Recipe Alert – Apricot Chicken!
By popular demand, here is a recipe for what is quite possibly one of the best chicken recipes ever. Really. Kids and grown-ups both love it, it looks fancy and you can fix it in less than half an hour. Try it and tell me if I’m not right!
Here’s the recipe:
Apricot Chicken
Add comment March 10, 2010
And Now For Something Completely Different…
…A restaurant review. As my clients know, I firmly believe that if you are eating healthfully and exercising as a general rule then you can indulge in your favorites occasionally. And as any busy parent knows, having a go to place for a casual meal or take-out is a necessity. Besides, I like to give shout-outs to local businesses that everyone should know about.
On that note, let me share with you a pleasantly unexpected find. If you are not in the Baltimore area, I apologize for getting all local, but if you are ever in North Baltimore and looking for a quick yet upscale meal then you should definitely consider Banksy’s Cafe. It is located in the Lake Falls Village (also home to The Ivy bookstore, Sushi Hana, etc.). My husband and I happened upon it when we were on our way to the train station this past weekend and were looking for something to bring for dinner on the train on the way to New York City. The owner, Robb Banks, patiently and enthusiastically gave us the rundown of the menu while we indecisively hemmed and hawed (you order at the counter and they make your food to order). He made particular mention that the chicken was oven-fried and that the macaroni salad was light on the mayo. He is purposely offering healthier options which I, of course, just love. And no, I had not mentioned that I am a nutritionist!
My husband was torn between the “fried” chicken and a sandwich. Robb offered to debone one the pieces of chicken and make a Chik-fil-A type sandwich for him, which my husband could not resist. Upon eating this improvised creation, my husband said it was the best sandwich he had ever had and is going to suggest that it become a regular feature on the menu. My turkey, chutney and Muenster cheese grilled sandwich was also quite delicious and I particularly loved the pickled-ish cabbage slaw on the side. In addition to sandwiches, Banksy’s has a full case of Naron chocolates, locally made caramels, scrumptious-looking baked goods, etc.
The best part? When we mentioned that we were getting food for the train ride to NYC, Robb not only suggested a restaurant there that has great strawberry cheese pie, but he ran and got the restaurant’s cookbook from the kitchen to show us where it is. I get the feeling that the food at Banksy’s is made much the same way I do at home: recipes taken from favorite cookbooks, experimenting with things that look good and giving them a try on the menu.
Between the warmth of the owner, the quality of the food, the stylishly decorated and immaculate space, not to mention that it is a locally owned restaurant and not part of a huge chain (always a plus in my book!) I certainly plan to return with my family. Now if only they would open a location within walking distance of my house…
Where: Banksy’s Cafe, Lake Falls Village Shopping Center, 60800 Falls Rd, Baltimore, MD 21209. 410-377-4444.
Add comment March 9, 2010
Weeknight Dinner: Super-Quick and Super-Yummy!
It has been a while since I posted a recipe. Honestly, I have been so busy lately that family meals have been hasty, last minute affairs and I have not been experimenting much. Because I have been so busy, I have been stocking up on quick-cooking cuts of meat at the store and putting them in the freezer – boneless & skinless chicken breasts, pork tenderloin, fish fillets, etc.
One of my favorite methods of cooking pork tenderloin is to roast it at high heat and then top with a sauce, serve some rice or bread and some veggies or salad on the side. The sauce I made this week could not be more simple or more tasty – and the kids loved it, too. I had dinner on the table in less than 1/2 hour, everyone loved the meal and it was nutritious. What more can you ask for?!
Enjoy this recipe for Jammy Pork Tenderloin.
Add comment March 3, 2010
What Do Olympians Really Eat?
I loved those ads for McDonalds that ran during the Winter Olympics that showed smiling Olympians chowing down on Big Macs. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy an occasional trip to the Golden Arches as much as the next person. But athletes eating fast food in the Olympic Village before competition - really? Really?!
Just as we all suspected, according to an article by Scott Hume in Restaurants & Institutions, what they are serving at the US Olympic Training Center is more in line with what athletes need to stay at the top of their game. Lean protein, including seafood, lots of fresh produce and everything is labeled with nutrition information, which is provided by the 4 dietitians on staff.
