Showing posts with label Salad. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Salad. Show all posts

Monday, February 12, 2024

Tortellini, Chicken, and Arugula Salad

 This comes together in a cinch thanks to the use of a few quality items, such as hearty cheese tortellini and shredded rotisserie chicken. Prepare the dressing and pasta ahead of time to make the final assembly even faster. Who knew making dinner on busy weekday nights could be so easy?



Ingredients:
1 (9-oz.) package refrigerated cheese tortellini (such as Buitoni), cooked according to package directions
8 ounces skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast, shredded (about 2 cups)
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups baby arugula
1/3 cup thinly sliced shallot
3/4 ounce Parmesan cheese, shaved (about 1/4 cup)

Instructions:
  1. Place tortellini and chicken in a large bowl.
  2. Combine garlic and salt on a cutting board. Mash with the side of a knife to form a paste. Place in a small bowl. Add oil, rind, juice, sugar, and pepper; stir with a whisk.
  3. Add 2 tablespoons dressing to tortellini and chicken; toss to coat. Gently fold in arugula, shallot, and remaining dressing. Sprinkle with shaved Parmesan cheese.


Friday, December 29, 2023

Dragon Fruit – From Farm to Table

What is Dragon Fruit?
Dragon fruit, also known as Pitahaya refers to the fruit of the genus Hylocereus cactus. The dragon fruit is cultivated in Southeast Asia, Florida, the Caribbean, Australia, and throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the world.


Dragon fruit comes in four varieties:
* Pink-skinned with white flesh and tiny black seeds
* Pink-skinned with red flesh and tiny black seeds
* Pink-skinned with purple/pink flesh and tiny black seeds
* Yellow-skinned with white flesh and tiny black seeds

The red and purple colors of Hylocereus fruits are due to betacyanins, a family of pigments that includes betanin, the same substance that gives beets, Swiss chard, and amaranth their red color.

The Dragon fruit's texture is similar to kiwifruit because of its black, crunchy seeds. Dragon fruit is used to flavor and color juices and alcoholic beverages. The flowers can be eaten or steeped as tea.

Nutrient Profile
Dragon fruit is loaded with fiber making it a good choice when managing your weight (fiber fills you up) as well as aiding in digestion as it promotes a healthy gut. One of the few fruits that contain iron, dragon fruit can help to raise iron levels—and when in combination with vitamin C, it increases the absorption rate of iron. 

The fruit contains several antioxidants (betalains, hydroxycinnamates, and flavonoids). The seed oil contains fatty acids, linoleic acid, and linolenic acid.



How to Select, Prepare and Serve Dragon Fruit
Dragon fruit is usually eaten raw, whether served cut up, blended, or frozen. You can choose to grill it on skewers along with other fruits.

1. Select a ripe fruit with bright red, evenly colored skin that gives slightly when squeezed.
2. Place the dragon fruit on a cutting board or another clean surface.
3. Use a sharp knife and cut down the middle. The fruit it then separated into two sections.
4. Removing the flesh. The skin is not edible. Run a spoon around the circumference of each section to separate the flesh from the skin. Using a spoon, lift the flesh out of the skin and place it on the cutting board.
5. Reserve the skin for serving (optional)
6. Check the flesh for any residual pink skin. If there is any skin, cut it off.
7. The dragon fruit is ready to be sliced, diced, or eaten right out of the fruit.

Storage
Ripe dragon fruit can sit on the counter for a few days. To store longer place the fruit in a sealed plastic bag and store it in the refrigerator.

Don't cut the dragon fruit until ready to eat it. Once cut, it needs to be refrigerated in a tightly sealed container. It can stay fresh for a day, possibly a little longer, depending on how ripe it is. Once the flesh begins to turn brown and get mushy, it's time to throw it out.

For the Home Growers
The Green Thumb Planet has prepared an easy to follow description on How to Grow Dragon Fruit Indoors


The dragon fruit flowers bloom only at night and for a few hours. The plants can flower between three to six times in a year depending on growing conditions. About 30 to 50 days after flowering, the dragon fruit will sit on the cactus and can sometimes have 5 to 6 cycles of harvests per year. Hylocereus has adjusted to living in a dry tropical climate with a moderate amount of rain.


