Delicious Cheesesteak Cups!

Pennsylvanians love their cheese steak! I've seen foot-long cheese steaks, cheese steak fries, cheese steak pizza, you name it! So when my boyfriend came to visit this past weekend and was craving a cheese steak, I found this awesome recipe on Facebook for Bell Pepper Cheese Steak Cups and knew we had to make it. They are a lower carbohydrate option for someone who doesn't want a very heavy meal, but still wants tons of flavor and protein. You'll be able to whip this up on a busy weeknight in no time. Best part, it hits all the food groups so you won't need to come up with any sides! 

Here's how to make them!

INGREDIENTS

• 4 bell peppers, halved
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 lb. sirloin steak, thinly sliced
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 16 oz.  mushrooms
• kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 16 slices provolone

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325º. Place peppers in a large baking dish and bake until tender, 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add steak and cook about 1 minute per side. Set aside.
3. Add onions and mushrooms to skillet and season with salt and pepper. Return steak to skillet and stir to combine.
4. Add provolone to bottom of peppers and top with steak mixture. Top with another piece of provolone and broil, 3 minutes.
5. Serve hot.

Breakfast Project

Through my internship  as a health professional at American Dairy Association North East, I was given a project by one of the dietitians to  make  a bulletin board in a box. The whole concept and idea for  this project came from thinking about the bulletin boards that are outside of nurses offices at schools, and our initiative to get breakfast in the classroom of all schools to ensure that kids are getting a nutritionally sound start to their day.

This project started with a lot of research and, actually, another project having to do with breakfast after the bell research. I read a few research studies and found that kids that get free breakfast in the classroom, like schools in New York  City, have seen increased attendance from students, healthier BMIs, better overall nutrition, increased participation. Thousands of kids go to school hungry every  morning because they didn't  have breakfast, and go to the nurses office with hunger pains, tiredness and lack of focus. All these symptoms could be prevented by providing breakfast in the classroom.

The research showed that students who skip breakfast tend to have a higher BMI, due to eating large amounts of food later in the day to make up for their morning hunger. Kids who had breakfast at home, and who also had breakfast in school, showed a healthy weight gain with growing and had less incidence of obesity. Kids are supposed to be growing  and getting bigger every day, and they cannot do  that in a healthy matter without breakfast.

The Health Professional team and I brainstormed on how we wanted this project to look and what messages we wanted to relay, and employed the help of a graphic designer and printer to make this vision come true. Our title to the bulletin board is "Is your Breakfast an A+"! We incorporated a breakfast equation that the nurses can design themselves, that includes a whole grain, a fruit and a serving of dairy, with multiple different outcomes like increased attendance, better participation, better student nutrition. The nurses can make their own equation with our provided foods!

The finish products came into the office this week before they were to be handed out at School Nurses conferences, and I  got to take a look! I absolutely love the way that this project came out and cannot wait to see how the nurses assemble their bulletin boards!

Here is what the finished project looks like!

Holiday Recipes!

I have been posting pictures of all of the recipes I prepared for Christmas and thought that I should  share all the recipes with you all so you can try  them! Here they are below!

Red Velvet Cake (Sunny Anderson - Food Network)

Ingredients

For the cake batter:

2 sticks butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 ounces red food coloring

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

Pinch salt

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Butter, for pan

For the Frosting:

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

1 cup sugar

2 sticks butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Special Equipment: 12 by 17-inch jelly roll pan, parchment paper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.


In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar, until light and fluffy. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, make a paste out of the red food coloring, cocoa and salt. Remove bowl from stand mixer and mix in paste by hand to the creamed butter. In a measuring cup, stir eggs with buttermilk and add to batter. Mix in vinegar and vanilla, and then add flour and baking soda. Mix until combined but do not over mix.


Butter a sheet pan. Lay parchment on top. Butter the parchment. Pour batter into pan and smooth the top to even the batter out, using an offset spatula. Bake cake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in pan.


Meanwhile, make the frosting: Heat all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Whisk until sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly before using.

