Stone Soup Guest Blogger

"Dietary Guidelines Friendly-Reduced-sugar Hot Cocoa Souffle" is my seventh post on the Food and Nutrition Blog.   Stone Soup is a guest blog written by members of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.  Guest bloggers from around the world share with Food & Nutrition Magazine.  I have always loved this magazine-especially the photos and am so pleased they shared my post.

Thanks for your interest in my healthy meals!  

Star Crossed Chili

These cornbread soup bowls were the best ever.  The chili was rather thick.  We simply cut the bowl with our spoons, enjoying soup and cornbread in each bite.  The bread bowls were baked in tortilla shell pans.  It was very easy to cut around the edges, leaving a 1/2 inch border, and scoop the bread center out with a grapefruit spoon.  (I froze the crumbs for cornbread stuffing).  The chili and cornbread bowls were inspired by Food Network Magazine.  Here's my cornbread recipe:

Cornbread Star Bowls

(4 bowls-8 servings reserving center portions for later use)

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar.
2 eggs
3 tablespoon sugar

Mix dry goods in a separate bowl.
1 1/2 cups whole grain cornmeal
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/8th teaspoon salt

Melt buttery spread in a measuring glass.  Add skim milk and lemon juice.
1/2 cup Earth Balance Buttery Spread
1 1/2 cup skim milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice 

Alternately add dry goods and liquids to the egg-sugar mix.  Stir until just combines.

Grease baking pans with an olive oil spray.  Divide batter among pans.
Bake at 375 F. for 30 minutes, turning pans if any start to over-brown.
Cool in pans on rack for 10 minutes.  Remove bread from pans and cool an additional 10 minutes on the rack.

Chili with Sirloin Tip Roast

(Serves 4)

In a saucepan, cover beans with double the amount of water. Bring water to a boil for 2 minutes.  Turn off heat.  Cover and sit aside for 1 hour. 
1/3 cup great northern beans, dry 
Drain and rinse beans.  In a saucepan, cover with double the amount of water.  Bring to a boil.  Cover and lower heat to simmer.  Simmer for 1 hour.

In a saucepan, saute shallots and garlic in olive oil over medium heat for 2 minutes.
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoon shallots, diced
2 garlic clove, crushed


Add seasonings and tomato paste.  Saute for 1 minute.
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste

Stir in tomatoes, broth, masa harina, brown sugar and vinegar.
1-14 ounce can diced tomatoes, without salt
1 1/2 cups low sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon masa harina
1 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Add cooked beans, zucchini and beef.
Cooked beans, drained
1/2 small zucchini, diced
6 ounce roasted sirloin tip, diced
Bring to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer until thick, about 20 minutes.

Fill bread bowls with chili.
Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese.

 
 
   

 

 

Friendly Veggies-Year Round

Carrots, canned diced tomatoes, frozen corn, cabbage and celery always don my shelves.  Plain yogurt is a staple too.  This meal featuring Curried Carrot Yogurt and Vegetable Soup was delectable and we can enjoy leftovers during the week! The yogurt recipe was inspired by Bon Appetit.  

Curried Carrot Yogurt

(Serves 2) 

Saute carrots in olive oil for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until lightly browned.
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon olive oil

Stir in garlic and curry powder.  Cover and sit aside for a few minutes.
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon curry powder

Process carrot mixture in a mini food processor.  Add yogurt, lime juice, olive oil and additional curry powder.  Process until nearly smooth.  (there may be a few pieces of carrot).
6 tablespoon Greek yogurt, plain, nonfat
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon curry powder

Garnish with toasted sesame seed. 
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seed 

Have a great week!

    

Winter Waffles

Winter produce may be scarce and time to prepare dinner the like, but this Friday night dinner with blueberry waffles, egg and ruby red grapefruit certainly made the mark.  The waffles contain ricotta cheese and these melted in your mouth!

Whole Wheat Waffles with Lemon & Blueberries

(Makes 8 waffles)

Place all ingredients in the blender.  Pulse, scrape sides and bottom, blend again.
1/2 cup ricotta cheese, part-skim
2/3 cup skim milk
2 eggs
2 tablespoon sugar
2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 tablespoon 2 teaspoon whole grain cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoon 2 teaspoon Earth Balance Buttery Spread, melted
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Pour batter into a bowl.  Stir in blueberries.
1 cup fresh blueberries

On a hot square waffle iron, drop 1/4 cup batter onto each 1/4th square.  Bake until waffle iron light indicates that the waffles are ready. 

  

A Taste of the Farm, Even in Winter

Stone ground corn grits, grass fed local beef and a "spring crisp" vegetable all went into this dinner on a very cold winters' day.  The recipe was inspired by Food Network Magazine.  The grits are from Palmetto Farms, the beef from Working H Farm and the Celtuce from Morgantown Farmer Market.  Here's how I made it:

Stone Ground Corn Grits, Sirloin & Vegetables

(Serves 2)

Grits
Mix grits, salt and milk in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Lower heat, cover and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring frequently)
1/3 cup stone ground corn grits
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cup skim milk

Stir in cheese.
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated 

Vegetables
In a medium hot cast skillet, saute zucchini, onion, garlic, fennel and celtuce in olive oil for approximately 5 minutes.
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small zucchini, sliced
2 tablespoon onion, diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 cup sliced fennel
1/3 cup celtuce, sliced
Sprinkle with fresh ground pepper.

