Author: Carroll

Spring Cleaning Out the Kitchen

Carroll

Spring is here, with its cool dewy mornings and warm sunny afternoons, it’s the perfect time to start that deep cleaning. Perhaps you’re planning to clean out your closets, organize your desk or wipe down some baseboards, but the kitchen is one of the most important spaces to deep clean.  

The kitchen is the heart of the home; it’s used by all family members, and many of us spend a great deal of our time there. Having a clean and well-organized kitchen not only feels good, but it’s also easier to work in and it’s safer when it comes to the foods we eat. Below you’ll find some tips for cleaning and organizing your kitchen spaces.

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Moroccan Chickpea Stew

Carroll

This recipe is packed with plant-based protein and flavor! It’s sweet, savory, super filling and it’s made in a slow cooker, making it a great choice for busy days. Lentils are an underutilized food in the American diet. They are inexpensive compared to other protein options; they are high in fiber, folate and B vitamins, along with being a good source of minerals such as copper, iron, magnesium and phosphorus. They add a great hearty texture to soups and stews, combine with ground meats well, and can be used in a variety of ways such loaves or patties in addition to stews and soups. 

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Carrot Cake Muffin

Carroll

Contrary to what you might think, carrots are not a starchy vegetable. They may taste sweet, but 100g of carrots have a little over 9g of carbohydrates and almost 3g of fiber when compared to 100g of potatoes, which have over 20g of carb and just under 2g of fiber.

The naturally sweet taste makes carrot an excellent addition to treats such as these carrot cake muffins. These muffins are additionally sweetened with applesauce and raisins. These make an excellent breakfast addition and freeze well, too. 

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Savory French Toast

Carroll

French toast is an excellent way to use up some old stale bread; in fact, it works better if your bread is a little dry and chewy. The dryness of the bread absorbs the milk and egg mixture without falling apart and getting too soggy. Using a whole grain bread is another way to help your French toast keep its shape. The fiber and protein in the whole grain bread will prevent the liquid from dissolving your slice, whereas white bread will dissolve and quickly get mushy. Try a little experiment at home and compare a slice of white bread against whole grain when making French toast. This is a good visual to show how whole grain bread sits in your stomach longer, keeping you fuller and feeling satisfied longer. 

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Yachaejeon: Korean Veggie Pancake

Carroll

What to do with leftover veggies? How about a veggie pancake?

Yachaejeon is an easy to make popular dish made from whatever veggies you have left lying around your fridge, though in my opinion the flavor of scallions and onion are essential. You can follow this recipe, but try it with other veggies too, simply cut them into matchstick size, you need about 2 ½ cups of veggies total. This is a great way to use up an old pepper, or some broccoli or cauliflower stalks.

As a part of National Nutrition Month, the aim is to make food choices that not only provide healthy and nutritious fuel for our bodies, but also choices that benefit the health of our environment, fuel for the future. Finding ways to use leftovers and reduce food waste is one way you can participate. Read more here!

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Lucky Corned Beef with Horseradish Sauce

Carroll

You may have heard how we need to cut back on red meats. The saturated fats in red meats are known for increasing our cholesterol, having a negative effect on our heart health. However, when we do have red meats, making sure that we keep to the leaner cuts is key.

The cooking method is one way you can tell if a cut is lean or not. When meats have less fat on them, they need more time at a lower temperature to turn out juicy and tender. Too hot and too fast will cause the protein to tighten rapidly, leading to a tough, chewy piece of meat. This cooking method is sometimes used for higher fat meats, such pork ribs, but it remains a helpful indication of leanness. You may notice the thick layer of fat on the brisket; you can trim some of it off, leaving behind the meat. For an even leaner option, choose a corned beef round, which has less fat within the meat (also known as marbling).  

Horseradish is the real star of this show; the perfect sharp accent to cut through the savory meat. It’s been used medicinally for hundreds of years for its anti-inflammatory effects. It has also been researched for its possible cardiovascular benefits and antibacterial properties.  

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Mushroom Soup

Carroll

Eating fungi has a multitude of health benefits. Mushrooms are a great source of fiber and are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. Though mushrooms are fungi, and technically not vegetables, we categorize them as such for dietary purposes. When compared to other veggies, mushrooms have some of the highest amount of vitamin D when exposed to UV light. They are also a good source of B vitamins, particularly B2 and B3, and the B12 that is in mushrooms is more bioavailable than the forms in other vegetables. Much research has been done on mushrooms and their potential benefits on healing cancers and neurogenerative diseases, but the research continues and there are no definitive recommendations.

Mushrooms make a tasty addition to any meal. This soup is a Hungarian classic—creamy, bright, savory—and the perfect thing to ease the pre-spring chill.  

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Food: Fuel for the Future

Carroll 1 Comment

Happy National Nutrition Month! We often think about the food we eat as fuel for our bodies, for our health, for healing and for play. While this is all true, have you thought of food as fuel for the future? That’s the theme of this year’s National Nutrition Month.

Food is important not just to our own personal health, but also to the health of our environment and our surrounding communities.

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One Pan Pomegranate Chicken and Squash

Carroll

Pomegranate is a beautiful and delicious fruit packed with nutrients. One serving, or half a fruit, had almost 6g fiber, 2g protein, 26g carbohydrates and tons of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, including the powerful antioxidant, anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are chemicals that are responsible for red, blue and purple colors in many fruits and vegetables. This chemical has been getting a lot of attention as more and more research comes out on its health benefits. Anthocyanins, along with other antioxidant chemicals found in plant foods, help reduce chronic inflammation, which is thought to be an underlying condition of many chronic diseases such cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s and cancers.  This recipe features both pomegranate juice as the seeds (also called arils) and it’s easy to make, using a single sheet pan. 

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