Dragon Fruit Recipes

Dragon Fruit Salad

Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
1 cup Fresh pineapple cubed
1 cup Fresh orange cubed
½ cup Fresh mango cubed
½ cup Blueberries
½ cup Dragon Fruit cubed (use 2 dragon fruits and reserve skin for serving)
½ cup Kiwi sliced
½ cup Raspberry vinaigrette dressing
1 Tbsp Lime juice
1 Star Fruit sliced, for garnish

Directions
1. When preparing the dragon fruit reserve the skin for serving.
2. Cut up pineapple, orange, mango, dragon fruit, and kiwi. Place in a bowl. Add blueberries.
3. Add raspberry vinaigrette dressings.
4. Mix gently, adding fresh lime juice.
5. Place the fruit mixture in the dragon fruit skin.
6. Adding slices of star fruit as a garnish.


Exotic Skewer

 Cut up your favorite fruits and place them on a skewer. Eat fresh or grill.



Directions
1. Cut the fruit into desired shapes.
2. Thread the fruit through the skewers alternating the fruit.
3.  Grilling: Double skewer so the fruit does not fall off. Place on a lightly oiled grill to prevent sticking and cook for 2 minutes or refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. 
Serve hot or cold.


References.
1. What Is Dragon Fruit? Spruce Eats
2. What Is Dragon Fruit And Does It Have Health Benefits? by Franziska Spritzler, RDN, CDE, Healthline 
3. Pitaya, Wikipedia 
4. How to Grow Dragon Fruit Indoors,  The Green Thumb Planet 

Wednesday, September 27, 2023

National Potato Month - Rose, Gold, and Purple Potato Salad with Mustard Curry Vinaigrette

Potatoes are one of the vegetables in the nightshade (Solanaceae) family, which includes eggplant, tomatoes and bell peppers. It is a starchy, tuberous crop. Potatoes are the world's fourth-largest food crop, following maize, wheat, and rice.

Nutrition
One medium potato (5.3 oz) with the skin contains:
110 Calories; Vitamin C (45 % DV); 620 mg potassium; Vitamin B6 (10 % DV); No Fat; No Sodium; No Cholesterol; and Trace amounts of thiamine, riboflavin, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc. 
Potatoes also contain a variety of phytonutrients that have antioxidant activity. Among these important health-promoting compounds are carotenoids and flavonoids.

About 20% of the potato’s nutrition is found in the skin.  Most of the vitamin C and potassium are found in the potato’s flesh, but the fiber is found in the skin.  That’s why it’s best to enjoy every part of the potato.

According to MyPlate, Potatoes are a vegetable.  It counts toward the total recommended servings of vegetables. One medium-sized potato (5.3 oz.) counts as 1 cup of starchy vegetables.


Recipe
Rose, Gold, and Purple Potato Salad




Ingredients
5 Small Round Potatoes: 
  1 Honey Gold 
  2 Enchanted Rose
  2 Purple Splendor
Dash Curry Powder
2 tsp Dijon Mustard

1 Tbsp Italian Dressing, fat-free

Directions
1. Roast potatoes and dice.
2. In a bowl combine curry, mustard, and Italian dressing. Mix.
3. Add potatoes to marinade and coat well.

Nutrition Information


Friday, August 18, 2023

National Potato Day

Potatoes are one of the vegetables in the nightshade (Solanaceae) family, which includes eggplant, tomatoes, and bell peppers. It is a starchy, tuberous crop. Potatoes are the world's fourth-largest food crop, following maize, wheat, and rice.

Nutrition


One medium potato (5.3 oz) with the skin contains:
110 Calories; Vitamin C (45 % DV); 620 mg potassium; Vitamin B6 (10 % DV); No Fat; No Sodium; No Cholesterol; and Trace amounts of thiamine, riboflavin, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc. 
Potatoes also contain a variety of phytonutrients that have antioxidant activity. Among these important health-promoting compounds are carotenoids and flavonoids.

