Crunchy Asian Salad

Today I'm posting an absolutely amazing Asian Cabbage Salad with Chicken. This salad offers a nice balance of veggies and protein with a splash of a truly out of this world salad dressing!
Cabbage is the key player here. It's got a crunchy sweet and almost peppery taste that compliments the salad dressing perfectly, and seriously I cannot get over how healthful this veggie is!

Cabbage contains: Vitamin C, Folic Acid, Fiber, Potassium, Vitamin B6, Vitamin K, Calcium, Biotin, Manganese, and Magnesium. Seriously, just reading that makes me want to include it into my diet.

However, cabbage becomes even more fun to eat when you take into account the phytonutrients it contains! Plain and simple: phytonutrients have cancer fighting properties in that they both help cells function and help protect cells from free-radicals & carcinogens.
Glucosinolates are the phytonutrient most prominent in cabbage. Different phytonutrients have different functions- makes sense. So, Glucosinolates are compounds that aid the liver in detoxification. This is pretty cool actually: these compounds signal the genes to increase their production of the enzymes involved in the detox process. Cabbage also contains another kind of phytonutrient called isothiocyanates. These stimulate Phase II of liver detoxification. Your liver works super hard to eliminate toxins in the body, why not give it a hand with such a liver-friendly food :)

Crunchy Asian Salad

Dressing:

1/4 c. soy sauce

3 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar

1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil

3 tbsp canola oil

1 tbsp minced ginger

2 cloves garlic minced

3/4 low sodium chix broth

Salad:

1/2 head of cabbage shredded

1 c. carrots- match stick size

1/2 c scallions for garnish

4 chicken breasts sauteed and cut into strips

Whisk together soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, & sesame oil in a bowl. In a sauce pan, over med-high heat ad ginger and garlic. Cook/Stir until fragrant (approx 1-2 mins). Add soy mixture to pan and bring to a simmer. Add broth. Let simmer for approx 8 mins.

In a big bowl combine cabbage, carrots, & chicken. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Place in bowls and garnish with a handful of scallions and enjoy!

Really this is one of my favorite dishes. The first time I made it my little brother asked me for the recipe and he NEVER does that!

The Week Ahead!

I've got some great recipes coming up this week that I'm super excited to share! So keep checking in to try out some of the below!

Asian Chicken & Cabbage Salad- Super fresh and guess what? It's a cruciferous veggie just like brussels sprouts!
Eggplant Lasagna- Eggplant, tomotoes, fresh herbs- yum!
Lambchop Stuffed w. Spinach & goat cheese- Sounds heavy but lamb is a great lighter meat choice!
Arugula Salad- Find out why this peppery green is so good for you!

And more!!

Carrot Cupcakes to Die For!

So you're 8 days into the New Year and for all of you who have been diligently going to the gym or eating super healthy this week you deserve a treat and Ellie Kreiger's Carrot Cake recipe is the perfect way to reward yourself while still maintaining a health-minded focus!

Carrots: This recipe is so great because it's chock-full of carrots! We all know carrots are super high in beta-carotene (Which your body stores and converts to Vitamin A as needed). However, I just talked about Vitamin A in my Sweet Potato post, so let's keep it fresh and talk about Vitamin K!

1 cup of chopped carrots contains about 20% of your recommended intake of Vitamin K. This cool vitamin most notably aids in blood clotting by slowing the process of bleeding. Fun fact- it is often given to patients before surgery to prevent excessive bleeding.
On top of this, Vitamin K also helps the body absorb Calcium! That's awesome news for those of us with weaker bones or for women who may be loosing bone density as they age.
Lastly, Vitamin K also helps prevent a hardening of the arteries and therefore keeps your heart healthy. Hardened arteries and weak bones? Doesn't sound like a walk through the park... So, increase your Vitamin K intake and take a preemptive approach at your future health!

Awesome Carrot Cupcakes w Cream Cheese Frosting

Cupcakes:
* 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1/4 cup canola oil
* 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 1/2 cup natural applesauce
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 1/2 cups finely shredded carrots (about 2 medium carrots)
Cream Cheese Frosting:
* 4 ounces 1/3 fat cream cheese
* 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
* 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

Sift together the first 6 ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk the oil, brown sugar and eggs until well combined. Whisk in the applesauce, vanilla and carrots. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Divide the batter between the muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

With an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and lemon zest until smooth and creamy. Frost and serve!

