Boost Your Intake of Fiber

Americans don't seem to be getting enough fiber in their diets. I know it's hard with everyone always on the run to eat just right. However, it's important for our bodies and to set a good example for our children especially while they are young. Instill good eating habits at an early age and they will carry over for a lifetime.

My family tries very hard to eat a low fat, high fiber diet. Of course I love to cook so when I prepare our meals I will always opt for fresh ingredients and if using rice I always use whole grain or brown. White isn't even an option anymore. However it goes far beyond that.

It's important to eat foods containing naturally occurring fiber as often as you can. Eating "fiber-fortified" foods is not the same as eating fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Though it's quick and easy to grab a high-fiber breakfast bar and a fiber-fortified yogurt, you're not getting the same benefits as you would from a bowl of old-fashioned oatmeal with berries and milk. Not to mention it will help to lower your cholesterol.

Always check the ingredient list on the package. Don't rely on what's printed on the front of the packaging. A claim that a product is "made with five grams of whole grain per serving" is not the same as containing five grams of fiber if the grain is mostly refined white flour.

Instead, fill your grocery cart with fiber-rich foods for the best health benefits. Some good choices include:

• Dried beans and quick-cooking legumes such as lentils
• Fresh fruits and vegetables
• Whole grains such as brown rice, farro and rolled oats
• 100 percent whole-wheat bread
• 100 percent whole-grain pasta
• Nuts and seeds

If you opt for fiber-fortified foods, such as some yogurts and even some bottled waters, it's important to be educated about food labels. Added fiber is not necessarily the same as naturally present fiber.

Isolated fibers, or fibers that are added to processed foods, include:

• Inulin (also called chicory root extract)
• Maltodextrin
• Polydextrose
• Oat, soy and corn fiber
• Corn and wheat starch
• Gums (arabic, guar, acacia)

Research has confirmed the benefits of real fiber-rich plant foods — whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and legumes. Plus you get the added health benefits of other vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients naturally present.

You can add fiber to your diet like whole grain pasta - but be careful!

• Check for the "100% Whole Grain" stamp from the Whole Grains Council. This certifies that all the grain is whole and the contents contain at least 16 grams of whole grains per serving.

• Look for the phrase "100% whole wheat" or "100% whole grain." Including the words "whole grain" or "wheat" on the label may be misleading because the product may contain mostly refined grain with a little whole grain.

• Check the ingredients label for "whole wheat flour" or "whole durum wheat flour." "Semolina" or "durum wheat flour" minus the word "whole" makes it a refined grain.

• Don't assume that health food brands or organic pastas are always whole grain.

Always read the fine print in the ingredients section to be sure that what's posted on the front of the packaging is what you're actually getting.

Eating a healthy diet isn't impossible. If you take the time to plan ahead preparing healthy meals will come easy.

Below is a recipe that's not only high in fiber, it's low in cholesterol, low in saturated fats, high in calcium and potassium and it's heart healthy. It sounds like a winner to me!

Lemony Lentil Salad with Salmon
Serves 6
From EatingWell

Salmon and lentils are a familiar combo in French bistro cooking; here they combine in a quick and easy salad. For the best presentation, flake the salmon with a fork, then stir gently into the salad to keep it in chunks, not tiny bits.


1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup chopped fresh dill
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 cup diced seedless cucumber
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
2 15-ounce cans lentils, rinsed, or 3 cups cooked brown or green lentils (see Tip)
2 7-ounce cans salmon , drained and flaked, or 1 1/2 cups flaked cooked salmon

Preparation

1.Whisk lemon juice, dill, mustard, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Add bell pepper, cucumber, onion, lentils and salmon; toss to coat.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours.

Tip:

To cook lentils: Place in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until just tender, about 20 minutes for green lentils and 30 minutes for brown. Drain and rinse under cold water.

Nutrition

Per serving: 354 calories; 18 g fat (3 g sat, 12 g mono); 31 mg cholesterol; 25 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 24 g protein; 9 g fiber; 194 mg sodium; 743 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus:
Vitamin C (80% daily value), Folate (49% dv), Selenium (40% dv), Iron (25% dv), Potassium (21% dv), Calcium (20% dv).

