Monday Message - Recipe of the Week

Farmhouse Apple, Bacon and Egg Casserole

Recipe By:  Kristine Napier, MPH

Looking for an old-fashioned bacon and egg breakfast? This delicious casserole fits the bill and is healthy and nutritious to boot!

Enjoy the flavors of an old-fashioned Wisconsin bacon and egg breakfast baked into this delicious casserole. An added bonus: You'll have an easier time achieving your health and nutrition goals!

Ingredients

vegetable oil cooking spray
8 slices whole-grain bread, cubed
2 cups liquid egg substitute
2 cups nonfat milk
2 teaspoons dried sage
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
½ pound apple-cured bacon, chopped
3 tart apples, such as Granny Smith
3 red apples, such as McIntosh 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray a 13-by-9-inch pan with the cooking spray. Arrange the bread in a pan.
2. Blend the egg substitute, milk, sage, salt and pepper; pour over the bread. Mix and push the mixture down with a rubber spatula. Set aside.
3. Cook the bacon thoroughly, but not crisp. Drain on paper towels; set aside.
4. Wash, core and chop (but do not peel) the apples. Add the apples to the bread mixture; stir well and push down with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle evenly with the bacon.
5. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes.

 

CookingTip

Variation: Sprinkle 2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar evenly over the top of the casserole after it has baked 30 minutes. Continue cooking until the cheese bubbles, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Serving Suggestion: Create this dish for use as stuffing to accompany a baked ham.

Nutrition Facts:  Recipe Link

Monday Message - Superbowl Sunday!

Super Bowl Sunday is filled with food, festivities and fun - not to mention football. Serve your family foods that are tasty, filling and nutritious. Superbowl Food Ideas

Let's not forget about My Favorite Dip!  This will be sure to please fans on Superbowl Sunday.  Serve with fresh bell peppers, carrots, grape tomatoes, triscuit crackers or sesame sticks.

1 cup cottage cheese
fresh dill, chopped
fresh basil. chopped
fresh garlic, minced

Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender, chill and serve!

Monday Message - Vending Machine Mahem

When your child needs to refuel and a vending machine is the only option, look for foods that provide some nutrition, not just calories. Vending Machine Guidelines

Monday Message - Recipe of the Week

Snowball Truffles

These dairy-free truffles taste great without added fat and sugar. Give as a holiday gift to family, friends or coworkers.

Ingredients

12 medjool dates, pitted
2 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup puffed brown rice
½ cup shredded unsweetened dried coconut

Directions

1. In food processor or blender puree dates and water until a sticky paste/ball forms. Pulse in cocoa powder until solid dough forms. Stir in puffed brown rice.
2. With small scoop, form mixture into 14 tablespoon-sized balls.
3. Roll each ball into coconut to lightly coat.
4. Refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes to set.

Cooking Tip

You can store refrigerated balls in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Recipe Link

Monday Message - Vegetarian Teens

When I was a teenager, the vegetarians I knew were French Fry and Icecream Vegetarians....hardly nutritious!  Potatoes may count as a starchy vegetable but when deep fried and eaten daily I would not exactly call them a vegetarian diet staple.  Children, Teens and Adult choose vegetarianism for different reasons: 

• To outsmart their genes that may be predisposed to heart disease based on a significant family history of heart attack, stroke and dyslipidemia.  By avoiding animal products they aim to keep their blood lipids in check.
• Animal rights!  Many believe that we should not eat beings with eyes, ears, legs or beating hearts.
• Social aspects.  Their friends are vegetarians....how many Teens and Adults jump on this bandwagon?
• Meat Aversions.  Certain animal proteins are difficult to digest and people find their own digestive tracts stay healthier without the addition of animal proteins.
• Eating Vegetables are important.  Fruits and Vegetables are loaded with natural vitamins, minerals. water, fiber and antioxidants.  Often times, our diets are overcrowded with proteins and starches and by becoming vegetarian we make the conscious effort to put those important food groups at the forefront rather than just as an after thought

Regardless of the reason behind choosing vegetarianism or any other diet choice for that matter, it is important that all nutrients are obtained in the consumption of foods and beverages which make up our "diet." Some of the major Nutrients Needed for Vegetarian Teens include Protein, Calcium and Iron.   These three important nutrients are vital for teens and are primarily found in foods from animals.  Click on the link to read more about recommendations for these nutrients.

Confused about what to feed your teen vegetarian? This menu gives you a meal plan for breakfast, lunch dinner and even a snack and dessert. Vegetarian Menu

Pizza doesn't need meat to be delicious. And this vegetarian pizza packs fiber and protein to boot! Check out the Kids Eat Right Recipe Video.

Monday Message - Recipe of the Week

Peanut Sauce Stir Fry with Tempeh Skewers

Peanut sauce brings this stirfry to life. Once you prepare this sauce, it can be incorporated into a variety of recipes like dipping sauce for spring rolls and dumplings, a condiment on veggie or chicken burger, a salad dressing or a sauce on a Thai pizza.