Eat smart tip: Try making the below recipe in mini-muffin tins to reduce the serving size. Keep them frozen and bring out one or two at a time to satisfy any sweet cravings you might have. (Bake for approx 8-10 mins)

http://health.learninginfo.org/benefits-of-vitamin-k.htm
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=21

Pump Up Your 2010 Resolutions w Antioxidants

Again, I do not work for Womens Health Magazine but I just find so many fun articles in here that I can't help but share.
I just came across this article that talks all about how antioxidants actually function when consumed, and seriously they are nutritional rockstars. Up-ing your intake of antioxidant rich foods is like doing house-cleaning for the body. Combine it with some exercise and stretching and that's a New Year's Resolution you can be proud of!

I've got a few yummy recipes in this blog to help with antioxidant intake just try my Pomegranate Salad- Remember Pomegranates are in season :)

Or you can try my Salmon recipe with a Southwest twist!

Want something a little more hearty, then make my this CookingLight Filet Mignon recipe- I know, awesome news lean beef actually contains Coenzyme Q10 which can help fight off migraines and help lower blood pressure. Just remember to eat red meat in moderation :)

Yams Vs. Sweet Potatos: What's the Difference?

A friend of mine just asked me a great question: what's the difference between a yam and a sweet potato- is one healthier than the other? Since i have a recipe for sweet potato fries on the blog, I thought maybe this is something I should have an idea about... So I searched across the internet for a consolidated comparison and here's what I was able to come up with.

Nutrition: I made a chart to compare the two side by side and the winner seems to be the Sweet Potato... here's the breakdown

• Looking solely at calories, Sweet Potatoes win w 95 cals in 1 cup vs 157 cals in a cup of Yams
  
• Looking at nutrients- there are two nutrients that Sweet Potatoes have that Yams do not. One is Vitamin A, the other is Iron. 1 medium Sweet Potato has over 250% of your daily value of Vit A and over 10% of your daily value of iron. That alone makes me want to eat 1 a week.
  
• Vit A- When you consume the sweet potato, your body converts the Beta-carotene in it into Vitamin A which helps keeps eye, skin, and mucous membranes moist. It also acts as an antioxidant that protects the cells in your body from free-radical damage.
• Iron- If you're like me and "bruise like a peach", it's possible it's due to insufficient iron levels in your body. Iron helps carry oxygen to cells to keep them healthy & functioning.

• Outside of those two, Yams & Sweet Potatoes have about the same %DV of Vitamin C (you know, what you want to get more of to help fight off the common cold) & Maganese (the mineral that helps metabolize carbohydrates)
• Each also contains between 10-15% of your daily value of Vitamin B6 which the body needs to break down an enzyme called homocysteine- This is great news since homocysteine is an enzyme that directly damages blood vessel walls- Yikes!

So there you have it, both have Vit C, Maganese, B6 and fiber; however, because the Sweet Potato also contains Vitamin A and Iron, I'm calling it the winner. So go check out my delicious Sweet Potato Fries Recipe and do your body some good!


Fun Facts: Granted, I mostly care about the nutrition, but still the biological differences are kinda cool and let's face it, random facts are fun.
The biggest difference seems to fall in their DNA. They're both flowering plants but they aren't related botanically. Kind of interesting since they look so similar. Yams come from Africa & Asia and tend to be starchier & drier than sweet potatoes. In supermarkets, the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires labels with the term 'yam' to also include the term 'sweet potato'. Actual yams are found for the most part in international super markets.



http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/sweetpotato.html
http://www.whfoods.com/

Lighten Up in the New Year with Salmon!

New Year's means New Year's Resolutions! Mine: post more awesome healthy recipes! So tune in weekly for some killer dishes to help keep you on track with any health oriented goals you may have set up for yourself for 2010. It's a new decade, might as well start it off right!
I figure we'll start strong with one of my favorite Salmon Recipes that has more health benefits than I can even list here! Here's the health breakdown:


Salmon- It's winter and none of us are getting enough sun, so none of us are getting enough Vitamin D, that vital nutrient for bone health...Enter Salmon. 3.5 oz of Salmon (approx size of a deck of cards) contains nearly 90% of your daily recommended intake. Salmon also gets great attention due to its high content of Omega-3 Fatty Acids. (We talked about these in my post about Flax ) Omega-3s are polyunsaturated fats- the good kind- that help fight heart disease, and help keep skin and joints healthy.