Invert cake onto a cutting board and slice into quarters from the longer side. To assemble cake, spread 1 of the quarters with some of the frosting to cover. Sprinkle with a quarter of the pecans. Add another layer of cake and repeat. Continue until last layer is added. Frost the top of that and sprinkle with remaining pecans.

Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

Ingredients

Butter, for greasing the pans
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups good cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
Peanut Butter Icing, recipe follows (recipe is for cupcakes, so we made 1 1/2 times the amount for the cake

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

Kathleen's Peanut Butter Icing:

1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup heavy cream

Place the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

Paula Deen's Christmas Morning Casserole

Ingredients

• 8 thick slices buttered and cubed country white bread
• 1 lb loose pork breakfast sausage
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• 1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
• 1 cup yellow shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 7 eggs
• 3 cups milk
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• to taste salt
• to taste black pepper
• Paula Deen's Hot Sauce

Directions

Prepare an 8×8 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the loose pork breakfast sausage, using a wooden spoon break up the sausage into crumble sized pieces, cook until browned, about 5-10 minutes. Fold in chopped sage after cooked.

Meanwhile; Into the prepared baking dish, add the buttered and cubed bread, Sprinkle the sausage over the bread, make sure to distribute evenly, then sprinkle with cheese.

In a medium bowl, add eggs, milk, cayenne, dry mustard, salt and pepper to taste; whisk together. Pour over the bread, sausage and cheese.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

The next morning…Preheat the oven to 350º. Bake for 1 hour, or until bubbly and hot. Serve hot.

Spicy Sausage Rigatoni

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon oil or butter
• half of a yellow onion, minced
• 4 carrots, minced
• 12 ounces spicy Italian sausage (casings removed – just the ground meat)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup Barefoot Rich Red Blend
• 1 28 ounce can San Marzano tomatoes, including their juice
• 1/4 cup balsamic or Italian dressing (optional)
• 1 lb. whole wheat rigatoni
• 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
• Parmesan and parsley or basil for topping
• Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and carrots – saute for 10 minutes or so, until the vegetables are very soft.
• Add the ground sausage, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. When the sausage is fully cooked, add the wine to get the browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
• Add the tomatoes and dressing – simmer for 10-20 minutes while the pasta is cooking.
• Cook the pasta according to package directions. When draining, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Combine the pasta, the sauce, and the reserved water and toss gently to combine. Transfer to a large serving dish and top with Parmesan and parsley or basil. Serve with more Barefoot Rich Red Blend!

Try all these recipes and share your pictures!

Breakfast Treat for Those on the Go!

Last week was one of the busiest weeks of the semester for me! Along with classes trying to tie up loose ends, I had a 3 chapter test in Medical Nutrition Therapy, a lab with lab report and presentation to do for my Graduate Exercise Physiology class, a philosophy quiz and paper,  more presentations to write, and multiple semester ending papers to write. With all that work, I needed to have meals prepped for me for the entire week.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so that is what I figured I should start with meal prep wise. I have made breakfast cups in the past and new what I wanted to put in them, so I made this recipe up off the top of my head!

Yield: 12 egg cups (2 per serving)
For this recipe you'll need:
8 Large Eggs
1 c Spinach, Chopped
1/2 pound Poultry Sausage
1 c Cheddar cheese
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Pepper

Directions:
Grease muffin tin with Pam and set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove poultry sausage from casing, break apart into small pieces, and cook until brown over medium heat in a frying pan, set aside until cool. Crack, place, and light beat the 8 eggs in a large mixing bowl, mix in chopped spinach, cheddar cheese, pepper and garlic powder until evenly distributed throughout the eggs. Once sausage is cooled, fold the sausage into the egg mixture.
Fill the muffin tin to 3/4 full with the egg mixture; the egg will expand so it is important to leave room in the tins. Bake for 20-25 minutes on a center rack until the eggs look fluffy and solid.
Cool on a wire rack and put into an airtight container until you're ready to eat!
These can be stored for up to a week in the refrigerator. When you're ready to eat, warm in the microwave or toaster oven to desired temperature.