 Recipe By:  Dawn Jackson-Blatner, RD

 

Ingredients

Peanut Sauce
5 Tablespoons natural peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
5 Tablespoons warm water
1 Tablespoon seasoned brown rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 Tablespoon raw honey
Dash of cayenne pepper

Stirfry and Skewers
6 cups chopped broccoli
2 cups sliced carrots
2 cups sliced red bell pepper
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 package (8 oz) tempeh, cut into 8 pieces, widthwise
8 wooden skewers
2 green onions, chopped

 

Directions

1. Whisk peanut sauce ingredients until smooth.
2. In pan, sauté 6 tablespoons peanut sauce with broccoli, carrots, bell pepper for 6 to 8 minutes, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in cooked brown rice.
3. Steam tempeh pieces for 8 minutes, until tender. Put each piece on a skewer and brush pwith eanut sauce.
4. For each serving: Plate 2 cups stirfry and 2 skewers. Sprinkle with green onions.

Serves: 4

Nutrition Facts:  Recipe Link

Humorous Food Trends for 2012

1. Bananas will be yellow.
2. People will eat cupcakes. People will eat bacon. People will eat pie. People will breathe air, drink water and get pregnant, though not necessarily in that order.
3. Kombucha will remain wildly popular, so get used to rolling that word around on your tongue. Of course, only six people know what it actually is.
4. A well-known pizza chain will invent a new way to put even more cheese on its pizza: by injecting cheese into the cheese.
5. Parents will seek ever more innovative ways to feed their kids spinach without discussing, touching, planting, harvesting, thinking about, chewing or swallowing any actual leaves.


For more....check out this article from Eating Well Magazine:  Will You Try These? Be Honest!

Monday Message - Recipe of the Week

Veggie Sliders & Pickle Chips

Recipe By: Dawn Blatner, LD, CSSD, RD

Sliders don't have to be all about the beef. Try this veggie option.

Ingredients

2 cans (15.5 ounces) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 green onions, finely chopped (about ½ cup)
1 large carrot, shredded (about 1 cup)
Sea salt & black pepper, to taste
⅓ cup whole wheat flour (can also use garbanzo bean flour)
Toppings:
avocado
tomato
BBQ sauce
Mini whole grain hamburger buns, toasted

 

Directions

1. In food processor or with hand blender, puree beans and oil until smooth.
2. Stir in onions, carrots, salt and pepper. Add in flour until mixture comes together.
3. Form 12 mini-patties. Cook in skillet or on grill until each side is browned (about 4 minutes per side.)
4. Assemble burger on bun with avocado, tomato and BBQ sauce.

Nutrition Facts: Recipe Link


These 15 minute pickles are a great alternative to chips. Plus they're fast and easy to prepare.
Watch the video cooking demonstration here.

Monday Message - It's a New Year!

Start your New Year with a Kitchen Makeover and Teaching the Importance of Nutrition.

Food, nutrition and eating skills are among the most important things you can share with your children this New Year. Remember that no one is a perfect parent and that goes for your child's Nutrition too!
As a parent, grandparent or adult caregiver, you can help to raise healthy eaters during these critical years by doing your best to:

• Serve regular, balanced meals and snacks with a variety of nutrient-rich foods
• Provide calm, pleasant meal times where adults and children can talk together
• Allow children to use their internal signals to decide how much and what to eat
• Explore a variety of flavors and foods from different cultures and cuisines
• Share an appreciation for healthful food, lovingly prepared and shared with others
• Make simple food safety, like washing hands washing hands, part of every eating occasion.
• Teach basic skills for making positive food choices away from home.
• Find credible food and nutrition resources when you don't know the answer.

Check out Kids Eat Right for more tips on Making Family Mealtime a Priority and Getting Kids Involved in Nutrition.


If you really want to change your family's eating habits, you need to build a healthy kitchen. Here's how to give your kitchen a makeover. View the full article at Kids Eat Right.

• Make a List
  What foods would you like to ensure are in your house? Make a list and bring it to the grocery store.
• Consider Some Changes
  Could you buy whole-wheat bread instead of white? How about low-fat milk instead of whole milk? You don't have to make every change right away if you're not ready. Ease yourself and your family into healthier ingredients one at a time.
• Do the Math
  How many people are in your family? If each person should eat a minimum of two pieces of fruit per day and there are four in your family, that means you need eight pieces of fruit in your house for a day. Do the same calculation with other food groups so you know how much to buy.
• Embrace the Can
  Many canned foods retain as much nutrient value as their fresh or frozen counterparts. Choosing canned fruits, vegetables, beans and meats can lighten the burden on your pocketbook and ensure these healthy foods are on hand in a pinch.
• Change the Environment
  Once you bring your groceries home, make healthy foods more inviting. Fill a fruit bowl with fresh fruit you just purchased. Clean and cut fresh vegetables right away and put them in plastic bags so they are convenient to grab and eat.