Tomato- It's become common knowledge that tomatoes are a good source of lycopene, but I'm sure we're all asking the same question here... why does that even matter? Lycopene, a carotenoid, may act as an antioxidant in the human body. There are studies linking lycopene consumption from tomatoes with decreased risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and macular degeneration. Tomatoes also contain high levels of Vitamin C, folate, & potassium.

Jalapeño- Capsaicin is the nutrient that gives all peppers their kick. The hotter the pepper, the higher the content of Capsaicin. This phytochemical has been shown to kill off prostate cancer cells in mice. Capsaicin can also help allieve a stuffy nose by stimulating secretions which help clear mucus from your nasal passage. On top of that, Capsaicin is known as an anti-inflammatory nutrient that can help with arthritis and other inflammatory diseases.

Seriously, I apologize for the length of this post but this is a great recipe. It's a variation of a recipe I saw in Cooking Light. Let me know what you think or if you have any suggestions for improvement :)


Salmon w Jalapeno, Tomato, & Red Onion Salsa
4 (6-ounce) skinless salmon fillets
1/2 Lemon
4 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small red onion, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
1 lime, divided
1/2 Clove Garlic
1 tsp Ginger

Season salmon with salt & pepper to taste and a spritz of lemon juice. Then in a covered non-stick skillet, saute for about 8 mins. Note: Salmon will continue cooking slightly when you take it out of the pan! Also good thing to know, when sauteing Salmon, heat the pan until a drop of water will sizzle on it then reduce heat to med-high and add Salmon, this will prevent the fish from sticking to the pan. When this is done cooking, place it on a dish and cover with tin-foil to keep warm.

While the salmon is sauteing, you can get started on your salsa! Grab another skillet and coat with olive oil. Bring stove top to med-high heat. Add garlic and saute 1 min, add ginger then saute another min. Add onion & jalepeno and saute for approx 6 mins. While this cooks you can check and see how your Salmon is coming along... Then add tomatos and saute for about 2 mins. Place salsa mixture in a small bowl and squeeze the juice of half the lime on top.

Plate the 4 Salmon filets and divide the salsa mixture over top. Serve w/ 1/2 c brown rice and garnish with a lime wedge. This meal is so delicious and the bright colors make it a real pick-me-up in the dark, cold winter!


http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/06/03/29/capsaicin-7-powerful-health-benefits-of-the-stuff-that-makes-peppers-hot-004.htm
http://salmonfacts.org/
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/lycopene/NS_patient-lycopene

Fennel & White Bean Soup

People tend to have a love/hate relationship with fennel: they either love it or they hate it. I personally LOVE fennel bulb. I love the below soup recipe & knowing the health benefits you'll get from the fennel makes it even more satisfying to eat!

Fennel Bulb: This veggie is packed with some great nutrients and vitamins: Vitamin C for boosting the immune system and Potassium to help keep brain, kidney, and muscle tissues healthy. Deficiency in Potassium can cause fatigue and weakness in muscles- imagine trying to get through a workout feeling tired and weak..no good!
The entire fennel plant also contains the unique phytonutrient anethole- this is what causes the anise taste. In various animal studies anethole has been shown to reduce inflammation and to protect the liver from free radical damage.
Lastly, Fennel is a good source of fiber & folate to promote cardiovascular and colon health.

Try the below recipe after a long run or gym session and you'll feel totally revived :)

Caramelized Fennel & White Bean Soup

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish
• 1 fennel bulb, julienne
• 1 sprigs fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
• 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups cooked white beans
• Sea Salt
• Pepper

Heat a large sauce pot over medium high heat. Add olive oil. Once oil is hot, add fennel bulb, fresh thyme, and butter. Allow to cook until the fennel begins to turn light brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add white wine and garlic, chix stock and white beans.

Reduce heat and allow soup to come to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. And enjoy!

It's Pomegranate Season!!

The holiday season brings some stellar ingredients to the table. Pomegranates just happen to be one of my favorites. They have great flavor, are filled with antioxidants, and let's face it- even if they make your fingers red they are still super fun to eat :)

Pomegranates (like MANY of the foods i discuss in this blog) are rich in antioxidants. These help keep LDL Cholesterol (the bad kind!) from building up in your arteries. On top of that More recent research has found that eight ounces of pomegranate juice daily for three months improved the amount of oxygen getting to the heart muscle of patients with coronary heart disease (American Journal of the College of Cardiology, Sept. 2005).- Who knew eating heart healthy foods was so easy!
Researchers are also exploring the possibility that pomegranate compounds might prevent prostate cancer or slow its growth. In mice, treatment with pomegranate extract delayed the development of tumors and improved survival (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Sept. 26, 2005).

