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Decorate Your Dinner,
Add A Vegetable

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February 2009 - Times-Standard Articles

February 11, 2009 - Use Herbs, spices to Enhance Food Flavors Chicken with Tomatoes, Honey, and Cinnamon

February 18, 2009 - Ideas for Making Mealtimes Healthier Gingered Couscous with Chickpeas

February 25, 2009 - Spinach has Great Health Benefits Chicken and Fruit Salad

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February 11, 2009 - Use Herbs, spices to Enhance Food Flavors

Valentines Day is right around the corner, but it isn’t the only time we should think about hearts. February is National Heart Health Month, so it’s an especially good time to share the importance of keeping hearts healthy. Help take care of your sweetie’s heart and health by focusing on lower saturated- and trans- fat foods, encouraging lots of vegetables, fruits and whole grains, eating moderate portions of a wide variety of foods, and… reading this column.

Boost flavors in all of your cooking through creative use of herbs and spices. Although the words herb and spice are often used interchangeably, spices come from bark, roots, seeds, buds and stems, while herbs usually come from leaves. For example, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg are spices; basil, oregano and thyme are herbs. An added advantage to using a variety of spices or herbs in your favorite recipes is that you can usually decrease the amount of salt, and reducing salt is good for heart health.

Mild herbs such as dill, basil, cilantro and parsley are most flavorful when used raw or slightly cooked. Stronger herbs, such as bay leaves, rosemary, sage and thyme are enhanced by cooking for a longer period of time. If you use dried herbs, even when a recipe calls for fresh, remember that dried are more concentrated, and therefore much stronger. A good “rule of thumb” is to use approximately 1/4 the amount of dry herbs for the fresh herbs called for. For example, if a recipe calls for 1/4 cup fresh rosemary you would use about 1 tablespoon of dried (There are 4 tablespoons in ¼ cup).

Use the following information a guide for combining herbs and spices. These combinations are common to the cuisines identified, but shouldn’t limit your imagination. Experiment! Get “wild and crazy!”

Creating International Flavors:

• Caribbean: Lime, allspice, ginger, chilies, mustard seed, peppers
• Chinese: Gingerroot, garlic, star anise, pepper, orange peel, soy sauce, sesame seeds
• French: Chives, tarragon, chervil, parsley, rosemary, thyme, fennel, basil, mustard, black pepper, marjoram, mint
• Greek: Lemon, garlic, rosemary, cinnamon, bell peppers (capsicums), onion, oregano
• Indian: Chilies, turmeric, cumin, fenugreek, tamarind, mustard, gingerroot, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, curry leaves
• Indonesian: Peanut, lime, gingerroot, sesame seeds, onion, chili peppers, cayenne, coriander, nutmeg, cinnamon
• Italian: Garlic, oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme, olives
• Japanese: Gingerroot, garlic, mustard powder, lemon peel, fish stock (dashi), horseradish, soy sauce
• Mexican: Cumin, oregano, garlic, chili peppers, fresh cilantro (fresh coriander), tomatillos, onion
• Moroccan: Cardamom, mace, allspice, cloves, gingerroot, mint, black pepper, cayenne, coriander, cumin, onion
• North African: Mint leaves, garlic, sesame seeds, lemon peel, onion
• Thai: Chili peppers, coriander seeds, cloves, gingerroot, lemon grass

The following recipe gives chicken a wonderful aromatic flavor. It would make a great Valentine’s Day meal for your family. It’s delicious served with brown rice or a whole grain pasta of your choice and some cooked greens or a big dark green salad. The spices give it a wonderful flavor!


Chicken with Tomatoes, Honey, and Cinnamon
(adapted from The New American Plate)

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 ¼ lbs. skinless chicken breasts
½ c. water
28-oz can unsalted, diced tomatoes in juice
¼ tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
3 Tbsp. honey
½ tsp. salt

1. In a Dutch oven or large, heavy pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion until golden, about 6 minutes. Remove the onion with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate.
2. Add the chicken and sauté, turning frequently, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to the plate with the onions and set it aside.
3. Add the water to the pan and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits of chicken. Add the tomatoes (and the juice), turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, honey, and salt and cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 3-5 minutes, until hot.
4. Return the chicken and onion to the pot, cover tightly, and gently simmer over low heat for about 50 minutes, until the chicken is very tender. Serve hot.

