529 I Street
Eureka, CA 95501
TEL: (707) 441-5081
FAX: (707) 268-0415
jhouston@co.humboldt.ca.us

Decorate Your Dinner,
Add A Vegetable

---

November 2008 - Times-Standard Articles

November 5, 2008 - Many Winter Squashes to Choose From Spaghetti Squash with Marinara Sauce

November 12, 2008 - Learn About Diabetes Tuscan Chicken & White Bean Soup

November 19 - Get Educated About Diabetes Brussels Sprouts with Shallots & Pine Nuts

November 26, 2008 - Keep Food Safety in Mind Over Holidays Turkey Wraps with Mango and Curried Mayonnaise

---

November 5, 2008 - Many Winter Squashes to Choose From

The cooler months are upon us. With the weather change, many of us think more about having soups, stews, and warm snuggly evenings at home in front of a fire. It’s also a good time for winter squashes! Every year, there are new varieties to choose from, and each is touted to be better than the last. Each person’s idea of what makes the best squash varies, and the only way to determine your favorites, is to taste them!

Winter squashes have a hard protective shell that enables them to have a much longer storage life than their soft-shelled summer counterparts. The most common varieties are: acorn, banana, Hubbard, butternut, delicata, spaghetti, sweet meat, and pumpkin, but new varieties are available every year. Most of them can be kept in a cool, dry place for 3 months or longer without any deterioration of flavor or moisture content. Pumpkins keep for about 1 month. Storing winter squashes at temperatures below 50 degrees (in a refrigerator) for extended periods of time will actually speed up their deterioration, so it’s better to keep them in a cool room rather than in the refrigerator.

Winter squashes are more nutritious than summer squashes. They supply vitamin A, complex carbohydrates, fiber, and liberal amounts of potassium, as well as smaller amounts of other valuable nutrients.

When picking a squash, look for a smooth, dry rind, free of cracks or soft spots. The rind should look “dull”. A shiny rind usually indicates the squash was picked too early. A winter squash picked too early will not have its full sweetness. Look for squashes that are heavy for their size with an attached stem and a rich color.

Baking may be the most common way to prepare a winter squash, it’s certainly the easiest. It brings out the natural sweetness of the squash by caramelizing some of its sugars. It’s also the best way to conserve its natural beta carotene (sometimes known as pre-vitamin A).

Before baking small or medium-sized winter squashes (including pumpkin), consider piercing and pre-cooking it for several minutes in a microwave oven to make it easier to cut. Then halve it lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and strings (it can also be seeded after baking). Cut large squashes into serving-sized pieces. Place the squash, cut-side down, in a baking pan that has been lightly coated with vegetable cooking spray. If desired, about 1/4 inch of water can be added to the pan, cover it loosely with foil, and bake in a 350 to 450 degree oven. Or, you can “dry bake” at the same temperature range without the addition of the foil and water. Caramelized flavors are more noticeable when squashes are “dry-baked at the higher temperatures. With either method, cooking may take from 20 to 60 minutes, depending on piece sizes and temperature used. Cooked squash is tender when pierced with a knife or fork.

Bake medium-sized squash halves without any seasonings and serve them plain, or scoop out the flesh, combine with your favorite seasonings, put back in the shells, and top with small amounts of sesame seeds, toasted pumpkin seeds, chopped nuts, brown sugar, or low fat cheese. Return the squashes to the oven until heated through. You can also remove all of the cooked squash from its shell and mash or puree it to use in a variety of recipes.

Winter squashes can also be cooked in the microwave, in their whole form, halved, or in pieces. If cooking them whole, be sure to pierce the skin and squash numerous places to let steam escape. Without “piercings,” the squash may explode in the microwave. If your recipe calls for peeling and cutting the squash into cubes or chunks, try peeling with a potato peeler, or microwave the squash for 1-2 minutes and then peel. It’s sometimes easier to peel if the skin is a little softer.

Here is a simple recipe for spaghetti squash. The marinara sauce can be used as a vegetarian main dish as written, or you can add some diced or crumbled tofu, or lean, cooked ground turkey or beef and increase the amount of protein. Simplify it even more by using a commercially available fat free or very low fat marinara sauce.


