Frozen Yogurt Bark

Posted on by Sarah

Yogurt Bark

Wellllll, we’re on track to reach a balmy 90 degrees here on this first day of March in Mesa, AZ. I’m not sure whether it’s a brag or a complaint, but yesterday afternoon I actually got so uncomfortably warm sitting on our new backyard swing that I had to come inside to cool off. Friends of mine have already been swimming in their (unheated) pools. Is this real life? Does this mean the snowbirds will go home early? Are we seeing Al Gore’s dystopian prophecies fulfilled? I don’t know, but I’m already biting my nails wondering how we’ll be feeling come July.

Anyway, if this crazy heat is here to stay (and having lived in Arizona since 1985, I can pretty well attest that it is–I mean, we had a half dozen days under 60 degrees this winter, so hey, we had a good run!) at least I have a new healthy-ish frozen snack recipe to mitigate the unseasonable weather. This frozen yogurt bark is a novel way to try Greek yogurt, particularly if you have family members who turn their noses up at this protein-and-propbiotic-packed wonder food, or even if you just get bored with regular old yogurt cups. In our family, we apparently goes through Greek yogurt by the boatload, judging by the coupons my grocery store keeps sending me. (I literally got a 3-page leaflet of coupons JUST for yogurt. They are cashing in on my obsession. Soon I will be made entirely out of yogurt…and I will be delicious.) So since we–or maybe just I–am/are such ravenous yogurt consumers, using this recipe to turn it into something cold and crunchable was a fun diversion, both for my kids and me. The other great thing about this recipe is that it is endlessly modifiable to suit your tastes. Peach almond, strawberry chocolate, cinnamon pecan–just a few ideas of mix-in options. This time I went with a mix of cranberries, coconut, and chocolate for a combination of sweetness and crunch that did not disappoint.

So even if you live in a place that’s still freezing with snow on the ground, take heart! It’s March! And before you know it, a cold snack will actually sound good.

Yogurt Bark

Frozen Yogurt Bark
(Inspired by My Fussy Eater)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c. plain Greek yogurt
3 Tbsp. honey, or more per your sweetness preference
1/4 c. dried cranberries
1/4 c. dried coconut, plus more for sprinkling
1/3 c. mini chocolate chips, divided

Directions:

  1. Line a small jelly roll pan with wax paper.
  2. Mix yogurt and honey until well combined. Stir in dried cranberries, coconut, and about half the chocolate chips. Spread mixture in an even layer in the prepared pan. Top with remaining chocolate chips and an additional sprinkle of coconut.
  3. Freeze for at least 2 hours, or until totally firm. To make bark, remove entire mixture from the pan, holding the sides of the wax paper, turn over onto a cutting board, peel off paper, and cut into pieces with a sharp knife.
  4. Store in the freezer in an airtight container (using wax paper to separate bark pieces, if you don’t want them sticking together). These are best eaten when they have sat out about 5 minutes, so they’re not rock hard.

Pesto Tomato Salmon

Posted on by Sarah

Pesto Tomato Salmon

I tell you what, this Nutrition internship is throwing me for a loop. I genuinely enjoy my work at the hospital–performing nutrition assessments and follow-ups, charting on interactions with patients, observing other nutritionists teach classes on healthy eating for various disease states, etc. But when you’ve been home raising kids for over 8 years, even going back to work for two 8-hour days a week is a real game changer. I told my husband I feel like I enter a time warp Monday night and get spat out Thursday morning rubbing my eyes going, “Oh yeah, this is my regular life.” Is this how all working moms feel? If they do (and even if they don’t), moms who work full-time certainly have my respect. I can only imagine myself as a hot mess of nervous breakdown when I ponder the possibility of adding even one more shift to my schedule. I know, I’m a big baby.

