Green and White Crudite Platter





An array of green and white vegetables looks stunning and guests will appreciate the

 simple crudites during this season of excess.  Dipping sauce is a balsamic vinaigrette.

During the holidays, it is hard to resist the sweets and treats our friends lovingly prepare and offer us.  Rich dinners and a general excess of foods can stress us out as our weighing scales creep up.  No fear though as sometimes the simplest of appetizers, a crudite platter, can be downright refreshing.  For the next holiday, try experimenting with a simple display as shown above.  I found a recipe for balsamic vinaigrette dipping sauce on the internet to use as a dip, but any light preparation will do. 




The beginnings....

One bunch asparagus, trimmed and steamed to crisp tender
One head white cauliflower cut into florets
One large or two small crowns broccoli, cut into florets
One piece daikon radish, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 pound sugar snap peas

Note that the only veggie that is cooked is asparagus.   Arrange vegetetables on a platter and serve plain or with a dipping sauce.

This post was first featured a couple of years ago.  Since then, we have used other veggies and dips depending on the season and what we wish to serve.  The platter below features a roasted red pepper dip blended with almonds, garlic, olive oil, and vinegar.   Veggies are fennel, endive, asparagus and cucumber.  Note that you can use a variety of veggies other than those mentioned above.  Experiment and have fun.



Picture currently being replaced.  Sorry for the inconvenience.

- Kim Fielding

That Little Something Sweet

These little gems are about a quarter the size of a regular cupcake.

The holidays at our home are celebrated with lots of family members and big dinners.  Even though their tummies might be full, it seems like everyone desires that "little something sweet" to end their meal.  With that in mind, I decided to experiment with mini-cupcakes.

Using devil's food and white cake mixes makes this an easy prep dessert.  Mini-cupcake pans are available in cooking supply stores and the papers can be found in most grocery markets.  They cook in about 14 minutes and freeze beautifully. 

The two favored flavor combinations for this Christmas included the chocolate one featured above with chocolate frosting and a chocolate covered espresso bean.  The second one was white cake with white whipped frosting and crushed lemon drop candies sprinkled on top.  Toppings can include any small candy appropriate for the holiday such as crushed candy cane, little jelly beans at Easter, fresh berries, or candy corn at Halloween. 

The lemon candies give a little crunch along with a burst of lemon flavor.

Each box of cake mix made between 48-54 cupcakes.  To freeze them, I set the unfrosted baked cupcakes on a sheet pan and put them in a freezer until solid.  After, I stored them in a ziplock bag until needed.  I used premade frosting to save time and piped it onto the cupcakes with a simple flourish.  One or two bites are all you need after a big supper.

Each mini-cupcake with 2 teaspoons frosting and a bit of candy is between 90-95 calories.

- Kim Fielding

Sweet Kale Salad Kit

With five finely chopped vegetables topped with beautiful cranberries
and pumpkin seeds, this is a perfect salad for autumn and winter.

 Costco has done it again.  They are distributing a salad that is healthy, easy to serve, and delicious.  I didn't tell my three sons what was in it and they ate every last bite.  Consisting of broccoli, Brussels sprouts, green cabbage, kale, and chicory, these raw vegetables are mild and no one may be the wiser of any vegetable they might not like.  Dried cranberries and pumpkins seeds add a nice complement to all of the greens too. The dressing that comes with the salad is poppyseed.  You can actually use any dressing you like though.


This dish easily accompanies most proteins.

According to the package, a one cup serving of this salad, dressed, offers 140 calories, 3 g protein, 70% of your RDA for vitamin C, almost 10% iron, and is low in sodium (140 mg).  It may come out to less calories though because most people find that they don't need to add but half the dressing.

- Kim Fielding

Autumn Fruit Salad

Figs, pears, apples, grapes, mango and pomegranate seeds.
All of these are fresh for the season and inexpensive because of it.

