Happy Father’s Day; I Love You Dad

This article is reprinted from Father’s Day June 2009

by Anthony J Sepe

Dads facing new challenges

This post is in memory of my dad. I love you and miss you.

There is work; there is family; there is demand, which must be balanced. The third Sunday in June offers a predictable tradition: Dad’s favorite meal and maybe a necktie, aftershave and a card.

The challenges of fatherhood on the other hand, are changing at wrap speed. Parents’ roles overlap or flip-flop entirely. The marriage demands attention—and all that is going on in the anxiety-laden context of rising taxes, high fuel prices, and constant belt-tightening, and raising children.

Valuing family over career reflects a vital shift in attitude, but it appears that so much of men’s identification is packaged in being good providers for their families. Dad is more than an ATM. Dad is more than running to him when mom says ‘no.’ Dad is more than his laughter or joke or two, or three. Dad is special because he, too, brought life into this world. Lest we not forget: everyone of us face challenges, too. We face challenges about whether or not to make the proper choices to eat healthy, daily. Ask yourself: do I want this,which is healthy for me or do I want that, which is not so healthy for me. Only you know. Therefore, most of you know that Weight Watcher’s is very near and dear to my heart because I used to teach the program classes, and here is a Health-e recipe to help you on your way:

Baked Red Snapper

1 tablespoon olive oil, divided

4 (8 oz.) red snapper fillets

1 medium onion, thinly sliced into rings

2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced

1 green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush x9 baking dish with 1 teaspoon of the oil. Arrange the fish fillets in dish;brush with remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Arrange onion over fish; top with tomatoes and bell pepper.
2. Cover dish with foil;bake until fish flakes easily with a fork, about 20 minutes.

Nutrition Information

280 calories, 6.4g fat,1.4g fiber

Makes 4 Servings; 6 Points per serving

Source: Weight Watcher’s

Enjoy!

Happy Father’s Day,

-Anthony

Salmon & Vegetable Oven Kebabs on Father’s Day!

To celebrate Father’s Day and Men’s Health Week we’re bringing you the great flavor of barbeque without firing up the grill. These savory salmon kabobs are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, an anti-inflammatory fat linked to heart health. Colorful vegetables and a light, Mediterranean marinade add healthful phytochemicals and delicious flavor. Broiling in the oven helps cut down on the carcinogenic HCAs typically produced when grilling meat.

 

 

Marinade

• Juice of 4 lemons
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbsp. dried Italian seasoning
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Kebabs

• 1 lb. wild salmon, cut into 2-inch cubes
• 4 small plum tomatoes, cut into quarters or 8 cherry tomatoes
• 4 large whole mushrooms, stems removed, halved
• 1 medium green bell pepper, deseeded, cut into 12 pieces
• 1 medium yellow squash, cut into 8 pieces
• Canola oil cooking spray
• 4 skewers

Directions

1. If using wooden skewers (in lieu of metal ones), soak them in water for about 30 minutes.
2. In large mixing bowl combine juice, oil, garlic, seasoning, salt and pepper. Mix well and divide in half.
3. Add salmon and vegetables to half of marinade and gently toss to coat pieces. Cover and marinate for about 30 minutes, occasionally rearranging pieces to ensure even coating.
4. Preheat oven broiler.
5. Spray large shallow baking dish. Remove skewers from water. Divide fish and vegetable pieces into 4 even portions. Arrange and distribute them evenly on skewers, being careful not to break the pieces.
6. Place on baking dish. Brush with remaining marinade not used for marinating raw fish. Broil for about 5-8 minutes, brushing frequently with marinade. Carefully turn over kebabs and continue cooking for an additional 4 minutes, basting frequently until fish is done. Serve.

 

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 259 calories, 13 g total fat (2 g saturated fat), 9 g carbohydrate, 26 g protein, 2 g dietary fiber, 60 mg sodium.

Source and Photo:  AICR; June 2013 Issue 456

Basic Caribbean Black Beans

From the AICR Test Kitchen
Contact: Alice Bender, (202) 328-7744

from the
American Institute for Cancer Research

Enjoy classic Latin taste in a recipe that features the hearty and rich flavor of black beans. It’s quick and easy to prepare and packs a serious nutritional punch.

