Vegetable Grill Out Night: Zippy Corn on the Cob, Hearty Grilled Vegetables, Broiled Tomatoes

With summer comes the vegetable garden. The squash, zucchini and tomatoes are starting to yield in our garden and this is the first meal where we've been able to incorporate them into dinner this summer. Expect more recipes involving these veggies since they tend to grow at a faster pace than growers can use them! Not only that, we have been trying more and more to have a vegetable-only night at least once a week. We do not always succeed at that, but we do try.

To gain the full nutritional value of squash, including zucchini, the skins must remain on. Squash is high in carotene, as well as many other nutrients (like magnesium, potassium, folate, and fiber) needed for heart health. Many nutrients found in all squash varieties help to protect against certain cancers (lung and colon, for instance).

Corn also has a healthy dose of magnesium and folic acid, as well as being rich in fiber and B vitamins. It also aids with heart health, as well as management of diabetes, hypertension and kidney function.

And tomatoes. We've addressed the many benefits of tomatoes before. All in all, vegetables are some of the most nutritious foods one can eat. We all knew that, of course, and it doesn't have to be a chore to get in your recommended intake of daily vegetables to increase your nutritional benefit. Good recipes are all it takes to make eating your vegetables a tasty necessity.

You can grill these vegetables, or cook them in the oven. I opted for the latter, only because it was cleaner that way. But you choose!

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Zippy Corn on the Cob

• 4 medium ears of sweet corn
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1/2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Place ears of corn, husked and silks removed, on a large sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil.

In a small bowl, combine ingredients and mix well. Brush or pour equally over corn, covering all sides. Fold foil around corn and seal tightly. Grill, over medium heat, about 25 minutes, turning once. (or you can bake in oven at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes)


Hearty Grilled Vegetables

• 12 small red new potatoes, halved
• 1 medium sweet potato, cut into chunks
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh minced parsley
• 3/4 lb fresh mushrooms
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 medium green pepper, seeded and cut into strips
• 1 small zucchini, cut into chunks
• 1 medium yellow summer squash, cut into chunks
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella (optional)

Place all ingredients except butter and cheese in large piece of heavy duty aluminum foil, or divided up into smaller pieces of aluminum foil. Drizzle butter over top, and sprinkle cheese on top. Fold foil up and seal. Grill for 20 minutes each side over medium heat. Or, place foil packet in baking dish and bake in oven at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

Serve with brown rice


Broiled Tomatoes

• 2 large tomatoes, cut in half
• Parmesan
• oregano
• olive oil

Place tomatoes cut side up on broiler pan. Sprinkle with parmesan and oregano and drizzle with olive oil. Broil for 3-4 minutes, until tomato softens.

Gluten Free: Smothered Pork Chops, Broccoli w/Cheese Sauce, Crispy Baked Smashed Potatoes & Baked Acorn Squash with Candied Nut Stuffing

There has been an increase in Celiac diagnoses in recent years, mainly due to more awareness of the disease and a better understanding of it. With this has come more and more options for Celiac patients, and anyone else who has a gluten and/or wheat sensitivity. I have a child with Autism, and we tried the gluten free diet for him a few years ago, but since it didn't make much difference we gave it up. Some children with Autism have been suspected of having food allergies that contribute to the severity of their symptoms, thus why some parents of Autistic kids utilize a gluten free (and often casein free) diet for their child.

D has a grown daughter who was diagnosed with Celiac Disease as a toddler. This was back when Celiac was believed to be a very rare disorder and little was known about it. Since her diagnosis (she is now 27), much has been learned about this once-rare disorder and it has been determined that it is not very rare at all. As a matter of fact, according to Dr. Fasano who is the medical director of the Center for Celiac Research, it is "the most prevalent genetically transmitted disease in the world". Wow!!

We read labels and sometimes cook gluten free meals. My stepdaughter has made us meals as well and I am amazed at how tasty much of it actually is. So much is naturally gluten free in the natural food world!! Eating gluten free does not have to be a chore in denial of good foods!

As my own young daughter struggles with belly issues, we have decided to try a gluten free diet with her this summer to see if that helps her.

