Shavuot +Frittata Muffins

Shavuot is coming up this weekend and with it comes some serious eats.  This Jewish holiday celebrates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.  It is customary to eat dairy foods on Shavuot for multiple reasons, making it one of my favorite holidays.  When else do I have an excuse to keep cheesecake in the house??  But don't forget to practice moderation and try to double up on veggies instead of lasagna.  

We were lucky enough to be able to share some of the holiday meals with our friends, one of which I'm co-hosting with my friend Yoni.  We decided on a Mexican theme and had a lot of fun brainstorming the menu.  One dish that I knew would make the cut were my Frittata Muffins.  I stumbled upon a recipe for egg muffins back in February on Cooking Healthy For Me and immediately adapted it to my tastes.  I swapped spinach for broccoli, cut out the bacon, and added crumbled goat cheese to really make these my own.  These muffins are packed with nutrition and good flavor.  They make an excellent breakfast on-the-go or a tasty side dish.  And because they're muffins, they're already portion controlled.  1 serving = 2 muffins.

Broccoli Cheese Frittata Muffins Yields: 12 muffins Ingredients:  1 T EVOO 1 small onion, diced 1 garlic clove, crushed 2 c frozen chopped broccoli 6 eggs 1 T milk ½ t salt ½ t pepper ½ c buttermilk baking mix 5 oz goat cheese Directions: 1.    Grease a 12 cup muffin tin 2.    Preheat oven to 350 F 3.    Sauté the onion and garlic in EVOO until translucent 4.    Add broccoli and cook until soft 5.    In a bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, salt and pepper, and buttermilk mix together. 6.    Add the broccoli onion mixture to the bowl and stir to combine 7.    Pour the egg mixture into the muffin tins until ¾ full 8.    Make more muffins if there’s extra batter 9.    Crumble a little goat cheese on each muffin 10. Bake around 25 minutes or until lightly browned

Feel free to swap in your favorite veggies or cheese if you don't have a preference for mine! What healthy dishes will you be making this Shavuot?

My Passover Experience + Baby Brezza Giveaway winner

I want to start off by thanking everyone who entered my giveaway sponsored by Baby Brezza.  This was my biggest giveaway by far with the best response!  I hope you all continue to "follow" A Slice of Nutrition even if you didn't win.  And the winner is... Nina C!! The winner has been contacted via e-mail.

The past few weeks have been pretty crazy with Passover prep.  Now that the holiday is in full swing, I feel like I can finally relax!  We were by my parents for the Seders which was very nice.  We got to spend time with my parents, grandparents, and friends and I didn't have to cook!  That's the definition of a win-win.  In the past, my husband and I have moved out for the week of Passover (usually by my in-laws) because it wasn't worth all the work that goes into making a Passover home.  This year, however, we decided to give it a shot.  It's easier for my 19 month old Lyla to sleep in her own bed and I don't have to live out of a suitcase for 8 days (another win-win!).

Besides for the ridiculous amount of cleaning (I started weeks before Passover!), I had to get new pots and pans, dish racks, cover the counters, clean out the fridge, and buy A LOT of paper goods.  I kept remembering things I would need and running to the store.  A lot goes into making Passover so kudos to everyone that does it.

One might think that since you can't eat leavened bread all week long, people might just follow a low carb diet for Passover.  Unfortunately, that is not the case for most.  Kosher for Passover cuisine tends to be heavy in matzah, matzah meal, potato starch, eggs, cheese, and oil.  We take foods that we're not allowed to eat and come up with a comparable replacement i.e. matzah pizza.  When making my menu, I tried to limit the matzah-derived mains.  Last night we had duck sauce chicken, baked potato fries, and roasted asparagus.  Tonight I'm making a crustless mushroom quiche with a side salad.  Keep in mind that you don't have to eat matzah at every meal.  Try to focus more on vegetables, fruit, low fat dairy, and lean meats and you might just avoid the "Passover bloat."

Holiday Layered Bean Dip: Recipe Redux

Bean Dip with Pita Chips

The annual latke potluck party took place on the second night of Chanukah this year.  This is the third year we have done it but the first year I am hosting.  Debbie and Aaron brought the Potato Latke ingredients, Yoni and Benjo were responsible for the salad and donuts (an absolute must!), and Brad and I were on Entrée duty- we decided on Lasagna.  Then I joined The Recipe Redux.

From the left: Brad, Benjo, Yoni, Lyla, and Debbie

Founded by Registered Dietitians, The Recipe Redux is a recipe challenge club focused on taking classic yummy dishes and enhancing the nutritional components while retaining the flavor a.k.a Recipe Makeover.  Every month there is a new theme that the group has to work with to create a delicious healthy dish.  This month’s theme is “Putting the P(ea) in Potluck” where we have to use legumes in a party-friendly dish.

I knew I would want to feature my Redux dish at the party but where do legumes fit into a Latke party?  Then it hit me- appetizer!  Part of the fun of a Latke party is making the latkes together.  Between peeling potatoes, cracking eggs, grating, and frying, there is a lot to do and it takes time.  Everyone is so hungry while the latkes are being made - wouldn’t it make sense to have something delicious to snack on while we were working?

