Star Spangled Spritzer!

Star Spangled Spritzer!

Long time, no post! School and work have been keeping me busy, but I thought I would make time to post my newest cocktail creation for you all to keep in your wheelhouse for the 4th of July! This spritzer is nice and light and versatile, perfect for enjoying on any summer day whether you're poolside or partying it up at a cookout. This recipe makes 2 drinks, but the ratios can easily be increased for parties.

 

 

Ingredients
1 cup ice

1/4 cup blueberries

2 large strawberries, sliced

1 apple

8 oz. lemon-lime seltzer, plus more for soaking apple

8 oz. sweet white wine, such as Moscato

4 oz. cranberry juice (100% juice)

 

 

Directions

1. Divide ice and berries among 2 medium glasses.

 

 

2. Cut apple cross-wise into thick slices to expose the star pattern at the center of each slice. Soak apple slices in seltzer to prevent browning.

3. Divide the seltzer, wine, and cranberry juice between the two glasses. Garnish each glass with an apple slice. Enjoy!

 

  

Lentil & Ham Soup

Lentil & Ham Soup

 

I recently received a request from a friend who was looking for a recipe for a soup that is high in protein. After I took my accounting final today (which I think I got an A on!), I scoured my cabinets for ingredients I could use to whip something up. I came across some lentils and chicken broth in my pantry, and as luck would have it, I had pulled some Easter ham from the freezer a few days ago to thaw in the refrigerator. Added a few veggies I had in the fridge, and voila - a super simple soup, packed with protein and fiber*! This recipe serves 4 and takes about 45 minutes to make.

*Americans typically don't get the recommended 25g (minimum) of fiber per day, and lentils are a great way to incorporate more fiber into your diet. In fact, 1/4 cup dry lentils contain about 9g fiber and 8g protein. Nutrition is delicious!

 

Ingredients

1 cup dry lentils

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1/4 lb. cooked ham, cubed

1 small onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 cup chopped carrots

1 clove garlic, minced

32 oz. container reduced sodium chicken broth

Fresh ground black pepper

 

 

 

1. Pour lentils into a sieve and pick out any dark/discolored or shriveled lentils. Rinse and drain.

 

2. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add ham, vegetables, and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes, until fragrant.

 

 

 

3. Add lentils, broth, and black pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes, until lentils are tender and soup is slightly thickened.

 

 

 

4. Serve hot & enjoy!

 

Nutritional Information (Per serving):

Calories 270, Fat 5g, Sat. Fat 0.5g, Trans Fat 0g, Cholesterol 20mg, Sodium 870mg, Total Carbohydrate 34g, Fiber 12g, Sugars 6g, Protein 22g, Vitamin A 100% DV, Vitamin C 8% DV, Calcium 4% DV, Iron 30% DV

Lean Bean Protein Brownie Bites

Lean Bean Protein Brownie Bites

 

If you're a health-conscious chocoholic like me, you're always looking for ways to make sweet treats a little bit better for you! Talk to any dietitian, and they'll say there's always room for treats in moderation. This recipe was developed by my wonderful dietitian colleagues, but I've adapted it slightly to be a tad more chocolaty. Black beans provide the starch for this recipe, so there is no flour needed; and rinsing the beans reduces their sodium content by 36%! These brownies also have a hint of coffee flavor and are made with a scoop of chocolate protein powder for structure. Bonus: This recipe is GLUTEN FREE! This recipe makes 30 perfectly portioned brownie bites and takes about 40 minutes to make.

 

Ingredients:

Giant Eagle nonstick cooking spray
15.5 oz can Giant Eagle black beans, drained and rinsed
3 eggs
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 tsp. Giant Eagle vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. Giant Eagle instant coffee granules
1/4 cup Nature's Basket chocolate whey or soy protein powder
3/4 cup chocolate chips, divided

 

 

 

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Coat an 8x8" glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place black beans, eggs, oil, and vanilla in a food processor and process until smooth.

 

 

 

3. Pour black bean mixtures into a large mixing bowl. Stir in sugar, cocoa, salt, coffee, protein powder, and 1/2 cup chocolate chips.

 

 

4. Pour batter into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with remaining chocolate chips.

 

 

 

 

 

5. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the center is set. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before cutting into 1x1" bites.