So, our gluten free dinner tonight is:

Smothered Pork Chops
Broccoli with Cheese Sauce
Crispy Baked Smashed Potatoes
Baked Acorn Squash with Candied Nut Stuffing

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Smothered Pork Chops
4 servings












Ingredients

• 4 boneless pork chops, 4 oz each
• 1/2 cup pure cornstarch + 2 tablespoons
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 cup gluten-free low sodium chicken broth (Swanson's Natural Goodness)
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

Pat pork chops dry with paper towels. Put 1/2 cup cornstarch in a shallow bowl and add onion powder, cayenne, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Whisk with fork to combine ingredients. Dip pork chops in the cornstarch mixture.

In large skillet, heat oil on medium heat. Place pork chops in skillet with plenty of room. Fry 9-10 minutes on each side until golden brown.

Remove chops and place on a plate and keep warm. Add all but 1/4 cup of broth to skillet and cook until liquid is slightly reduced.

In separate bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons cornstarch with the remaining 1/4 cup of chicken broth until well blended. Add this mixture to the skillet. Cook over medium heat until thickening starts. Reduce heat and add buttermilk.

Return pork to skillet and spoon gravy over them. Cover and simmer for about 4-5 minutes or until pork is thoroughly cooked.

Broccoli with Cheese Sauce

• 1 1/4 cups of half and half
• 1 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 lbs fresh broccoli florets

In medium saucepan, whisk 1/4 cup half and half with cornstarch over medium heat until it gets smooth. Add the remaining half and half with garlic and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened.

Remove pan from heat and add cheese, stirring until it melts. Add cayenne, then lemon juice and keep warm.

Steam broccoli in steamer, or cook in boiling water until tender. Serve immediately with sauce drizzled over broccoli.

Crispy Baked Smashed Potatoes

• 1 lbs small red potatoes
• 1 garlic clove, smashed
• 1 cup warm buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
• kosher salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scrub potatoes and boil them until they are tender. (Test with a fork). When draining potatoes, reserve about 1/4 cup of the water. Mash with a manual masher or fork to a coarse texture with the buttermilk and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and use reserved water if necessary.

Heat olive oil in oven-tolerant skillet (cast iron preferred) over medium heat. Add smashed potatoes when oil is hot. Cook until bottom starts to brown, then transfer (pan and all) to oven.

Bake for about 25 minutes. Remove with care (and oven mitts!!) and overturn skillet onto a plate, then cut the potatoes into wedges. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve!

Dessert!!

Baked Acorn Squash with Candied Nut Stuffing

• 2 small acorn squash, about 1 lb each
• cooking spray
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter spread
• 1 cup finely chopped almonds or walnuts or pecans
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 3 tablespoons orange juice concentrate

Preheat oven to 350

Cut squash in half and scrape out seeds. Set the squash halves on baking sheet cut side up. Coat with cooking spray and cover tightly with foil, baking 25-30 minutes.

In medium bowl combine butter, nuts, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange jucie concentrate. Remove foil from squash and fill centers of each acorn with the "stuffing".

Return to oven and bake uncovered another 15 minutes, until stuffing is lightly browned. Serve hot.

Gluten Free: Salad, Honey Baked Chicken, Squash Medley, Roasted Brussel Sprouts,

Meal time again!

I am always looking for a new way to make chicken. The thing is, while limiting our red meat and pork and focusing on leaner meats, chicken tends to be the main part of our meal. Occasionally I will cook something like fish, but not often. I do not like seafood and hate the way it smells the house up!

Besides, most of the chicken type of meals, my kids will eat! (Oh, by the way, I tested that Spinach Casserole recipe out on my kids, and my autistic son, who hates nearly all things good for him, ate it and actually liked it!!! Talk about shocked!! He was reticent, of course, but I insisted that he must take a small bite. He took a nibble, his eyebrows went up, and he gobbled up what was left on his fork. As he ate, he told his sister, "It only looks disgusting but it tastes good." If you have picky eaters, give that recipe a go!)

