Tag Archives: diet

Pineapple and Mango Salsa

Pineapple and Mango Salsahealth, wellness, diet, dietitian, nutrition, nutritionist, michelle moreau, chef, healthy kitchen, healthcare, medical insurance, Portsmouth, NH, seacoast, celiac, cardiac, diabetes, diet, weight loss, recipe, counseling, healthcare, gluten free,, salsa, pineapple, mango, vegetarian, vegan, dairy free, seafood

This salsa is a great accompaniment to grilled foods, including chicken, fish and tofu. Grilled bananas taste great with it too.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup       Pineapple, diced
1 cup       Cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 cup       Mango, diced
1/3 cup    Bell pepper, orange, diced
2 medium Scallions, thinly sliced
1/8 cup    Cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon Tamari, gluten-free, low-sodium
1 medium   Jalapeno chile, minced

PREPARATION:
Put all ingredients into a medium sized bowl and toss to combine. Refrigerate for at least an hour to let flavors blend.

Makes 3.5 cups

health, wellness, diet, dietitian, nutrition, nutritionist, michelle moreau, chef, healthy kitchen, healthcare, medical insurance, Portsmouth, NH, seacoast, celiac, cardiac, diabetes, diet, weight loss, recipe, counseling, healthcare, gluten free, multi fruit, rainbow, salsa, seafood
Pictured: Grilled Mahi Mahi & Banana with Pineapple Mango Salsa, Sweet Mash, Rice


What is a serving size?

What exactly is a serving size?

How much is just right?  Everyone has heard by now that, whether dining out or eating at home, the average American’s plate is often filled with over-sized portions. But what exactly is a proper serving size? Here is a handy, quick guide comparing  single-sized  food portions to everyday items:

3 ounces of poultry, beef or fish ~ a deck of cards, or a checkbook

2 tablespoons peanut butter ~ a golf ball

an ounce of nuts ~ about a handful

1 cup cereal ~ a baseball

1 cup pasta ~ a tennis ball

1 dinner roll ~ a yo-yo

1 baked potato ~ a computer mouse

1 cup green salad ~ 1 baseball

1 serving of fruit (1/2 cup) ~1/2 a baseball, or a standard ice cream scoop

1 serving of vegetables (1/2 cup) ~ 1/2 a baseball, or a standard ice cream scoop

1 ounce cheese ~ a pair of dice

1 teaspoon butter ~ 1 “Scrabble” game tile

Another way to roughly estimate portion sizes is by using your hand (of course, make adjustments accordingly if you are way above or below average-sized!):

About one cup~ your fist

About 1 ounce meat or cheese~ your thumb

About 1 tablespoon ~ your thumb tip

About 1 teaspoon~ your fingertip

Make sure to take the “What to Eat: Personalized” quiz to learn exactly how many servings from each food group (Meats and Beans, Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, and Dairy) is right for you.  Knowledge is power.

Happy healthy eating!


4-3-2-1 Scallop Cheviche

4-3-2-1 Scallop Cheviche

Simple to make – Pretty to look at – Delightful to eat!

INGREDIENTS:

4 Lemons, juiced

3 Oranges, juiced

2 Limes, juiced

1 Blood Orange, peeled, sliced into thin wedges*

1.5 pounds Scallops, cleaned, sliced into thin, round discs

1/2 cup Yellow Pepper, diced

1/2 cup Orange pepper, diced

1/2 cup Red onion, diced

1/2 cup Cilantro, chopped

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp White pepper

3 small Chilies, seeded, chopped

1 small chili, chopped (seeds left in)

PREPARATION:

In a large, non-reactive bowl, gently toss ingredients to mix. Cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours. Serve cold over a bed of greens.

For a spicier Cheviche, leave in more seeds from the chilies

Serves 6-10

*If blood oranges are unavailable, you can substitute with a regular orange or a tangelo


Cauliflower “Rice” Veggie Rolls with Asparagus, Roasted Red Pepper & Thai Basil

Cauliflower “Rice” Veggie Rolls with Asparagus, Roasted Red Pepper & Thai Basil

Both the grilled peppers and cauliflower rice can be made ahead; just make sure to refrigerate until ready to use. Plan to not cook the asparagus ahead of time- that way you won’t lose its vibrant green color.

INGREDIENTS:Asparagus, Roasted Pepper and Thai Basil Sushi Roll
2 Bell Peppers, red, washed
24 Asparagus stalks, thin, washed & trimmed
1/3 Cauliflower head, washed, trimmed + chopped into medium pieces
1 tsp Mirin
1 tsp Simple syrup
1 tsp Vinegar, rice
1/2 tsp Sesame seeds, white
4 Nori sheets
26-36 Thai basil leaves (substitute regular basil leaves if unavailable)

PREPARATION:
Grill red peppers, turning occasionally, until all sides are black. Place peppers in a bowl; cover bowl in saran wrap and let peppers rest for 20-30 minutes. Unwrap bowl; remove and discard pepper skins, stems & seeds. Cut roasted pepper into long strips.

