Chix w/ Apple, Onion &Brussels Sprouts

I invited a good friend over to cook dinner the other night and using mostly what we found already in the kitchen we were able to put together this great & simple recipe!... Why is it so healthy? Here's a quick over view

Brussels Sprouts- See below recipe for health benefits of this amazing cruciferous veggie!

Apples- Granny Smith apples are packed with anti-oxidants (disease fighting compounds). They are rich in flavonols which can help reduce your risk of pancreatic cancer. Even better apples are packed with fiber (both soluble & insoluble)! This helps keep your digestive system regular and who doesn't love that. Foods high in fiber also help fill you up faster in fewer calories.

Red Onion- Onions belong to the Allium family. They are sulfur-rich and therefore aid in liver detoxification. The liver is one of my favorite organs just given it's hugely important function of processing and eliminating toxins. Eating sulfur rich foods (onions, garlic, cabbage, daikon radish...) helps the liver perform its job more efficiently. Between the fiber in apples & sulfur-rich benefits of Onions this recipe can definitely help your body function maximally :)

Chix w/ Apple, Onion, & Brussels Sprouts:

Olive Oil
1 tbsp chopped garlic, divided
1 tbsp fresh chopped ginger, divided
1 granny smith apple (Jullienned)
1/2 red onion (Julienned)
1/2 cup thinly sliced b. sprouts
2 chicken breasts

Season chicken breasts w/ salt & pepper. Take 1/2 tbsp garlic & 1/2 tbsp ginger and rub evenly into chicken breasts. Cover w/ plastic wrap and let sit in fridge for 20-30 mins

Place brussels sprouts in sauce pan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook until water evaporates & sprouts are soft. On another burner heat approximately 2 tbsp olive oil in a non-stick skillet. Add 1/2 tbsp garlic & saute 1 minute. Add 1/2 tbsp ginger and saute another minute. Add red onions and saute until soft. Add apples & cook another 10 minutes (Until apples soften). Combine Apple/Onion mixture with cooked brussels sprouts and place to the side.

Take chicken out of fridge. Add 2 more tbsp olive oil to saute pan and bring to med heat. Add chicken breast and cook thoroughly.

Plate chicken w/ Apple, Onion, Sprouts mixture and whatever grain you'd like to pair with (Recommend brown rice or quinoa) and ENJOY!

Fun With Flax

So I've taken on a personal challenge for the month of September and that is to try to incorporate ground flaxseed into my diet more often. Why would I try to find ways to include this relatively boring ingredient? Glad you asked...
Ground Flaxseed is brimming with health benefits: most notably it's high amount of omega-3 fatty acids, lignans, and fiber. (See above nutritional info from whfoods.com)

Omega-3 fatty acids effect cellular functions involved in ensuring a normal heart rate and coronary blood flow (i.e.- help to keep your heart healthy and your arteries clean!). Omega-3s can also help alleviate some forms of inflammation such as arthritis and joint pain.

Lignans are a form of phytochemical that has increasingly been linked with reduced risk of breast cancer, prostate cancer, and reduced hair loss (to name a few).

Fiber: everyone is trying to get more fiber in their diets. Food manufacturers have been quick to pick up on this trend and now you can even get fiber-fortified fake sugar, thank you Splenda. But guess what- this is COMPLETELY unnecessary! 2 tbsps of ground flaxseed delivers almost 20% of your RDA for fiber. Aside from assisting in keeping things moving through your digestive tract, fiber can also help lower your risk of diabetes and heart disease. Two diseases which are all too prevalent in the US.

Clearly ground flaxseed is amazing with a multitude of health benefits and there really are a few easy ways to incorporate this into your diet. With it's slight nutty flavor it can add a great contrast to any number of foods!

• Add to a cup of yogurt (you can even add it to ice cream!)
• Add to the Brussels Sprouts recipe below!
• Throw some into the next muffins, cookies, pancakes, etc that you make
• Throw some on top of soup...Doesn't alter the flavor but you still get the benefits!
• Add into scrambled eggs
  

"Smart Choices" Article

Great article about how "Smart Choices" labels don't actually mean healthy food!

http://www.forbes.com/2009/09/17/smart-choices-labels-lifestyle-health-foods.html?partner=forbeslife_newsletter

The Best Filet You'll Ever Make

Even though I keep a mostly vegetarian diet, every once in a while there's nothing i want more than a nice filet.
Filet mignon is one of the cuts of beef with the lowest fat content. This leaner cut is obviously an excellent source of protein. Lean beef is also a good source for Vitamins B12 & B6. The combination of these vitamins helps maintain healthy nerve cells and red blood cells, and B12 is also needed to make DNA.
I love the recipe below because the sauce is light(er) and the meat is so fantastic it really only needs a drizzle of the reduction. It's also a little lighter on butter, flour, and other ingredients that tend to junk up sauces.
Pair it with some broccoli on the side for a perfect dinner!

