Category Archives: Recipes

Photo courtesy of DrOz.com

Low Fat Pumpkin Muffins from Dr Oz

In the spirit of everything pumpkin, we wanted to share with you this delicious and low fat recipe for pumpkin muffins, as featured by the legendary Dr. Oz.   The recipe swaps out butter for pumpkin puree to save you on calories and saturated fat.  Just a simple swap can save a whole lot!



Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
  • 1 cup natural sweetener
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 (15-oz) can pumpkin puree (about 7/8 cup)
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375F. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and set aside. Whisk the sweetener, oil, eggs, pumpkin puree, and applesauce. Add in the dry ingredients and fold with a spatula until the flour has been absorbed. Place in muffin tins and bake 20 to 25 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes.

 

 

alfredo

Amazing Dairy Free Alfredo

A great dairy free alternative for alfredo sauce from Allison Rivers Samson, owner of Allisons Gourmet and author of the award-winning column Veganize It in VegNews Magazine.


This sauce can be served over delicious quinoa pasta with veggies or for those of you who are doing low carb diets, skip the quinoa and opt for sauted chicken and veggies.


Here’s how to make it:


Makes 4 servings


1 cup raw cashews
2 tablespoons raw pine nuts (we recommend reducing the amount of nuts to cut down on fat content)
1 1/2 cups water
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/16 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
4 cups cooked fettuccine (or other pasta of your choice)
3 tablespoons freshly minced parsley


Directions


In a blender, grind cashews and pine nuts into a fine powder. Add water, lemon juice, garlic, nutmeg, and salt. Blend until completely smooth.


Transfer to a small saucepan over medium heat and whisk as you bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 7 minutes, whisking regularly. Stir in black pepper.


Serve over your choice of pasta or veggies! Enjoy!


Serve over hot pasta and garnish with parsley and fresh ground pepper to taste.


Per serving (1/4 recipe): 407 calories; 17.7 g fat; 3.1 g saturated fat; 36.2% calories from fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 15.1 g protein; 53.9 g carbohydrates; 3.3 g sugar; 6.2 g fiber; 901 mg sodium; 46 mg calcium; 4.3 mg iron; 48 mcg selenium; 338 mg potassium; 147 mcg beta-carotene; 6.6 mg vitamin C; 23 mcg folate

 

vegetarian egg salad sandwich

Vegetarian ‘Egg Salad’ Sandwich

We love the recipes emailed to us from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine! Here is just one in particular that caught our eye and we wanted to share with you!


Ingredients


Makes 6 sandwiches


1/2 pound firm low-fat silken tofu (about 1 cup) 1 green onion, finely chopped, including green top2 tablespoons pickle relish2 tablespoons tofu mayo or other dairy- and egg-free mayonnaise substitute2 teaspoons stone-ground mustard2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce1/4 teaspoon ground cumin1/4 teaspoon turmeric1/4 teaspoon garlic powder12 slices whole-grain bread6 lettuce leaves6 tomato slices


Directions


Mash tofu, leaving some chunks. Add green onion, pickle relish, Tofu Mayo or other dairy- and egg-free mayonnaise substitute, mustard, soy sauce, cumin, turmeric, and garlic powder. Mix well.


Spread on whole-grain bread and garnish with lettuce and tomato slices.


Per serving (1 sandwich):172 calories; 3 g fat; 0.6 g saturated fat; 15.6% calories from fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 8.7 g protein; 30.3 g carbohydrates; 4.4 g fiber; 486 mg sodium; 64 mg calcium; 2.5 mg iron; 3.5 mg vitamin C: 150 mcg beta-carotene; 0.4 mg vitamin E


Recipe from Healthy Eating for Life for Children by Amy Lanou, Ph.D.; recipe by Jennifer Raymond, M.S., R.D.


Please feel free to tailor PCRM recipes to suit your individual dietary need

Barbeque Portobello Mushrooms

We love this meatless recipe that goes great with any summer gathering. Barbeque style portobello mushrooms! They are simple to make and you’ll love all of the health benefits of portobello mushrooms. One medium portobello mushroom has more potassium than a banana! A 1-cup serving of portobello mushrooms supplies 31 percent of the daily recommended intake of selenium, It also contains 30 percent of the recommendation for copper and 18 percent of the requirement for both phosphorus and potassium. Other minerals in portobello mushrooms include iron, magnesium, manganese, calcium and zinc.

Barbeque Style Portobello Mushrooms

Ingredients
Makes 2 servings2 large portobello mushrooms
1/2 cup vegetable juice
1/4 cup apple juice concentrate
1/2 cup roasted red peppers
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Clean mushrooms and remove stems. Cut into 1/2-inch strips.

Combine vegetable juice, apple juice concentrate, red peppers, soy sauce, vinegar, chili powder, garlic powder, and black pepper in a blender. Process until smooth, then transfer mixture to a nonstick skillet and heat until bubbly.

Add mushroom strips, turning to coat evenly with sauce. Cover and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until mushrooms are tender, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Per serving (1/2 recipe): 132 calories; 1.2 g fat; 0.2 g saturated fat; 8.4% calories from fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 4.7 g protein; 28.9 g carbohydrates; 19.9 g sugar; 3.9 g fiber; 589 mg sodium; 31 mg calcium; 1.8 mg iron; 97.9 mg vitamin C; 1906 mcg beta-carotene; 1.6 mg vitamin E

Recipe from Healthy Eating for Life to Prevent and Treat Cancer by Vesanto Melina, M.S., R.D.; recipe by Jennifer Raymond, M.S., R.D.

zucchini

Rice Pasta With Creamy Zucchini Pesto

Rice Pasta with Creamy Zucchini Pesto

Pasta dishes are great for picnics, and this recipe makes use of zucchini or summer squash readily available in the summer season.





