Tag Archives: nutrition

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!


Fluffy Multi-Grain Pancakes

Fluffy Multi-Grain Pancakes

These pancakes do not bubble up during cooking, but the mixture does hold together really nicely, making them much easier to flip than traditional pancake batters.

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup Teff flour

1/3 cup Cornmeal

1/3 cup Rolled oats

1/4 cup Sorghum flour

1/3 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp Baking Powder

3t tb Olive oil

1 1/2 tb Honey

1 cup Buttermilk

1 Egg

PREPARATION

In a medium bowl, mix dry ingredients.  Add oil, buttermilk, honey, and egg and stir until well combined.

Heat and oil a griddle/pan on medium-high heat. Pour about 1/3 cup of mixture onto heated griddle. When bottom half of pancake is cooked well, gently flip pancake over.

Serve with maple syrup or Easy Blueberry Sauce.

Serves 4


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


Root Vegetables Roasted Red

Root Vegetables Roasted Red

Red beets really give this dish a great look since, as the dish roasts, the red color transfers onto the edges of the other vegetables. If you don’t like beets, you can omit them (of course, then the dish will not live up to its “Roasted Red” name.) I do suggest cutting the sweet potato into larger sized pieces than the other vegetables since its cooking time is less. I also suggest wearing gloves when handling the beets so your fingers are not red during dinner.

INGREDIENTS:
2 medium Beets, red, peeled, diced medium
2 medium Carrots, peeled, diced medium
2 medium Parsnips, peeled, diced medium
2 medium Sweet potatoes, peeled, diced medium-large
4 small Red Potatoes, diced medium (skins on)
1 medium Onion, peeled, sliced into 12 wedges
12 cloves, large Garlic, peeled
1/3 cup Olive oil
1/3 cup + as needed Vegetable Stock
1 tb Herbs de Provence
1/8 tsp White pepper
1/2 tsp Sea salt, smoked

PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place diced beets in large mixing bowl along with the carrot, parsnip, sweet potato, onion, garlic cloves, olive oil, Herbs de Provence, pepper and salt. Toss everything together to mix.

Place vegetable mix in a roast pan along with the 1/3 cup of stock. Roast vegetables until tender (but not mushy), about an hour, making sure to toss vegetables occasionally during cooking and add more stock, 1/4 cup at a time, as needed.

Season with to taste and serve warm.

Serves 8