Wellness

@ Moraine Valley

Recipes

Cranberry Orange Bread

by

Quaker Oats-image Recipe Image Print

SERVINGS1 Loaf (16 Servings)

Ingredients

  • 1/2 Cup(s) all-purpose flour
  • 1-1/2 Cup(s) Whole-wheat flour
  • 1-1/4 Cup(s) Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
  • 1/2 Cup(s) brown sugar
  • 1 Teaspoon(s) Baking Powder
  • 1/2 Teaspoon(s) Baking Soda
  • 1/4 Teaspoon(s) Salt
  • 1/4 Teaspoon(s) Nutmeg
  • 1/2 Teaspoon(s) Cinnamon
  • 1 Cup(s) non-fat milk 3 Eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/3 Cup(s) Tropicana Pure Premium® orange juice or Dole® 100% orange juice
  • 1/4 Cup(s) vegetable oil
  • 1 Tablespoon(s) Grated Orange Peel
  • 3/4 Cup(s) chopped fresh, frozen (thawed) or dried cranberries
  • 2 Tablespoon(s) chopped pecans

Cooking Instructions

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray pan bottom only of 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with non-stick vegetable coating. In large bowl, combine all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon; mix well. In medium bowl, combine milk, eggs, orange juice, oil and orange peel; blend well. Add to dry ingredients all at once; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. (Do not overmix).Stir in cranberries and pecans. Pour batter into pan. Bake 60 to 70 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely. Store tightly wrapped.

Cook Note:

To toast nuts for extra flavor, spread evenly in shallow baking pan. Bake at 350°F for 5 to 10 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Cool completely before using.

Thanksgiving Recipes!

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Stuffing with cranberries
Serves 6
Ingredients
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
10 slices whole-wheat bread, toasted and cut into cubes
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped fresh cranberries
1 cup whole water chestnuts
1 cup chopped apple
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly coat a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
In a large skillet, heat the chicken broth over medium heat. Add the celery and onion and sauté until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes, parsley, tarragon, paprika, nutmeg, cranberries, water chestnuts and chopped apples. Add the onion and celery mixture. Stir to mix evenly.
Spoon stuffing into the prepared baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 more minutes. Serve immediately
Nutrition:
120 calories, 2 g fat, 5 g fiber.
Credit: Mayo Clinic Staff

Skinny Green Bean Casserole
Just in time for the holidays!

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and sliced into 1 ½-inch pieces.
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 1/2 cups nonfat milk
• 1/3 cup fresh whole-grain bread crumbs

Preparation:
Heat oil on low heat in large skillet. Gently cook onion slices for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions are golden. Remove onions from skillet and transfer to a plate.
Meanwhile, steam or boil green beans in for 5-6 minutes, then plunge in a bowl of cold water to keep the vibrant green color and stop the cooking process. Drain and set aside.
Add finely chopped onion, garlic to skillet, cook for 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, until they release their juices. Sprinkle flour and thyme over vegetables. Gradually stir in nonfat milk. Increase heat to medium and stir constantly until sauce thickens. Season with a tsp of salt if desired and some freshly ground black pepper.
Spread green beans in a 1 ½-2 quart casserole dish. Pour mushroom sauce over green beans. Top with onions and bread crumbs.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, until golden.
Serves 6

Per serving: Calories 125, Calories from Fat 19, total Fat 2.2g (sat 0.4g), Cholesterol 1mg, Sodium 92mg, Carbohydrate 20.9g, Fiber 4.2g, Protein 5.7g

~Kelly

Healthy Holiday Apps

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  1. Brushetta

(In a bowl combine, 1.5 cups soft sun-dried tomatoes or freshly diced tomatoes, 6 basil leaves chopped, 3 tsp minced garlic, 1/8 cup olive oil and toss, sprinkle sea salt and cracked pepper. Spoon onto whole grain crackers (Triscuits, Kashi, Weight Watcher baguettes, etc).

  1. Hummus and veggies/crackers
    Click this link for a fantastic tasting hummus or in a pinch? I recommend Cedar’s Hummus, has zero additives and only 40 calories a serving.
    Pair with sliced peppers, cherry tomatoes, carrots, cucumebers, etc.
  2. Good ‘ol shrimp and dip. Full of protein. Check out this shrimp platter twist here.
  3. Green Chile & Goat Cheese Dip (This looks wonderful, haven’t tried but plan to this season!)
    Link to recipe here
  4. 5 Spice Pistachio Nuts

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons orange juice
6 tablespoons Chinese five-spice powder
4 teaspoons kosher salt
6 cups unsalted pistachios

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 250°F.
Whisk orange juice, five-spice powder and salt in a large bowl. Add pistachios; toss to coat. Divide between 2 large rimmed baking sheets; spread in an even layer.
Bake, stirring every 15 minutes, until dry, about 45 minutes. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

  1. Popcorn.. with a twist!

Pop 1/2 cup kernels in air popper (or for quick microwave options, place 1/4 c kernels in a brown paper bag, fold down twice and place on popcorn setting. Repeat as many times as you need for desired amount of popcorn.