The operative concept on the days I do work is to make things at home as easy as possible, and that means quick and easy meals. If I want our family to continue to eat well and not fall into bad habits (like those delicious but terrible Costco cheeseburgers in my freezer–have you seen these? It’s an ENTIRE microwaveable cheeseburger, bun and all! Why did I buy these frozen temptations???), I’m discovering I have to be extremely strategic and intentional about planning workday dinners. If it takes longer than 45 minutes from prep to table, it’s out. Which leads me to this wonderfully quick, totally tasty, so-simple-a-cat-could-make-it pesto salmon. With only three ingredients, it’s really more of a dinner idea than an actual recipe, so you’ll have to forgive me for that, but in the end, you might also thank me–for a weeknight meal that saves your bacon when the going gets tough and you need something whole-food healthy that comes together fast.

Pesto Tomato Salmon
A Love Letter to Food Original

Ingredients:

1 lb. salmon, filleted into four pieces
1/4 c. purchased or homemade basil-based pesto
1-2 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Coat the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
  2. Place salmon fillets in baking dish. Spread 1 Tbsp. pesto over each fillet and top with sliced tomatoes.
  3. Bake 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Serves 4.

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Fiber

Posted on by Sarah

Fiber

Last week, I started the first portion of an internship that serves as the capstone of my nutrition degree: my clinical rotation at a local hospital. Thus far, it’s been an eye-opening experience getting my feet wet with performing patient assessments and education, as well as navigating the labyrinth that is charting on electronic medical records. So, since I’ve got my Nutrition Professional hat on–and I even have a lab coat!–I thought I would dive in with another installation in my Things You Didn’t Know Nutrition series. (Can I call it a series? It’s been almost 18 months since the last one…..so a series at a snail’s pace.) This time we’re focusing on……..

FIBER!!!

Better known as “that stuff that makes you poop”! But if that’s all you think fiber is good for, I have news for you. There’s a lot more to fiber than that! Here are 10 things you might not know about this important component in our food, and why we could do well to get more of it.

Colon Blow

(I’m thinking of using this as my LinkedIn profile pic when I start applying for nutrition jobs. It seems to set the appropriate tone of professionalism and decorum, wouldn’t you say?)

1. Fiber is what your body can’t digest.

Yep. Your body cannot break down fiber, so it traverses your entire GI tract to exit through the gift shop.

2. Fiber is always plant-derived.

Can you think of a fiber-rich animal product? Cheese? Eggs? Grass-fed beef, perhaps? Nope, nope, and nope. Fiber is the part of a plant that gives it structure. So just like cholesterol is only found in animal products, fiber is only found in plant products. (Didn’t think you were gonna learn about cholesterol in this post, too, didja?)

3. So how do some non-plant-based foods contain fiber?

You may have seen some small amount of fiber listed in the Nutrition Facts of primarily animal-derived foods (or other food items you wouldn’t expect to contain a lot of fiber). This is probably due to what’s known as “functional fiber”: when plant-derived fiber is added to fortify non-fiber-rich foods.

4. Insoluble vs. Soluble

What’s the difference between soluble and insoluble fiber? It’s pretty simple: soluble fiber dissolves in water, while insoluble fiber does not. This creates distinctions between the mechanism of action each type takes in your digestive system.

5. Why do whole grains contain more fiber than refined grains?

The bran, or outer shell, of a wheat kernel is the part that contains the majority of the plant’s fiber. When wheat is processed to obtain refined (what we know as “white”) flour, its bran is removed. This is why whole grains contain more fiber, while refined grains contain less.

6. Dietary Recommendations

Current dietary recommendations for adult fiber intake are 38 grams/day for men and 25 grams/day for women. (Don’t ask me why the giant gap between the two.) The average American only gets about 15 grams/day, however–definitely not enough!

7. Why fiber makes you poop

Fiber adds bulk to your stool, causing increased pressure as it “comes down the pipes,” shall we say.