Anyway, back to this meal. I am often in a rush if I haven't pre-planned how to cook my chicken. So, I found this recipe that required ingredients that I had in the house. It was really good! An interesting taste, but a very good one! I will make it again.

So, enjoy the dinner if you try it! It really is good!

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Salad

• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1 5oz package of mixed salad greens
• 6 cups of torn romaine
• 1 11-oz can of mandarin oranges
• 2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced

Dressing

• 3 Tablespoons canola oil
• 2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
• 4 teaspoons sugar
• 1 Tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 1/8 tspn salt

1. In small, heavy skillet, cook and stir sugar over medium heat until melted. Stir in almonds, cook for 1 minute until lightly browned. Spread onto foil coated with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In large salad bowl, combine mixed greens, romaine, oranges, celery, and onions.
3. Tn small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients together. Drizzle over salad. Add almonds and toss to coat. Serve immediately

Nutritional information: Serving size is 1 1/4 cups. Contains 125 calories, 8 g fat, 85 mg of sodium


Honey Baked Chicken

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/8 cup prepared mustard (French's Mustard is gluten-free)
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon curry powder

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Place chicken pieces in a shallow baking pan, skin side up. Combine the melted butter or margarine, honey, mustard, salt and curry powder and pour the mixture over the chicken. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 1/4 hours (75 minutes), basting every 15 minutes with pan drippings, until the chicken is nicely browned and tender and the juices run clear.

Makes 6 servings

Nutritional Information: 325 calories, 13 grams of fat



Squash Medley

• 6 cups summer squash, cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 6 cups zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 1 tspn. garlic powder, divided
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2/3 cup pure cornmeal (NOT a cornmeal blend)
  
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 2 T. freshly chopped parsley
• 1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes

1. Place the summer squash slices in a steamer basket and steam for 3-4 minutes or until tender.
   
2. Transfer the slices to a plate and set aside. Place the zucchini slices in the steamer basket and steam for 2-3 minutes or until tender.
3. Lightly oil a large casserole dish. Alternately layer the summer squash and zucchini in the casserole dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 t. garlic powder and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
4. In a small bowl, place the remaining garlic powder and remaining ingredients, and stir well to combine. Sprinkle the mixture over the vegetables and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned on top.

Serves 6

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

• 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and yellow leaves removed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
2. Place trimmed Brussels sprouts, olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper in a large resealable plastic bag. Seal tightly, and shake to coat. Pour onto a baking sheet, and place on center oven rack.
3. Roast in the preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes, shaking pan every 5 to 7 minutes for even browning. Reduce heat when necessary to prevent burning. Brussels sprouts should be darkest brown, almost black, when done. Adjust seasoning with kosher salt, if necessary. Serve immediately.

Serves 6

Calories per serving: 104 calories, 7.3 grams fat

Spinach Salad, Pineapple Pork Chops, Sweet Red Cabbage, Baked Yellow Squash & Bread Pudding in Bourbon Sauce

Yum Yum for this meal, I must say! I love trying new recipes and this one did not disappoint me.

Of course, I live with a man who will eat just about anything, and kids who eat just about nothing. Ha ha, so maybe that's not entirely true. The kids eat some things, but experimenting is out when they are around. My daughter might have eaten a good portion of this meal, so maybe we will try again at anoth

er time with the kids around.

I love salads made of spinach. Fresh spinach makes such wonderful salads, particularly baby spinach. Spinach is also very, very good for us too. It is high in calcium. It is also high in Vitamins A and C, as well as magnesium and folic acid. The flavonoids i

n spinach help protect our memory, and the luteins in spinach are believed to guard against cancer, cataracts, macular degeneration and a world of other ailments. Yes, spinach is certainly good for us!

Pineapple is a natural complement to pork, and adds a bit of sweetness. It also aids you in getting in a fruit serving! Red cabbage, too, has many health benefits. It's high in Vitamin A, C, E and B. Cabbage has actually been shown to boost the immune system's ability t0 produce more antibodies. It also contains compounds shown to stave off certain cancers. And recently, studies have shown that red vegetables, like red cabbage and beets, have the ability to treat ulcers with quite a bit of success. There was a good reason why Mother said to eat your vegetables!!!