Ingredients


Makes 6 1-cup servings


8 ounces dry rice pasta
2 small zucchinis or other summer squash
2 cups fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic granules
1 tablespoon tahini


Directions


Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse and drain.


Meanwhile, cut zucchinis into 1-inch chunks. Steam chunks over boiling water for about 5 minutes, or until just tender when pierced with a sharp knife.


Place basil in a food processor fitted with a metal blade and finely chop. Add zucchini, salt, garlic, and tahini. Process in short pulses until everything is finely chopped. Combine with pasta and toss to mix.


Per serving (1 cup):166 calories; 1.7 g fat; 0.2 g saturated fat; 9.3% calories from fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 2.2 g protein; 34.8 g carbohydrates; 0.8 g sugar; 2.6 g fiber; 226 mg sodium; 42 mg calcium; 1 mg iron; 4.1 mg vitamin C; 606 mcg beta-carotene; 0.1 mg vitamin E


***Recipe from Foods That Fight Pain by Neal Barnard, M.D.; recipe by Jennifer Raymond, M.S., R.D.

Healthy Tuna Melt Sandwich

People often mistake any type of tuna fish sandwich as being healthy because they have learned that tuna fish provides Omega 3 fatty acids and is good for them. Well, that’s true to some extent. In theory, a tuna sandwich sounds like it might be healthy, but in actuality, they can pack an alarming amount of fat. Case in point; the tuna melt.


1 tuna melt sandwich made with 2 tablespoons of mayo and 2 slices of cheese can have as much as 30 grams of fat and almost 600 calories!!!!!!


It’s easy to make your own, healthy tuna melt sandwich at home and we’ve experimented with a healthier recipe that tastes delicious!!! Here’s the skinny on how to make it:

  • 2 slices of light wheat bread
  • 1 can tuna
  • 2 tablespoon of light mayo made with olive oil
  • 2 slices of Rice Cheese
  • Pop it into the oven for melted goodness

Ready for your new fat and calorie count?

 

BEFORE AFTER
CALS =600 CALS =300
FAT =30 FAT =11

With a few small changes, you’ve saved 300 calories and nearly 20 grams of fat in one meal!!!!!

Mediterranean Tuna Salad

Source: GreenPolkaDotBox.com

  • 2 small cans tuna, drained, pole caught small-size Albacore is a good choice.
  • 14 ounce can artichoke hearts, packed in water, drained, chopped
  • 1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup Kalamata olives, sliced
  • 1/4 cup red onion, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste

We Need it To Live But Most of Us Don’t Get Enough

It’s a fact, most of us will not get enough Vitamin D from the foods we eat to support a healthy, active life. Although we need Vitamin D to survive, experts say getting adequate amounts is almost never accomplished through diet alone. The most common source of Vitamin D is in milk but hardly any of us consume enough of it to support our body’s needs. In fact, up to 80% of Americans are deficient.


When we think about a Vitamin D deficiency, most of us automatically think of osteoporosis, but studies indicate that the effects of a vitamin D deficiency include an elevated risk of much more serious conditions and diseases. The include developing (and dying from) cancers of the colon, breast and prostate; high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease; osteoarthritis; and immune-system abnormalities that can result in infections and autoimmune disorders like multiple sclerosis, Type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.


Take a look a this excerpt from a NYTimes.com article:

Dr. Michael Holick of Boston University, a leading expert on vitamin D and author of “The Vitamin D Solution(Hudson Street Press, 2010), said in an interview, We want everyone to be above 30 nanograms per milliliter, but currently in the United States, Caucasians average 18 to 22 nanograms and African-Americans average 13 to 15 nanograms.African-American women are 10 times as likely to have levels at or below 15 nanograms as white women, the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found.


Such low levels could account for the high incidence of several chronic diseases in this country, Dr. Holick maintains. For example, he said, in the Northeast, where sun exposure is reduced and vitamin D levels consequently are lower, cancer rates are higher than in the South. Likewise, rates of high blood pressure, heart disease, and prostate cancer are higher among dark-skinned Americans than among whites.


Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency

Some symptoms of low vitamin D levels are high blood pressure, depression, fatigue and weakness, rickets, bone pain, muscle cramps, psoriasis, dental disease, depression and others.


Be Proactive, Be Preventative


Taking a vitamin D supplement like Earth D3 5000 from EarthRx is the best way to ensure your body gets the required levels of vitamin D. The recommended dietary allowance of vitamin D depends on your age. Below is a basic guideline:

Table 2: Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for Vitamin D [1]
Age Male Female Pregnancy Lactation
0“12 months* 400 IU
(10 mcg)
400 IU
(10 mcg)
1“13 years 600 IU
(15 mcg)
600 IU
(15 mcg)
14“18 years 600 IU
(15 mcg)
600 IU
(15 mcg)
600 IU
(15 mcg)
600 IU
(15 mcg)
19“50 years 600 IU
(15 mcg)
600 IU
(15 mcg)
600 IU
(15 mcg)
600 IU
(15 mcg)
51“70 years 600 IU
(15 mcg)
600 IU
(15 mcg)
>70 years 800 IU
(20 mcg)
800 IU
(20 mcg)