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 starch, 1/2 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 2 1/2 fat

Easter Bunny Cupcakes

First of all Happy Passover to those of you celebrating the first night of Passover this evening and all week. I hope you have a wonderful Sedar filled with lots of love and great food.

Last April 9th, 2009 I prepared some Easter Bunny Cupcakes on Great Day St. Louis. In case you weren't able to view that clip or would like to make the cupcakes this year I have attached the recipe, photo and video for you.

With Easter coming up this Sunday I thought this could be a fun project to do with the kids. I hope you enjoy it. To view the video please click on the arrow.



Bunny Cupcakes

What you will need:

Cake: 12 cupcakes (can use whatever recipe you like or a box mix if wanting to save time)

Icing: recipe for Chocolate Glaze below

Decoration: 1/4 cup white confectioners coating(pink candy color) and 1/2 cup white confectioners coating to make ears, eyes, smile, cheeks and whiskers;
1 1/2 cups of white nonpareils (all online at kitchenkrafts.com or at Michael's Craft Stores or Sallie’s on Manchester Road)

Miscellaneous: one 12-mold muffin pan, pastry cones, bunny ear templates, parchment paper

How to do:

1. Bake the cupcakes and let them cool completely. Freeze for 1 hour to overnight.
2. Prepare the glaze.
3. Melt the ½ cup confectioners coating for outside of ears and ¼ cup confectioners coating(to be colored pink) for inside of ears, separately. (this can be done in the microwave for 30 seconds, then check if needed for 15-30 more seconds by stirring)

Pour the ½ cup white confectioners coating (cc) into a pastry cone then blend the ¼ cup of melted white cc with pink candy color for the insides of the ears. Keep the cc warm on a heating pad or a pan placed over a hot water bath, since they will be needed in various steps throughout the directions.

4. Place the bunny ear templates that you have drawn on a sheet of parchment on a sheet pan or counter and tape down. Lay another sheet of parchment paper or cellophane on top. Lightly secure the parchment paper with one or two pieces of tape. Using the templates as a guide, pipe out 12 sets of white cc exterior bunny ears. For added impact, pipe the center with the pink cc. Set aside to harden. Don’t make these too thin or when you remove them they will break. Remove gently with offset spatula.

5. Glaze the cupcakes.

Take the cupcakes out of the freezer - just a few at a time so they do not sweat. Hold the cupcake firmly by the paper liner and invert it into the pot of melted glaze. Submerge the cupcake just up to the paper line and move it about to insure the entire surface is covered. Pull the cupcake straight up and gently spin it above the bowl by rotating your wrist, to allow any excess glaze to drip off. Flip the cupcake and carefully place it on a wire rack to set. Allow the glaze to set for 3 to 5 minutes at room temperature.

6. Pour the nonpareils into a small bowl. Carefully dip entire cupcake or three quarters of the cupcake into the nonpareils, depending on the look you are trying to create. If only dipping ¾ of the cupcake into the nonpareils, try to create a straight edge where the glaze and nonpareils meet. The glaze will act as the bunnies head.

7. Pipe 2 white dots for the eyes (or use ½ white jelly bean for each) and dot with pink for eyes. To pipe a dot, hold the chocolate pastry cone perpendicular to the surface of the cupcake. Keeping the tip stationary, squeeze and hold in place until the dot is the desired size. Release pressure and pull straight up.

8. Pipe a pink nose, white cheeks if you like and a little pink heart for the mouth. Then use the pink confectioners coating to pipe whiskers.

9. Use the tip of a knife to score the cake where the ears will be inserted. Press the ears gently halfway into each cupcake.

10. For fullest flavor, serve the cakes at room temperature.

Chocolate Glaze
Makes 2 ¾ cups

This glaze covers cakes smoothly and beautifully and is an absolutely delicious chocolate icing. The icing can be made with semisweet or milk chocolate; the semisweet has a darker, richer glow.