Everything in this post is gluten free, with the exception of the Bread Pudding, obviously!!!

Be healthy!

Dinner is

Wilted Spinach Salad

Pineapple Pork Chops

Sweet Red Cabbage

Baked Yellow Squash

Bread Pudding in Bourbon Sauce

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Wilted Spinach Salad

• 1 lbs baby spinach (washed, dried, crisped)
• 2 hard cooked eggs (coarsely chopped)
• 1/2 cup water chestnuts (thinly sliced)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 small garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons lite soy sauce (walmart brand is gluten free)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked peppercorns

Cook olive oil and garlic over medium heat in saucepan for 2 minutes

Add soy sauces, water chestnuts and peppercorns. Cook for 1 minute, tossing lightly. Blend in lemon juice. Add spinach and toss.

Transfer to salad bowl and garnish with chopped egg.

Pineapple Pork Chops

• 4 center cut pork chops
• 2 tablespoon acceptable vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 small can pineapple slices (save the juice)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Trim fat from chops. Heat oil in skillet then brown the chops on both sides. Season with kosher salt (optional) and pepper.

Add enough water to the pineapple juice to make 1 cup. Add this and cloves to pan with chops. Bring to boil, then turn down heat to simmer.

Simmer covered for one hour.

Add pineapple, and simmer until heated thoroughly. Remove from skillet and place on serving platter.

In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with a little water then add to skillet. Whisk until thickened, making gravy. Pour gravy over chops and serve.

Sweet Red Cabbage

• 1 lb cooked red cabbage, shredded
• 1 small apple, grated
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1/4 lb bacon, chopped
• 1/2 cup peach juice
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 2 cloves
• 1 tablespoon raw white potato, finely grated

Fry the chopped bacon until slightly browned. Add onion and apple. Cook 5 minutes. Add the rest of ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes.

Baked Yellow Squash

• 4 yellow squash
• 1 stick of butter, or butter substitute
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion (use a food processor)
• 2 tablespoons parsley flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan (optional)

Boil whole, un-peeled squash for about 15 minutes.

Drain, cut off stem and cut in half lengthwise. Place in baking dish cut side up. Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Cut butter into small pieces and sprinkle over top of squash. Sprinkle with onion, parsley and Parmesan.

Bake in preheated oven (350 degrees) for 30 minutes.

Bread Pudding in Bourbon Sauce

This is NOT kid friendly. Definitely a grown up treat. However, I will include an alternate sauce for your bread pudding if you wanna treat your kids to some as well.

Grown Up Bourbon Sauce:

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup bourbon whisky

Bread Pudding:

• 1 loaf french bread, cut into 1 inch squares
• 1 qt milk
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tablspoon vanilla
• 1 cup raisins (soaked in 1/4 cup bourbon)
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

In a saucepan, melt butter; add sugar and egg, whisking to blend well. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. (Do not allow to simmer, or it may curdle.) Whisk in bourbon to taste. Remove from heat. Whisk before serving. The sauce should be soft, creamy, and smooth.

Bread Pudding:

1 Preheat oven to 350°F.

2 Soak the bread in milk in a large mixing bowl. Press with hands until well mixed and all the milk is absorbed. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, sugar, vanilla, and spices together. Gently stir into the bread mixture. Gently stir the raisins into the mixture.

3 Pour butter into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan. Coat the bottom and the sides of the pan well with the butter. Pour in the bread mix and bake at 350°F for 35-45 minutes, until set. The pudding is done when the edges start getting a bit brown and pull away from the edge of the pan. Can also make in individual ramekins.

Serve with bourbon whiskey sauce on the side; pour on to taste. Best fresh and eaten the day it is made. Makes 8-10 servings.

Kid Bread Pudding Sauce

• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup of water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Cook over medium heat in saucepan until thickened. Can be served hot or cold.

Vegetable Night!

