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Banchan-Oh how I love thee

lauren — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 09:37:40 -0800

I went to a delicious Korean BBQ restaurant just a couple of weeks ago and while grilling your own meat in the center of your table is pretty exciting. I think trying all of the banchan (side dishes) are even better. My favorite was this potato dish where they prepared the potatoes into shoestring like shape probably parboiled and seasoned. It was divine and not starchy at all!

Healthy Carrot Soufflé

FitSugar — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:50:12 -0800

When my sister moved to Georgia a few years ago, I had the chance to spend Thanksgiving with her. Amongst all the dishes on the table was a Southern staple that I thought about for months after coming home - brown sugar and maple glazed carrots. I wanted to make this dish at my own Thanksgiving dinner this year, but was shocked to find out how much sugar and butter the recipe calls for. I decided to try and make my own healthy alternative to the dish and I think you'll be happy with the results.

There's barely any butter in my version and the dish has much, much less sugar. I also decided to make it into a souffle (I'm using the term loosely here!) to cut back on oil and give it a creamier taste and texture. This would be a great side dish for your Thanksgiving meal and it's an awesome replacement for a candied yam dish - carrots have fewer calories than yams and are exploding with vitamin A. Chances are your guests won't even know the difference!

Check out the recipe when you read more.

Healthy Carrot Soufflé
original recipe

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds of peeled, cut carrots
1/3 cup of plain lowfat yogurt
2 eggs and 1 egg white, beaten
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
Pinch of salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Steam carrots until tender, about 20 - 25 minutes.
Place carrots in a food processor or blender and mix until smooth.
Combine yogurt, eggs, butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract into the carrots.
Pulse in flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt to the mixture.
Transfer mixture to a 2-quart baking dish that has been lightly coated with cooking spray or butter.
Bake in oven for 45 minutes or until set and firm.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

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vegetable couscous

llendril — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 18:41:01 -0700

in the grocery store, there are two sections that i can just linger in all day long. one is the baking aisle (*sigh*) and the other is the produce section. i love to stare at the vegetables, have a new one strike my fancy, take my time choosing the best of the store's selection. it's even better at wild oats and whole foods. maybe they take a clue from disneyland (at the park, they intentionally waft the scent of vanilla through the air on main street. it's not actually coming from the ice cream shop) and purposefully create the aroma, but i am struck with absolute glee every time i walk into their produce sections. it's the fresh herbs, the greens, the fennel . . . i want to buy it all. and sometimes i end up buying more than i could possibly eat before it goes bad . . .
i didn't want that to be the case, so yesterday i wanted to make something that would use up what i had in the fridge and still be delicious. the bon appétit cookbook helped me out in that endeavor, and my lunch ended up being amazing.

vegetable couscous
adapted from the bon appétit cookbook, copyright 2006

* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
* 1 leek (white part and slightly into the green), chopped
* a pinch of celery seed
* 1 large red bell pepper, roasted and coarsely chopped
* 2 carrots, peeled, cut into 1/4-1/2 inch rounds
* 3/4 eggplant, cubed
* 1/2 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
* 1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise, cut into 1 inch pieces
* 2 cups chicken broth, fat-free and low sodium
* 1/3 cup golden raisins
* 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon tumeric
* 1.25 cups couscous
* salt and pepper to taste (my personal taste called for none of either)

1) heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. add onion, leeks, and celery seed. sauté 5 minutes
2) add bell pepper, carrots, eggplant, and fennel. sauté 5 minutes
3) add zucchini. cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
4) add broth, raisins, cinnmon, and tumeric. bring to boil
5) mix in couscous. cover and remove from heat. let stand 10 minutes
6) fluff couscous with a fork when the 10 minutes are up. add salt and pepper as desired and serve

the original recipe calls for red bell peppers (not roasted), onion, carrots, and zucchini. as i mentioned before, i rebecca-ized this up a lot by throwing in whatever i happened to have on hand (with the exception of things that i really didn't think would go well). the result? i thought it was fantastic. it's bursting with veggies, with the couscous being a nice bit of consistent texture as well as a vehicle through which the broth, cinnamon, and tumeric flavors could really shine (especially the cinnamon. oh, it was just divine). the large diversity in vegetables allowed for a completely different taste combination in most every bite. and by using 1/3 cup of raisins instead of the initial called-for full cup, i was able to be pleasantly surprised each time one of the tiny, sweet morsels found its way into my mouthful of couscous.

i found this dish to be lovely. it is given as a side dish option in the cook book, but i thought it would make a nice light lunch on its own. and for being so scrumptious, i almost couldn't believe that the portion pictured clocked in at under 300 calories and under 5 grams of fat. nice.