These cups are super easy and so tasty! You can mix and match what meat you would like in it, as well as what veggies you'd like! Pair with an 8 ounce glass of milk for a protein packed breakfast!

Reflection and Advice

Every once in a while, it's best to just step back from daily life and commitments and reflect on what you have learned and everything you've seen. I find myself doing this a lot lately after my internship experiences. My days are full of Interdepartmental Team Meetings, chart checking, talking with patients and families, reviewing diet histories, charting and then more homework once I get home from the hospital. But beyond basics of nutrition and figuring out whats the most important thing going on in their medical report, there is a person whose life is kind of in your hands.

Nutrition has never really killed anyone, we don't get to cut people open or administer needles filled with medications, Dietitians can't even write their own orders (not yet but soon we will!). But we are so vital in so many settings; in the hospital we can diagnose for malnutrition which is one of the leading causes of death and can lead to other diseases and illnesses, we can downgrade diet orders if we think you're not able to tolerate the food well, we can recommend tube feedings or feedings through an IV port, and we can give you education on how to make healthy lifestyle changes to better your life. In a community setting, we can work on community wide programs with education and interventions to make our surroundings a healthier place and talk about resources that available for help. Food Service Dietitians can write budgets, do managerial duties, run a kitchen properly, write menus, place and receive food orders, and work with the Dietitians to make sure the food the patients are getting is what is best for them. My favorite area a Dietitian can work in is Sports Nutrition. More than just the professional athletes need nutritional help; Sports Dietitians can work with kids, high schools, colleges and the pros! Athletes need education and help to ensure they are able to perform at the top of their game day in and day out. They need more carbs, more protein, more fat and liquids to be able to sustain and thrive. All of these areas give you new opportunities every day and that's what I love about nutrition.

Often times, I find that patients will open up more to dietitians than they will to doctors or nurses. It may just be because we have friendly faces and more time to sit and talk! Sometimes, believe it or not, patients don't want to talk to us; we've been called the food police or the diet patrol. But that's not what we are at all; I hate when someone comes up to me at functions and says "Oh you're eating that? I thought you're a Dietitian and eat healthy all the time.", we don't like when people try to be the food police to us and we certainly don't want to be the food police to you. We want to assist you in making behavior changes and implementing healthy lifestyle choices, rather than telling you you can't have something because I eat everything that you eat too!

We are also not fans of the word "diet". To me, diet means to engage in a restrictive eating behavior; and restrictive eating behaviors can lead to more serious issues and often do not work out in the end. Healthy lifestyle changes is what we want to help you do.

One last thing that I've learned and really like about what I do and it can apply to anywhere; don't be afraid to ask for what you want. Be assertive, ask questions, and step out of your comfort zone. You are smart, and it doesn't hurt to ask a question to try and expand your knowledge. Being assertive can show your confidence and your willingness to go and get what you want. And it's okay to admit that you don't know something. No one knows everything, just take every chance you can and go learn.

Are Pumpkin Seeds a Forgotten Super Food?

 Don't throw away those pumpkin seeds after you carved your pumpkin for Halloween! Those little beauties are FULL of nutrients and you only need 1 oz to reap some of the benefits! Roast them with a little olive oil and your favorite seasonings at 350 degrees for a half an hour, stirring every 10 minutes, and you'll have a grad and go snack you won't want to put down.

Try adding pumpkin seeds to your next salad, to your Thanksgiving stuffing or to your favorite sauté! 

So whats so great about pumpkin seeds? In a 1 oz serving you get 1.7g Fiber, 5g Carbs, 7g Protein, 13 g of healthy fats,Vitamin K, Phosphorus, Manganese, Magnesium, Iron, Zinc and Copper. They also are a great source of antioxidants (helping to fight off cancer), Folate, and Riboflavin.

Caroteniods and Vitamin E are powerful antioxidants that can reduce inflammation, and fight off free radicals which can cause cancer. They've also been linked to decrease risks in breast, colon, stomach, and lung cancers.

