Starfruit or Carambola

Slightly sweet, slightly tart, and with a hint of flowers
make these beautiful fruits a delight.

The first time I ever saw a carambola fruit was in Hawaii.  Our hotel had a huge tropical fruit display in their breakfast buffet and this was a featured item.  The unique star shape provides a "wow" factor and makes this a fun addition to any party platter. 

I found starfruit last week at Safeway.  They weren't cheap at $3.99 per, but the fruits were large and one easily served my family.

Simply wash and thinly slice.  The skin is edible.

A 3-1/2 inch fruit has about 27 calories and 2-1/2 g of fiber.

- Kim Fielding

Smashed Potatoes

Smashed and seasoned red, white, and blue new
potatoes are a fun variation on an old favorite.

Smashed potatoes are super simple.  Depending on the size of the potatoes, figure out how many potatoes per person you will need.  Wash the potatoes, then boil them whole until tender. 

Place them on a baking sheet and start smashing.  I use a water glass.

Brush the smashed potatoes with a little olive oil and season with sea salt and pepper.  If you like, you may also add herbs, garlic, and/or onions.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes or until slightly crisp.  Serve. 

Calories per serving is approximately 250 with 5 g fiber, 6 g protein, and a healthy dose of vitamins B6, C, and elemental copper.

- Kim Fielding

Black Bean Salad

Simple to prepare, this colorful side salad boasts a refreshing
lime and cumin vinaigrette.

With dreary gray weather outside, I was wishing for something lively on my dinner plate.  Black beans accomodate cilantro nicely with a cumin and lime vinaigrette in this Mexican style side dish.  We served this as a side dish to turkey burgers with green chiles and cheddar and a Caesar salad.

serves: 6                    prep time:  15 minutes

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup red pepper, chopped
1/4 cup corn (frozen is fine)
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons green onions or red onion, finely chopped

Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 small clove garlic, minced (or a dash of garlic powder)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium bowl, add the beans, pepper, corn, cilantro, and onion.  Mix together the dressing ingredients and taste to see if it needs more seasoning.  Add just enough to moisten the salad. 

This salad is ideal prepared in advance to give the flavors a chance to meld.  One can always add more peppers (try yellow and orange too), corn, and onion depending on your personal likes.  I packed this for hubby's lunch the other day and the dish came back empty.  Hmmm, left-overs must be good!

Calories per serving are about 140.  This dish is high in protein and high in good fats.  Also high in fiber at almost 5 g per serving.

-Kim Fielding

Beet Medley

Roasted beets provide a colorful compliment to meat dishes.
They have a robust earthy yet sweet flavor.

The cold winter season showcases lots of root vegetables which can sometimes get tiresome to cook.  That is why we need to constantly come up with new yet easy ways to prepare and serve them.  The dark red and golden beets, along with the creamy parsnips in this version, are cooked to tenderness and seasoned.  I served these alongside roast pork tenderloin with steamed cauliflower and a large green salad.

serves:  4                    prep time:  15 minutes

4 small red beets, peeled and ends trimmed

2 large golden beets, peeled and trimmed

2 large parsnips, peeled

olive oil

salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Cut the beets and parsnips into uniform size cubes.  Toss with olive oil to moisten and season with salt and pepper.

Cook the beets, stirring once, until tender, about 20 minutes total.  The parsnips will be softer than the beets but we like them like that.  If you wish for the veggies to have all the same texture, remove the parsnips about 7 minutes before the beets or substitute rutabaga or turnip instead.

One serving offers a whopping 8 grams fiber, about 150 calories, and a generous portion of manganese which is important for antioxidant activity, metabolic support, and wound healing.