Spaghetti Squash with Marinara Sauce
(adapted from The New American Plate Cookbook)

1 small spaghetti squash (about 3 lbs.)
2 tsp. olive oil
2 shallots, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
1 can (8 oz.) mushroom slices, rinsed and drained
1 tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. dried rosemary
Salt and black pepper
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil, divided, or 1 tsp. dried basil
¼ c. freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

1. With the tip of a knife, pierce the squash in several places. In a microwave oven, cook the squash on high (100% power) for 10-18 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork, then cool for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and sauté, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes, until shallots are translucent. Add the tomatoes, thyme, and rosemary and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. (add tofu or cooked meat, if using) Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 2 Tbsp. of the fresh basil (or 1 tsp. dried basil).
3. Carefully halve the squash crosswise and scoop out the seeds. Scrape the inside of the squash with a fork to remove the spaghetti-like strands. Divide the spaghetti squash among 8 plates and top each serving with sauce, remaining fresh basil (if using), and Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Without added protein it makes 8 servings, with 109 calories per serving, 3 g. fat, 2 mg. chol., 558 mg. sodium, 5 g. fiber, 20 g. carb., 4 g. protein.

---

November 12, 2008 - Learn About Diabetes

As the holidays get here, everyone seems to increase their shopping, cooking,… and eating! It’s logical that the American Diabetes Association declared November National Diabetes Month. For the next couple of weeks, we will update your diabetes knowledge.

National Diabetes Month is set aside each year to increase everyone’s awareness of diabetes and its potentially devastating health consequences. Diabetes is known as the “silent killer” because one-third of the people with the disease don’t even know they have it. For example, according to the California Food Policy Advocates, 9,000 Humboldt County residents were diagnosed with diabetes in 2004. According to what is seen in other parts of the country, that means that approximately 3,000 Humboldt County residents are not yet aware they have the disease. Sadly, many people first become aware that they have diabetes when they develop one of its life-threatening complications.

The American Diabetes Association encourages anyone to get tested if:

• They are over 45 years of age,
• Anyone in their family has diabetes, or
• They have any symptoms of diabetes, but remember that some people experience no symptoms!

The warning signs (symptoms) of diabetes include:

• Frequent urination
• Increased thirst
• Extreme fatigue
• Blurred vision
• Frequent infections, slow healing wounds
• Extreme hunger
• Unexplained weight loss
• Numbness or tingling in the hands or feet

Currently there is no cure for diabetes, but it can be controlled. Recent research shows that if diabetes is well controlled, many of the possible complications can be reduced or prevented. Successful management of diabetes always includes a healthy diet and regular exercise. It may also include drug therapy or insulin.

Being at a healthy body weight can significantly decrease ones risk for developing Type 2 Diabetes. Type 2 Diabetes used to be known as Adult Onset Diabetes, but is now frequently diagnosed in children as young as four years old. This shocking, growing epidemic appears to go hand-in-hand with the growing epidemic of childhood and adult overweight and obesity in our county, state, and country.

In 1999, an estimated 15 per cent of children and adolescents ages 6-19 years were overweight. That is double the percentage of overweight youth since 1980! In adults, the information is even grimmer. New government statistics reveal that almost 65% of our nation’s adults are overweight or obese and the number of people with diabetes has increased more than 50% in the last 10 years.

There is some good news that goes with these dismal statistics, and that is that Type 2 Diabetes can be delayed or even totally avoided in some individuals, if they make some lifestyle modifications. Lifestyle modifications that include increased exercise (30 minutes of daily moderate exercise), a 5%-10% decreased body weight, and simple dietary changes (reducing total fats and calories in their foods), reduces the risk of developing diabetes by 58 %. That is a HUGE percentage difference, and definitely worth considering!

There are a wide range of classes and support groups currently available in Humboldt County for diabetics. For more information about support groups call the Community Health Alliance at 445-2806, and by asking for extension 4, get information about the free Pathways to Health classes.

For cool evenings, the following recipe is a quick, delicious choice for everyone. Soups don’t get much easier than this. You can enhance the flavors even more by adding leftover vegetables, carrots, zucchini, frozen chopped spinach and/or fresh kale.


Tuscan Chicken & White Bean Soup
(adapted from The Eating Well Diabetes Cookbook)

2 tsp. olive oil
2 medium-sized leeks, white and light green parts, cut in half lengthwise, washed well, and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage or ½ tsp. dried
2 – 14-oz. cans fat-free, reduced sodium chicken broth
2 c. water
1 - 15 ½ oz. can cannellini (white kidney beans), rinsed and drained
4 c. shredded skinless cooked chicken

1. Heat oil in a soup pot or large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring often, until soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in sage and continue cooking until aromatic, about 30 seconds.
2. Stir in broth and water, (and any additional vegetables) increase heat to high, cover and bring to a boil.
3. Add beans and chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Serve hot.

