The Great Debate: Summer Sweet Corn Fettucine

August 15, 2011 by · 22 Comments

Dear readers, I need your help.

I am going to do my best to remain objective here. Mr. Prevention did not like this dish….and I L-O-V-E-D it.

I almost hate to put those words out there, because it is very clear to me that my husband has quite the fan base. And you all trust his opinion of food very much so…even more so than mine (it’s okay…really…*sniffle*).

Anyways. Here’s my request.

If you make this recipe (which you should, if even just to help settle this debate), I want to know your HONEST opinion. Leave feedback here as a comment below, email me, leave a post on the wall of my Facebook page…doesn’t matter.

The summer sweet corn is at its PEAK – now is the time! This is summer comfort food that comes together in a snap – and healthy, too! I ate this dish for 5 days STRAIGHT, I loved it so much…and it reheats like a dream.

 

Summer Sweet Corn Fettucine originally from Rachel Ray’s 30 Minute Meals, adapted from Cassie Craves and Evil Chef Mom, and Taste of Home Cooking

1 lb whole wheat fettuccine
6 slices nitrate-free bacon, chopped
6 ears corn on the cob, shucked
1 onion, finely chopped
12 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
ground black pepper and salt, to taste
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup fat-free half-and-half
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
2 oz grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup sweet basil leaves, cut in a chiffonade

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook for a few minutes until rendered and crisp.

Cut the kernels off the ears. Add three-quarters of the scraped corn and any corn liquid to the pan with the bacon. Add the onions and mushrooms and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the vegetables are tender, 5 to 6 minutes.

Add the remaining corn and half-and-half to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Pour the stock into the corn and vegetables and simmer over low heat for a minute to reduce. Stir in the thyme and corn-cream mixture and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, to thicken. Add the hot sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the pasta to the sauce just before serving and toss with Parmesan cheese. Top with basil and serve. Yield: 8 servings (~1 cup pasta with 1 cup corn mixture).

Nutrition Information (per serving): 416 calories; 10.4 g. fat; 24 mg. cholesterol; 280 mg. sodium; 69.5 g. carbohydrate; 6.6 g. fiber; 16.3 g. protein

Result: Summer comfort food and my favorite meal in awhile! As stated above, however, Mr. Prevention was not so much a fan (thought he would like me to note that he did finish his entire plate). If you try this, please, please, please send your feedback my way! Thanks in advance and…enjoy! ;)

 

Thank you in advance for your assistance in settling this debate! I am blessed to have a mate who (for the most part) enjoys the same foods and tastes as my own. So understandably, it comes as a surprise that we differ so greatly on our opinions of this recipe.

Question: What’s one food/dish you just don’t care for at all, whatsoever?

Have a great week!

Filed Under: farmer's market, fiber, fruits and vegetables, quick meals, recipe, reduced-calorie, Uncategorized ·

Chocolate Beet Cherry Muffins

August 11, 2011 by · 29 Comments

It was this summer that I tried a beet for the first time. There’s something about the deep magenta color and crazy, bushy leaves that are intimidating. And yet, when I saw these stunning veggies pop up all over my local farmer’s market, I bit the bullet and dug right in.

I asked the farmer how he recommended eating beets and he responded with, “I love them raw…they’re like summer’s candy!” Well, he had my attention. I went straight home and peeled a beet to taste test, while turning both of my hands a fun shade of pink. Temporary, of course.

Summer’s candy indeed. Beets are delicious! Don’t let them scary you. Root vegetables pack a lot of nutritional punch…and flavor. And while I would’ve never thought to find them in a muffin, it works brilliantly.

Beets are sweet, and crisp. They help give these muffins a deep, dark color…with the help of ripe bing cherries and…chocolate. When Mr. Prevention asked what “kind” of muffins these were, I hesitated to share the recipe title. I responded with, “Chocolate Beet Cherry Muffins…but they taste like chocolate!”

It was at that point I realized that I hadn’t yet calculated the nutrition facts for this recipe. Though, I feared what I would find…they were that good. As it ends up, no harm done. Coming in at 158 calories a piece, I choose these to start my morning!

Chocolate Beet Cherry Muffins adapted from Pinch My Salt, as seen on Our Share of the Harvest

2-3 medium beets (to yield 1/2 cup beet puree)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips or other semi-sweet chocolate, divided
1/2 cup chopped bing cherries
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup reduced fat sour cream or Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Wrap beets in foil and bake in a 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until a knife inserts easily. When cool enough to handle, remove foil cut/peel off beet skins. Puree beets in a food processor and measure out 1/2 cup. Set aside.

Leave oven at 375 degrees F and grease your muffin tin or distribute liners. In a large bowl, stir together the 2 flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Toss 1/4 cup chocolate chips and cherries in flour mixture. Set aside.