Fruits, either sliced or as a salad can complete a meal without ice cream and extra calories.  This salad was presented as dessert for one of our Healthy Living meals and it was delicious.  As we move into the winter months, citrus is a prevalent fruit along with pears and apples.  Find uncomplicated ways to use them as part of your meal and to satisfy your desire for something sweet.

Tomato Gratin

Fresh end-of-season tomatoes

September is a fun month for me.  We get to enjoy all the summer vegetables and are tickled by those fruits which are starting to appear for fall.  As an instructor for how to incorporate vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, and nuts into your diet, this is the best time to learn how to do so.

Often times, tomatoes are at their prime in September and early October before the weather starts to change here in California.  But we can soon lose sight of their preciousness when we are faced with their abundance.  Creativity is the key.

This tomato gratin wowed our Healthy Living group and is super simple to prepare.

Servings:  6 - 8
Prep and cook time:  20 minutes

4 large tomatoes, sliced
several sprigs fresh basil, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove,  minced
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Slice the tomatoes and place in a 9 x 13 oiled baking dish.  Sprinkle with the basil and season lightly with salt and pepper. 

In a skillet, warm the olive oil and sauté the garlic until just fragrant.  Add the bread crumbs and stir to combine.  Add the Parmesan and take off the heat. 

Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the tomatoes and basil and bake about 15 minutes or until the topping is browned.

This smells yummy when it comes out of the oven. 
Use a large spoon to serve.

One-sixth of the recipe offers about 162 calories, 6 grams protein, 18 grams carbohydrates, 7.5 grams fat, and 2.5 grams fiber.  Each serving provides about 20% RDA of thiamine and vitamin C and about 17% RDA of iron.  To make this vegan, simply remove the Parmesan cheese.  If you are salt sensitive, don't add the salt.

- Kim Fielding

Left-over Bread Salad

Use the freshest and crispiest vegetables for this salad.

Bread salad, otherwise known as Panzanella Salad, is well-known in the Mediterranean area.  Left-over bread is cubed and sautéed in olive oil, then tossed with vegetables and vinaigrette.  This can be served as a side salad or by itself.  As a full meal, you can add your choice of protein such as cheese or meat.  My version is quite simple, however, note the suggested optional ingredients listed if you would like to expand this. 

serves  4 - 6                                          Prep time:  20 minutes

Several cups French or sourdough bread cubes
Olive oil
8 or more large leaves Romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
2 large tomatoes, cut into large cubes
1 large cucumber, thickly sliced or cut into cubes
1 large red pepper, cut into squares
1/4 - 1/2 red onion, chopped
several large basil leaves, torn into smaller pieces
Vinaigrette to moisten salad (I use 2 parts oil to 1 part vinegar, salt and pepper)
Optional additions:
1 cup protein, such as chicken, tofu, or ham, shredded or cubed
1/2 cup eggplant, cooked and cubed
1/4 cup crumbled Feta
1/4 cup Nicoise olives
Chopped parsley

Heat olive oil in a skillet and saute bread cubes until golden.  I use just enough oil to make the bread cubes crispy and not greasy.  Set aside.

Prepare the vegetables and place in a large bowl.  Add the bread cubes. 

Toss with vinaigrette to moisten and serve.

One-quarter serving of the above salad offers over 6 grams fiber, almost 14 grams protein, close to your daily requirement for vitamin C, about half the daily requirement for iron, thiamine, selenium, and manganese, and 450 calories.  Although the salad is about 30% fat, it is mostly monounsaturated (10 g)and polyunsaturated (2-3 g) which is good. 

- Kim Fielding

Figgy Jam Appetizer



The last figs of the season.   

Late summer and early autumn is the time for ripe figs. We are very fortunate to have had two fig trees in our yard.  They were already planted when we purchased our home over 20 years ago. The boys and their friends built tree houses in the Black Mission and they were always throwing fruit at each other.  By the end of each season, good figs still on the trees was a rare treat.  And we constantly had little fig trees growing all over the yard!  Now that the kids are grown, we have really enjoyed this delicate treasure.