Makes 4 servings, with 302 calories per serving, 9.5 g. fat, 432 mg. sodium, 4 g. fiber, 27 g carb., 28 g. protein.

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February 18, 2009 - Ideas for Making Mealtimes Healthier

Family meals are important for our health. They nurture families and provide a framework for love and connections. There is a lot of comfort and peace for both children and adults when they know that a meal is coming. It doesn’t have to be big, and it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. It’s the together time that is important.

Readers have shared some ideas that make their family mealtime healthier and more fun. There are many little things that can be done. Consider having everyone involved in some aspect of meal preparation, decorate the table, serve simple foods in a nice bowl, or fold napkins a special way (this could even be paper towels). There are books at the library or websites that can give you ideas for making your mealtimes more “festive”.

A subtle change in a recipe or a different preparation technique may be all that is necessary to keep a meal interesting and delicious. Here are some easy ideas for subtle changes in your family recipes and meals:

• Vegetables can be an important part of sauces, soups or mixed dishes. Puree them and add new flavor and colors to smooth sauces or soups.
• For creamed dishes, use skim milk, nonfat evaporated milk, or 1% fat milk instead of whole milk or cream. Nonfat evaporated milk is “thicker” than regular skim milk and can add body. To give it even more body, add a small amount of cornstarch or flour to the sauce. Two to three teaspoons of cornstarch or flour mixed into 1 cup of milk before heating, will be enough to give a creamy texture to the finished recipe. If a slightly tart flavor is desired, add a small amount of nonfat or low fat plain yogurt or sour cream just before serving. Fat-free half and half also works well as a cream substitute. Using some type of milk as a substitute for cream dramatically increases the calcium and protein in your recipe.
• Incorporate vegetables into main dishes rather than making them sit by themselves on the plate.
• Add extra vegetables to casseroles and other mixed dishes, and add leftover vegetables to soups, stews, and stir-fries.
• Use nonfat or low-fat frozen yogurt, or drained low-fat vanilla yogurt as substitutes for whipped cream, or try the low fat whipping cream (sounds strange, but it tastes great). To make the drained yogurt topping, allow the yogurt to drain in a cheesecloth-lined colander in the refrigerator for 1 hour or overnight, depending on the desired consistency. Then use it as you would any dessert topping.
• When a recipe calls for several whole eggs, reduce the amount of yolks by using a combination of whole eggs and egg whites. For example, we might replace 4 whole eggs with two whole eggs plus two egg whites (depending on their size).
• When making a dish that calls for ricotta or cottage cheese, use half low-fat ricotta or cottage cheese, and half mashed tofu. Add a package of frozen chopped spinach that has been thawed and drained to cheese fillings, and you add more flavor.
• When baking breads, cookies, muffins, or brownies, use one-third to one-half whole wheat flour in place of all-purpose flour. Whole wheat pastry flour is almost as fine as white enriched flour and is easily interchanged.
• Mix several whole grains with brown rice for variety in flavor, color and texture. Try a mixture of brown rice, wheat berries, barley and/or oat groats. Bring two cups of water to a boil, add 1 cup of mixed grains, cover and turn heat down to low or simmer. Cook for 45 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow to sit, covered, for another 10-15 minutes until all liquid is absorbed. Double the amount you make and freeze half for a future meal.

Talk about flavor! The following recipe makes a delicious side-dish, or could be made into a main dish by adding some cooked chicken or shrimp. Put a dark green salad with it and you’ve got a delicious, complete meal. Whole wheat couscous cooks almost as rapidly as “regular” couscous and is available in most markets.


