in Best of the Food Apps, Nutrition News | Tagged , , , | Comments (1)

Best of the Foodweb: HealthCastle

July 13, 2011 at 10:41 pm

By Kelli Swensen, Dietetics Student, Sargent College

“Nutrition Advice Exclusively from Registered Dietitians”

HealthCastle

Get ready to become addicted. If you have ever had any questions about nutrition, chances are HealthCastle has your answer. Although I usually highlight a blog in the weekly Best of the Foodweb, HealthCastle is much more than a blog: it is an entire website that offers nutritional advice written by registered dietitians. The website is very well organized making it easy to find the kind of information you are looking for. As an overall summary, HealthCastle has recipes, nutrition guidelines, not only for the US, but also for the UK, Canada, and Australia; packaged food comparisons and reviews, nutrition tips based on lifestyle and life stage, tips for dining out, facts about super foods and supplements, I could keep going, but you get the idea: this website is loaded with information. It was painful to only select a few articles to highlight below, so do me a favor and browse through more of HealthCastle’s articles.

By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in Best of the Food Web | Tagged , , , | Comments (2)

Best of the Food Apps: Fooducate

July 8, 2011 at 9:09 am

By Allison Mars, Dietetics Student, Sargent College

Every Friday this summer we will be posting about a new food app that we've tried. There are tons of food apps out there, and our goal is to arm you with the “Best of the Food Apps”!

Having a smart phone has many benefits. Being able to check your email and facebook instantly, or google something whenever, but it can also help at the grocery store. I found this list of “27 Awesome Apps for Healthy Foodies” and decided to check a few out. I’m one of the few people on the planet who doesn’t have an iPhone, so I checked out some of the Android based ones. My thoughts about these foodie friendly apps will be featured weekly starting with the Fooducate app today:

Fooducate-iPhone-ProductTabThe website Fooducate which we featured in our Best of the Food Web also has an app. The Fooducate app is particularly helpful to bring along when you’re doing your grocery shopping. Whip out your phone, scan a food’s barcode and a grade will pop up. Fooducate grades foods based on their nutrient content and ingredients. It can even offer you alternatives that have been given higher grades. It also tells you why the food received that grade and offers detailed explanations of both the positive and negative aspects.

Download the app now to your Android or iPhone!

Have you tried Fooducate? Let us know what you think!

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Disclaimer: The Sargent Choice blog includes links to other websites only as information to consumers, not as medical advice. When you access an external website, keep in mind that Sargent Choice has no control over its content.  Sargent Choice is not responsible for the content found at any of the sites, nor do any links imply endorsement or promotion of the company/organization, its content, services, therapeutic treatment options, or products. Accordingly, you visit any site at your own risk.  Sargent Choice is also not responsible for the policies and practices of these sites, such as their Privacy Policy, use of “cookies”, etc. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of each site that you visit through a link on our website

By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in Best of the Food Apps, Nutrition News | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)