Layered bean dips are a classic party food and since they’re typically overloaded with added fat and calories, they have a lot of potential to be Redux’d.  Here is my rendition of a classic party favorite:

A Veggie Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is definitely one of my favorite American holidays.  The table is spilling over with scrumptious dishes, family and good friends surround me, and who doesn’t love a couple days off from work?  I’d say the only thing missing from this almost-perfect holiday is a green vegetable (don’t get me started on green bean casserole).   I’m referring to real, whole, un-canned vegetable goodness.  I know a lot of people who are always struggling with the vegetable component of their meals.  This explains why I was put in charge of the vegetable side dishes for the last holiday I spent at my parents.  Vegetables are supposed to make up half of our plate as depicted in this plate:

Unfortunately, most thanksgiving meals look like this instead:

 

This holiday, let’s try to get some more nutrition on our tables!  Here are some easy recipes for yummy healthy veggies. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

 

Roasted green and white Asparagus with Dill Sauce

Ingredients: 

·   1 bunch green asparagus

·   1 bunch white asparagus

·   1 tsp garlic powder

·   salt and pepper to taste

·   extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Arrange all asparagus on baking pan and drizzle oil over them.  Then sprinkle with seasoning.  Roast for 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees.

I serve the DILL SAUCE on the side as an optional addition or you can drizzle it on top for a nice contrast to the white asparagus:

Ingredients:

·   2 T White Wine Vinegar

·   1 T Fresh Lemon Juice

·   1 T Minced Shallot

·   4 T Chopped Fresh Dill

·   1/4 tsp Kosher Salt

·   1/4 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper

·   1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Cider Cinnamon Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

·      1 T olive oil

·      2 cups brussel sprouts, halved

·      1 large apple, diced

·      1 large pear, diced

·      1 cup apple cider

·      1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

In a large pan over medium heat, heat oil. Cook brussel sprouts cut side down, flipping once, until browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Add apple and pear; cook until soft, 5 minutes. Add cider and cinnamon; simmer, stirring, until all liquid cooks away.
Credit to epicurious.com

Savory Green Bean Sauté

Ingredients:

  ·      1 T olive oil

  ·      3 cloves garlic, crushed

  ·      1 large onion, sliced

  ·      4 oz mushrooms, sliced

  ·      1 tsp garlic powder

  ·      1 tsp onion powder

  ·      salt and pepper to taste

  ·      2 lbs green beans, trimmed (I prefer pre-trimmed/washed)

  ·      2 T soy sauce

Directions:

In a large pan over medium heat, heat oil.  Sauté garlic, onion and mushrooms until light brown.  Add salt, pepper, garlic, and onion powder. 

Steam green beans separately (I put pre-trimmed green bean bag in microwave according to instructions).

Add green beans to sauté pan with soy sauce and toss with sautéed veggies.

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Eating To Fast

I recognize that fasting is meant to bring us to a higher spiritual plane and help us concentrate on what’s important about the day.  The intensity of atoning for a year of sins should make anyone forget about their hunger right?  For some perhaps, but I usually have a hard time thinking about anything else.  It’s not even that I’m in immense pain or suffering from extreme fatigue.  It’s more that I really want a slice of pizza.

This year I’ll try to approach it from a science perspective.  It takes roughly 1 month for a person to die from starvation but a only 1 week to die from dehydration.  Water is the key.  How many pre-fast dinners has your mother warned you to keep drinking water?  You just stuffed your belly with chicken, roast veggies, rice, and salad and she wants you to keep drinking? So you do and you go into the fast strong and full.  By the morning though, you feel just as hungry as usual so where did you go wrong?

True, it’s crucial to hydrate properly prior to a fast but overeating is a common mistake.  You should eat to feel satisfied and make sure to drink water the whole day before.  Overeating requires use of stored water to aid in digestion so you’re depleting your water stores before the fast even starts! 

Additionally, carbohydrates help store water so make sure your meal has a higher amount of starch than protein.  The protein will help with the first 4 hours of the fast but the carbs will help keep you hydrated into the next day.  That’s why endurance athletes “carb-load” before a marathon.  They follow a low carb diet in the days leading up to the event, than have a big pasta meal the night before.  Some even claim to be able to see their muscles expanding!

Some good meal ideas are beef and potato stew, fish with brussel sprouts and mashed potatoes, or chicken vegetable stir fry served with brown rice.  Watermelon makes a great dessert because of its water and high sugar content.  If you’re not a water person, try a sports drink (Gatorade, PowerAde) or juice to help provide fluid and extra carbs but avoid any caffeinated beverages.  You should limit the added salt but the meal doesn’t have to be bland: try fresh herbs, dried spices, or lemon juice for flavor.

 I wish you all a tolerable and meaningful fast and remember to give thanks for all the good in your lives. For more on Yom Kippur, click here.

High "Calorie" Holidays...

The High Holidays are coming up and we all look forward to our mom's homemade brisket and all the honey on challah we can eat! With all that flavor, comes all those calories so I've put together a list of some tips to help you determine what's a "go" food and what's a "whoa" food.

• Survey the entire table before you take any food. Decide what foods are worth eating and what can be ignored, and then stick to that decision. Why waste calories on foods that don’t bring you pleasure?
• Eat your calories instead of drinking them. Stick to lower calorie or calorie-free drinks (diet sodas, water, or seltzer) instead of soda, juice, or wine (just a little for kiddush).
• When you are the host, include nutritious and lower-calorie foods like fruits, vegetables, and lean meats on the menu. When you are a guest, bring along a bag of clementines instead of a candy platter.
• Make sure your plate has all the major food groups i.e. vegetable, starch, and protein. It is really easy to go overboard with starches but try to get some greens on that plate!
• Watch your portion sizes. Don’t cover your plate completely with food. Once you finish your 1st plate, lean back and drink some water. You may be surprised that you feel full before you can get 2nds.
• Don't forget to savor the taste and texture of the wonderful foods of the holidays!

Happy Holidays Everyone!