We lost our Calmyrna last year and alas it looks as though the Black Mission is waning.  I was determined to pick every last fruit and preserve the figs so we can enjoy them for a long while.  Sunset Publishing has a marvelous home canning guide that has several tried and true recipes.  If canning isn't your thing, buy the fig jam already made.

This appetizer has pleased many a client over the years. 


All put together. 

serves:  8                    prep time:  10 minutes

A couple pieces of good quality cheese, such as Cow Girl Creamery Red Hawk,  a creamy Gorgonzola, a triple creme brie, or a harder cheese such as Ibarra
1/4 cup fig jam
Crackers (I like Lesley Stowe's Raincoast Crisps and whole wheat mini toasts)
Dried apricots
Whole almonds and/or walnut halves

Arrange the cheeses on a platter and place a small cheese knife next to or in each piece.  Put the fig jam in a decorative bowl and serve with a small spoon or knife on the platter.  Surround the jam and cheese with crackers, apricots, and nuts.  That's it!


2-1/2 pounds of fresh figs produces about 5 pints of figgy jam. 
This recipe from Sunset's Canning Guide includes
zested orange peel and chopped walnuts for a little crunch.

- Kim Fielding

Guaco Garbanzo Salad

Have you ever ordered a chicken quesadilla with sour cream, guacamole, and salsa?  This is like that only without the cheese, tortillas, sour cream, and chicken.  My favorite part about a quesadilla has always been the condiments.

One of the great things about blogging food is that we meet really great people along the way who introduce us to even more foodies, and they are interested in even more different things than we ever conceived.  This recipe is the product of those associations.

We are blessed with an abundant garden.  For this salad we used kales, tomatoes, and basil from our plot.   A can of garbanzos, a couple of avocados, and lemons, completed the required ingredients for this recipe.  The inspiration for this is from http://www.glutenfreecat.com.  Check out the website if you are gluten-sensitive. 

Prep time:  15 minutes

Serves: 4 as a main dish, 6-8 as a side dish

2 tablespoons minced scallions or red onion

1 clove garlic

1/2 lemon, juiced

pinch of salt

handful of fresh basil or cilantro

2 avocados

1 stalk celery, minced

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

many handfuls of greens, your choice

1 cucumber, cut using a peeler or sliced into matchsticks

1 large carrot, cut using a peeler or sliced into matchsticks

several tomatoes, bite-size pieces

vinaigrette dressing or balsamic vinegar

In a blender or processor, mix together onion, garlic, lemon, salt, and 1/2 handful herb of choice.  Add one whole avocado and mix until almost smooth.

Finely chop the second avocado and add it to a bowl along with the ingredients from the blender.  Add in celery and garbanzos and gently stir to combine.

On a platter or wide bowl, place greens, cucumber, carrot, and tomatoes.  Drizzle with vinaigrette or just with balsamic vinegar as the original recipe suggests.

Our greens consisted of fresh lacinto kale, cucumber, and carrots

I like to use a mix of tomatoes and here we have cherry, grape, and roma tomatoes.

Top with avocado-garbanzo mixture and sprinkle with more herbs if desired.

Dive in!

Each serving, assuming four per recipe, offers less than 350 calories, 12 grams fiber (!), almost 9 g protein, your full compliment of most vitamins, and several minerals.  Potassium in this recipe reaches to 85% of your daily allowance.  Zinc and vitamin E are close behind.  Wow. 

- Kim Fielding

White Beans with Roasted Tomatoes and Fresh Basil

Using cooked white beans from a post in March, we liven them up for yet another meal!

When you prepare a one-pound bag of dried beans, get ready for left-overs.  This version using white beans is delicious.  Pair this recipe with grilled meats or by themselves with a big greens salad for a vegan meal.  The beans are my variation of a terrific recipe found on epicurious.com from Gourmet Magazine, June 2004.

