Can you guess what item in my pantry is so versatile it works for every around-the-clock eating occasion, from breakfast, lunch and dinner, to snack party-time? Canned T0matoes. And all their forms. Diced. Petite Diced. Diced with chilies. Crushed. Whole. Sauce. Salsa. Pizza Sauce. Versatility is just part of the reason my pantry is filled with numerous canned tomato products. As a registered dietitian nutritionist, my goal is to create recipes that blend great taste with good nutrition. ...
Donuts with Perks
A donut-loving dietitian?! Yes. Absolutely. And it's even better when those decadent donuts contain health benefits. Perks like half or all whole-grain. Fiber. Extra vitamins and minerals. Fruit. Baked rather than fried. Oh sure, they all still have calories, fat and sugar. I'm not worried about that and I hope you're not either. Because you've learned to balance your choices and enjoy every bite. And maybe you've learned to "be like Jeff" when it comes to cookies, cake and donuts: always, ...
Thai Pumpkin Coconut Lentil Soup
Take a trip with your skillet to your stovetop for some global, Thai-inspired soup. The only ingredients requiring prep are the onions and garlic - some fast chopping. Other than that, this savory fruit soup - that's right, pumpkin is a fruit - needs only dumping from cans, jars and containers. My kind of soup-making. But how's this for an added perk? Filled with immune-boosting ingredients to keep you healthy and hopefully keep colds and flu at bay. Lentils offer lean protein for muscle ...
Zesty Turkey Pumpkin Chili
Canned pumpkin...accessible and versatile any time of year. Works in more than just desserts. So be adventurous and add canned pumpkin to your favorite chili. Chili?! Yes, it's easy and adds richness and even MORE nutrients. Chili is already filled with good nutrition because of the onions, garlic and canned tomatoes and beans: immune-boosting, heart-healthy and disease-fighting phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals. Canned pumpkin adds even more of those nutrients, especially vitamins A, C ...
Cooking for Cancer Prevention – Jenny, Kim and Fred
We cooked up a storm on the Red Gold Culinary Stage in the DuPont Pavilion at the Indiana State Fair! I teamed up with Jenny Anchondo, Early Morning News Anchor on Fox 59 and Fred Duncan from Little Red Door Cancer Agency to show and tell everyone about great-tasting and good-for-you ingredients that may help reduce your risk of cancer. Here’s what we made. Let us know what you think if you try them. If you love tabbouleh, you’ll love this version with quinoa rather than wheat. And if you love ...
Cool Down with No-Cook Summer Soups
Easy and refreshing, this no-cook soup is like eating an entire garden of goodness! One bowl-full is filled with disease-fighting and immunity-boosting phytonutrients along with valuable vitamins and minerals. Plus, it provides much-needed fluid during these hot summer days.Garden-in-a-Bowl Goodness highlights:*Watermelon – a lycopene leader, that’s the phytonutrients that may help reduce risk of heart disease and some cancers, including prostate cancer.*Garlic – contain allyl sulfides which may ...
Zippy, Zesty, Super-Saver Salsa
Zippy and zesty because it packs a punch of jalapeno pepper, lime and cilantro. Super-saver because it features in-season mango and strawberries. And in-season translates to “at their most budget-friendly price right now.” So it makes perfect cents to take advantage of both antioxidant and nutrient-rich fruits over the coming weeks. But instead of just enjoying them “as is” for a snack or side dish, or adding them to yogurt, smoothies and cereals, try this easy-to-make salsa. You’ll find ...
Desserts for Dad: Indulgence + Perks
Treat Dad to a homemade dessert on his special day, like Blueberry Crisp, Strawberry Shortcake or Blondies with Double Chips & Walnuts. These desserts may be indulgent, but they also offer Dad a few healthy perks, too. Fiber-rich blueberries are filled with antioxidants to boost immunity, strawberries contain powerful antioxidants for brain and heart protection plus fight cancer, and the walnuts pack a punch of plant-based omega-3 fats for heart and brain benefits. All three desserts are ...
Garden in a Bowl
What’s the next best thing to standing in a huge vegetable garden, picking ripe red tomatoes and green bell peppers and eating them right on the spot? Gazpacho (gahz-PAH-choh), the ubiquitous summer soup, that’s what. I realize it takes nearly an hour to prepare this no-cook cold soup; there’s a lot of slicing, chopping and dicing going on. But after just one bite – and knowing you’ll have a batch big enough to last several days - you’ll agree it was worth every second. All 3600 of them to be ...
Steps – and Phone Calls – Make a Difference
When it comes to losing weight or eating more healthfully, every small step adds up to make a big difference. Persistence with small steps means you'll eventually reach your goal. The same analogy applies to membership campaigns for Public Radio, my second passion behind cooking/eating/baking/reading about food. Every phone call – or online pledge – no matter how small, does contribute to the overall financial goal for the Spring Pledge Drive. Like the one going on at WJCT in ...