About 20% of the potato’s nutrition is found in the skin.  Most of the vitamin C and potassium are found in the potato’s flesh, but fiber is found in the skin.  That’s why it’s best to enjoy every part of the potato.

According to MyPlate, Potatoes are a vegetable.  It counts toward the total recommended servings of vegetables. One medium-sized potato (5.3 oz.) counts as 1 cup of starchy vegetables.


Recipe
Rose, Gold, and Purple Potato Salad




Ingredients
5 Small Round Potatoes: 
  1 Honey Gold 
  2 Enchanted Rose
  2 Purple Splendor
Dash Curry Powder
2 tsp Dijon Mustard

1 Tbsp Italian Dressing, fat-free

Directions
1. Roast potatoes and dice.
2. In a bowl combine curry, mustard, and Italian dressing. Mix.
3. Add potatoes to the marinade and coat well.


Nutrition Information


Monday, July 17, 2023

Our Mango Harvest: Mango Chicken Pasta Salad

The Mango Chicken Pasta Salad is easy to prepare and perfect for a hot summer day. Make sure you refrigerate before serving.



Ingredients.
1/2 cup pasta, cooked
1/2 cup mango, diced
3 oz chicken, diced
1/4 cup tomato, diced
2 Tbsp onions, diced
2 Tbsp fat-free vinaigrette
1 cup mixed greens

Directions.
1. Plate the greens on the bottom of the plate.
2. Mix all ingredients together (except the greens).
2. Refrigerate until ready to serve.


Nutrition Information.





Friday, July 22, 2022

National Mango Month - From Our Mango Tree to the Table


Nutrition Profile

Recipes
 Mango, Tomato, and Green Onion Salad

Ingredients
1/3 cup Mango
1/2 cup Tomato, diced
2 Tbsp Green Onions


Nutrition Information



Wednesday, June 1, 2022

Global Running Day - Can Eating Beets Make You Run Faster?


Global Running Day, held annually on the first Wednesday in June, is a day when runners everywhere declare their passion for running. Wherever we are and whomever we’re with, we run—fast or slow, alone or with others, all over town or just around the block. It is a coast-to-coast celebration of a sport and activity that’s simple, inexpensive, and fun. It’s the perfect way for longtime runners to reaffirm their love of running and for beginners to kick off a lifetime and life-changing commitment.



In the April 2012 issue of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, research published shows eating cooked beets "acutely improves running performance." The key, the study says, is nitrate.


The study showed after eating beets, the runners went an average of 3 percent faster and cut 41 seconds off their times. According to the research, 200 grams baked beetroot, or an equivalent nitrate dose from other vegetables, should be consumed 60 minutes before exercising. Nitrate is also found in vegetables such as cauliflower, spinach, collard greens, and broccoli.

Resource.
Performance Food: Want to be Fast on Your Feet? Eat Beets!, 
Fritz Lenneman, web editor for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

Beets, Pineapple, Onions
and Goat Cheese Salad

Ingredients. 
1/2c Beets, cooked, diced
1/3c Pineapple, crushed and drained
1/4c Onions, diced
1/2 oz Goat Cheese
Garnish with Basil and Chives

Directions. Use a cookie cutter at least 2-inches high. Layer each food and pack down with your fingers before adding the next ingredient. Garnish with Basil and Chives.


Nutrition Information.
122 Calories;  3.4 g Dietary Fiber; 3 g Fat; 2 g Saturated Fat;  7 mg Cholesterol; 87 mcg Folate; 108 mg Sodium



Tuesday, May 31, 2022

National Salad Month - How to Build a Healthy Salad



Salads are a great way to add Nutrition and Color into your day. Choose the right ingredients and keep them handy so you can create a healthy meal.

Salads can easily turn into an unhealthy meal if you are not careful with the toppings. Be mindful about what you add and the portions. Measure some of the more caloric items, such as cheese, nuts, and salad dressing.

