Golden Chickpea & Artichoke Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

1. 1 Tbsp olive oil, plus additional
2. 1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained
3. 3-7 artichokes hearts, drained and sliced lengthwise
4. 1/4 to 1/3 Cup sliced almonds toasted, (if desired)
5. 1 tsp. lemon juice
6. 1/4 tsp. salt
7. 2 Tbsp. fresh chopped parsley

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in seasoned wok or cast-iron skillet.  Add chickpeas and cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, stirring only occasionally to prevent burning., until chickpeas are golden brown.  When done, transfer chickpeas to large mixing bowl and set aside.
2. Add more oil to pan and sauté sliced artichoke hearts until browned.  Add artichokes to bowl of chickpeas.
3. Toast almonds in dry skillet (if desired) and then grind them in food processor.  Add almonds to artichokes and chickpeas.  Season salad with lemon juice and salt and stir in chopped parsley.  Serve warm or at room temperature, adjusting seasoning, if needed.

Source:  Vegan Yum Yum by Lauren Ulm, Health Communications, Inc., 2009)

Emily Post: Table-Setting Etiquette

When an informal three-course dinner is served, the typical place setting includes these utensils and dishes:

Our illustration shows how a table would be set for the following menu:
    Soup course
    Salad or first course
    Entrée
    Dessert

1. Dinner plate: This is the ‘hub of the wheel’ and is usually the first thing to be set on the table. In our illustration, the dinner plate would be placed where the napkin is, with the napkin on top of the plate.

2. Two Forks:  The forks are placed to the left of the plate. The dinner fork, the larger of the two forks, is used for the main course; the smaller fork is used for a salad or appetizer. The forks are arranged according to when you need to use them, following an ‘outside-in’ order. If the small fork is needed for an appetizer or a salad served before the main course, then it is placed on the left (outside) of the dinner fork; if the salad is served after the main course, then the small fork is placed to the right (inside) of the dinner fork, next to the plate.

3. Napkin: The napkin is folded or put in a napkin ring and placed either to the left of the forks or on the center of the dinner plate. Sometimes, a folded napkin is placed under the forks.

4. Dinner knife: The dinner knife is set immediately to the right of the plate, cutting edge facing inward. (If the main course is meat, a steak knife can take the place of the dinner knife.) At an informal meal, the dinner knife may be used for all courses, but a dirty knife should never be placed on the table, placemat or tablecloth.

5. Spoons: Spoons go to the right of the knife. In our illustration, soup is being served first, so the soupspoon goes to the far (outside) right of the dinner knife; the teaspoon or dessert spoon, which will be used last, goes to the left (inside) of the soupspoon, next to the dinner knife.

6. Glasses: Drinking glasses of any kind – water, wine, juice, ice tea – are placed at the top right of the dinner plate, above the knives and spoons.

   Other dishes and utensils are optional, depending on what is being served, but may include:

7. Salad plate: This is placed to the left of the forks. If salad is to be eaten with the meal, you can forgo the salad plate and serve it directly on the dinner plate. However, if the entrée contains gravy or anything runny, it is better to serve the salad on a separate plate to keep things neater.

8. Bread plate with butter knife: If used, the bread plate goes above the forks, with the butter knife placed diagonally across the edge of plate, handle on the right side and blade facing down.

9. Dessert spoon and fork: These can be placed either horizontally above the dinner plate (the spoon on top with its handle facing to the right; the fork below with its handle facing left); or beside the plate. If placed beside the plate, the fork goes on the left side, closest to the plate (because it will be the last fork used) and the spoon goes on the right side of the plate, to the right of the dinner knife and to the left of the soupspoon.

10. Coffee cup and saucer: Our illustration shows a table setting that would be common in a restaurant serving a large number of people at once, with coffee being served during the meal. The coffee cup and saucer are placed above and to the right of the knife and spoons. At home, most people serve coffee after the meal. In that case the cups and saucers are brought to the table and placed above and to the right of the knife and spoons.

Source:  The Emily Post Institute: Emily Post dot com

Follower Sunday: Thank You Readership! Apple-Glazed Baby Carrots

Each Sunday, I thank my readership for their loyalty and dedication to my blog, by providing a healthy recipe.  To those that know, this is a healthy repeat, but for those that are unaware and are new to the blog, this is my way of “giving back.”  It is also a way to “Pay it Forward.”  Each Sunday, you have a healthy recipe to prepare for yourself or for your loved ones.