We're back to starting to follow a more stringent healthy diet again. This summer we have been lax -- well, really, since the spring. When we cook at home, we're using the same healthful ingredients but the warm weather and kids out of school has brought along with it being away from home. When away from home, it becomes easier and easier to make bad food choices since restaurants are usually involved.

Well, this has finally caught up with us. I've gained about 3-5 lbs and D has gained some as well. Also, his blood pressure shot up sky high this past weekend after we had spent the whole week with the grandkids taking them out to various places. There was healthy food involved, but there was also a lot of bad food involved as well.

So, it's back to cooking at home for dinner and I am also packing D's lunches again. Right now, he is getting mostly raw stuff in his lunch to help bring his blood pressure down, because raw foods have very little sodium. It seems to have worked after the first day. It's not down low, but it's out of the big red danger zone that it was in the other night.

This also means that I am back to buying and using fresh veggies and herbs in the dinners we cook. `tis not bad, just more work. When using fresh food, preparation and chopping is usually involved and it can be time consuming for those who don't have an 30 minutes just to chop the needed ingredient for dinner. The way I look at it is, it's worth it! To be healthy, to get rid of the massive amounts of sodium, fat and calories that is in pre-prepared food or canned goods, it's worth it.

In the meantime, I am hoping that the kids pick up on what they see and grow to think that's the way it should be. I know that my father never allowed sugar in the house unless he was baking, which was usually Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. Other than that, we always had artificial sweetner and very seldom used actual sugar. This is something I have carried over from my childhood, as I can actually feel the granules of sugar when it's used in drinks and such and I don't like it! Just as well......we get enough processed sugar in breads and starches and cereals.

Last night we had a couple of things that I have made before, so I am just gonna copy and paste the recipes for those, but I also made a new dish --- Creamed Spinach. I got this recipe out of a low fat cookbook, so it's rather healthy.

This whole meal, with the serving sizes suggested and without dressing or cheese on the salad, is only 271 calories, 5 grams of fat, and virtually no sodium. How's that for a healthy meal??I also included the individual nutritional information with each dish, in case you want to make them separately to add to other dished you may make.

Add non fat yogurt and fresh blueberries/strawberries for dessert!

So Dinner Tonight is:

Garden Salad
Spaghetti Squash
Creamed Spinach
Broiled Tomatoes
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Garden Salad

This salad when using iceburg and without dressing or cheese, contains:

59 calories
0 fat
virtually no sodium

• 2 cups of lettuce of choice
  
• 1/4 yellow squash, sliced
• 1/4 cucumber, sliced
• 1 small portobella mushroom, sliced
• 5 cherry tomatoes
• 3 baby carrots, sliced lengthwise
• Parmesan Cheese (optional)
• low cal, low fat dressing of choice
• Add more raw ingredients of choice
  

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Serve.



Spaghetti Squash

1 cup has:
42 calories
0 fat
10 grams of carbs
4 grams of sugar
28 grams of sodium (very, very low)


1. Pre-heat Oven to 400 degrees.

2. After cutting and cleaning the seeds out of the spaghetti squash, place 1/2 cup of water in a casserole dish. Place the squash open side down in the water. Bake for an hour.

3. When you take it out, the outside of the squash will be very very soft, as well as hot. I use an oven mitt to pick up one half of the squash, and take a fork and clean out the inside into a large bowl. It will come out in strands, like spaghetti. Do this with both halves.

4. Use about 1/2 stick of Smart Balance butter (a 50/50 butter blend with omega fats) and toss with the squash.

5. Serve, adding pepper if desired.


Creamed Spinach
Makes 4 servings at 137 calories and 4 grams of fat per serving

• 2 lbs of fresh spinach
• 2 cups of 1% milk
• 1 small shallot clove, peeled and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon oil
• i teaspoon unsalted butter (we use Smart Balance, a butter blend that's healthier)
• 1 1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch (you can use flour, but cornstarch has no sodium)

1. Trim the spinach and rinse in cold water. Shake and squeeze the excess water from the leaves. Put spinach in a large pot, cover and cook on medium high heat until wilted (about 3 minutes).