In a medium sauce pot, melt the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips and butter, stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, combine the egg, brown sugar, beet puree, sour cream and vanilla. Add in slightly cooled chocolate-butter mixture and stir to combine. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Add batter to muffin tins, filling about 3/4 of the way full. Bake in 375 degree F oven for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick insert comes out clean. Yield: 10 muffins.

Nutrition Information (per muffin): 158 calories; 6.3 g. fat; 24 mg. cholesterol; 185 mg. sodium; 24.0 g. carbohydrate; 1.9 g. fiber; 3.5 g. protein

Result: These are in my top 3 favorite muffins…hands down. They are rich in vitamins and antioxidants from chocolate ;) Better yet, the nutrition stats are very respectable. Any breakfast that starts off with chocolate for about 150 calories is certainly a keeper! If I had to name this recipe, I would say Black Forest Muffins – chocolate & cherry, need I say more? Mr. P gives a big thumbs up, as well! Enjoy!

Thank you for all your kind comments on Mr. Prevention’s dinner post yesterday. I think he was beyond flattered. I’m glad so many of you found the spelling of “koos koos” to be rather cute. I tend to agree ;) When I posted on my Facebook page Tuesday night that Mr. Prevention would be posting, there were so many “likes”! If I didn’t receive all of your amazing comments each day, I would’ve been rather jealous of Mr. P’s fan base! I told him that night in bed, “I’ve been blogging religiously for over 2 years and on your second post you’re drawing in the masses!”

As Mr. P pointed out in his post, my menu choices would be quite different if I had only my mouth to feed. Since many of you are feeding others as well, I think it’s best to give both of our reviews of recipes, and to prepare foods that most would enjoy. Though, I should note…we’re both pretty easy to please in the food department…obviously. ;)

On the workout front, I barely made it through a 3-mile run last night. I was ready to give up after 0.6 miles. I looked down at my Garmin and thought, “Seriously?!” Then, in true dietitian fashion, I started to think about what I had to eat/drink throughout the day. I came to the conclusion that 1 cup of water (following 3 cups of coffee) is not sufficient hydration! (Duh). I am hopeful that is the reason the run was so difficult because I’m running a nighttime 5K tonight with my business partner…should be fun! :-D

Question: Have you ever tried a beet?

Have a great day!

Filed Under: antioxidants, dietitians, exercise, farmer's market, fruits and vegetables, guilt-free, recipe, reduced-calorie, snack, Uncategorized ·

Chicken Satay

July 23, 2011 by · 3 Comments

Mr. Prevention has this habit…of putting wing sauce on e-v-e-r-y piece of meat I set in front of him. It doesn’t matter if it’s marinaded, slow-cooked, or grilled to perfection…it’s bound to get slathered in sodium-packed, high-calorie, and often high-fat wing sauce. And P.S. it’s not the cheap stuff, either (hence, I’ve started buying pure maple syrup behind his back…fair is fair).

Unless your taste buds are DEAD, or you have some inexplicable love affair with wing sauce like you-know-who, you would love this chicken satay. Though not native to Thailand, chicken satay is sold on most any street cart…and this version looks the same (it’s so rare that happens!).

Furthermore, it’s super healthy. I think chicken gets a bad name because it is really healthy, but it can also be really boring if you don’t add flavor. This recipe is a perfect example of how to add flavor without a lot of calories or fat. It’s never chicken that’s the issue, it’s the boring cook behind the chicken ;) Try some new flavors…soon!

Chicken Satay adapted from Asian Cook

1.25 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 stalk lemon grass, thinly sliced (optional, I omitted)
1 inch ginger root, grated
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

Directions:

Slice chicken length-wise into pieces about 1/4-inch thick. Set aside.

Combine all other ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix in the chicken pieces, coated chicken on all sides. Cover and set aside for 8 hours or overnight.

When ready to cook, soak bamboo skewers in water for about 20 minutes to stop them burning under the grill.

Preheat the grill to medium heat and thread the chicken on the skewers. Grill 4-5 minutes on each side and serve immediately. Yield: 12 skewers.

Nutrition Information (per skewer): 55 calories; 0.4 g. fat; 23 mg. cholesterol; 208 mg. sodium; 0.9 g. carbohydrate; 0 g. fiber; 11 g. protein

Result: This chicken had perfect flavor, and the color was stunning! It was like being in Asia all over again. If satay is your thing, this is a must-try! So simple, too! Enjoy!

I had plans to take Mr. Prevention to a new sushi place last night, but he talked me into Thai food with a Groupon. So glad I caved. The food was delicious and the portions…oh my heavens. I think we have lunch + another meal to enjoy!

Lily and I are off to the farmer’s market in a bit. This weekend looks to be a continuation of this humid, disgusting weather so the workout will be indoors today. For sure.

Question: What’s your favorite way to flavor chicken (or meat substitute!)?

Happy weekend!

Filed Under: carb-controlled, exercise, farmer's market, fruits and vegetables, guilt-free, low-carb, quick meals, recipe, Uncategorized ·