Prep time:  10 minutes                                         Cook time:  45 minutes
Serves:  6

One-half recipe of Basic White Beans, cooked, using our blog recipe from March 2013
1 basket small tomatoes, sliced in half
Several Roma tomatoes, sliced in half or quarters if large
Olive oil
Sugar
Salt and pepper
Fresh basil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place tomatoes cut-side up on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil to coat the pan and the vegetables.  I like to use my hands to make sure each tomato is oiled and the pan is too.  Sprinkle tomatoes with sugar, salt and pepper.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Remove the smaller tomatoes to a plate and reserve.  Add more olive oil to pan if it looks like it is dry (be generous) and make sure larger tomatoes aren't sticking.

Rotate pan and bake another 20 minutes or until tomatoes are softened and glazed.

Cut larger tomato pieces into bite-size pieces and add all cooked tomatoes to the cooked beans.  Scrape oil and tomato drippings from pan into beans.  If there are burned bits, avoid adding them to the mix.  Slice 1/4 cup basil leaves into slivers and add to the bean/tomato mixture.  Save some leaves to serve on top.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Nutrition from this dish is awesome:  Each 1/2-cup serving offers 11 grams fiber, 9 grams protein, 33% of your daily requirement for iron, and only 180 calories. 

- Kim Fielding

A Summer Meal (1)

The grilled pineapple, grilled zucchini, and tomato salad have been featured previously.  Add the proteins and grain and voila!  A meal fit for a king, or at least my family of men.

Pork tenderloin is a lean and mean protein.  We don't have to worry so much about trichinosis like our parents did and these days we can cook pork to medium rare without concern.  Lightly seasoned with salt, pepper, and a little garlic powder, grill until done. Using the same grill, cook the side dishes except the quinoa.  (It would slip through the grill - Ha!).

The quinoa was cooked over the stove according to package directions. In the meantime, heat a little olive oil and butter and saute carrots, onions/shallots, and garlic until softened.  Add the quinoa to the mix and blend well.

I typically use 1 whole carrot, 2 shallots or 1/2 of one whole onion, and a clove or two of garlic.  All are chopped finely.  Chopped parsley is a delicious addition as is a hint of salt and pepper.

Four ounces of grilled pork tenderloin, 1/4 cup quinoa salad, grilled zucchini and pineapple, and a serving of tomato salad offers less than 550 calories assuming you eat everything.  The great news is that the pork and quinoa offer almost 900 mg potassium!

Potassium is essential for helping nerves and muscles function properly (and help with cramping), lower risk of high blood pressure, and ensure metabolic balance with electrolytes and pH.

- Kim Fielding

Grilled Pineapple

Great with pork, chicken, and whatever else you like.

With all of its natural sugars and juiciness, people are often shy to think of barbecuing pineapple.  The sugars will cause a sticky mess on the grill and juices will spark flames... The key to grilling pineapple is to spray Pam on the pineapple.  That way it doesn't stick to the grill and reduces flare-ups.  It somehow seals the fruit and what you are left with is simply tender and sweet.  A great side dish for any meal.

Serves:  4
Prep and cook time: 10 minutes

One whole pineapple, peeled and sliced 1/2-inch thick
Spray Pam

Preheat your barbecue to about 350 degrees. Lightly (!) spray Pam on both sides of the pineapple slices.  Grill about 2-3 minutes per side, turning if you like the grill marks a certain way.  That is it!

This needs no dressing.  It is delicious all by itself.

One whole pineapple offers less than 250 calories but, if you are sugar sensitive, there is a lot of sweet stuff in this fruit.  Each serving has about 65 calories, 1.7 g fiber, and is high in vitamin C and the element manganese.

- Kim Fielding

Grilled Zucchini

These cook quickly on a hot grill. Use tongs and watch them.  Done in a minute or so.