8. Fiber reduces risk of disease

Numerous studies have shown that a diet high in fiber has protective effects against certain types of cancer, especially colon cancer. One study showed that people who got 35 grams/day reduced their risk of colon cancer by 40%. One theory behind this is that fiber helps quickly bind to and remove potential carcinogens from the body.

Fiber has also been shown to lower the risk of heart disease, probably because (similar to the cancer theory) it binds to and removes cholesterol from the gut. Other research reveals that increasing fiber can reduce the risk of stroke, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

9. Fiber reduces risk of death

A recently published study by the National Cancer Institute that included almost 400,000 participants found that for every 10-gram increase in fiber intake, risk of death dropped 12% in men and 15% in women. (Presumably, this means risk of health-related deaths, not like skydiving accidents or anything.)

10. Fiber feeds good bacteria

The good bacteria you want to inhabit your gut feed on dietary fiber. As research has shown, we want to keep these little guys happy! (Check out my post on probiotics for more in-depth info on this topic.) In an absence of fiber to feed on, it’s believed that bacteria may begin to break down the protective mucosa of the stomach, causing inflammation.

 So where do I find fiber?

Okay, this part you may already know, but it’s always good to get a refresher! Whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans/legumes, and other plant-derived foods are good sources. Here are a few ideas for fiber-rich meal planning:

Breakfast:
Banana Chocolate Olive Oil Muffins
Peach-Almond Baked Oatmeal
Whole-Grain Blueberry Orange Muffins
Easy as Apple Pie Baked Oatmeal

Lunch:
Creamy Apple Barley Salad
Chickpea Salad Wraps, Vegetable Feta Tart
Fig, Pear, and Goat Cheese Salad with Cinnamon Pecan Vinaigrette

Dinner:
7-Layer Mexican Tortilla Pie
Lentil Sausage Soup
Spicy Pan-Fried Noodles with Tofu
Pesto Pasta & Bean Salad
Sweet Potato Enchiladas
Couscous Cakes with Feta and Sundried Tomato

Mediterranean Turkey Burgers

Posted on by Sarah

Mediterranean Turkey Burgers

Here’s a little scenario that recurs every time I meal plan over the weekend:

“Anthony, anything you want me to make for dinner this week?”

“Pretzel buns! Anything with pretzel buns…could you go to Costco and get some pretzel buns?”

The man is obsessed.

Mediterranean Turkey Burgers

I get it. Pretzel buns are freaking awesome. Ever since they first showed up at our Costco a year or two ago, we have succumbed to their siren song of chewy, salty deliciousness on a semi-regular basis (though not as regularly as Anthony apparently would like). When we initially bought the mega-pack of a dozen or so buns, I figured I would freeze about half of them for future use, but no, we have consistently used the ENTIRE bag in a matter of days. We even took them on our recent trip to Disneyland to eat as snacks throughout our day in the park. And yeah, they were gone in the first 24 hours.

So when Anthony repeated his request for meals involving pretzel buns last week, I decided turkey burger sliders sounded like a tasty way to incorporate that all-important ingredient. But plain ol’ regular turkey burgers? Never! Special buns call for special burgers! Besides, unadorned turkey burgers can be pretty blah. That’s where this concoction of Mediterranean burger flair comes in. Yes, I am aware that “Mediterranean” + “burger” may be a contradiction in terms…I can’t think of any Mediterranean nations that are known for their signature burgers–the Lebanese Burger? the Croatian Burger?–but, you know, go with me on this one. You can’t go wrong with adding flavors like garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil to meat, in my opinion. (Additional evidence here.) Topped with a piquant garlic-feta aioli, these were a slice of Mediterranean meat heaven…or should I say a pretzel bun of Mediterranean meat heaven? Either way, I will absolutely be making these again, probably for company, and probably very often, if our bun consumption continues at its current rate.

P.S. These can be made into regular-sized burgers as well as sliders, of course.

P.P.S. Aren’t you proud of me for not making any jokes about buns throughout this entire post?

