In Aruba For The Week…

January 29th, 2011 | Posted by Nicole in Miscellaneous - (2 Comments)

On vacation in Aruba this week! Until next week…

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Kitchen Table Makeover

January 25th, 2011 | Posted by Nicole in Miscellaneous - (2 Comments)

So, this is a totally non-nutrition related post. But, I felt it worthy enough to share. I was tired of eating at a boring looking table and chairs. The chairs are wicker, and didn’t look stylish at all.

BEFORE:

Sorry for the bad picture. It’s from 2 Christmases ago.

Not very inviting to come eat dinner at that table. In fact, we barely eat at the table. As a side note: about 93% of Americans eat in front of the TV which is a contributor to weight gain. So, part of me figured if I made a pretty new table it would be inviting to come eat our meals there. Mostly, I just wanted a new craft project.

AFTER:

There is still one chair in the corner that I was working on.

I spent about 1.5 days working on this. The table and chairs originally cost me $60 from craigslist, and the supplies to make it pretty cost about $46. What a deal! $106 spent total on a fancy new table and chairs that would normally cost at least $500.

Materials Used:

  • High gloss espresso brown paint (I was going to stain it, but the finish on the wood wouldn’t sand down very well). ($11)
  • Paint brush ($4).
  • Batting to cover the wicker ($10-11).
  • Fabric (about 2.5 yards–I got extra if I need to re-upholster a chair). (~$20)

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Steelhead Fish: Just Like Salmon

January 19th, 2011 | Posted by Nicole in Food Review | Nutrition News - (5 Comments)

I tried steelhead tonight. It tastes just like salmon and is cheaper than salmon. Steelhead is in the trout family even though it looks like salmon. Steelhead is also known as sea rainbow trout. Like salmon, steelhead travel back to fresh water to spawn (they live in the ocean, but breed in fresh water). And they are a very popular sport fish because they do a lot of jumping around in the water.

The nutrition facts are very similar to salmon making steelhead a very healthy choice. From one serving of about 3 oz (100 g) you will get about 1 g of omega 3. The recommendation from the American Heart Association is to eat fish two times per week. If you are supplementing the recommendation is anywhere from 1 to 4 grams of omega 3s (in the form of EPA and DHA) per day. The upper levels of supplementation is recommended for those with high cholesterol and/or heart disease. Those with diabetes  or bleeding disorders should definitely seek a doctor before supplementing.

Studies show the strongest evidence for heart disease prevention. People have begun taking fish oil for a variety of reasons like arthritis relief, joint pain, depression, mood and psychological disorders, skin health, IBS, and possibly some cancer like prostate and colon cancer.

Finally, don’t forget to remember to think sustainably when you buy your fish. You can find a Seafood Watch Guide here. It’s important to be a responsible consumer and try to choose the fish that are not being over-farmed or grown using irresponsible practices. From what I have researched, steelhead seems to be a sustainable choice.

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Food Network Re-creation: Salmon Dinner

January 14th, 2011 | Posted by Nicole in Recipes - (1 Comments)

I was watching Giada the other day, and she was making salmon. It looked delicious and healthy. So, when I went to my family’s house we decided to re-create the whole meal. Even though it is the middle of the winter, light summer-like meals are a nice change from the root veggies, soups, and stews.

You can find the Giada recipe for the salmon and the salsa verde here. For the citrus salsa we left out the mint because I don’t care for mint and neither does my Dad.

My Mom made this sugar snap peas salad with mozzarella balls, red onion, carrots, and balsamic dressing. And whole wheat couscous too!


And then my little brother (not so little though–he is 15 and about 6 ft tall) ate a hotdog because he doesn’t like fish or many veggies or couscous! Picky teenager. I made him use whole wheat bread to ate least get some nutrition :)

And then we had brownies and ice cream for dessert.

Happy Friday! Enjoy the weekend.

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Snowcation Baking

January 12th, 2011 | Posted by Nicole in Recipes - (3 Comments)

Here in Atlanta we got a small ice/snow storm that coated our roads and made it impossible to drive, go to work, and go to school for 3 full days. It is now Wednesday, and I am trying to get to work. But, let’s face it–the patients I see are not going to show up anyway because the roads are still tricky!

We didn’t even get that much snow. The problem is that Georgia doesn’t salt/sand/plow the roads so, ice caked on and everyone got stuck inside. It was even hard to get in exercise. I ended up jumping rope inside the apartment for 30 minutes.


Exhibit A: Tow truck with chains on the wheels didn’t make it up the hill for about 30 minutes.

I was feeling cabin fever, and still am. So, that’s when I decided to begin a baking frenzy. But, I had no eggs. Can’t go to the store (although I could’ve walked a few miles!). Surely I could find a recipe that didn’t call for eggs. And I did.