Your options are endless. Load your plate up with colorful vegetables. Raw vegetables are great and add a pleasant crunch. To add variety, choose some cooked vegetables, such as grilled, roasted or streamed.
   
List of Ingredients to Create Endless Salad Possibilities

Start with Leafy Greens (1 1/2 – 2 cups)
·        Arugula
·        Beet Greens
·        Bok choy
·        Boston lettuce
·        Collard Greens
·        Endive
·        Escarole
·        Green leaf lettuce
·        Red leaf lettuce
·        Iceberg lettuce
·        Kale
·        Microgreens
·        Mixed greens
·        Napa cabbage
·        Radicchio
·        Romaine lettuce
·        Spinach
·        Swiss Chard
·        Turnip Greens
·        Watercress

Add Vegetables (Fresh, Canned or Cooked)
Vegetables (2 tablespoons)
·        Avocado
·        Asparagus, chopped
·        Artichoke hearts
·        Bean sprouts
·        Beets
·        Bell Pepper
·        Broccoli florets
·        Carrots, shredded
·        Celery, chopped
·        Corn
·        Cucumber slices
·        Green beans
·        Mushroom slices
·        Onion
·        Peas, boiled
·        1 Roasted Red Pepper, julienned
·        Radishes, slices
·        Squash, sliced or diced
·        Tomato slices

Add Meat, Meat Alternatives and/or Dairy for a Main Dish Salad
·        1 boiled Egg, sliced
·        2-3 oz Chicken: Grilled, Blackened, Curry
·        2-3 oz Turkey: Grilled, Blackened, Curry
·        2-3 oz Salmon: Grilled, Blackened, Curry
·        2-3 oz Shrimp: Grilled, Blackened, Curry
·        2 tablespoons crumbled Blue cheese
·        ¼ cup Cottage cheese
·        2 teaspoons crumbled Feta cheese
·        1 oz fresh Mozzarella cheese, sliced
·        2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
·        2-3 oz Sardines in water
·        2-3 oz Tuna, canned in water
·        ½ cup Tofu
·        2-3 oz Tempeh

Add Beans and/or Grains
Beans (1 tablespoon)
·        Black beans
·        Cannellini beans
·        Chickpeas
·        Kidney beans
·        Lentils
·        Pinto Beans

Grains (1/4 cup)
·        Couscous
·        Barley
·        Bulgur
·        Farro
·        Quinoa
·        Wild rice

Nuts and Seeds (1 tablespoon)
·        Almonds, raw
·        Cashews, raw
·        Pecans, raw
·        Walnuts
·        Poppy seeds
·        Pumpkin seeds
·        Sesame seeds
·        Sunflower seeds

Fruits (optional)
·        1/2 Apple, sliced
·        1/3 cup Blueberries
·        Cranberries, 1 Tablespoon
·        2-3 Dates or Figs
·        10 Grapes
·        6 Mandarin wedges
·        1/2 Pear, sliced
·        1/3 cup Pineapple, slices or diced
·        2 Tablespoons Raisins or Dried Cranberries·        2-3 Strawberries, sliced

Other (optional)
·        1 Anchovy
·        5 Olives, Black, Green or Kalamata
·        2 Tablespoons Whole Grain Croutons

The Finale and Salad Dressing
·        Dash of fresh Oregano, Parsley or Coriander
·        Choose from a variety of Spices and Herbs
·        2 Tablespoons Homemade Salad Dressing:
       Use Olive Oil, Vinegar, Citrus Juice, Salsa,
       Low-fat Yogurt and/or Mustard

A salad can be delicious, healthy, and inexpensive.


Resources
1. Fat-Free Vinaigrette Recipes are easy to prepare and can be used as a marinade, salad dressing, or sauce.  
2. 
21 Lunch and Dinner Salads That Are Seriously Filling, Cooking Light
3. 
Great Summer Salads, Cooking Light
4. 
How to Mason Jar Salads, The Country Chic Cottage









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