- Kim Fielding

Sauteed Cod with Colorful Seasonal Vegetables

Gently sauteed fresh cod is surrounded by a light parmesan broth,
seasonal Brussels sprouts, watermelon radish, parsnips, and turnips

Last week I was treated to a fabulous brunch at the Mayfield Bakery and Cafe in Palo Alto.  Bustling with activity, happy patrons chatted away and a very efficient wait staff never missed a request.  The menu features seasonal foods and is changed every two weeks.  I ordered an egg scramble surrounded by parmesan broth and locally grown produce.  It was amazing and the inspiration for this supper.

serves:  4                prep and cook time:  30 minutes

1 large watermelon radish, scrubbed and cut into cubes
1 parsnip, peeled and cut into cubes

1 turnip, scrubbed and cut into cubes

Olive oil
12 Brussels sprouts, trimmed
4 4-ounce cod fillets
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese



Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Place the cut radish, parsnip, and turnip on a roasting pan and toss with a small amount of olive oil.  Bake for 8-10 minutes or until they are crisp tender.  Remove from the oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, steam the Brussels sprouts for about 6 minutes or until barely tender and bright green in color.  Drain and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large skillet.  Add the cod fillets and season with salt and pepper.  Cook for about 4 minutes and turn over.  Cook for another several minutes until cooked through.  Remove to a plate and keep warm.

 
In the same skillet, add the vegetable broth and bring to a simmer.  Add the roasted vegetables, steamed Brussels sprouts, and the finely grated Parmesan cheese and heat through for a minute or two. 

To serve, place a warm cod fillet in a bowl.  Surround with the heated vegetables and top with the broth.  A side green salad and thick toasted crouton accompany this dish nicely.

The salad is composed of Romaine lettuce, avocado, and currants
with a light vinaigrette. 
Thick baguette slice is simply toasted in a broiler.

Calories for the sauteed cod and seasonal vegetables are about 475 and includes 5 grams fiber.

- Kim Fielding

Kale soup with white beans

Interesting enough this soup turned out to be favorite among the teenagers visiting my home.

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 red or orange bell pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cups of vegetable stock or water
3 red potatoes, cleaned and diced
1 12-oz can giant white beans in tomato sauce from Trader Joes
or 1 16-oz can of cannelini beans drained
1 14.5-oz can of diced tomatoes
1/2 bunch of organic kale thinly chopped after removing coarse stems
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped

Heat the olive oil and saute the onion for 5 minutes until lightly browned.  Add carrots, pepper, and garlic and cook for another 5 minutes stirring occasionally.  Add stock, potatoes, beans, tomatoes, kale, salt, pepper, and parsley.  Bring to boil and simmer for 5-10 minutes.  Turn the stove off and let the soup stand for another 10 minutes before serving.

Very colorful, quick, and tasty.

 - Dr. Mariam

Pasta with Kale and Walnuts



Whole grain pasta, kale, walnuts, a glistening of olive oil
and an optional sprinkle of finely grated Parmesan cheese.


When you cook a huge bunch of kale in season, there are usually leftovers.  Son #2 is a nut for kale and his tortoise "Zub" loves the raw trimmings.  Lucky for her (Zub), son #2 has planted three different kinds of kale in the raised organic planter beds he built in our backyard.  (You have got to check these out.  I will post pictures later).  As a project for his future career, he loves to experiment in our backyard and has planted lots of other good things that we will discuss in their season.

For today's recipe we are using left-over sauteed kale.   I think this is a sexy veggie.  It boosts everything....  well, you just feel good after eating it for a while.

serves:  6                    prep time:  20 minutes

6 ounces dried whole wheat linguine, cooked and drained
1 cup packed left-over sauteed kale (see previous blog entry)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Finely grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

While the pasta is cooking, chop the cooked kale into small pieces.  Likewise chop the walnuts into uniform chunks big enough to be picked up by a fork. 

Dump the cooked and drained pasta into a large bowl and add the kale and walnuts.  Drizzle with olive oil until moist and season to taste with salt and pepper.   Serve with optional Parmesan cheese.

As a side dish, it offers over 2 g fiber and protein, and of course it is high in essential vitamins and minerals.  I like this dish for its tasty heartiness and coming in around 100 calories per serving.