 

 

 

Yes, dietitians can be chocoholics too - check out my mug below! All in good fun, of course ;-)

 

 

Nutritional Information (Per "bite"):

Calories 70, Fat 3g, Sat. Fat 1.5g, Trans Fat 0g, Cholesterol 20mg, Sodium 40mg, Total Carbohydrate 9g, Fiber 1g, Sugars 7g, Protein 2g, Vitamin A 0%, Vitamin C 0%, Calcium 0%, Iron 2%

Cinnamon Raisin Irish Soda Muffins

Cinnamon Raisin Irish Soda Muffins

 

This St. Patrick's Day, we celebrated a Penguins win against the Bruins with a special Irish treat! I found this recipe on the Kids Eat Right website, and added some cinnamon for good measure. These muffins are easy to make and great for any day of the year. This recipe makes 24 muffins and takes about 30 minutes to make.

 

Ingredients:

Cooking spray
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
6 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter
1-1/2 cups raisins
1/3 cup egg substitute
1-1/2 cups buttermilk*

 

*I didn't have any buttermilk on hand, so I used 1-1/2 cups low fat milk mixed with 1-1/2 Tbsp. white vinegar. A rule of thumb here is to mix in 1 Tbsp. vinegar for every 1 cup milk and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Works like a charm and you can't tell the difference!

 

 

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease 2 regular 12 cup muffin tins with cooking spray. Mix the flours, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda until well combined. Using a pastry blender or 2 forks, cut in the butter until tiny bits of butter are blended throughout the dry ingredients. Stir in the raisins.

2. Mix together egg substitute and buttermilk in a liquid measuring cup. Stir liquid into dry ingredients and stir until just combined; do not over-mix!

 

3. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 6-8 times (the dough is very sticky so flour your hands before kneading). Use a large spoon to drop batter evenly into the prepared muffin tins.

4. Bake 15-17 minutes, until golden brown. 

4. Remove muffins from the tins and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm with a glass of low fat milk! I may have to start making a baked treat to celebrate every Pens win - Matt loved these muffins!

 

Gingerbread & Banana Bulgur Cereal

 

Gingerbread & Banana Bulgur Cereal

Happy Birthday to me! My wonderful friends/colleagues Jacqui & Julia surprised me with a bag full of delicous confections from Trader Joe's yesterday - including my favorite... cookie butter! Since I took a vacation day for my birthday, I decided to make a quick breakfast using the cookie butter (which imparts a gingerbread flavor) and some other things I had around the kitchen. Bulgur wheat is a delicious whole grain with 5g protein and 7g fiber for just 1/4 cup (uncooked), which will help you power through your morning! This recipe serves 2 and takes only 15 minutes to make.

 

Ingredients:

3/4 cup water
1 cup lowfat or skim milk
3/4 cup quick cooking bulgur wheat, such as Bob's Red Mill
1 Tbsp. Trader Joe's speculoos crunchy cookie butter (or peanut butter for a peanut butter and banana version!)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1 banana, sliced

 

 

 

1. In a medium saucepan, bring water, milk, and bulgur to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 5-8 minutes. When bulgur starts to thicken, stir in cookie butter and cinnamon. 

2. Continue to cook an additional 5 minutes or until bulgur is tender and thick like oatmeal.

3. Pour bulgur cereal into bowls and top with sliced banana. Now you're ready to tackle your day!

'Shroom and Spinach Cheese Ravioli

 

'Shroom and Spinach Cheese Ravioli

Hello and welcome to the first post in my first blog ever! I'm a registered dietitian and foodie, so creating a recipe blog seemed like a fun way to combine my love of food and my affinity for social media (and yes, I will be promoting this blog via Facebook). For my first post, I decided to create something super easy, a recipe adapted from the March issue of Rachael Ray's magazine. This recipes serves 4 and takes about 30 minutes to make. Enjoy!

 

Ingredients:
20 oz. bag frozen cheese ravioli

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
1/3 cup breadcrumbs

Fresh ground black pepper, for seasoning
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

8 oz. package white mushrooms, sliced

3 cloves garlic, chopped
10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
Grated Parmesan cheese, optional

 

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add ravioli and cook until ravioli begin to float. Reserve 1/2 cup of cooking water, then drain.

2. Meanwhile, melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in breadcrumbs and season with pepper. Toast for about 3 minutes. Transfer crumbs to a plate and wipe out the skillet.

 

 

3. Add EVOO to skillet and return to heat. Add mushrooms & season with pepper. Cook until mushrooms are golden and tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

4. Add spinach to skillet; stir in Italian seasoning, remaining butter, and reserved pasta water. I like to keep frozen spinach on hand to add to soups & sauces... yum!

5. Toss spinach mixture with cooked ravioli. Drizzle with more EVOO if needed.

6. Plate the ravioli and top with breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Voila!