Follower Sunday: Thank You Readership! Inspired to Always Help Others, Guest-Chef and Author of 101 Foods that Could Save Your Life --Dave Grotto-- Shares Recipes For Cerebral Palsy With Blog: From A Dietitian’s Perspective

By Anthony Sepe

Each Sunday, I thank my readership for their loyalty and dedication to my blog, by providing a healthy recipe.  For 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, not only will you have a healthy recipe, but you will have an expert in the field of dietetics, food and nutrition, provide the healthy recipe to you.  It is my pleasure to introduce to you this week, my colleague and friend, Dave Grotto, RD,  LDN and his “Food for Lovers” recipes:                                                                           “Rosemary Nuts; CHILE HONEY ALMOND CHICKEN KEBABS accompanied by Wild Mushroom Ris-Oat-To.”

David Grotto, RD, LDN

Dave’s first interest in nutrition started over twenty-five years ago when he worked in the natural foods industry, having owned and operated his own natural food store. He decided to become a registered dietitian and attended the University of Illinois at Chicago and graduated with honors with a degree in medical dietetics and nutrition.

After school, he worked in various clinical and food service settings and even tried his hand as a broadcaster where he hosted his own radio show on health and nutrition for over 10 years and hosted a local health-focused television show for two years.

Enjoying working in a media setting, Dave proudly served as a national spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association which he held that position for over 6 years.

He is now the founder and president of Nutrition Housecall, a nutrition consulting firm that provides nutrition communications, lecturing and consulting services, and also offers personalized at-home dietary services.

Inspired to help his patients without depriving them of their favorite foods, Dave wrote the acclaimed book, 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life which is now out in sixteen different languages (to date). 101 Optimal Life Foods, with a foreword written by Montel Williams, is his latest effort and debuted in January of this year.

One of Dave’s passions is improving the health of children through good nutrition. He is the advisory board chair for Produce for Kids® and PBS Kids™ health initiative. Dave also loves to laugh and lectures extensively on the health benefits of humor and laughter. He received additional training in humor therapy and is a Certified Laughter Leader. He also attended The Second City in Chicago receiving further training in improvisation.

Dave lives in Elmhurst Illinois with his wife Sharon; three daughters Chloe, Katie and Madison; and two-female dogs Abbey and Gracie and feels he is an expert in unopposed estrogen.

Rosemary Nuts

Servings: 28-30 portions (approx. 1/4 cup portions)

Ingredients:

2 lbs. assorted nuts, roasted; but not salted
4 tablespoons fresh rosemary needles; finely chopped
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 1/3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/3 tablespoons kosher or sea salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter; melted

Directions:

Pour nuts one-layer thick on a baking sheet and toast in a 350 oven for 14 minutes.

Mix all other ingredients into the melted butter in a bowl big enough to hold the nuts, and keep warm.  Nuts should also be warm when they are added to the butter mixture. Gently re-heat either one until if they cool before combining.

Pour warm nuts into the bowl, and with two wooden spoons, mix thoroughly, coating nuts with the butter.  Let the nuts dry and cool completely before storing them in an airtight container.

Nutrition Profile

290 Calories, 16g Fat, 2.5g Sat Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 260 mg Sodium, 7g Carbs, 3g Fiber, 5g Protein

CHILE HONEY ALMOND CHICKEN KEBABS

Makes 10 servings

Active time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken tenders

2 cups almond milk* or buttermilk

1 cup roasted almonds

3/4 cup dry whole wheat bread crumbs, unseasoned (from 2 slices whole wheat bread)

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

10 skewers (metal or wood)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400° F. Trim chicken thighs of visible fat and tendons. Cut each tender in half. Place pieces in a large shallow dish, add almond milk and stir to coat. Cover, and refrigerate 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours. In a food processor, grind together almonds, bread crumbs, paprika, salt, garlic powder and onion powder. Place in a flat rectangular pan.