Glazed Baby Carrots

Ingredients:

1. 3 Cups of baby carrots
2. 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
3. 1 Tbsp. low calorie margarine or smart balance
4. 3 Tbsp. apple juice concentrate
5. 2/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
6. 1 tsp. cinnamon
7. 2 tsp. corn starch
8. 1 tsp water

Preparation:

1. Steam carrots covered for 3 minutes.
2. Sprinkle with lemon juice and melt margarine in medium skillet over medium heat.
3. Add the apple juice concentrate and cook until it melts.
4. Add the broth and cinnamon and bring to a boil.
5. Mix together the cornstarch with the water; add to the skillet, lower the heat and cook until thickened.
6. Add carrots and toss-well to coat and enjoy!

Nutritional Information:

Calories 61; calories form fat 12; total fat 1g; saturated fat 0g; cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 77mg; total carbohydrates 12g; dietary fiber 2g; sugars 7g; protein 1g.

Source: Bayer Health Care

Wanna Be: 1,000 lb. Woman

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day: Celebrate with Beer Dip Today

 

  Rosanne Rust is a registered dietitian with over twenty years of experience helping people learn how to understand how what they eat affects their health. She is A freelance writer and a nutrition instructor for Penn State's World Campus. She is a licensed provider for Real Living Nutrition Services® providing innovative online nutrition programs for those seeking better health. For more information about her online weight loss programs, go to http://www.rosannerust.com or visit her website at http://www.rustnutrition.com

 

ST. PATRICK’S BEER DIP

INGREDIENTS

1. 1 (8 ounce) package light (reduced fat) cream cheese
2. 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
3. 10 dashes (or more) hot pepper sauce, like Frank’s
4. 1/4 cup good beer (Guinness)

Assorted vegetables, whole grain crackers

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt cream cheese. Stir in paprika; mixture should be pink. Stir in hot sauce and beer.

2. Serve warm or cold with whole grain crackers, raw celery, zucchini slices and green peppers

Servings Per Recipe: 15

Nutrients Per Serving (dip only)

Calories: 55; Total Fat: 2.6 g; Total Carbs: 0.7g; Protein: 1.2g; Cholesterol: 16mg; Sodium: 49mg;

Source:  Roseanne Rust, MS, RD, LDN

•  http://www.rosannerust.com or visit her website at http://www.rustnutrition.com

Happy Registered Dietitian Day

Registered Dietitian Day is today,Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Today, The American Dietetic Association proudly announces the third annual Registered Dietitian Day. As the nation's food and nutrition experts, registered dietitians are committed to improving the health of their patients and community. Registered Dietitian Day commemorates the dedication of RDs and their teams as advocates for advancing the nutritional status of Americans and people around the world.

To improve health and because there is so much talk about arthritis, if you’re looking for a natural anti-inflammatory, look no further than fish and fish-oil supplements.  For some time, doctors have known that fatty coldwater fish, including mackerel, salmon, tuna and sardines, are rich in omega-3 oils, which help reduce arthritis inflammation.  Now they are starting to better understand why.  In a recent study published in Nature, researchers describe how the body converts docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an ingredient in omega 3-oils, into another chemical called Resolvin D2 and how that chemical reduces inflammation.  The implications,they say, may be the development of new drugs for arthritis and other inflammatory diseases.

In the meantime, doctors often recommend 2 or more servings of fish weekly for general health and supplementing with fish-oil capsules for inflammation.  Current recommendations suggest that to treat arthritis-related conditions, use fish oil capsules with at least thirty percent DHA.  For lupus and  psoriasis, take 2 grams DHA 3 times a day; For Raynaud’s disease 1 gram 4 times a day; For RA, up to 2.6g fish-oil (1.6gDHA twice a day. There are also many other conditions for which doctors’ are starting to prescribe fish-oil supplements for their patients, too.

PURINES

While scientists have long debated the role of diet in many forms of arthritis, one form where there has been agreement is, gout.  A diet high in compounds called purines is known to raise blood levels of uric acid, which can deposit as crystals in the joints, causing excruciating acute pain.  Limiting purines may add to the effectiveness of gout treatment prescribed by the doctor or health care professional, says N. Lawrence Edwards, MD , a professor of medicine at the University of Florida.  Foods to avoid:  alcohol, anchovies, bacon, organ meats, shellfish, venison.