Zucchinis can take over a garden rapidly if you are not watching.  It seems that a medium-size zucchini you hope to cook for tomorrow night's dinner can grow to enormous size within a day or so. How do you vary all the ways to cook a summer squash?  One way is to stick it on the barbecue grill along with cooking whatever else you are having for dinner that night.  There are other ways of course and recipes will follow.

Serves:  4
Prep and cook time: 10 minutes

One large or two medium zucchini
Olive oil
Vinegar
Salt and pepper

Fresh cut, about 1/4 or 1/3-inch each.

Sprinkle oil, vinegar, salt and pepper over.  Toss with your hands.

To a preheated grill, add the zucchini slices.  Using tongs, turn each piece after 1 minute. These cook quickly so be careful not to let them burn.  All cooking times are approximate as all barbecue grills have their individual quirks.

My parents like to sprinkle Parmesan cheese on theirs.  Up to you!

Each serving offers 32 calories. Most fats are monounsaturated.

- Kim Fielding

Cherry Tomato Salad

Vibrant colors, fresh produce, and a lively vinaigrette.
 This salad goes with any meal.

Cheery cherry tomatoes flourish in our gardens throughout the summer.  Because they are easy to grow, it seems everyone has a plant in their backyard this time of year.  Today's salad features simple preparation and presentation.  Using mixed color tomatoes or just a red variety is your choice.

Serves:  4
Prep time:   15 minutes

1 generous cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 recipe vinaigrette
1/4 cup torn basil leaves
Lettuces:  romaine, butter, green or red leaf, baby kales

Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoon light olive oil or canola oil, or one tablespoon of each
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste, approximately one pinch salt and two or three grinds of pepper
 

Try to make pieces the same size.  Larger tomatoes may be cut into thirds.

Wash and blot dry all produce.  Cut cherry tomatoes for the salad.  Prepare the vinaigrette.

Basic vinaigrette is a staple in European households.  No one need buy dressing when this is so easy to prepare.  Dressings keep in the fridge for weeks.

Whisk together vinaigrette ingredients.  Or, place ingredients in a lidded jar and shake to emulsify.  Adjust seasoning to taste.

I prefer a two parts oil to one part vinegar dressing.  However, others like a less tart vinaigrette. Add a little more oil if need be.  Be sure to season to taste.  Remember, if it needs more tart, add more acid - vinegar.  If it needs taming down, add more oil.  Once you get the hang of making dressing at home, you can experiment with added herbs and spices to customize the recipe depending on what you are serving.

Tear the lettuces and place on a platter.  Mix together cut tomatoes and torn basil.  Add half of the dressing to tomatoes to moisten and stir.  Spoon the tomato mixture over the lettuces and drizzle salad with remaining vinaigrette. A sprinkling of coarse salt and coarse ground pepper may be added if you feel it needs it.  Not necessary though.

Each serving using mixed lettuces offers 73 calories, just less than 1 g fiber and protein, and 10% of your vitamin E requirement.  If you use just kale as your lettuce, the salad offers 86 calories, 1.2 g fiber, and 1.5 g protein.

Baby kales are now available in pre-washed packages at Trader Joes.  Because they are so young and tender, they don't have the strong earthy or bitter taste that some people are turned off by.  Try these.  They are a super food.

Lettuces in the above salad feature heirloom butter lettuce, kale, and romaine from our garden.  Lettuces are prolific garden specimens.  Several adult plants each will keep you in leaves for at least a few weeks. Trim lettuces for eating from the base of the stem and work upward as the plants grow.

- Kim Fielding

Farro Salad

The farro is lightly seasoned with chicken broth and is slightly creamy.

Several years ago I was lucky to have lunch at a delicious Italian restaurant in downtown Palo Alto which, sadly, is no longer in business.  This salad was on the menu and I have never forgotten it.  The original salad was served over tender mache, but any fresh soft lettuces will do.  The above mix features a variety of heirloom leaves.  Vibrant tomatoes add a wonderful contrast to the soft farro.