This is my favorite quote from the article: “You can build ski slopes and bobsled runs or put all kinds of training into play, but without good nutrition there’s no Olympic medal.” That’s the truth!
Add comment March 1, 2010
Product Review: Trader Joe’s Mango, Red Quinoa and Chicken Salad
Here’s something new for the blog: product reviews!
While I was at Trader Joe’s today I decided to pick up something for lunch. After perusing the case of ready-made foods I decided on the Mango, Red Quinoa and Chicken Salad. Quinoa is one of those foods that I always intend to eat more of, but never quite get around to doing so. According to Wikipedia, quinoa is a grain-like food that originated in South America that you cook similarly to rice. What is different about quinoa is that unlike rice, it is very high in protein.
Here’s what you get: a plastic bowl with a good amount of baby spinach leaves in it, pieces of yellow curry chicken breast, chopped red onion sprinkled with a good bit of quinoa. You also get a separate container of chopped fresh mango and another container of coconut chili dressing. I tossed in the mango and the dressing and got eating. Everything was very fresh. It had a Thai flavor to it and the dressing was quite spicy, which I liked. It reminded me of Thai coconut curry. The quinoa was really good on the salad, adding some crunch without any particular taste, which was a good thing since the mango and dressing had a lot of flavor. Definitely a winner.
Nutritionally, this salad is also a winner. 240 calories, 19g protein, 10g fat and lots of Vitamins A & C, calcium and iron. When paired with a navel orange and a handful of whole-grain crackers, it kept me feeling full all afternoon. This salad is a great choice if you are looking for a quick, tasty and healthy lunch.
Add comment February 24, 2010
Childhood Obesity Linked to Early Death
A recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine leaves little room for doubt that childhood obesity leads to premature death and reduced quality of life. Just in case the social stigma and negative body image that accompany obesity in childhood weren’t bad enough, we now learn that childhood obesity carries with it a very good chance of leading a shortened life. Premature death is defined as dying before age 55. Not only is the chance of an early death more likely, but the diseases that cause this early death are generally long, drawn out and debilitating. Diabetes, which is extremely prevalent in obese people, leads to loss of limbs, loss of eyesight, osteoarthritis which can impair mobility and kidney disease which can lead to a need for hemodialysis.
With many people now waiting until later in life to have children, dying before age 55 could leave entire generations without one or both parents very early in life. And this is not an abstract threat – with so many children currently overweight or obese, just imagine how this could affect future generations.
What can a parent do? First, if your child is not overweight or obese it is important to prevent this from happening. However, as parents know, it can be a fine line between encouraging healthy eating and exercising habits and causing disordered eating. The key is to help your children have a healthy relationship with food from the start and to listen to his/her body. If your child is already obese, it is important to help them get back on a healthy growth curve. If you feel like you don’t know where to start, try this book from Ellyn Satter. If you feel like you need individual help or things have gotten out of control, get help from a nutrition professional, a Registered Dietitian who specializes in child and family nutrition.
The good news is that so much attention is being drawn to this issue which is causing lots of positive change. For example, Michelle Obama has launched an initiative to fight childhood obesity. Fast food restaurants now consistently offer healthier options for kids meals, including apples and low fat milk. Schools that once cut out recess and physical education in the interest of increasing test scores are reintroducing these subjects back into their curriculum. If the momentum continues I think we can look forward to even more changes to make it easier for parents and children to reach a healthy weight.
Add comment February 22, 2010
Walmart food
I read a fascinating article today about how Walmart may be the best place to buy locally grown fresh produce. Yes, Walmart. According to an article in the Atlantic, “The Great Grocery Smackdown” by Corby Kummer, Walmart has a new initiative to purchase food from farms within a day’s drive from one of their warehouses. What this means is that many smaller farms that are not owned by a gigantic agribusiness have a fighting chance of staying in business because they will have a large, steady market for their food. And in a taste-test between produce purchased at Walmart and the same items purchased from Whole Foods, the Walmart food was in many instances preferred to the more expensive items from Whole Foods.