Try adding Pomegranate to your diet with the below super easy, absolutely delicious Salad recipe!

Pomegranate & Arugula Salad:

nocoupons

• 1/4 cup pomegranate molasses
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 cups lightly packed arugula, leafy hydroponic - if available
• 1 pomegranate, seeds only
• 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings
• 1/4 cup toasted walnuts

Directions

To make vinaigrette, combine molasses, lemon juice, honey and vinegar in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while you whisk to emulsify. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Toss salad ingredients together and dress with the vinaigrette .

Asian Chicken Packets w Veggies

I love, love, love the below recipe! Got it from South Beach Living, made it for my family & there was not a single bite left over it was soo good! Another great thing about this recipe is if you're having a date night, you can just cut everything in half and have a super impressive, colorful meal for 2 with very little effort- Super impressive :)

Health overview:

Red & Green Bell Peppers- 1 cup of Bell Peppers has over 100% of your Recommended Daily Intake for both Vitamins C & A! These vitamins contain powerful antioxidants (i.e.- beta-carotene) which effectively neutralize free-radicals that slowly breakdown cells in the body. Free radicals also contribute to the buildup of cholesterol in the arteries- Gross! The antioxidants found in Vit A & C also help reduce risk of heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, & even cataracts
For another Vit A rich recipe check out my Sweet Potato Fries Recipe :)

Garlic- No surprise here, garlic is a very impressive food.
Garlic, a member of the Allium family (think Onions), is sulfur rich. Why is consumption of sulfur rich food important? Because every cell in the body contains sulfur but the body does not produce it, therefore you gotta get it from foods like garlic! Sulfur is especially found in cartilage and the keratin of skin and hair. Want healthy skin, hair, & nails... eat foods from the Allium family. Sulfuric compounds also help maintain oxygen balance for proper brain function.
Sulfur rich foods also aid in liver detoxification. This food sounds magical I'm not going to lie- so cook the below recipe and do your body some good!!

Asian Chicken Packets w Veggies

3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

2 tsp sesame oil1/4 cup copped scallions1 tsp grated ginger1 tsp chopped garlic4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts cut into cubes

1 red bell pepper

1 green pepper

1 package (10 oz) snow peas

1/2 can water chestnuts

Preheat oven to 450 F mix soy sauce, oil, onions, ginger, & garlic in a bowl. Add chix, peppers, peas & water chestnuts. Toss to coat evenly

Center chicken mixture on 4 12''x18'' sheets of aluminum foil. Bring up foil sides, double fold the tops and ends to seal packets. Bake 15-18 mins on baking sheet.

Pair w/ 1/4 c. quinoa per serving. This recipe was so great my family ate every bite!

Healthy Holiday Side Dish: Asparagus

I just came across this link and can't wait to try out the below asparagus recipe! Holiday parties are always filled with heavy, calorie-laden foods: Delicious, yes, but figure-friendly? No. sometimes it's nice to have a lighter alternative to offer guests. Whip up the below recipe for your next holiday dinner party and you won't be sorry!

Asparagus is low in calories, high in fiber, and full of nutrients! The high fiber content means it will keep you regular and the high content of soluble fiber means asparagus can help lower blood cholesterol levels. The potassium in asparagus helps to lower blood pressure & the folate in asparagus is heart healthy and an essential nutrient for pregnant women. Asparagus also contains Vitamins A & C which help prevent free radical damage to your skin.
Low cal, heart healthy, nutrient rich, & skin healthy! How could you not want to make this dish :)

Lemon Asparagus
1 1/4 lbs thin asparagus, trimmed
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp bread crumbs
6 lemon wedges

1 Preheat oven to 425°F. On baking sheet (with sides), combine asparagus and olive oil, then roll in bread crumbs and salt to taste. Place asparagus in single layer on baking sheet. Squeeze lemon on top.

2 Bake asparagus for 8 to 10 minutes, or until tender (time will vary depending on the thickness of the spears). Season with pepper to taste.

Makes 8 servings. Per serving: 30 cal, 1.5 g fat (0 g sat), 3 g carbs, 10 mg sodium, 2 g fiber, 2 g protein