FitSugar's Favorite Recipes of 2009

FitSugar — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 05:48:27 -0800

We've had a lot of fun cooking healthy, delicious recipes this year. Especially since the biggest reward is being able to taste our results! In case you missed them the first time around, here are some of our favorite dishes of the year, and we've got your whole day covered from breakfast to dinner and everything in between.

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Healthy Recipe: Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Walnuts

FitSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:50:57 -0800

One vegetable delight of Autumn is the Brussels sprout. These small leafy balls are packed with fiber as well as taste, and they deserve a place at your Thanksgiving table.

My favorite method of cooking Brussels sprouts is to roast them. It's a simple preparation, but I have added nuts, balsamic vinegar, and cheese to fancy up the dish. While I have often had Brussels sprouts with bacon or pancetta, adding walnut imbues them with a meaty flavor while providing some healthy fats not found in bacon. This recipe is simple to make and is a crowd-pleaser for all ages - my 4-year-old ate three helpings!

Check out the recipe when you read more.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Walnuts
Modified from Recipezaar

Ingredients

1 stalk of Brussels sprouts (or about two pounds of sprouts)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesean cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Take Brussels sprouts off the stem, wash, and rip off outside leaves.
Chop sprouts until they are a uniform size, leaving the small ones whole and possibly cutting the larger ones into eighths.
Boil Brussels sprouts for 5 minutes. Pat dry.
Place Brussels sprouts in roasting pan and pour in olive oil and vinegar and stir until sprouts are coated well. Salt and pepper to taste.
Roast for 20 minutes, stirring Brussels sprouts to ensure even roasting. After 20 minutes, add chopped walnuts and roast for 5 more minutes or until walnuts are browned.
Sprinkle roasted sprouts with cheese and serve warm.

Serves 6.

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Dishes on the Side

jennifer76 — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 07:28:59 -0700

I'm wondering what some of your favorite side dishes are. I get a little tired of steamed veggies and salads all the time.

To start it off, here's one of our favorites. I take extra firm tofu and cube it into 1/2 squares, then toss with soy sauce (shoyu for Sica) and crushed ginger. I let it sit for about 10 minutes or so before dinner to let the flavor soak in. SO tasty, very easy and quite healthy.

I'd love to hear what you all make!

Saffron Risotto with Sausage and Kale

pretzels — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 14:58:56 -0800

This is the recipe from my friends Matt and Melissa who wrote "The Italian Farmer's Table" --one of the best cookbooks I have seen in...forever! Here's the recipe. I made it last night and it turned out so well. I had been trying to figure out what to do with all this saffron my cousin gave me. Here is the perfect recipe. Enjoy! --Pretzels

Saffron Risotto with Sausage and Kale

Risotto allo Zafferano con Salsiccia e Cavolo Nero

The combination of saffron and risotto was fashioned in Lombardy, and the region’s most recognized rice dish, risotto alla Milanese, uses the spice judiciously for both color
and flavor. This risotto adds saffron threads to the classic pairing of sausage and leafy kale for a great fall first course.

1 quart (32. fl. oz. / 960 ml) homemade chicken broth (see page xi) or canned low- sodium broth
1 large pinch saffron threads
2 tablespoons (1 fl. oz. / 30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil 1 yellow onion, cut into small dice
½ pound (225 g) sweet Italian sausage, casing removed and crumbled 1 cup (8 fl. oz. / 240 ml) full-bodied red wine
1 bunch kale, cut into 1-inch ribbons, plus more for garnish 2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup (8 fl. oz. / 240 ml) white wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 3 tablespoons (1 ½ oz. / 45 g) unsalted butter

¼ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Heat the chicken broth with the saffron in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Bring up to a boil, then lower the heat and keep warm.