Combine 4 tsp white truffle oil, 2 tbsp dried parsley, or basil, and 1/4 c Parmesan cheese. Toss and coat popcorn!
*Other oils to use: coconut oil, olive or canola oil, with other spice variations:
Cajun seasonings, garlic, pepper, Mrs Dash, you name it!

In good health,
Kelly Devine Rickert MS RDN CSSD LDN
MVCC Wellness Coordinator

Roasting Veggies!

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Looking to add more vegetables to your diet?
Look no further! Try this quick and easy recipe with tonight’s dinner

Roasted Broccoli
Preheat oven to 450 Degrees. Line a cookie sheet with tinfoil.

Chop up a head of broccoli* (not frozen). Place in a bowl. Pour ~2tbsp olive oil over broccoli and toss. Place on cookie sheet and spread out. Lightly sprinkle with seasonings (I use garlic, pepper and a dash of sea salt).
Roast in oven for 10 minutes. (After about 5 minutes you can mix around veggies if you desire).

Viola! You are done! This is my favorite way to cook vegetables, because it is fast, easy, healthy and best of all? Tastes good!!!

*This recipe can be used for any vegetable: tomatoes, peppers, onions, brussel sprouts, cauliflower.. you name it!

Roasted Parmesan Cauliflower recipe!

1 head cauliflower (chopped into small florets)
Garlic Powder
Fresh or canned Parmesan cheese (about 1/4 cup)
Olive oil (in a diffuser is the lowest calorie way)
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400-425 degrees

  1. Chop cauliflower and spread on a baking sheet (covered in tinfoil for easy clean up!)
  2. Spray olive oil (using a diffuser for lowest calorie options or toss with 1-2 tbsp oil)
  3. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt (I like the taste of sea salt the best) and cracked pepper.
  4. Roast in oven for 20-25 minutes, stirring, turning veggies at least 1-2 times.
  5. Take out and sprinkle on cheese. (Can even add a tbsp of balsamic vinegar as well).
  6. Put back in oven for about 5 minutes.

You can also add a wide variety of spices and herbs to experiment with flavors.

Kelly Devine Rickert MS RDN CSSD LDN

Healthy Fall Snacks!

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Try some of my fall favorite snacks!

Pumpkin Dip for Apples

Pumpkin peanut butter dip for apples
Ingredients:
1/2 can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup packed brown sugar (I use Splenda)
1/4 cup smooth peanut or almond butter

Roasted pumpkin seeds: Coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray, and add a layer of pumpkin seeds. Sprinkle the seeds with a dash of sea salt, and then roast them at 325 F for about 25 minutes, or until toasted.

– Popcorn: Place kernels in paper lunch bag, spray with olive oil cooking spray, fold down top of bag two times and microwave on popcorn setting. Add some fall spices to spruce your popcorn up! (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves and ginger).

– Honey Crisp apple and slice of cheese

– Thomas’ Pumpkin Spice English Muffins with natural almond butter or peanut butter. Try to limit the topping to one tablespoon.

For nutrition/exercise questions or for more tip ideas, email Kelly at
Kelly Devine Rickert, MS, RDN, CSSD, LDN, CPT
Moraine Valley Wellness Coordinator

Chicken Pot Pie made with Greek Yogurt and Grilled Pork Chop recipe

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Made a new recipe last week and it was DELISH so had to share.
(this pot pie recipe is much lighter than your standard version!)

Add a tossed salad or some steamed veggies to complete this hearty meal.

Chicken Pot Pie (made with Greek yogurt)

1 cup Greek yogurt, plain
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 c all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups shredded chicken (I shredded a no salt rotisserie chicken from the deli to save on time)
1-1.5 cups frozen veggies
Premade pie crust in refrigerated section (2 sides)
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
1. Saute onions in butter for a few minutes until cooked through. Add flour and combine.
2. In a bowl stir together the yogurt, broth and chicken. Add in seasonings, onion mixture, and frozen veggies.
3. Place 1 side of pie crust down in pie pan, add mixture on top and cover with the second crust. Pinch sides so both sides are sealed together.
4. Cut a few lines on top for the pot pie to breathe. Lightly coat the top layer with beaten egg so top crust browns.
5. Bake for 45 minutes, turning 1 time in the oven. Let stand while you prep salad and any side items. (We added some mashed potatoes for our side last night.)

I’m talking the best tasting pot pie I’ve made with a TON less fat than usual.  Makes for a great Sunday meal with the family!

Let me know how you like!

Grilled Cuban Pork Chops

Cuban Rub
2 Tablespoons grated lime peel
1 Tablespoon cumin seed
1 Tablespoon cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped

Pork Chops
4 boneless pork loin or rib chops, about 1 inch thick (about 2 pounds)

Directions
1. Heat coals or gas grill for direct heat. Remove excess fat from pork. In small bowl, mix all Cuban Rub ingredients; rub evenly on both sides of pork.
2. Cover and grill pork 4 to 6 inches from medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, turning frequently, until pork is no longer pink and meat thermometer inserted in center reads 160°F.  Garnish with mango slices.

Serve with rice or baked potato, roasted broccoli.

In good health,
Kelly Devine Rickert MS RDN CSSD LDN