Ditch the Dips!

When I was walking down the canned goods aisle the other day with my parents, I saw that cannellini beans were on sale so I had to pick some up! I wanted to make my own hummus to bring back to my apartment at school and knew that I didnt have a food processor there, so it had to be made here. Hummus is very easy to make and a very nutritious snack. It's a lot healthier than breaking out sour cream based dips at parties, or for a midday snack with something crunchy. Not only is hummus a good dip, but it can also be mixed into salads and used as a dressing, put on top of grilled meat to add some flavor, and even replace mayo in your sandwiches. There are endless possibilities with hummus!

Besides being mighty tasty, hummus is also high in protein and healthy fats. Cannellini beans have 6g of protein per half cup serving! Perfect for anyone on a meatless diet trying make sure you're getting enough protein. Hummus is also made, most of the time, with extra virgin olive oil. Olive oil is high in one of the heart healthy fats called Monounsaturated fat. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can help to reduce LDL cholesterol levels in the body, which can reduce the risk for heart disease.  

Next time you're trying to decide what to bring to a family gathering, or just want to make something tasty to snack on- Turn to Hummus! Delicious, easy, and nutritious too! 

When you make your own hummus, you can decide what type of bean you want to make it with! I like my hummus made with cannellini beans, but some may like it with chickpeas or even kidney beans. Why not try this recipe a few times with different beans!  Here is the recipe I used to make it!

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 

2 cans (15 oz. each) white beans (I used cannellini beans), drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons kosher salt

3 sprigs fresh rosemary, rinsed

Preparation

1.  In a 10-inch frying pan over medium heat, stir half the olive oil and the 2 cloves garlic until fragrant, being careful not to brown garlic, about 1 minute. Pour the oil and garlic into a food processor. Wipe out the pan and set aside.
2. Add white beans, lemon juice, and salt to the food processor and whirl until smooth. Pour into a serving bowl.
3. Return the frying pan to medium heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the rosemary sprigs. Warm the rosemary in the olive oil until fragrant, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally so the rosemary doesn't burn. Remove from heat and let cool 10 minutes.
4. Set the rosemary aside and drizzle the olive oil over the bean dip. Mince one teaspoon of the rosemary leaves and sprinkle over the dip.
5. Do-ahead tips: Make dip up to 2 days ahead. Store dip in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring dip to room temperature before serving. Prepare the rosemary oil right before serving.

Thank you diningwithadinergirl.blogspot.com for this great recipe!

What's Cooking? Buffalo Wing Cauliflower

While on my break at work today, Dad and I were texting about what we were going to prepare for dinner. He said he had picked up some kielbasa to pan fry  with onions. It's a new year so I wanted to try a new recipe. I told him I would make buffalo wing cauliflower as a side. Dad and I are very adventurous with trying new foods and recipes, but Mom and my brother are very picky. I picked up a medium head of cauliflower after the gym today and started preparing dinner with Dad picked up my brother from baseball practice, and mom was at work. This recipe was super easy and had great flavor! Mom tried it and went back for seconds! That's crazy from someone who doesn't like vegetables. Vegetables don't have to be bland and tasteless anymore! Try this recipe, (adapted from food network), and let me know what you think!

Ingredients

Cheese Sauce:
1/3 cup nonfat sour cream
2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
1 tablespoon skim milk
2 teaspoons mayonnaise
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Buffalo Cauliflower:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup hot sauce, such as Frank's
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
8 cups cauliflower florets (from about 1 medium head)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
For the cheese sauce: Whisk together the sour cream, blue cheese, milk, mayonnaise, 1/8 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes
For the Buffalo cauliflower: Meanwhile, microwave the butter in a small microwave-safe bowl on high until melted. Whisk in the hot sauce and lemon juice and set aside.
Mix olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 cup water in a large bowl. Add the cauliflower and toss until well coated. Spread the cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until beginning to brown and just tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Whisk the hot sauce mixture again, drizzle over the cauliflower and toss with tongs to coat. Roast the cauliflower until the sauce is bubbling and browned around the edges, 5 to 7 minutes more. Serve hot with the cheese sauce.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/buffalo-cauliflower-with-blue-cheese-sauce.html?oc=linkback

Eating Well at Your Thanksgiving Feast

Thanksgiving is just a few days away, and that means lots of family time, and lots and lots of food. But you don't have to be nervous about spoiling your healthy eating habits because of the holidays. You can enjoy all the food and still stay on the right track! 

I won't be having a normal Thanksgiving this year. I am actually meeting my parents and brother out in Arizona for a few days for vacation and to celebrate Thanksgiving. Our dinner is going to be at a seafood restaurant so I don't believe I will be having a regular Thanksgiving meal. However, yesterday my friends and I celebrated Friendsgiving. We made turkey tenderloins, stuffing, green beans, masheb potatoes, and an apple crisp pie. The dinner was absolutely delicious and I am so happy we were able to get together before we all go home for a few days.

If you're still trying to think of things to add to your menu for Thursday, https://diningwithadinergirl.blogspot.com/ has some great ideas and tons of tasty recipes to be sure to satisfy everyone. And she's my mom too!

So now to the good part; how to make sure you're not going to go overboard at dinner.

Let's start at the appetizer- Try everything! Don't feel like you have to limit or cut things out because you're watching what you eat. Get a plate, put a little bit of everything on it and then slowly munch on it 'til dinner time. By putting it all on your plate and portioning it out first, you will make sure that you're not over-stuffing yourself before the main course. And having only a little bit of the heavier appetizers won't throw you off at all.

Main Course-
When selecting your piece of the turkey, go for breast meat. You'll be getting  lots of protein and cutting out the fat that is in the thigh and drumsticks.
Vegetable- It's best to just go with vegetables that were steamed or pan fried. I know green bean casserole is mighty tasty, but it is full of saturated fat and lots of calories. Choosing steamed vegetables will leave you room for other sides and for dessert, where the casseroles will fill you up fast.
Potatoes- If you normally have mashed potatoes and baked potatoes at your feast, choose the baked potato with the skin still on. The skin of the potato is full of vitamins and mineral and fiber too, which will aid in digestion. If you only have mashed potatoes or scalloped potatoes, grab yourself about a fist size worth of potatoes and skip all the butter. Instead of butter, put gravy on them. It is more nutrient dense than butter is, and a lot less fatty and calorie heavy.
Biscuit- If you really, really want to add a biscuit to your plate, try to save it to be the last thing eaten. Use all your calories for the stuff that is nutrient dense, and if you're still hungry at the end, then indulge in the biscuit or roll. They are often high in fat and empty calories, which could have been ate through more vegetables and poatoes.
Stuffing- This is my favorite part of the meal. I love the stuffing my mom makes, especially because she puts sausage and mushrooms in it. Start with about a half a cup on your plate, and if you're still hungry after you finish everything else, go back and get more.

Dessert-
Pie has always been a staple in my house for Thanksgiving, especially apple pie. When cutting your pie, or even piece of cake, cut your piece to about 2 inches wide, or the size of your pinky finger. You can still enjoy your dessert without spending 1000 calories on it!  If you have cookies, limit yourself to about 2 small 2in diameter cookies. You can enjoy dessert and still feel great too.

Basically what I am trying to get at with this post, is to listen to your body. Eat slow and when you start to feel full, stop eating. Your body and brain knows when you've had enough to eat. If you're still hungry after your first plate, grab a little more. Just be conscious of what you're putting on your plate and how much you're eating and then you won't feel bad the next day.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!