Mediterranean Turkey Burgers

Mediterranean Turkey Burgers with Garlic Feta Aioli
(Burgers A Love Letter to Food Original; Aioli from from Cooking Light)

Ingredients:

For the burgers:

1 1/3 lb. ground turkey
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried parsley
1 egg
3/4 c. Panko bread crumbs
4 cloves garlic
1/2 c. sundried tomatoes (not in oil)
5 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

6 whole wheat buns for regular-sized burgers or 12 pretzel rolls for sliders

For the Garlic Feta Aioli:

1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. plain Greek yogurt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Directions:

  1. Preheat a grill for medium-high heat.
  2. In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, salt, pepper, oregano, basil, parsley, egg, and Panko until well mixed.
  3. Place 4 garlic cloves, sundried tomatoes, and thawed spinach in the bowl of a food processor. Process briefly until tomatoes and garlic are chopped fine. Add to turkey mixture and stir well to combine.
  4. Using your hands, divide the mixture into 6 large patties (for burgers) or 12 small patties (for sliders). Grill 3-4 minutes per side for sliders, 5-6 minutes per side for regular-sized burgers.
  5. Prepare the aioli: blend all ingredients with an immersion blender or in a food processor.
  6. Assemble burgers and top with aioli.

Serves 6.

3 Cute & Easy Valentine Breakfasts

Posted on by Sarah

Valentine Breakfast

Valentine’s Day is headed our way! Have women’s magazines, Pinterest, and other social media convinced you that you have to do something over-the-top and uber-creative for your loved ones on this special day? Are you feeling the pull to get yourself to a craft store to whip up something heart-shaped and fancy and awesome before February 14th? As a wife and a mom, around holidays I often feel the forceful duress of some invisible Holiday Pressure Beast telling me such things. Magazines and social media are really good at showing us how to overdo it under the guise of being a creative wife or mother. But then I try to remind myself that nowhere is it written that good wives or moms can be identified by their holiday projects. Heck, it’s a struggle just to get my kids appropriately dressed for the weather and out the door to school on time every day. So I like to think that in the absence of a glittery pink-and-red 4-foot gift basket awaiting them on Valentine’s Day morning, my family will hopefully appreciate a cute little Valentine breakfast. “Small things with great love,” right?

Here are three fun, easy breakfast ideas to make using a heart-shaped cookie cutter for whoever you call your Valentine. Basically, if you have a 2-inch heart cookie cutter and some basic breakfast essentials, you can pull these off. Happy Valentine’s Day!

1. Heart-Shaped Granola Plate

Place heart cookie cutter on a plate. Fill the inside with granola, then surround the outside with berries:

Valentine Breakfast

Carefully remove cookie cutter. Place 1/4 c. yogurt in a squeeze bottle or Ziploc with a small hole cut in one end. Squeeze whatever pattern you like on top of the granola.

Granola Heart

2. Heart Egg Toast

Valentine Breakfast

Traditionally, cooking an egg inside toast is apparently known as an “egg in a basket” or the repellant Britishism “toad in a hole.” (Ew, can we please not call it that?) I’m going to go with “heart egg toast,” because it describes this breakfast a whole lot better than conjuring up images of eating frogs, thankyouverymuch.

To make this heart-shaped egg toast, cut into the center of the toast with a heart cookie cutter. Melt about 1/2 Tbsp. butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Place toast on melted butter, then crack 1 egg directly into the hole. Cook about 2 minutes or until egg appears opaque enough to be turned without running. Flip and cook other side an additional 2 minutes. Remove from skillet and serve immediately. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

3. Berry-Nutella Waffle Heart

Valentine Breakfast

Toast frozen waffle(s). Cut through center with heart-shaped cookie cutter, Fill hole(s) with berries and decorate with Nutella.

Valentine Breakfast

See? Nice and simple! So go enjoy a stress-free Valentine’s Day filled with lots of love and heart-shaped foods galore!