2. Pour into colander and rinse with cold water to cool it. Squeeze out excess water and coarsely chop.

3. In a small saucepan, mix milk, shallow, garlic and thyme. Bring to boil, then immediately reduce heat. Simmer for 20 minutes.

4. When milk mixture is close to finishing, place oil and butter in a medium saucepan and set over medium heat to melt butter. When melted, add the cornstarch and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly with a whisk.

5. Strain the milk mixture into the flour mixture, stirring constantly with whisk. (Discard the milk solids left behind from the garlic and shallots). Cook, stirring constantly with whisk for about 5, 10 minutes or until thickened.

6. Add the chopped spinach. If sodium is not an issue, season with salt and pepper. Cook one minute to heat thoroughly.



Broiled Tomatoes

One large tomato has about 33 calories, less than 1 gram of fat, virtually no sodium, and comes packs with a good 1/3 of your recommended daily intake of Vitamin C and Vitamin A. Of course, they're also a wonderful source of lycopene an antioxidant known for its disease prevention properties. Sinply factor in the sprinkle of parmesan into your calorie intake.

• 4 large tomatoes
• basil
• parmesan cheese

1. Halve the tomatoes
2. sprinkle with basil and Parmesan
3. Broil for 2-3 minutes

Makes 4 servings.

Meatless Night! Spaghetti Squash, Grilled Portobellos , and Zucchini Bake

This became an acquired taste for me, but D loves it. I'd never heard of spaghetti squash before until I started hunting down more healthy recipes that had variety.

And it is so simple to cook!

To prepare the squash for baking, you need to cut it in half. Once cut in half, you'll need to clean out the seeds like you would a pumpkin. You want to leave the pulp, as this is what will become "spaghetti-like" after it's cooked.

Once you do this, you're ready.

Nutritional Information is as follows:
For 1 cup of spaghetti squash there is 42 calories 28 mg of sodium (wow!! virtually nothing!) 10 grams of carbs, of which 2 grams are dietary fiber & only 4 grams sugar 1 gram of protein
(when/if you add something else, butter for instance, read the nutritional and serving size information on the packaging to add to this if you keep a food journal)

For 1 cup of portobello mushrooms alone there is: 42 calories 12 mg sodium (wow again - very low) 6 grams of carbs, 3 grams of which are dietary fiber 5 grams of protein

This is also a good source of iron. The actual recipe I will give below for the portobellos mixed with ingredients has a total of 76 calories and 4 grams of fat per serving, but I do not have the other information for the recipe as is. The recipe will be for 4 servings. Not sure of the serving size amount, but once you cook it, divide it equally into 4 parts and you'll have your serving size.

The Zuccini Bake Recipe Nutritional Information is as follows per serving. Again, the recipe will make 4 servings, so divide it equally when cooked into 4 parts and you will have your serving size.

114 calories 7.4 grams of fat 8 grams of carbs 2.2 of which are dietary fiber 6.2 grams of protein

Dinner Tonight is: Spaghetti Squash Grilled Portobello Mushrooms Zucchini Bake Fresh Strawberries and blueberries with fat free/sugar free vanilla yogurt

Spaghetti Squash
Pre-heat Oven to 400 degrees.

After cutting and cleaning the seeds out of the spaghetti squash, place 1/2 cup of water in a casserole dish. Place the squash open side down in the water. Bake for an hour.

When you take it out, the outside of the squash will be very very soft, as well as hot. I use an oven mitt to pick up one half of the squash, and take a fork and clean out the inside into a large bowl. It will come out in strands, like spaghetti. Do this with both halves.

Use about 1/2 stick of Smart Balance butter (a 50/50 butter blend with omega fats) and toss with the squash.

Serve, adding pepper if desired.