Serves:  4
Prep and cook time:  30 minutes

1 cup water, plus extra if needed
1/2 teaspoon chicken broth paste
1/3 cup farro
Lettuces
Vinaigrette - two parts extra virgin olive oil, one part vinegar, salt and pepper to taste (adjust amounts as needed per your preference).
Tomatoes

Thank you Costco for providing this otherwise expensive grain.

Mix together the chicken broth paste and water and bring to a boil.  Add the farro and cook according to package directions, stirring often, about 20 minutes or until farro is tender.  Add more water to keep the farro moist if needed.

I prefer this brand to old-fashioned boullion cubes becuase it doesn't contain MSG and has reduced sodium.

Prepare a light vinaigrette.  Place washed lettuces on a plate.  Add farro to the salad and put tomatoes around the farro.  Drizzle with vainaigrette and serve.

The salad offers around 215 calories, over 6 g protein, almost a full daily dose of manganese, and about 170 mg potassium.

- Kim Fielding

Shredded Salad to accompany Asian Sliders

Lightly dressed and full of flavor.

This simple salad is perfect with the Asian sliders.  Crunchy cabbage and carrots are a contrast to the relatively soft mini burgers.

Serves:  4
Prep time:  15 minutes

2 cups shredded cabbage
3 shredded carrots
2 tablespoons roasted sesame seeds
a handful of torn cilantro leaves
Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
salt and pepper

Place salad ingredients in a bowl.  Mix together vinaigrette ingredients and add just enough to salad to moisten.  Serve alongside the sliders.

Each serving of salad offers between 150-165 calories (depending on how much dressing you use), 2.5 g fiber, 1 g protein, 8 g carbo, 14 g fat, and generous doses of vitamins A, B6, C, and E.  Remember that you only need to add dressing to moisten the salad.  The less you use, the less calories and fat you consume.

- Kim Fielding

Asian Sliders with Shredded Salad

Low in calories, high in nutrients, these sliders are sure to delight.

Sliders, which are cute mini-burgers, are super easy to make and eat.  Adding Asian-style ingredients, these three-bite treats are juicy and flavorful.  I usually make several extras because the boys always come back for more later in the evening or for lunch the next day.

Check our next post for the shredded salad recipe.

Serves:  4, with left-overs                                      
Prep time:  10 minutes                             Cook time:  15 minutes

1 package ground turkey, 1.25 pounds
6 scallions, trimmed and chopped
1-2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 can water chestnuts, chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
ground black pepper
1 package slider buns (12)
Fresh washed lettuces

Mix ground turkey with scallions, soy sauce, water chestnuts, garlic, and pepper in a bowl with your hands.  Don't over mix.  Form 12 evenly size balls, then flatten into patties with the centers slightly pressed in.  Spray a skillet with Pam.  Cook the patties until no longer pink flipping just once.  Don't press on the burgers or you will squeeze the juices out!

Place a patty on a bun, top with lettuces, and serve.

All cooked and ready to go.

A regular size hamburger can offer as many as 600 calories!  These little gems come in at under 150 calories each.  We didn't add any condiments because they are juicy enough without them.

Each slider offers 5 g fat, 15 g carbos, and 9 g protein with 20% of your daily requirement for iron.

- Kim Fielding

Left-Over Asparagus Couscous Pilaf

Yesterday's side dish is this day's glory!

Pilaf is traditionally a thin wheat noodle combined with rice.  Remember Rice-A-Roni?  This is a modern take on that idea:  pasta (whole grain Israeli couscous) combined with rice (in this case brown rice) and added vegetables and optional nuts.  Chicken or vegetable broth may be added as needed to moisten the mix.

Asparagus couscous is great for reinventing left-overs.  Using the asparagus couscous recipe in our previous blog, simply add cooked brown rice (perhaps another left-over?), toasted (or not) almond slices, sunflower seeds, and other vegetables as you like.  Cooked shredded carrots and zucchini, broccoli florets, and cauliflower florets, make this a multi-seasonal option.  Reheat gently and stir thoroughly to meld flavors.