• Cooking spray
• 4 (4-ounce) filet mignon steaks
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1/4 cup minced shallots
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 cup cabernet sauvignon
• 1 cup fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
• 2 teaspoons butter

Directions:
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle both sides of steaks evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add steaks to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from pan. Add shallots to pan; sauté 1 minute. Stir in vinegar and soy sauce, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; cook 1 minute or until liquid evaporates, stirring constantly. Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, wine, and broth; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 11 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in butter. Serve with steaks.
(Cookinglight.com)

Using Fresh Ginger- My Favorite Salad Dressing

Second to cinnamon, fresh ginger is my favorite ingredient to cook with! Ginger has long been known to be a great digestive aid. (Steeping a piece of fresh ginger root in hot water can do wonders to ease an upset stomach)
On top of attention for it's ability to ease digestive issues, ginger has also received more attention for benefits treating arthritis and other inflammatory diseases. The main active components in ginger are anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerols (Which also account for ginger's unique flavor). More support of ginger's anti-inflammatory benefits can be see by going to http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=72#healthbenefits.
So now we know why ginger is so healthful.. how can we include it in our diets without having to drink cups of ginger tea everyday?... Below is an AWESOME salad dressing recipe from EatingWell.com. I make this about once every two weeks and get about 4 servings out of it. You only need about 1-2 tsp of the dressing to really add amazing flavor to any salad.

• 2 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger (or more to taste)
  
• 1 teaspoon ground fresh ginger
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl. Add to a salad with your favorite veggies and enjoy!

Healthy Indulgence: Sweet Potato Fries

Nothing is more fun to make than comfort-food that's secretly loaded with health benefits: that's why i love making home-made sweet potato fries!
A medium sized sweet potato is about 100 calories and has over 700% of your RDA of Vitamin A. Vitamin A contains antioxidant properties that help eliminate tissue-damaging free radicals in your body. Sweet potatoes also contain about 65% of your RDA of Vitamin C! [source:www.nutrition data.com]
Sweet potatoes also contain high levels of potassium & maganese which reduce the risk of high blood pressure and maintain bone health.
Not only are the health benefits of sweet potatoes numerous, but their flavor can be both sweet and savory! These fries are quick and easy to make and so delicious any picky eater(kids included) will find themselves happy to consume this vegetable!


Sweet Potato Fries

1 med sweet potato, peeled & cut into 1/4'' strips
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp cinnamon
Pinch cayenne pepper (Add more to increase heat)
Sea Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 420°F; Pour EVOO over sweet pot strips and toss to coat; sprinkle w cinnamon & cayanne pepper; Bake 12 minutes on each side; Take out of oven and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper to taste. Let cool and serve.

Soy Beans- The Perfect Snack

Thanks to the recent popularity of soy products, frozen soy beans are easy to find at your local grocery store. They're light on calories and big on flavor. And because they're high in protein, they make for the perfect pre-gym snack.

At only 100 calories per 1/2 cup, edamame fills you up and keeps you feeling full without the guilt of other snack foods.

Even better, studies have now shown that isoflavones in soy beans may help lower your risk of breast cancer, decrease the risk of osteoperosis, promote prostate health, and more.

Brad's 1 Step Edamame

1/2 c frozen soy beans

1/2 c water

sea salt to taste

Place frozen soy beans in a cup, add water and microwave on high for 2 minutes.

Strain out water

Add sea salt to taste & enjoy

Kate's Spiced Brussels Sprouts

2 1/2 cups Brussels Sprouts (washed, stems removed, & Chopped)

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup water

1/4 tsp Cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground cloves

pinch allspice

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 slice cooked bacon

1) Coat large saute pan in olive oil

2) Bring stovetop to medium heat, add chopped sprouts and saute 1 min

3) Add in water, and spices through salt & pepper and stir with spoon

4) Let cook for approx 12 mins or until water has evaporated, stirring occasionally

5) Crumble strip of bacon and sprinkle into saute pan

6) Continue cooking until sprouts are tender when pierced when cooked

Serve!

Because of their high protein content, this can even serve as a meal when paired with a whole grain!

Low-Cal Delicious Brussels Sprouts!

My Favorite ingredient of the moment is Brussels Sprouts!

This delicious veggie (a member of the cruciferous family- cabbage, kale, broccoli...) is known for it's high protein content (2 g per 1/2 cup steamed) as well as it's cancer-fighting qualities such as high fiber content which helps with elimination and therefore may help prevent colon cancer.

If that's not enough to convince you to try out this delicious vegetable then consider this: 1/2 cup steamed Brussels Sprouts is only 30 calories! And as a cruciferous veggie, Brussels Sprouts aid in liver detoxification, therefore helping to eliminate free-radicals from your body!

Give my Spiced Brussels Sprouts Recipe or my Chicken & Brussels Sprouts Recipe a try and you'll see how helping your body stay healthy can be so fun!!