The high amounts of Magnesium in Pumpkin seeds can be extremely beneficial. Magnesium deficiency can present itself as loss of appetite, muscle cramps, weakness, high blood pressure, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, anxiety, respiratory issues, cardiac issues and more! It can also help with regulating blood sugar levels in diabetics.y

An Easy Dinner You Can Prepare Ahead of Time!

Earlier last week, I texted my mom looking for my brother's favorite recipe that she makes and she sent me right to her blog! Ian loves her Pork Scalloppine, Sage, and Caramelized Lemon recipe she found on Fine Cooking. This was super easy to make, delicious and Fine Cooking even provides the nutritional information as well. My boyfriend was blown away with the flavors of the sage and lemon with the saltiness of the prosciutto. I paired it with white rice (so it soaks up the flavor of the sauce from the meat) and sauteed broccoli with olive oil, sage, and the left over prosciutto. 

Ingredients

2 to 3 lemons

1 small pork tenderloin (about 3/4 pound)

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

18 medium or 12 large fresh sage leaves

6 slices prosciutto, preferably imported

3 Tbs. all-purpose flour

3 Tbs. vegetable oil

2 Tbs. unsalted butter

1/3 cup sweet vermouth; more to taste

1/2 cup homemade or low-salt chicken broth

Preparation

• Trim a thick slice off each end of one of the lemons, and then cut 1/8-inch-thick slices from the lemon center—you need 12 slices, so you may need a second lemon. Juice the ends and enough of the remaining lemons to obtain 1/4 cup juice. Set the slices and juice aside.
• Heat the oven to 200°F. Set a heatproof serving platter and a baking sheet lined with a paper towel in the oven.
• Trim and cut the pork tenderloin into 6 thick medallions of roughly equal weight. Place a piece of plastic wrap on the countertop. Put one pork piece on top of the plastic with one cut side up and cover with a second piece of plastic wrap. With a meat mallet (or heavy skillet), pound the meat into 1/4-inch thick scaloppine. Repeat with the other pieces. Sprinkle both sides lightly with salt and pepper. Top each scaloppine with two to three sage leaves and then a prosciutto slice, folding any of the overlap underneath the pork scaloppine.
• Put the flour in a shallow bowl. Dredge the scaloppine in flour, shaking off the excess.
• In a 12-inch skillet, heat 1-1/2 Tbs. of the oil over medium-high heat. Cook three of the scaloppine, prosciutto side down first, until lightly browned and just cooked through, 1-1/2 to 2 min. per side. Transfer the scaloppine to the baking sheet in the oven. Add the remaining 1-1/2 Tbs. oil and repeat with the three remaining scaloppine. Transfer them to the baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Remove the pan from the heat and pour off any remaining oil.
• Add 1 Tbs. of the butter and let it melt. Add the lemon slices to the pan in a single layer. Return to medium heat and cook the lemon slices until lightly browned on one side, 2 to 4 min. Turn the lemon slices and add 2 tablespoons of the vermouth to the pan. Continue to cook until the vermouth cooks down to a glaze, 2 to 3 min. (The lemon slices will resemble bicycle wheels, with much of the flesh going into the sauce.) Transfer the lemon slices to the scaloppine in the oven, placing two slices on each one.
• Pour the remaining (approximately 3 Tbs. ) vermouth into the pan, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and deglaze the pan by scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Add the chicken broth and lemon juice and boil until reduced to 1/4 cup, 3 to 5 min. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 Tbs. butter.
• Taste the sauce for seasoning; if it’s too acidic, add a touch more vermouth to the pan.
• Transfer the scaloppine to the serving platter, spoon the sauce over, and serve immediately.

Nutritional Sample Size based on three servings
Calories (kcal) : 460
Fat Calories (kcal): 250
Fat (g): 29
Saturated Fat (g): 9
Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 7
Monounsaturated Fat (g): 10
Cholesterol (mg): 105
Sodium (mg): 1090
Carbohydrates (g): 18
Fiber (g): 4
Protein (g): 33

To reduce the salt content of this recipe, try using low sodium broth or No Added Salt broth. If you do not have vermouth, a dry white wine will work well.