The icing can be used immediately or cooled and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Reheat slowly in a double boiler before using if chilled. This recipe can be doubled.

In a double boiler or in a medium metal bowl placed over a hot-water bath, melt:
• ¾ pound semisweet chocolate or milk chocolate (can use bag of choc. chips)

In a small saucepan, heat over medium-high heat:
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ¼ cup light corn syrup Stir until the butter melts, then continue to heat to just before the boiling point (bubbles will form around the pan’s rim).

Slowly pour the scalded liquid over the melted chocolate, whisking constantly until smooth. Strain the icing through a fine sieve.

How to make a pastry cone

You can make them out of cellophane, wax paper, or parchment paper.

If using parchment paper, to start, roll your parchment paper out. You want to get a perfect square, and actually you’re going to cut that square right in half to make a triangle.

One trick is to just fold one edge up until it meets the top edge, then crease it, and then cut along the outside or unfolded edge. Now open it up, and you’re going to use the crease that was formed when you folded the parchment as a guideline to cut your triangle out.

Now it’s time to form the cone.

Draw a line right in the middle of the longest side of the triangle. And that’s where your point is going to form. To do this, take one corner, and roll it in on itself, so that the corner lines up at the point of the triangle. Wrap the other side around to the back, and you’ll see that the two sides will line up right down the middle.

Now you want to tape, and wrap it around the tip. This will prevent the bag from opening while you’re squeezing it. So there’s your pastry cone.

To fill it, hold it in your hand, take a spatula, put some frosting on it, and place it slowly into the bag. Then, pinch your fingers down on it and slide the spatula out. Now, fold the edges down, and you have your pastry cone.

You can cut a small hole, or even a large hole depending on what kind of piping you’re doing. You can always use a zip lock bag as well to put your icing in and then cut a hole in one tip to pipe.

I hope you have fun making the cupcakes. As with any recipe, make sure prior to starting that you have all of your ingredients in place. This is called Mise en Place.

HAPPY PASSOVER & HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

Zucchini Latkes for Chanukah

Looking for something different this Chanukah to go with your Brisket? Why not try some Zucchini Latkes? These are delicious, healthy and a change from the traditional potato latke.

Ingredients:

1 pound Zucchini, shredded with skin left on
1 medium onion, minced
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 eggs beaten
1/3 cup milk

1/2 cup oil (canola, olive, grapeseed, etc)

Monterey Jack cheese, optional (depending on your menu and dietary restrictions)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together except the oil. Pour small amount of oil in a skillet to cover the bottom of the pan. When hot drop a tablespoon of the mixture into the pan (drop close to the pan to avoid splattering yourself) and press lightly with the back of your spoon to form a small circle. Continue leaving space between each latke and adding more oil as necessary. Brown on one side and then flip over to brown on the other side.

If desired you can add some Monterey Jack cheese on top of each or some of the Latkes for additional flavor. Dietary restrictions may apply if you're kosher and eating meat with these latkes. Also wonderful with a dollop of sour cream on top or spice it up and add some cayenne to the batter.

Sorry the photo is a little blurry. After taking the pictures my family gobbled these up before I even uploaded them onto the computer. Otherwise, I would have taken a few more shots for better clarity.

For those of you that celebrate Chanukah I wish you and your families a very Happy Holiday!

Pumpkin Pie Dip

I love this time of year with all the wonderful fall recipes and delicious foods to eat. With so many parties to attend or those held at your home here is a quick, simple but yummy dip that everyone will adore.

Pumpkin Pie Dip
(Makes 6 cups)

2 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened

4 cups confectioner's sugar (sifted)
2 cans (15 oz. each) pumpkin pie filling
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger

Beat the cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed.

Add the pie filling, cinnamon and ginger, and beat well.

Cover the mixture and refrigerate for 8-24 hours.

Place the dip in a decorative bowl or hollowed-out baby pumpkin, and serve with sliced apples, graham cracker sticks or whatever else suits you.

*Note: Sifting the powdered sugar will help to remove unwanted lumps.
**This recipe can easily be divided in half.