Enjoy and experiment.   P.S.  Israeli couscous is the size of a small pellet.  Regular couscous is a much finer pasta.

- Kim Fielding

Israeli Couscous with Asparagus

What do you do with left-over asparagus stems?

When you trim asparagus for preparation, you snap it.  In other words, you bend the stem until it snaps at the point where the tender parts meet the woody parts.  Most people toss the asparagus bottoms into the compost pile but the woody parts are still usable and yummy.  They make a delicious stock if you are venturesome.  We like to slice and saute them to be added to whatever grain we are making that day.

Prep time:  5 minutes                             Cook time:  20 minutes
Serves:  6

2 tablespoons olive oil, or 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter
1 leek or shallot, chopped finely
Asparagus stems from one bunch, sliced
3 cups whole wheat Israeli couscous, cooked according to directions
Chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water as needed to moisten
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a skillet and saute the leek or shallot for about 30 seconds.  Add the asparagus stems and cook until tender.

Add the cooked couscous to the pan.  Stir thoroughly then season with salt and pepper to taste.  Moisture can be added at this point but it usually isn't needed.

An easy one-pot side dish.  Add cubed tofu to make this a meal.

That's it.  I sure love easy to prepare dishes! 

Calories and nutrition for asparagus couscous: 1/2 generous cup serving offers approximately 135 calories, 3-1/2 grams protein, and almost 2 grams fiber.  This recipe rocks with a full complement of selenium (for your eyes and metabolism) and about 10% RDA for iron.

Selenium is found in grains, nuts (Brazil nuts big time), freshwater fish, lean beef and poultry.  As a micro-element, it is only needed in small quantities for our daily functioning.

- Kim Fielding

Not Corny Beef Brisket

Moist and tender, this is delicious!

Corned beef was devised hundreds of years ago to preserve meats by salt-curing.  Not everyone is a fan of corned beef though.  For that reason, I have interpreted a recipe that Tyler Florence published in Epicurious.com that is much lower in salt and fat and is very easy to put together. 

Prep time:  25 minutes          Cook time:  3-4 hours or until tender
Serves:  8

One 3-1/2 to 4 pound beef brisket
4 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 carrots, peeled and cut into coins
3 stalks celery, sliced
1 large red onion, quartered
2 cans diced tomatoes
3 bay leaves
handful of chopped parsley
2 cups dry red wine

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Approximately one pound of fat was trimmed from this brisket.

Much better!

Trim most of the fat off of the brisket.  Season lightly with salt and pepper and set aside.

Mash together garlic cloves, salt, and rosemary.  Mix together with 2 tablespoons olive oil and set aside.  Prepare the vegetables and measure out the rest of the ingredients.

In a roasting pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil on the stove top.  Add the seasoned beef and brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side.

Drizzle the garlic, salt, and rosemary slurry over the top of the meat.  Tuck the vegetables around the meat.  Top with diced tomatoes, herbs, and red wine.

Very fragrant and colorful. 

Cover the pan tightly with foil and set in the preheated oven.  Every hour or so, baste with the juices and reseal.

When the meat is tender, slice against the grain and serve with cooked vegetables.

By itself, 4 ounces of beef offers about 210 calories, a full day's worth of vitamin B-12 and about 80% of your required zinc.  Add carrots, celery, tomato, onion, and cooking broth to your plate and the calories top out at approximately 350.  This is delicious served with crusty peasant bread and a tossed green salad.

Zinc is involved in numerous aspects of cellular metabolism and one of the best sources is lean beef.  Zinc is important for catalyzing enzymes in our bodies, wound healing, immune system support, to name a few.  Zinc is not stored in our bodies so a regular daily intake of this mineral is required.  Thankfully it is found in many of our commonly eaten foods.

- Kim Fielding