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Recipe of the Week: Crispy Quinoa Patties

Yield: About 20 patties
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

  • 2 and 2/3 cups cooked quinoa
  • 4 large eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 1/2 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/3 cup)
  • 1/3 cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 3/4 cup gluten free whole grain breadcrumbs (or regular)
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot and zucchini (1/4 cup each veggie)
  • 1 Tablespoon oil, plus more as needed

Directions:

  1. Combine the quinoa, eggs, salt, and lemon pepper in a large bowl. Stir in the parsley, onion, cheese, and garlic. Stir in the bread crumbs and chopped carrot/zucchini. Let the mixture sit for a
    few minutes so the crumbs absorb some of the moisture.
  2. Form mixture into 20 thick patties. You want the mixture moist, so the patties aren’t dry tasting. However, you want the mixture to hold together when cooking. You can add more bread crumbs to firm up the mixture, if needed. Alternatively, you can add a couple drops of water to moisten the mixture. *The uncooked quinoa mixture keeps nicely in the refrigerator for a few days. Cover tightly and cook the patties when you have time.
  3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat, add 5-6 patties, cover, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes until the bottoms are deeply browned. Carefully flip the patties with a spatula and cook the second sides for 5 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the skillet and cool on a large plate while you cook the remaining patties. Add more oil to the skillet if needed between each batch.
  4. Serve plain or in a pita, on a salad, on a sandwich, with sliced avocado, with hot sauce on top, etc.
  5. Make ahead tip: Cooked quinoa patties keep well in the refrigerator for 1 week or in the freezer for two months. A quick few seconds in the microwave will warm them back up to enjoy.

Original recipe from sallysbakingaddiction.com

Good V. Bad Cholesterol Explained

What is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a wax like substance found in all cells of the body. We need it to make hormones, Vitamin D, and various substances that help with digestion. Cholesterol comes from 2 sources- our body and the food that we eat. Our liver and cells produce about 75% of our total cholesterol and we consume the other 25% through our diet.

Cholesterol travels through our bloodstream in small packages called lipoproteins. Lipoproteins are made of fat on the inside and surrounded by a protein outside. We have two common lipoproteins known as a low density lipoprotein, or LDL, and a high density lipoprotein, or HDL. It is important to have healthy levels of both because too much LDL or not enough HDL increases our risk for heart disease.

What are “good” and “bad” cholesterol?

Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL) is referred to as bad cholesterol because when too much LDL circulates in the blood it slowly builds up in the walls of the arteries that feed the heart and the brain resulting in atherosclerosis. The LDL, in addition to other substances, forms plaque which narrows and hardens the arteries, thus limiting oxygen rich blood from traveling through. This can lead to formation of clots and can eventually lead to a heart attack or stroke. LDL is produced naturally and the amount is greatly determined by genes inherited from your family.

High Density Lipoproteins (HDL) is referred to as good cholesterol because high levels seem to protect against heart disease. HDL is believed to carry cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver where it can be removed from the body. It is also believed that HDL may remove excess cholesterol from the arterial plaque and in return slows the buildup.

Triglycerides- Triglycerides are a form of fat that is made in the body. High levels are due to cigarettes, inactivity, excess alcohol consumption, obesity, and a high carbohydrate diet. High levels of triglycerides are correlated with heart disease and diabetes.

Recipe of the Week: Roasted Vegetables with a Mediterranean Dressing

Original recipe from Moosewood Restaurant Favorites

Vegetables

  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 2 medium potatoes cut into ½ inch thick slices
  • 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into ½ inch thick slices
  • 2 bell peppers (different colors), stemmed/seeded and cut into chunks
  • 2-3 cups mushrooms, halved
  • 10-15 Brussels sprouts, halved
  • 2 cups cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces

 

Mediterranean Dressing

  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp ground fennel seeds
  • ¼ tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tbs minced fresh rosemary

 

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425F. Lightly oil two rimmed baking sheets.
  2. Prepare the dressing by whisking together the ingredients. In a large bowl, toss the prepared vegetables with the dressing. Spread out the vegetables in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
  3. Roast for about 15 minutes. Stir and return to oven. Check time again in about 15 minutes; the vegetables may be done or they may require more time. When all vegetables are tender, remove from oven.

Vitamin D: Why Is It Important and Where Can You Find It?

Vitamin D is an unconventional vitamin for two reasons. The first reason is that our bodies are able to make vitamin D with exposure to the sun. The second reason is vitamin D, when in its active form calcitriol, has a hormone-like effect on mineral absorption, bone mineralization, and various secretions.