Add arugula and tomatoes.  Cover and remove from heat.
3/4 cup arugula
1/3 cup grape tomatoes

Plate assembly
Arrange grits, vegetables and steak on a platter.  
4-5 ounces slow cooked sirloin tip (Frozen previously when I made Slow Cooker Pulled Beef)
Garnish with goat cheese sprinkles.

 

 

The Sweet Selector (Fitting sugar guidelines into recipes)

As manager of a "Healthy Cafe" at a major medical center, I planned a menu where all homemade desserts had less than 12 grams of added sugar.  The American Heart Association recommends that women aim for no more than 24 grams of added sugar a day.  The nutrition analysis software program I used to enter recipes detailed grams of sucrose per serving.

After retirement, preparing most of my foods at home, I adjust my dessert recipes so that each serving has approximately 2 teaspoons of added sugar per serving.  In this recipe for Hot Cocoa Souffle, I predetermined my total sugar amount as 12 teaspoons (6 servings X 2 teaspoons) or 4 Tablespoons.   

The original recipe recommends dusting the baking dish with sugar.  I eliminated that step.  Sugar is in the dry cocoa mix and added to the stiffened egg whites.  I added 1 Tablespoon of sugar to the egg whites and 3 Tablespoons to the cocoa mix.

Original recipe = 13 Tablespoon sugar

My recipe = 4 Tablespoon sugar

I portioned my souffles into 6 individual au gratin dishes, rather than 1 large souffle dish.

The baked products produced a dip in the centers for a small scoop of ice cream-a 2 Tablespoon scoop.

Original recipe = 4 cups ice cream

My recipe = 3/4 cup ice cream

Hot Cocoa Souffle with Vanilla Ice Cream

(Serves 6)

Mix 3 tablespoons sugar, cocoa and flour in a bowl.

3 tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa (not the Dutch-processed kind)

1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

 

Melt buttery spread in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in dry cocoa mix.  

1/4 cup vegan buttery spread

Add the milk to the saucepan.  Cook and stir until thick and bubbly.  Remove from heat.

1 cup skim milk

In a medium mixing bowl, beat egg yolks until combined.  Gradually stir thick cocoa-milk mixture into beaten egg yolks.

4 egg yolks

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form.  Gradually add the 1 tablespoon sugar, beating at high speed until stiff peaks form.  

4 egg whites

1 tablespoon sugar

Fold 1 cup of the beaten egg whites into egg yolk mixture.  Fold egg yolk mixture into the remaining beaten egg whites.

Divide batter into individual souffle dishes (greased with olive-oil spray).

Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 F.  Serve each with 2 Tablespoon ice cream.

Refrigerated other souffle until ready to eat.  When ready to eat, microwave for 30 seconds, then add the ice cream. 

It's important to note that the sugar in some recipes cannot be reduced to 2 teaspoons per serving.  Caramelized and iced confections require more sugar.  I'll choose to eat a small serving on occasion when I'm eating out-rather than have a whole dessert in my home. On the weekend, my spouse and I purchased one piece of iced cake at a local restaurant.  The piece was high and big-we shared half of it in the restaurant and brought the other half home to enjoy the next day.  1 restaurant serving = 4 senior citizen servings.

Have a warm and cozy day! 

   

    

In Rhythm of the Meal Plan

The pesto salmon-lentil-rice platter was inspired by Rachael Ray Everyday Magazine,in a section called "Happy Eats".  The plate design fits the basic protein-grain-vegetable plan with bonus good fats, whole grains, sustainable seafood, heirloom rice and more.  We sat at the bar and peeled a mango to finish our meal.

Forbidden Rice & Red Lentils

(Serves 2)

Cook rice in simmering water (covered) until tender, approximately 1 hour.  Drain and rinse with cold water.
1/4 cup forbidden rice

Cook lentils in simmering water (covered) until tender, approximately 25 minutes.
1/4 cup red lentils
Drain excess water, leaving a tiny amount in the pan.
Stir in rice. 
Add lemon juice and turmeric.  Heat for 10 minutes.
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh grated turmeric

Arugula Pesto

(Serves 2)

Grind almonds, garlic, leaves and oil in a mini food processor.
2 tablespoon ground almonds
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 basil leaves
1 cup arugula leaves
2 teaspoon olive oil

Platter Assembly    

Bake salmon at 325 F. for 15 minutes.  I used my toaster oven. 
Spread pesto over top of salmon.
Bake 5 more minutes.

Serve salmon over forbidden rice with lentils.    

Rule #1:  Enjoy the meal and the company of your loved ones!