Makes 9, 1 cup servings, with 164 calories per serving, 4 g. fat, 48 mg. chol., 351 mg. sodium, 2 g. fiber (unless additional vegetables are added), 10 g. carb., 21 g. protein.

For a diabetic meal, each serving contributes 1 starch and 2 ½ lean meat exchanges.

---

November 19 - Get Educated About Diabetes

One of the most important things we can do for a friend or relative who has been diagnosed with diabetes, is give helpful support. In fact, research shows that having good family support is one of the greatest predictors of good disease management. There are some important things we can do to help them maintain their health:

• Get educated about the basics of good diabetes care, including good blood sugar control. You can get educated by attending classes or support groups, going to counseling sessions with a Certified Diabetes Educator (C.D.E.), reading current books or magazine articles about diabetes, and checking out information at the American Diabetes Association website (www.diabetes.org). They also have a monthly magazine called Diabetes Forecast that offers a wide range of useful information.
• Be supportive, not critical. It’s difficult to find out that you’re diabetic, and it frequently requires many changes in lifestyle and diet. It is a disease that requires attention 24-hours a day, and no matter how conscientious someone is, there may be times when it goes out of control. By learning about diabetes you will discover how to make helpful comments rather than criticize what a person is doing or the food choices they are making. It doesn’t help to threaten someone with what can happen to their health if they don’t follow all of the recommendations.
• Ask what you can do to be supportive. Preferably, help the diabetic figure out where they are having difficulty and offer to help problem solve. Maybe they need help with shopping for healthy food choices or reading food labels. Perhaps they would appreciate you accompanying them and taking notes during medical appointments. Then again, you may be able to help by being an exercise buddy, or by occasionally preparing a healthful meal. Just being there to give positive reinforcement can sometimes be all that is needed. It is all important!
• Attend a nutrition counseling session with a registered dietitian so you can learn about a healthy diabetic diet, in which there are no forbidden foods. Instead, current diabetic diets emphasize portion control and consistent amounts of carbohydrate at each meal. Learn all you can about diet recommendations so you can make informed comments that will be helpful. Keep in mind that this is a healthy diet for everyone, and it helps all family members decrease their risk of getting the disease.

Here is a tasty recipe for a holiday side dish, or any other time of the year. Give it a try!


Brussels Sprouts with Shallots & Pine Nuts

1 lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed
1 Tbsp. Pine Nuts
Vegetable cooking spray
2 tsp. olive oil
¼ c. chopped shallots
2 Tbsp. dried currants
½ tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. salt
Ground pepper to taste
½ c. vegetable broth, fat free, reduced sodium chicken broth, or water

1. Clean and cut Brussels sprouts into halves.
2. Heat a 9-inch skillet and toast pine nuts for 3-4 minutes. Cool and coarsely chop.
3. Lightly coat skillet with vegetable cooking spray. Add and heat olive oil and sauté shallots. Add sprouts, currants, thyme, salt and pepper. Mix together.
4. Add broth, cover, reduce heat and cook for 3-4 minutes. Uncover and cook for another 3 minutes, or until the centers are crisp-tender. Sprinkle with nuts and serve.

Serves 4, with 124 calories per serving; 4 g. fat, 0 mg. chol., 253 mg. sodium, 5 g. fiber, 17 g. carb., 4 g. protein.

---

November 26, 2008 - Keep Food Safety in Mind Over Holidays

Holiday get-togethers with family and friends can give us wonderful memories. Different groups gather for food and good times. Every year at holiday time I try to include an article that will help ensure that all of your guests’ memories are wonderful... While preparing for tomorrow’s Thanksgiving dinner, as well as other holiday meals, keep food safety at the forefront of your thinking.

Keep your family and friends safe by using wise food buying and handling procedures. Here are some “turkey tips” to keep in mind.