Strain almond milk from chicken through a colander, discarding liquid. Thread approximately 4 chicken pieces onto each skewer. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and Dijon mustard until smooth. Place in a flat rectangular pan. Place each skewer into the egg mixture and turn to coat well. Remove from mixture, allowing excess to drip off, and place in the bread crumb-almond mixture. Spoon mixture over each skewer to coat pieces well. Remove skewers from the crumb mixture and place on a baking rack set on top of a non-stick rimmed baking sheet (or spray baking sheet with cooking spray). Bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked and crust is browned. While chicken is baking, prepare dipping sauce. Serve kebabs warm, with dipping sauce on the side.

Chile Honey Dipping Sauce

3/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup honey

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon chopped canned chipotle chiles*

2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water or 2 teaspoons arrowroot

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except cornstarch mixture in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add cornstarch mixture and stir well; simmer over low heat until thickened, about 3 minutes. Keep warm until ready to serve.

*Chipotle chiles canned in a spicy tomato sauce, sometimes called adobo, are available at Latin American markets and the international aisle of many supermarkets.

Per serving for 10 servings (chicken):

Calories	208 kcals	Cholesterol	94 mg
Total fat	10.4 g	Fiber	2 g
Saturated	1.0 g	Calcium	58 mg
Monounsaturated	5.9 g	Magnesium	51 mg
Polyunsaturated	2.4 g	Sodium	668 mg
Carb	6 g	Potassium	161 mg
Protein	24g	Vitamin E	4.4 mg

Per serving for 10 servings (sauce):

Calories	53 kcals	Cholesterol	0 mg
Total fat	0 g	Fiber	0 g
Saturated	0 g	Calcium	6 mg
Monounsaturated	0 g	Magnesium	4 mg
Polyunsaturated	0 g	Sodium	49 mg
Carb	13 g	Potassium	64 mg
Protein	0 g	Vitamin E	0 mg

 

Wild Mushroom Ris-Oat-To

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups of water

2 cans low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup of yellow onions, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups Quaker Oats, Old Fashioned

1 cup of dry white wine

1 cup grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Sea salt & cracked black pepper to taste

Directions:

To prepare Ris-Oat-To, in a sauce pan bring 1 ½ cups of water and broth to a simmer. Keep warm over medium heat.

Heat a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Add onion and garlic, sauté about two minutes until golden brown.

Add Quaker Oats and toast until golden brown, stirring constantly.

Add wine, cook for a minute or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly.

Stir in 1 cup of broth mixture, cook for four minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly.

Add remaining broth mixture, ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next

Remove Ris-Oat-To from the heat and add in ½ cup of cheese

Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Mushroom Mixture

Ingredients:

4 cups of sliced mushrooms of your choice

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 tablespoon of freshly chopped thyme

½ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon cracked black pepper

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large non stick pan over medium high heat, add mushrooms and crushed garlic clove and sauté for about 4 minutes until golden brown and crispy. At the last second season with salt and pepper and fresh thyme.

Spoon Ris-Oat-To into 6 medium size bowls and top with crispy mushrooms, and a pinch of cheese.

Nutrition Profile

290 Calories, 12g Total Fat, 4g Sat Fat, 15mg Cholesterol, 320mg Sodium, 26g Carbs, 4g Fiber, 13g Protein

VISIT DAVE :

• Author of 101 Optimal Life Foods (Bantam Books 2010) and 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life! (Bantam Books, 2008)
• President and Founder, Nutrition Housecall, LLC
• Nutrition Advisor for Fitness Magazine
• Produce for Kids®\PBS Kids Advisory Board Chair
• Benedictine University Nutrition Programs Advisory Board
• Former Spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association

at the following social media addresses:

http://www.davidgrotto.com

Facebook Fan Page

http://twitter.com/davidgrotto

http://www.youtube.com/user/Guyatitian

 

Thank you,

Anthony