Black beans are known by many names – including turtle beans and black kidney beans. Beans were one of the first foods to be gathered and domesticated over 8000 years ago. They were found from South America to the Northern reaches of what is now the United States. Somewhat sweet tasting with an almost mushroom-like flavor, they are filling, low in fat, and loaded with fiber.

The addition of bell peppers provides a splash of color and a lively crunch to this recipe. They are loaded with antioxidants and vitamin C. Indeed, bell peppers have about twice the amount of vitamin C by weight as citrus fruits. And, since peppers come in a rainbow of colors, you don’t have to limit yourself to green and red for this recipe. Any color pepper works well.

The tomatoes add to the richness of the mixture and its flavor. It’s the cumin, though, that gives this week’s recipe its distinctive Caribbean flavor. Hotter to the taste buds than caraway seeds, cumin imparts a taste that is somewhat sharp and slightly bittersweet. It pairs well with oregano and sage. The sage is especially intense, being one of the few culinary herbs that actually deliver a more concentrated flavor after drying than it does when fresh.

This recipe makes a great dish for a quick lunch or dinner, perhaps pairing it with a wholesome sandwich on multigrain bread or serving over brown rice. Super fast to prepare, it makes great leftovers. Simply refrigerate and warm it up later.

Basic Caribbean Black Beans

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped medium
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 ripe large tomatoes, diced (8 oz. can diced tomatoes may be substituted)
• 2 (16 oz.) cans no added salt black beans, undrained
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 1/4 tsp. sage
• Cayenne or crushed red pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil over medium-high heat in saucepan. Sauté onion, bell peppers and garlic until tender, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes and continue to sauté for an additional 2 minutes.

Add beans, cumin, oregano and sage and stir in gently. Season to taste with cayenne pepper, if desired. Let simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring gently and frequently.

Sprinkle cilantro over beans and serve.

Makes 6 servings.

Per serving: 160 calories, 2.5 g total fat (0 g saturated fat), 27 g carbohydrate,
9 g protein, 8 g dietary fiber, 20 mg sodium.

Source and Photo:  AICR

Bean Your Way To Health

 

 

Three Bean Salad with Creamy Mustard Dill Dressing

• 1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup canned Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup canned kidney or red beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1 small red bell pepper, diced (optional)
• 1 small green bell pepper, diced (optional)
• 2 Tbsp. fat-free or 2 percent Greek yogurt
• 1 Tbsp. low-fat mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp. coarse seed mustard
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 2 dashes hot pepper sauce
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

In mixing bowl, combine beans with onion and peppers, if using.
For dressing, place in mini food processor the yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, hot sauce, salt and pepper and whirl to combine. With the motor running, drizzle in oil. Add dressing to beans and mix to combine. If serving immediately, mix in dill and parsley. Or, cover the dressed beans and refrigerate for up to 8 hours, adding herbs just before serving.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 230 calories, 5 g total fat (<1 g saturated fat), 36 g carbohydrate, 11 g protein, 11 g dietary fiber, 390 mg sodium.

Source with photo:  AICR

Garlic Scapes

 

Garlic Scapes

The harvest of fresh garlic highlights the garden events of June because most garlic sold at local supermarkets is grown in China. For true, local garlic, look to a farmers’ market. In the springtime, garlic growers sell garlic scapes, the twisty, curvy green shoot that springs forth from the garlic plant. The garlic scape must be pinched off to allow the energy for growing to be directed to the bulb of garlic and not used for the production of new seed.

Garlic scapes have a rich garlic flavor and can be used in pesto and other dishes where a strong “green” garlic flavor is desired. Some farmers sell fresh “green” garlic which is different than the scape. Green garlic is the actual garlic plant harvested before the bulb is formed. Fresh, mature garlic bulbs are harvested in June or July and then cured for sale later in the year. When cured, garlic stores well in a cool, dry spot in your kitchen.

 

Source:  Maggie Green, Kentucky Fresh Cookbook