A Practical Guide To Healthy Living

The thrifty side of you wants to reuse plastic food containers, but the little voice inside your head is wondering “is this safe?”  What about storage?  Reheating?

My blanket rule is to never heat food in a plastic container.  Heat can cause the chemicals in any type of plastic to migrate into your food.  And there is just too much controversy about whether or not that’s OK for you.  Invest in some glassware with plastic lids and put your leftovers in those – remove the lid, cover the container with a paper towel or better yet, a plate, and nuke away!  I love Frigoverre – I got some 8+ years ago and it’s held up wonderfully.  Check out places like the Container Store for ideas.  Also, places like Home Goods, TJMaxx and Marshall’s often have glass food storage containers for at good prices.

So how do you tell which plastic’s which?  Plastics are usually labeled on the bottom with the numbers 1 through 7.  Those labeled 1, 2, 4, and 5 are considered safer; 3, 6, and 7 are considered less safe.  The less safe ones can contain BPA or phthalates – nasties you don’t want in your body. 

Need more specifics?  Check out the Mighty Nest’s guide to plastics.

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In my seasonal quest for more delicious and unique Crock-pot dishes, I’m turning to my own bookshelf. 

I have a lot of cookbooks. 

I love collecting and reading cookbooks . . . and even though I cook little bits out of nearly all of them, but I don’t feel I know each one intimately on its own.  I’ve often thought about starting at the beginning of one and working my way through (à la “Julie & Julia” (only less whining)) . . . but I’m not a linear sorta cook.  I’m more often driven by mood, whimsy and desperation, so I’ve never buckled myself down to do that.  Consequently, I miss stuff.  Like this yummy recipe.  In my adaptation, I do away with the browning of the chicken before adding it to the cooker – like I’ve said before, I’m a dump-n-go slow-cooker gal and if I’m using the Crock-pot, I don’t want to dirty up a pan and the stove . . . . so this recipe is that much easier.  Just a little slicing and dicing, then leave it alone and come home to dinner.  What’s not to love about that?

Drunken Chicken adapted from (The Slow Cooker Recipe Book by Catherine Atkinson)

Place the onions, garlic apples, almonds, plantain and raisins in the cooker.  Pour in the sherry, stock and tequila and stir to combine.  Salt and pepper each chicken breast half and place it in the pot, pressing them down into the stock so that they’re covered at least part-way.  Cover with the lid and cook on low for 6 hours.  Taste the sauce and add more salt and pepper if desired.  Sprinkle each serving with chopped cilantro before serving with either plain rice or tortillas.

Serves 4.

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Betcha didn’t know that October 1 is World Vegetarian Day 2010, and that the event kicks off the Annual Vegetarian Awareness Month?!  True true . . . and isn’t veg awareness so much more fun to celebrate than that other awareness month that occurs every October (<shudder>)?  For those of us who’re not vegetarians, let’s celebrate by going veg at least once per week in October . . . or maybe try for the entire month? 

Why?  Compared to the general population, the typical vegetarian has a lower body mass index, lower cholesterol, reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, and reduced risk of coronary artery disease.  One reason: a vegetarian diet boosts your intake of phytochemicals. These are compounds found in colorful fruits and vegetables, such as the lutein in broccoli and the lycopene in tomatoes. Phytochemicals are powerful antioxidants and may help protect against cancer.  Reluctant to go all the way?  You don’t need to be a vegetarian 24/7 in order to to reap benefits. Going meatless one or two days a week can reduce your intake of saturated fats and cholesterol and fill your body plenty of beneficial plant-based nutrients.

C’mon . . . you can do it – just one day?  Click here for some tasty veg recipes on Semi-Sweet to get you started.

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School’s in, practices and lessons are in full swing, and the weather is cooler . . . a perfect time to haul out that slow-cooker you say you never use enough.  I’m a dump ‘n’ go slow cooker recipe person.  What the heck is the point of a slow-cooker recipe if you have to cook ingredients before you throw them in the pot??  Really?  This thing is supposed to streamline my dinner processes.

I know there are many new readers since last fall, so once again, I’d like to point you to one of the most comprehensive slow-cooker recipe resources on the ‘net, A Year of Slow Cooking.  Lots and lots of inspiration there (yes, beyond creamed soups! there is flavor! there are vegetables! nary a pot roast with onion onion soup mix in sight!).  I urge you to check it out and please, do report on what you like there . . . lots of us need weekly inspiration!  For past Semi-Sweet recipes using the Crockpot, including more links to other sites, click here.

Today’s recipe is easy and tasty and makes great leftovers.  Serve it atop hot cooked rice, or if you’re jonesing for more vegetables in your belly, on top of more baby spinach.  When I reheated this for lunch on subsequent days, I put it in a bowl with a few handfuls of baby spinach and microwaved it all up . . . . and be sure to add some Tabasco to individual servings for those heat-lovers in your house.  Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Curried Chicken Stew (adapted from Better Homes & Gardens)

Lightly coat a 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray or olive oil.  Add the chicken in one layer, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Add the onion, garlic, curry powder, and ginger to the slow cooker and sprinkle again with salt and pepper.  Add the chickpeas, undrained tomatoes, broth and bay leaf.  Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 8-10 hours.