Gingered Couscous with Chickpeas
(adapted from The Essential Eating Well Cookbook)

1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp. cumin seeds
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
2 tsp. curry powder
1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), 15 ½-19 oz., drained and rinsed
1 tomato, diced
1 ½ tsp. honey
1 c. water
1/8 tsp. salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 c. whole wheat couscous
1/3 c. chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add cumin seeds and stir until they begin to pop, about 1 minute. Add ginger and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add curry powder and stir until it is toasted, about 30 seconds longer.
2. Add chickpeas, tomatoes, honey, water, salt and pepper; bring to a boil.
3. Stir in couscous; remove from the heat and cover. Let stand until the liquid has been absorbed, about 5 minutes. With a fork, fluff the couscous and stir in the cilantro or parsley.

Makes 8, ½ cup servings, with 177 calories per serving, 3 g. fat, 0 mg. chol., 99 mg. sodium, 6 g. fiber, 32 g. carb., 7 g. protein.

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February 25, 2009 - Spinach has Great Health Benefits

Next week National Nutrition Month begins, and this year we’re kicking it off with an article for Harvest of the Month, a highly successful program of the Humboldt County Office of Education. This month’s focus is on spinach, a well-known powerhouse of a vegetable! Popeye had that figured out many years ago!

Spinach is a cool weather crop and an excellent vegetable to grow on the north coast. In fact, it’s something we can grow all year long in most areas of the county, whether it’s in a garden bed or in a pot on your back deck. It only takes 6-8 weeks to harvest your crop, and by planting a few seeds each month, you can have a fresh, ready-to-eat vegetable all year round.

Cooked or raw, this is a great vegetable to include regularly in family meals. Some of its many health benefits include promoting eye, heart and bone health, protection against infections, and protection from certain types of cancer. It’s an excellent source of vitamins A, C, and K, and also provides a good amount of B-vitamins, iron, magnesium and fiber. Because it also contains substances called “phytic acid” and “oxalate”, only part of the iron, calcium and folate in spinach are actually useable by our bodies, but that doesn’t decrease its overall value.

Spinach started being grown in the U.S. in the early 19^th century and was immensely popularized by Popeye so that in 1929, it was the third most popular food in our country, losing first and second place to turkey and ice cream. Since that time, spinach has maintained popularity, primarily through the availability of frozen and fresh varieties, which have a very mild and fresh flavor. Between 1992 and 2002 consumption actually jumped more than 65 percent, which has been credited to the increased availability of bagged varieties.

When purchasing fresh spinach, focus on bright green, crisp leaves, and avoid those that are wilted, spotted or yellowed. Fresh spinach leaves can hide lots of dirt and sand, so be sure to wash it thoroughly. After cleaning, it can be patted dry and stored loosely in an open bag in the refrigerator crisper where it should keep well for three or four days.

Raw spinach makes an excellent salad, whether by itself or mixed in with other dark, leafy greens. It mixes well with hard-cooked egg, fresh fruits such as oranges, mango, apples and peaches, and dried fruits, nuts and a variety of vinaigrettes. Spinach can also be sautéed, boiled or braised as a side dish, or mixed into casseroles, soups and lasagna as a way to add flavor, color and nutrition to your favorite dishes. Just keep in mind that when cooking, one pound of fresh spinach (which looks like a lot!) cooks down to only one cup.

Try the following easy salad for lunches or dinner. It’s a tasty way to add spinach to a family meal.


Chicken and Fruit Salad
(adapted from www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov)

3/4 lb. cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 medium-sized bunch fresh spinach
½ medium-sized red bell pepper, chopped
2 medium-sized grapefruit
2 medium-sized sweet/tart apples (eg. red delicious, gala, Fuji, Braeburn)
¾ lb. grapes
1/3 c. fat-free Dijon salad dressing

1. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces.
2. Coarsely chop 1 cup of loosely packed spinach leaves; set the remaining leaves aside. Cut peel from grapefruit and remove sections with a knife. Cut unpeeled apples into ¾-inch chunks.
3. In a large bowl, combine chicken, chopped spinach, bell pepper, fruit and salad dressing; toss to coat. Arrange remaining spinach leaves on a platter or in a bowl; spoon chicken salad over spinach leaves and serve.

Chop and add all of the spinach leaves and use as a delicious lunch entrée at work or school.

Serves four, with 352 calories per serving, 4 g. fat, 72 mg. chol., 216 mg. sodium, 11 g. fiber, 52 g. carb., 31 g. protein.