Grilled Portobellos

• 2 tablespoons low or no sodium, fat free chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 4 large potobello mushrooms, stems removed

1. In large shallow dish, mix broth, oil, vinegar, and thyme. Arrange mushroom caps in single layer in the dish, turning once to coat. Let stand at room temperature, turning occasionally, for one hour.
2. Cover broiler pan with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray. Bake mushrooms at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. (Can also grill them directly on the grill for 10 minutes on medium-high heat)

Zucchini Bake

Ingredients:
4 medium zucchini
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheese, low fat
1 tablespoon butter (smart balance)
1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic
ground black pepper to taste


1. Slice the zucchini lengthwise and score diagonally across the top of zucchinis.
2. Place in a baking dish.
3. Baste with melted butter and garlic, sprinkle with cheese and season with pepper to taste.
4. Bake in a moderately hot oven for about 15-20 minutes (or until tender and crisp).


For dessert, mix 1/2 cup of strawberries and 1/2 cup of blueberries with 3/4 cup of fat free/sugar free vanilla yougurt (sweeten with sweet and low if desired) and enjoy! Strawberries and blueberries are chock full of fiber and antioxidants

Chicken and Veggie Night

I have to admit that last night I winged it a bit. There was no real recipe I followed, other than a quick one I found at a recipe site when I decided at the last moment to include chicken with our dinner which was intended to be just all vegetables.

We have a local farmer's market that we have started frequenting. With all the news about salmonella being found in fresh produce over the recent months, I figured this was a better avenue to take in obtaining as much of the fresh produce we use as we could. After all, many of these people are our neighbors in this small town of ours, so it had the added benefit of supporting our local farmers.

So, our dinner last night consisted of:

• Brown Rice
• Chicken in Worcestershire (it's not as bad a it sounds and, with a bit of splenda brown sugar, tasted very much like teryaki sauce without all the sodium!)
• Zucchini and summer squash Bake
• Green Bean and Potato Salad

We've really been trying not to eat so many enriched carbs. So, I try to use brown rice as much as possible to get the nutrients that are usually lost in the enrichment process of white rice. All of the vegetables I used are fresh, and I steamed them all for maximum nutrient conservation. All in all, it was quite a low fat dinner and low sodium as well.

I was cooking for only the two of us last night. What we fixed and ate was more than one serving of veggies --- but that's not a bad thing! I used only one chicken breast between us and we each had half.

Brown Rice

• 1 cup of rice
• 2 cups of water

Brown rice is made a bit differently and must cook longer than white rice.

1. Combine the rice and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Lower heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes.

Worcestershire Chicken
(I swear this is good!)

This doesn't seem like it would be "low sodium" but keep in mind that, while it has 65 mg of sodium (roughly 3% of RDA based on a 2,000 calorie diet) per teaspoon and this recipe calls for 1/2 cup, it is used mostly to marinade the chicken during cooking and most of the liquid will be left behind in the pan. You may get an actual teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce on the actual chicken on your plate, so the sodium level should be acceptable.)

• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into strips (cooks easier this way)
• 1/2 cup of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon Spenda Brown Sugar (optional)

1. Spray skillet with nonstick spray
2. Brown Chicken pieces
3. Add the Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar
4. Lower heat and cover, letting simmer for 20-30 minutes (or more)

Zucchini and Squash Bake
1 zucchini, cut (the one we had was quite large and may have equaled two regular ones from the store)

• 1 summer squash
• 1/2 sliced sweet onion
• 1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and sliced
• 1/4 cup of water
• sprinkle of mozzarella (Parmesan works great too)

1. Spray casserole dish with nonstick spray
2. lay zucchini, squash, onion, pepper and water in dish
3. sprinkle with mozzerella
4. Cover with aluminum foil and cook at 350 for 30 minutes

Green Beans and Potatoes

• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (omega fats -- the GOOD fat)
• 1 lb of fresh green beans
• 1/4 cup of water
• 4 red new potatoes, quartered
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1 minced garlic clove
• pepper to taste

1. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic to pan; saute 30 seconds.
2. Add potato, celery and beans. Saute 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup of water; cover and cook for 5 minutes until green beans are crisp-tender.
3. Add tomatoes. Cover, reduce heat and cook 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Stir in pepper.

Without salt, it's not super flavorful, but is good. The hardest part in cutting out sodium is learning to enjoy the natural taste of the vegetables you cook. I happen to loooooove fresh green beans and cook them a lot.


Until another day....signing off.