Steam asparagus until al dente, about a minute. Throw asparagus into ice bath to stop cooking; remove from water.

Place cauliflower, mirin, simple syrup and rice vinegar into food processor. Chop until cauliflower pieces are about the size of rice grains. Stir in sesame seeds.

To assemble: Place 1 nori sheet on sushi mat. Thinly spread cauliflower mixture over nori sheet, leaving a 1/2 inch “lip” of one side bare. Place a row of basil leaves in middle of cauliflower (running parallel to bare lip.) Lay some pepper strips on top of basil leaves. Lay 3 steamed asparagus stalks over pepper, allowing the asparagus heads to extend beyond the end of the roll. Take three more asparagus stalks and trim to fit the space left at the end of the first three stalks, again allowing for some length so that the asparagus tips will stick out of veggie roll end. Roll mat slowly toward “lip”; wet bare Nori lip with water and rub onto roll to seal.
Dampen a chef’s knife with a moist cloth. Carefully slice roll into 6-8 pieces. For easier cutting, make sure to clean and re-moisten blade with damp cloth in between each slice.

GARNISH OPTIONS: soy sauce*, wasabi, and/or pickled ginger

*use wheat-free soy sauce or Tamari if preparing gluten-free

Makes 4 veggie rolls
Serving size: 1 roll


Hawaiian Apple Pie (no-bake)

Hawaiian Apple Pie (no-bake)

So delicious, plus simple to make, you may never want to turn on the oven to bake another apple pie again. Make sure to wait the 24 hours after preparing the pie and before serving so that the cinnamon spice has time to mellow. Since it’s basically all fruit and nuts, a slice of this pie can even make a healthy addition to your breakfast lineup.

INGREDIENTS:
for the crust:

A Slice of No Bake Apple Pie = A Piece of Heaven!

3/4 cup Almonds
1/4 cup Macadamia nuts
1 tablespoon Coconut, dried + shredded
6 medium Dates, Medjool, pitted
1/16 teaspoon Sea salt

for the filling:
1/3 cup Orange juice, fresh squeezed
1/8 cup Pineapple juice
4 medium Dates, Medjool, pitted
1/3 cup Raisins
5 medium Apples, Granny Smith
1 tablespoon Cinnamon, ground

PREPARATION:
Soak all 10 dates in 1/4 cup water for 30 minutes. Soak raisins in 1/4 cup water for 15 minutes. Reserve both waters.

Chop almonds in food processor until smaller bits. Remove a tablespoon of the almond “flour” for later use. Add macadamia nuts to processor and chop until macadamia is coarse bits. Add 6 dates, 1 tablespoon of coconut and salt and process until crust is formed. If too dry and crumbly, add up to 1 tsp of date soak water to slightly moisten.

In an 8″ pie plate sprinkle the tablespoon of reserved almond powder to “flour” plate bottom. Put nut/date mixture on top of “flour” and push into bottom and sides of plate to form pie crust. Refrigerate.

In a blender put in orange and pineapple juices, reserved date and raisin soak waters and remaining 4 dates and blend until smooth. Pour syrup into a large mixing bowl.

Peel, core, and thinly slice apples. Place apple slices in mixing bowl with fruit syrup. Continually toss to make sure slices are covered in fruit syrup so that they won’t brown. Add raisins and cinnamon to bowl and toss everything to mix evenly.

Fill pie crust with apple filling. Cover and refrigerate for at least 10 hours before serving.

Optional garnish: top each slice with a small dollop of whipped cream and a wedge of pineapple

Serves 8


Forbidden Pudding

Forbidden Pudding

Black Rice is also known as Forbidden Rice. Black Rice Pudding is a common breakfast dish in many parts of Southeast Asia. Using coconut water instead of the traditional coconut milk greatly reduces the dessert’s fat and calorie content, while still adding big flavor. This dessert is a deliciously easy way to eat whole grains.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup Black rice
3 1/4 cups Coconut water
1/8 tsp Sea salt

PREPARATION:
Place rice, coconut water and salt in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Cover pot with tight lid and reduce to simmer. Cook 40 minutes, or until most of the water is absorbed. Uncover pot, and increase heat so that rice remains at a simmer. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until pudding is thick and rice is tender (but still al dente), about another 10-15 minutes. Take pudding off heat and cool to warm or to room temperature; stir before serving.

Serves: 6