In a 12-inch straight-sided sauté pan, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt, then sauté until tender and translucent, about 7 minutes. Add
the sausage to the pan, stirring occasionally, and sauté until browned, about 5 minutes. Add ½ cup red wine to the pan and simmer until reduced to dry, about 10 minutes.

Add the kale to the pan and cook until wilted, about 10 minutes. Add the rice to the pan and toast, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the white wine and the remaining ½ cup of red wine,
bring to a boil, and reduce until dry.

Add the broth to the pan one ladle at a time, to cover the rice, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the broth has been completely absorbed by the rice. Continue to
ladle broth into the risotto in the same manner, one ladle at a time, stirring continuously, until the rice is al dente and creamy, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Stir in the butter and the grated cheese and garnish with a tablespoon of finely chopped raw kale. Serve in individual shallow bowls. Serves 4.

Smarter Eats: Give Yourself a Meat Budget

FitSugar — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 12:00:33 -0800

Whatever your reason, eating no less meat is a good thing. Beef recalls, environmental woes, and ethical concerns are enough to turn even the most Neanderthal-esque carnivore into a sprout-lovin' vegan. But for those of us that can't resist the lure of a juicy burger, luscious pork belly, or the satisfying saltiness of bacon, it's becoming harder to reconcile what we want with what's best.

As much as I want to believe that going grass fed is the solution to my problem, I know it isn't. The fact is that most of the meat in the world is factory farmed. I do my best to be a responsible eater but sometimes I hit up the local taco truck, try out a new restaurant, or go over to my BFF's house for the best ribs ever. And even though the meat I buy at home is from small farms and grass fed, I guarantee you that 75 percent of the meals I get out are made with factory-farmed meat. Yours probably are too.

To see what I'm doing to be a better meat eater, read more.

Barring becoming a vegetarian, one of the best ways to handle the whole being-a-responsible-meat-eater thing is to give yourself a weekly meat budget. Years ago I read an incredibly eye-opening piece by cookbook author Mark Bittman about the dramatic effects that cutting down on our meat consumption can have.

"If Americans were to reduce meat consumption by 20 percent it would be as if we all switched from a standard sedan - a Camry, say - to the ultra-efficient Prius."

That kind of environmental impact is a huge deal. Beyond the environment, cutting back on meat is good for your health too. I was reminded of the above article when a friend told me that he gives himself a meat budget, a strict one. He eats meat once a week, saying that it's "quality over quantity." Btitman's suggestion is to reduce our meat consumption to under a pound a week, essentially becoming flexitarians.

Even though I don't eat a lot of meat to begin with, I'm taking on this challenge of having a meat budget and I encourage you to do the same. Unlike my friend, I think I'll sprinkle my meat portion over the course of an entire week, rather than give myself one big meal to relish. I'll throw some small pieces of pancetta into a pasta or veggie dish, turn my meat serving into more of a side dish, and go full-blown vegetarian for some meals. I'm also going to try my best to always eat meat that comes from small farms. Given that I am eating way less of it, I should be able to afford the best of the best. How about you - are you up for the challenge?

Aunt Ellen's Herb Potatoes

LunaBlue — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 09:29:05 -0700

Ingredients:
-8 to 12 red potatoes
-4 tspns butter
-4 tspns minced parsley or 1 1/3 dried
-4 tspns minced chive or 1 1/3 dried

*Peel around the middle of each potatoe
*Place in a pot of cold water and add enough water to cover the potatoes by about 2 inches
*Bring to a boil until soft (about 20 minutes)
*Drain and cover to keep warm
*Melt the butter and stir in chives and parsley
*Pour mixture over potatoes and coat

Challenge # 5 Baked Sweet Potato Fries

commonsense102 — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:30:17 -0800

Okay so this is so simple and easy and a nice side dish... plus my toddler loves them.
Slice a large sweet potato into pinky-size fries, coat with a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil, set in the oven at 400 degrees and bake 35-45 minutes or until your preference of done... salt and pepper if you wish or add cumin or other seasonings pre-bake, eat plain or if you have kids... my lil loves 'em with ketchup. I think it's around a 130-140 calories per serving without condiments. Yum!

Oh I forgot to mention that I use a glass pyrex, not a metal cookie sheet andI alsi have great success with Yams!