-  Kim Fielding

Sauteed Kale

Sauteed Lacinto kale

A large wooden display case was mounded high with dark leafy greens at Whole Foods this week.  For three dollars, one could buy two enormous bunches of collards, chards, and kale.  As a regular platelet donor, I can always count on my hemoglobin count to be high when I add any of these into my diet prior to giving.

Three different varieties of kale drew my attention this time.  We are partial to Lacinto (dino) kale, but they are all tasty.  Easy to prepare with a little olive oil and garlic, I like to use them as a bed for roasted fish or as a side dish with nuts added for meats.

serves:  6                    prep time:  15 minutes

1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bunch kale, washed, stems trimmed off, and chopped

In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the garlic.  Cook for about 30 seconds, then add the chopped kale.  Using tongs, saute the kale turning often until it is tender and slightly limp.  Serve warm.

Kale is a form of cabbage in the Brassica family and is a super food.  Loaded with vitamins A and C, one serving has approximately 75 calories (fitday.com).  Brassica vegetables are known for containing sulforaphane, a chemical with potent anti-cancer properties.  It is also a source of indole-3-carbinol which seems to block the growth of cancer cells as well as assist with DNA repair in cells. 

- Kim Fielding

Ground Turkey Spaghetti

This super simple spaghetti sauce recipe makes enough for
two meals.  Freeze left-overs in a zip-lock bag and defrost
 in the fridge when you need it.

This sauce provides winter comfort and a quick and filling meal for busy families on the go.  Although I added just zucchini to the basic sauce, fennel, cauliflower, chopped dark leafy greens, kohlrabi, and other vegetables may be added to enhance this recipe.  Experiment with veggies that you know and like but also challenge yourself to try new produce.

serves:  8                    prep time:  15 minutes

                                  cook time:  45 minutes

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 package ground turkey, about 1-1/4 pounds

2 cans diced tomatoes

2 cans tomato sauce

2 tablespoons dried basil

1 zucchini, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

In a stew pot, heat the olive oil and add the garlic and onion.  Cook for about 30 seconds then add the carrots and celery.  Cook about 3 minutes then add the ground turkey.  Break up the turkey with a spoon and cook with the vegetables until no longer pink.  Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, dried basil, and zucchini, and simmer 30-40 minutes stirring occasionally.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and simmer another 5 minutes.

Serve over whole grain pasta with a side green salad and baguette croutons.  One cup of cooked pasta topped with one cup (or more) sauce provides approximately 450 calories, over 20 g of protein and about 8 g fiber.  The side salad adds another 125 calories and each crouton, made with sliced baguette and brushed with garlic olive oil, has approximately 55 calories.

- Kim Fielding



Happy New Year, Eat healthy, stay healthy: give a gift to your heart.

Most everything about the holidays is about food. Sure, there are lots of family gatherings, parties with old and new acquaintances, skiing, fireplaces, flights and airports, lots of laundry, and stress, but mostly holidays are about food. As a result, statistics show that most Americans gain weight during the holidays: somewhere from 0.4 to 5 pounds. Interestingly, overweight adults tend to gain more weight than people with normal weight.

Most people don’t have the willpower to resist the temptation of familiar tastes. Sweet, sour, greasy, crunchy, chocolaty, minty, alcohol: we serve our common temptations and then can’t stop eating. Cold weather doesn’t help. People crave sugary foods when they are cold. What can be better than a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows? Not sleeping enough and feeling tired also stimulates the appetite for calorie-dense foods. Snacking on nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and dark chocolate seems like a healthy thing to do, but those also are full of calories. The worst part is the guilt feeling and the remorse. Socializing for the sake of socialization without overeating and drinking is not easy but is possible. After having some appetizers, walk around with a bottle of water, or have sparkling water in a large wine glass. And maybe it’s too late to say this—but the only way to stop after one cookie is to avoid that first cookie. A tangerine is the best way to finish a meal. Just perfect sweetness. Evenings might be cold but during the day it is beautiful and warm.  Ask a friend for a walk, a bike ride or a long hike. That will be your holiday gift to your heart.