Snowcation Coconut Oat Cookies(Egg Free!)
Recipe adapted from EgglessCooking.com
Makes about 20 small-medium cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 Cup Oats
  • 1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
  • 1/2 Cup Nuts, chopped (almonds or walnuts)
  • 1/2 Cup shredded coconut
  • 1/4 Cup sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 Tbsp. Cinnamon
  • 1/2 Cup Dried fruit (I used raisins and craisins)
  • 1/4 Cup Canola oil
  • 2 Tbsp. Molasses
  • 1/3 Cup Milk

Directions:

1. Preheat 350F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

2. Mix the wet ingredients. Mix the dry ingredients. Combine wet and dry ingredients.

3. Roll into 2 inch balls, and flatten slightly onto baking sheet.

4. Bake 22 minutes or until edges are golden.

The cookies came out more cake-like on the inside. I think they get the chewier texture from the coconut. They are just sweet enough, and taste like a “healthier” cookie. They seem more like a breakfast or snack cookie. Perfect with a glass of milk, coffee, or tea.

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Roasted Broccoli

January 11th, 2011 | Posted by Nicole in Recipes - (5 Comments)

Yesterday, while snowed in here in Georgia, I discovered the best way to cook broccoli. It’s not watery, or too soft. Roasting it makes the broccoli crispy and perfectly crunchy. Parts of the floret become burnt looking, but they taste crispy and delicious.

I used Alton Brown’s roasted broccoli recipe as inspiration.

1. Preheat oven 425F.

2. Toss 3 cups of fresh broccoli florets with 2 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh garlic, and salt and pepper.

3. Pour broccoli mixture onto an ungreased baking sheet, and bake about 10-15 minutes or until parts of the broccoli brown.

4. Grate parmesan or romano cheese on top of hot broccoli.

Voila! Delicious and nutritious.

There were only a few pieces left!

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Just Beet It

January 10th, 2011 | Posted by Nicole in Food Review | Recipes - (8 Comments)

Have you ever bought a fresh beet? They are so dull on the outside, but when you cut into them they are a bright pink-red color. And it looks like you are butchering something when you cut them. And no, they are not poisonous if you eat them raw.

Look at the knife… I immediately think of Dwight Schrute from The Office and his beet farm.

A few fun facts about beets:

  • Beets contain the antioxidant betalains which are highly detoxifying as long as you don’t cook them to death.
  • 10-15% of people pee a reddish color after eating beets and people with iron-related metabolism problems are more likely to experience this.
  • Beets may help reduce tumor growth.
  • Excellent source of folate and manganese.
  • Beets were used as a source of sugar in the 19th century.
  • The leaves are edible, but those prone to kidney stones should beware because the leaves are high in oxalates which may cause kidney stone formation.

Recipe Ideas:

I am not a big fan of beets. They are OK, but I wouldn’t choose to eat them unless they are shredded and pickled or have dressing. Mr Triathlete tried to use a beet when making homemade V8. Not sure that made a big difference. We still have the leftover beet sitting in the fridge (been sitting there for a while–probably has less antioxidants by now). I guess it’s time to make a salad out of it!

*Update on the beets:

Yesterday while bored and stuck in our small apt all day because of the ice and snow, Mr Triathlete decided to throw the rest of his failed V8 juice (made with beets) onto the snow:

It was hilarious. I think a bunch of dogs went up to it and tried to lick it. I wonder what the dogs’ owners thought it was. Looks gross.

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New Year, New Cooking

January 3rd, 2011 | Posted by Nicole in Nutrition News - (1 Comments)

I got so many cooking/kitchen related gifts for Christmas this year. I guess I will be doing a lot of cooking!

Last night I used the pizza stone and pizza peel Mr Triathlete picked out for Christmas. Now our homemade pizza has a crispy crust. Yum!

I got a cast iron grill pan and medium saucepan from my Mom. I highly recommend a grill pan if you don’t have an actual grill. So far I have just cooked BBQ chicken (and vegetables) on it, and it came out much better–more tender.

I got the book, How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman. I wanted an encyclopedia of good quality tasty recipe ideas–mostly vegetarian so I have more ideas of how to get my fruits and vegetables.

We got a Crate and Barrel gift card, so Mr Triathlete and I went shopping and got a proper quiche pan (I was using pie pans and it never came out quite right), nonstick skewers for the grill, and a meat tenderizer. Before, Mr Triathlete was using a 15 or 20 pound weight to flatten the chicken!

With another gift card, we went shopping to the Cook’s Warehouse (Alton Brown has shopped there in Atlanta before!) and got a cut-proof glove to use on the mandolin so Mr Triathlete doesn’t lose any fingers. And I picked out a spatula–you can never have enough.

Another gift from Crate and Barrel: My Mom picked out this decorative plate. The color is so pretty, and I could use it for many things!
I also got a bunch of wine, various nuts, and Mr Triathlete went shopping at Whole Paycheck to get ingredients to make homemade V8 (that’s another story).

I better get cooking…

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