Until very recently, I refused to set foot in Walmart because of their reputation for driving small family retailers out of business and paying their employees poorly. However, the Walmart across from my gym that opens at 7 a.m. has come in handy on more than one occasion when I have forgotten something before going to work. And I grocery shopped at a Walmart on the advice of a friend and I have to admit that I was impressed with the selection of organic and “gourmet” foods.This article has caused me to give more thought to the positive role that Walmart may play in the future of small local farmers, which is an issue that I feel is important culturally, economically, gastronomically and nutritionally.
What do you think? Do you think Walmart has a role in the future of the small farmer? Do you shop at Walmart? Will this article cause you to start purchasing food there (if you don’t already)?
3 comments February 17, 2010
Snowed In!
Here in Baltimore, we are in the midst of the second blizzard in a week. My family was conveniently out of town for the first one, but now we are back and we can’t even see out the window today! Luckily we made it to the store in time to stock up (or at least stock up with what we could carry home). So what to eat during a blizzard? So far, I made 2 giant pots of split pea soup for dinner last night. Plenty for my family, neighbors and lots of left overs. I also made 3 pans of corn muffins – these go very well with the soup and freeze easily for later. The split pea soup was easy and healthy – lots of fiber from the beans and nice flavor from the addition of lean ham. You can always leave out the ham for a vegetarian soup.
Breakfast this morning was a different story. Faced with the prospect of another day snowbound together and lots of shoveling to come, I made a decadent breakfast of chocolate pancakes (thanks, Epicurious!) and bacon. The pancakes were super-delicious. They were like little chocolate cakes- what’s not to love?! I decided to forgo the chocolate sauce in the recipe and just topped them with powdered sugar. Yum!
Stay safe in the snow, keep warm and enjoy the recipe for split pea soup!
Add comment February 10, 2010
End of Dieting?
How many times have you gone on a diet only to regain the weight? Unfortunately, while they may get the weight off in the short term, diets very rarely lead to long-term maintenance of weight loss. Here’s a great article about why dieting is not the best bet for reaching and staying at a healthy weight.
Add comment February 2, 2010
Mid-Week Slump
It is the middle of the week and I am feeling uninspired to cook anything. These are the times that can make it so easy to call out for pizza or load everyone up to go out for something quick. Unfortunately, too many of these weeknight “outs” can really add a lot of fat, sodium and calories to the diets of you and your children and not enough veggies or fruit. So what to do?
I always try to keep in my freezer the things to make chicken pot pie. I buy bags of frozen chicken breasts and frozen peas & carrots. I usually have baby carrots in the fridge and onions and garlic always on hand. If I happen to not have fresh garlic, I use powder. If I have no onions, no biggie. The nice thing about chicken pot pie is that you can add whatever you like and leave out what you don’t.
I top mine with a biscuit crust and usually use a little less butter than my drop biscuit recipe calls for. I planned to measure out my ingredients and write out the exact recipe here, but I realize that it changes a bit depending on what I have. So here are the basic steps for a mid-week chicken pot pie. Feel free to embellish as you like and please add your suggestions in the comments!
A Vague Recipe for Midweek Chicken Pot Pie
- 4-5 chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1/2 bag frozen peas
- 1/2 bag frozen corn
- Chopped carrots, about 1 1/2 cups
- 1 chopped onion
- 1-2 pressed cloves of garlic
- Several cups of chicken broth
- Several tablespoons corn starch
- Salt & pepper to taste
- About 1 tsp dried thyme
- Your favorite recipe for drop biscuits
Cook the onion until slightly brown in dutch oven on stove. Add garlic and cook about 30 seconds more. Add the chicken cubes, then the veggies. Add broth until you feel like you have the amount of gravy you want. Season with thyme, salt & pepper. Cook on stove top for 15-20 minutes. Add more broth as necessary. Remove about 1/2 cup of the broth, add a couple tablespoons corn starch, whisk until smooth. Stir this mixture back into the stew and cook for a minutes, stirring. If the gravy is not thick enough, repeat this procedure until it is. Mix up your biscuit mix, pour this on top of the stew. Bake the whole thing in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until biscuits are golden on top. Yum!
Add comment January 21, 2010
