Tonight I realized that necessity truly is the mother of invention – especially in the kitchen.  With my heart set on using the delicate basil in my refrigerator before black spots took over it’s culinary life, I scrambled to pull together a tasty, nutritious Sunday night dinner.  With chicken breast thawed and awaiting baking, Iwanted to give it an interesting savory flavor. 

With basil, what comes to  mind?  Pesto. 

I love it’s dramatic entry on the tongue and rich, decadent mouthfeel.  Pesto adds a festive, fun flair to everything from pasta to bruschetta to tofu.  I couldn’t wait to make it – however, much to my dismay my walnut stash was low and there were no pinenuts available within a two-mile radius.   

Feeling life Lynn Rosetto Kasper from The Splendid Table, I took a chance on whatever was in my pantry.  I pulled pistachios out and that was it – my answer.  Painstakingly my 4- year old son and I shelled 1/3 cup of pistachios and blended them with copius amounts of basil leaves, olive oil, garlic and grated parmesan cheese.  Upon the pre-salt taste test, it tasted fabulous!  My son, even, kid-approved it by licking the spatula as he cleaned out the food processor.   We drizzled the pistachio pesto creation over the chicken and off it went into the oven.  

Just like our original tasting, the pistachio concoction tasted delicious topping the hearty chicken breasts .  Nuts never disappoint  and tonight they certainly didn’t…

What was your last creative culinary endeavor? I’d love to know…

Ok, so all this talk about food and no eating -  what gives?!  I’ve heard that so many times as I’ve covorted in the conversational bog of savory, scrumptious, explosive food.   Without a fork, spoon or plate in front of me – the instruments of eating may not be available, but the most important, non-tangible component of eating, the mind is alive and devouring the culinary possibilities.  By talking about ways to concoct familiar dishes in a healthier, lower calorie way, my thoughts are always consumed with ways to cook for my family of four: two discerning toddlers and a husband that prefers meat over vegetables – but will eat most veggies, thank god!   

For this summer, I am making meals that include herbs from my garden:  rosemary, chives, basil, dill and cilantro. 

Tonight was Smokey Paprika Black Bean Chili with Cilantro. Easy to make and my kids loved with a dollop or two of plain low-fat yogurt (great substitute for sour cream). 

Tomorrow feels like a rosemary day.  Hummmm…..such options!

Hopefully, your world is blooming with May flowers – and more importantly, that you are taking notice.  With so many stressors in life today, this is the time to take some time for yourself….and find out what truly relaxes you.  Whether you find it relaxing to read, write, garden or do yoga, the key to a healthy mind and body is alleviating the stress that can so easily cause both physical and mental breakdown.   The Mayo Clinic reports that practicing regular relaxation techniques can improve how you physically respond to stress by slowing your heart rate, lowering blood pressure, slowing your breathing rate, increasing blood flow to major muscles and reducing muscle tension.  Plus, adequate relaxation will alleviate emotional responses from anger and frustration.  In my work, I have seen how relaxation can thwart overeating.  Stress is a major factor in overeating and it’s certainly a big cause in today’s society.  So find your own quiet corner, where you can recharge your batteries and smell the flowers along the way!

MAY LIVINGWELL LESSONS:

1. Start a daily relaxation ritual.   Have a “YOU-dulgence” once a day to relieve stress.  For example, your daily ritual could be visualizing you in your favorite vacation spot or enjoying a walk with your pet or listening to your favorite music with your eyes closed.  The best part is no one else has to know — there’s no planning, organizing or texting involved…..it’s about me-time, and that’s it.
2. Do not use food as a relaxation tool.  In his new book, The end of overeating, David Kessler, MD, highlights the fact that high-sugar, high-fat foods have been found to “relieve pain or stress and calm us down” – however the danger lies in the desire to want MORE.  When we eat foods that are “hyperpalatable” – aka yummy – it strikes a part of the brain that desires that taste over and over again.  Basically, that is why it is so difficult to stop at one scoop of Rocky Road ice cream or take only one homemade chocolate chip cookie – and the calories and fat grams can add up fast! 