• When buying a turkey, allow 1 lb. per person (or 1-1/2 lbs. per person if you want leftovers). Keep frozen turkeys frozen until thawing to cook. Fresh turkey should be purchased 1-2 days before cooking. Do not buy pre-stuffed fresh turkeys.
• If you purchase a frozen pre-stuffed turkeys (allow 1-1/4 lbs. per person) keep it frozen until it’s time to put it in the oven. Do not thaw ahead of time, and use a meat thermometer when cooking!
• Thaw the turkey in the refrigerator or in cold water. When thawing in the refrigerator, allow approximately 24 hours for every 5 pounds of whole turkey. When thawing in cold water, allow approximately 30 minutes per pound of whole turkey. To maximize safety, change the water every 30 minutes. Although microwave thawing can be done, we don’t recommend it. Thawing is uneven, and it deteriorates the quality of the bird.
• After thawing the bird, remove the neck and giblets from both the neck and body cavities, wash the turkey inside and out with cold water, and drain well. Thawed turkey can remain in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
• Keep food preparation areas clean by washing frequently with hot, soapy water, and sanitizing with a bleach/water solution (1 tsp. bleach to 1 quart of water) or a commercial sanitizing agent.
• The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends cooking any stuffing separately from the bird. Newer breeds of turkey have more breast meat and cook in less time than ‘traditional’ birds. Because of the shorter cooking times, the internal temperature of the stuffing may not get high enough to destroy potentially harmful bacteria. Cook stuffing separately in a casserole dish.
• Roast the turkey in a 325-degree oven. For safety and doneness the internal temperature, as registered on a meat thermometer, must reach a minimum of 180 degrees in the meaty part of the thigh, before removing from the oven.
• If you must have a stuffed bird, stuff it loosely, use a meat thermometer, and make sure the middle of the stuffing reaches a temperature of 165 degrees.

If you choose to purchase a precooked dinner, there are also basic safety measures for handling these holiday meals.

• If the dinners are to be picked up hot, keep the food hot. Keeping food ‘warm’ is not good enough. Harmful bacteria multiply fastest in the "danger zone"--the temperatures between 40 and 140 °F.
• To keep food hot, set your oven temperature high enough to keep internal temperatures of the meat and side dishes at 140 °F or above. Eat the food within 2 hours of pickup.
• When picking up cold dinners, refrigerate them as soon as possible, always within 2 hours. Serve the meal within 1 to 2 days.
• To transport cold food, wrap it and then place in an ice chest that contains ice cubes or freezer packs.
• If you are transporting hot food, keep it hot by first wrapping in clean kitchen towels and then with newspapers packed in a corrugated box or insulated cooler. Serve or reheat within 2 hours.

Turkey is readily available at a reasonable price throughout the year, but there can be some spectacular “buys” in November and December. If you have freezer space, take advantage of lower prices and put one away for a later date. Also, consider donating a turkey to the Food Bank or your local church. A whole frozen bird can be kept up to a year in a zero-degree freezer.

Some of us find that cooking a whole turkey provides too many leftovers. If that’s true for you, ask the meat section of the store where it’s purchased to saw it in half. Wrap each half securely in butcher paper or heavy-duty aluminum foil, and freeze in a zero-degree freezer.

For additional holiday food safety information, call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline’s toll-free number at (800) 535-4555. The toll-free number for the hearing impaired (TTY) is (800) 256-7072. These “hotlines” will be staffed by food safety experts on Thanksgiving day from 5 a.m. until 11 a.m. Pacific Time, and are staffed weekdays year-round from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., Pacific Time. If preferred, go to the internet and check out:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Seasonal_Food_Safety_Fact_Sheets/index.asp.

Here’s a tasty recipe for using leftover turkey.


Turkey Wraps with Mango and Curried Mayonnaise
(adapted from AICR e-recipes)

2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 cup fat-free or reduced-fat mayonnaise (or a mixture of yogurt & mayonnaise)
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 whole-wheat tortillas (or use whole wheat pita bread)
8 oz. thinly sliced turkey
4 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce
2 cups thinly sliced seeded cucumber
1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, chopped(about 1 cup), or
1 cup fruit chutney (or ½ fresh mango and ½ c. fruit chutney)
1/2 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, cut into 8 thin slices

1. Heat curry powder, stirring constantly, in a small skillet over medium-low heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer curry powder to small bowl.
2. Stir in mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill, covered, until ready to use.
3. When ready to serve, place one tortilla on a work surface. Spread ½ with about 1 tablespoon curried mayonnaise. Place one-fourth of the turkey in the center. Top with 1/2 cup lettuce, 1/4 cup cucumber and 2 tablespoons mango and/or chutney. Top with an avocado slice. Roll up like a burrito.
4. Repeat process for remaining wraps. Serve or make up to 4 hours ahead and refrigerate wrapped tightly with plastic wrap. Bring back to room temperature before serving.

Makes 4 servings.Per serving: 303 calories, 10 g. total fat (2 g. saturated fat), 39 g. carbohydrate, 21 g. protein, 7 g. dietary fiber, 457 mg. sodium.