Give the whole thing a stir, then add the lime juice into the cooked stew.  Stir the spinach leaves into the stew and let it stand for 2-3 minutes until the spinach is wilted.  Stir again and taste – adjust the seasonings by adding more salt & pepper, curry powder, some Tabasco, etc.  Serve with rice.

Serves 8.

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If there are no allergies at your house, chances are you’re like us and this stuff’s a staple.  We love PB&J, PB&honey and PB atop apple slices.  Yawn.  Lookin’ for some new mates for a favorite spread?  Look no further!

• Stir a tablespoonful or so into your hot morning oatmeal
• Add 1/3 c. into pancake batter before cooking – using crunchy peanut butter will add texture and flavor
• Grill up up a PB&pear sandwich – add a few thin slices of pair and a drizzle of honey to your sammie and grill ’til wam and toasty
• Whip up a spicy sauce:  combine 1/2 c. creamy PB, 2 T. each of low-sodium soy sauce and brown sugar, the juice from 1 lime, a teaspoon of sriracha and a little hot water to thin . . . brush it on chicken or tofu and grill

More PB inpiration is here. . . a video + recipes by Gail Simmons (Food & Wine Magazine) that’ll make your mouth water and get you into your kitchen, stat!

What’re your favorite ways to use peanut butter?

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You keep hearing it – fiber’s good for you.  Natural sources of dietary fiber can help your body in myriad ways, and now soluble fiber is being touted for its positive effects on the immune system.  According to a recent study in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity, mice that ate a diet rich in soluble fiber for six weeks recovered from a bacterial infection in half the time it took mice who ate meals containing mixed fiber.  Turns out, the soluble fiber found in citrus, apples, carrots, beans and oats helps fight inflammation.  Insoluble fiber (in wheat, whole grains, nuts and leafy green veggies) doesn’t have the same impact. 

What to do? Strive for 25-30 grams of total fiber daily, and pay attention to getting soluble fiber in particular.

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D.’s birthday was last Monday, and since that’s a work night, we had a nice little dinner for him on Sunday . . . early, so that L. could get her beauty sleep (or shall we call it “civility sleep”? This child is a nightmare when she is tired) and D.’s mom could get home before dark.  This fish dish was perfect.  It’s healthy and simple enough for a weeknight, but a little more special than just your average broiled fillet.  I served it with some green beans almondine, a basic rice pilaf, and for dessert we had my MIL’s delicious chocolate bundt cake – maybe if we’re nice to her, she’ll give us the recipe.  It’s the only chocolate cake I like.  And I’m not just sayin’ that ’cause she reads my blog.  It’s spectacularly delicious.  Perfect to mark a birthday for which there were too few candles in the box, as L. so considerately noted. 

Cod with Tomatoes and Capers (adapted from Real Simple)

Heat the oven to 350.  Drizzle some olive oil in the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish and place the cod fillets in the dish.  Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper and drizzle a bit more oil on top.  Bake for 20 minutes or until the fish is opaque and flakes easily.

Meanwhile, heat the tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the tomatoes, orange juice, parsley, capers, 1/2 t. of salt and 1/4 t. of pepper and simmer until some of the tomatoes break down, about 5 minutes.

Serve the sauce on top of the fish.

Serves 4.

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This is a goodie, friends.  It’s adaptable (vegetarian or vegan, anyone?) and tasty and easy.  You can choose to go hardcore and roast the peppers yourself (I did, but I rarely do – I won’t judge you if you decide to just open a jar) and/or cook the chickpeas yourself (I didn’t – Eden Organics in the can is this housewife’s little helper).  But bottom line, any way you do it up, this is a satisfying meal loaded with nutrition.

Bulgur with Roasted Red Peppers, Chickpeas & Spinach (adapted from Everyday Food)

In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a boil.  Add the bulgur and remove from the heat.  Soak until tender, about 30 minutes.  If there is any liquid remaining, drain in a fine-mesh sieve, pressing to remove as much liquid as possible.

Meanwhile, roast the peppers over a low gas flame or under the broiler, turning frequently with tongs (I used the broiler so I could prep the onions and chickpeas at the same time, plus, if you have arthritis like me, holding a pepper in tongs over an open flame for 8+ minutes is a form of torture).  After about 8-10 minutes, the peppers should be blackened on all sides.  Put the peppers in a bowl and cover it tightly with plastic wrap.  Let cool.  Peel off charred skins; discard the seeds and stems.  Whether you’ve roasted them yourself or you’re using jarred roasted red peppers, chop your peppers into 3/4-inch pieces.  Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Fry the chickpeas until golden brown and lightly crisp, about 4 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the chickpeas to a plate lined with paper towels and season immediately with Kosher salt.

In the same oil, fry up the onion until lightly browned.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the onion to another plate lined with paper towels.

Place the spinach in a large bowl.  Add the warm/hot bulgur, chickpeas, peppers and spinach, along with a tablespoon of the oil leftover from frying the chickpeas and onions.  Toss and season to taste with more Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. 

Serves 4.

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