Featured Food of the Month: Basil

May is the perfect time to plant basil on your windowsill or backyard planter box and watch it take off.  What better aroma to add to your meals than fresh basil leaves – not only does it smell fabulous, but basil contains flavonoids and antioxidants that can stave off cell damage, and it has been found to improve circulation and prevent heart disease.  Since basil only lasts for a few days in the fridge, here’s a storage tip from Chef Ryan Hutmacher of Centered Chef Food Studios in Chicago, “The more humidity the faster fresh herbs will wilt.  Take a paper towel and sprinkle a couple of droplets of water on it.  It should not be dripping wet.  Gently bundle the herbs inside a damp paper towel.  Place the wrapped bundle into a transparent container and replace the damp paper towels every 3 – 4 days.”    There are a bevy of culinary possibilities for basil – my faves are pesto, brushetta, and caprese salad, but you can also add it to salad dressings, pizza, fish, shrimp, and chicken dishes, too. 

Bon appétit!   

How are you relaxing today?  I’d love to blog about YOU. 

This is the time of year when even nutrition pros get quizzed on their culinary savvy.  The Thanksgiving meal tends to bring even the most kitchen confident to their knees. Let’s face it there is a lot of juggling to make an impressive meal plus a fun, seamless soiree.  No worries, in this Internet age there is a ton of help out there - and the great thing is that you can chat with a live person for help in food prep/serving/timing/meal planning. 

Helpful hotlines and websites:

Butterball Turkey Talk-Line: 1-800-BUTTERBALL (288-8372) or www.butterball.com
Empire Kosher poultry customer hot line: 717-436-7055 or www.empirekosher.com
Fleischmann’s Yeast Baker’s Help Line: 1-800-777-4959 or www.breadworld.com
Foster Farms Turkey Helpline: 1-800-255-7227 or www.fosterfarms.com
General Mills: 1-800-248-7310
King Arthur Flour Co.’s Bakers Hotline: 802-649-3717 or e-mail questions to bakers@kingarthurflour.com
Nestle Toll House Baking Information Line: 1-800-637-8537
Ocean Spray consumer help line: 1-800-662-3263 or www.oceanspray.com
Reynolds Turkey Tips Hotline: 1-800-745-4000 or www.reynoldskitchens.com
U.S. Department of Agriculture Meat and Poultry Hotline: 888-MPHotline (674-6854) 

Bonne chance with your holiday meal!  I know it will be fabulous and healthy, of course…

P.S. If any of these hotlines are not helpful, feel free to ask me – I’d be happy to give you my humble two cents.

The holidays are here already!  For all intensive purposes, this should be the busiest season for dietitians, however, the sad truth is the most people will forego our sage advice until the post-holiday season.   The reality is that recent clinical studies have shown that the average weight gain is only about 1 to 2 pounds over the holiday season (from Thanksgiving thru New Years Day).  The problem comes in when those couple of extra pounds never come off and continue to accumulate over the years.   Holiday weight gain has been implicated as a culprit in midlife weight gain (for both men and women) over time. 

What can you do about it?  Of course, you don’t want to be a scrooge and bann holiday parties all together.  In a recent presentation to a group at Agency.com in Chicago, I targeted mindful eating approaches to combat overeating during the holidays. 

First of all, become a “Mindful Party Goer” by:

- Keeping a safe distance from the food table

- Use smaller plates and put food on it and walk away

- Try a little of your favorites and don’t deny yourself or you will overeat later.

- Savor the food – taste and enjoy flavors, scents and textures

- Make food less of a priority – have a snack before you leave the house so that your can spend time socializing and not eating the whole time.

Secondly, become a “Mindful Party Thrower” by:

- make healthier/lower calorie foods available, such as vegetable crudite, vegetarian appetizers, bean dips, hummus stuffed cherry tomatoes, cumin guacamole with whole grain pita chips, avocado salsa, etc….

- concoct non-alcoholic mocktails (alcohol contains 7 calories per gram – which can add up fast), such as sparking fruit punch, apple cider martinis and fruit smoothie shots.  The are tasty and a fraction of the calories of their spiked cousins. 

- Circulate and enjoy your guests’ company instead of hanging back in the kitchen and sneaking bites here and there (the calories can add up fast!)

Lastly, whether going or throwing holiday fetes, get your regular workouts.  You may even need to compensate for excessive calories with more exercise than usual.  Be willing to put the time in during the season and you will feel better when the New Year emerges.

If you’d like, fill me in on your favorite holiday recipe(s), I’d be happy to offer a healthy makeover option — so that you can enjoy your faves without all of the fat and calories…..  

All the best this season -

Vicki