Vitamin D is important for bone and muscle health, immunological activity, cancer risk, calcium levels, and cell activity. Vitamin D is probably best known for its role in maintaining bone density. When combined with calcium, vitamin D prevents bone loss and promotes an increase in bone density. This helps reduce the rate of hip fractures, which has not been seen with calcium supplementation or hormone therapy alone. The improved bone mineralization is directly correlated to an increase in longevity and quality of life. Vitamin D is also important in dental health and maintaining strong, healthy teeth.

Vitamin D is also important to maintain calcium levels. The active form of vitamin D works with parathyroid hormone (PTH) to maintain calcium levels in the blood. It does this by increasing intestinal absorption, increasing reabsorption of calcium by the kidneys, and stimulating the release of calcium from the bones when levels are low. It also works in the reverse manner if levels are too elevated.

Vitamin D has been recognized to have antitumor properties. In previous studies, vitamin D supplementation resulted in pancreatic cancer risk to be reduced by half in both men and women. In addition, colorectal cancer risk was reduced by half in women with increased levels of vitamin D in combination with calcium. Vitamin D has an immunological benefit by preventing excessive inflammatory activity. Our immune cells have receptors for vitamin D, specifically our T cells. This is significant because many autoimmune diseases have a T cell component. Vitamin D therefore plays a role in the prevention and treatment of diseases like Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

The color key represents the likelihood of Vitamin D synthesis in February. Dark blue indicating it is more unlikely and Red indicating it is likely.

The largest factor related to a vitamin D deficiency is limited sun exposure. This could be for a variety of reasons including being homebound, living at northern latitudes, use of sunscreen, full body coverage of clothing, and occupations without sunlight. Darker skin tones also contribute to vitamin D deficiency because of the increased melanin. Symptoms of insufficient vitamin D levels include altered muscle function, malabsorption of calcium, rickets, hypocalcemia, osteomalacia, osteoporosis, bone irregularities, and autoimmune diseases.

Foods are generally low in Vitamin D with the richest foods being fish liver oils and fatty saltwater fish. These include sea bass, halibut, swordfish, herring, tuna, and cod. Other sources include sardines, shrimp, and eggs. Milk and dairy products can be a good source because they are often fortified with Vitamin D.

There are several recommendations that quantify the amount of nutrients that we need on a daily basis but we are interested in the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) and the Optimum Daily Intakes (ODI). The RDA is 600IU for vitamin D and the ODI is 1000IU. Careful attention needs to be applied to our diets to ensure that we are consuming as much of our vitamin D through a whole food diet as possible. Supplementation can aid in meeting requirements, but we cannot rely solely on them because of the significant number of nutrients not yet identified.

 

References
Lieberman, S & Bruning, N. (2007). The Real Vitamin & Mineral Book. (4th edition). New York: Avery. Mateljan, G. (2007). The World’s Healthiest Foods: Essential Guide for the Healthiest Way of Eating. (1st edition). Washington: GMF Publishing.
McGuire, M & Beerman, K. (2013). Nutritional Sciences from Fundamentals to Food. (3rd edition). California: Woodsworth.

Recipe of the Week: Chicken Zucchini Noodle Caprese

Original recipe from Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 2 • Size: 2 cups • Points +: 9 • Smart Points: 7
Calories: 342 • Fat: 17 g • Saturated Fat: 5 g • Protein: 34 g • Carb: 15 g • Fiber: 4 g
Sugar: 2 g  • Sodium: 808 mg • Cholesterol: 105 mg

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut 1/2-inch cubes
  • kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 3/4 lb grape tomatoes, cut in half
  • pinch red crushed pepper flakes
  • Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
  • 1 large zucchini, spiralized with Blade D
  • 2 oz fresh mini mozzarella balls, cut in half

Directions:

  1. Start by spriralizing the zucchini using blade D if you have the Inspiralizer, or the thickest noodle blade your spiralizer has.
  2. Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper and oregano. In a large non-stick pan set over med-high heat, heat 1/2 tablespoon of the oil. Add the chicken and cook, stirring until browned and cooked through, about 6 minutes. Set aside.
  3. Reduce heat to medium, add the remaining oil and garlic and cook until golden, 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, and crushed red pepper flakes, and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Reduce the heat to low. Simmer, covered, until the tomatoes soften, 15 minutes.
  4. Increase heat to high, stir in the zucchini and basil, season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook 2 minutes. Add the chicken back to the skillet along with the mozzarella and serve right away.

Recipe of the Week: Walnut Crusted Salmon

Serving Size: 2
Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

For Toppping:

  • 12oz salmon filet (Wild Caught)
  • ½ cup walnuts, crushed
  • 2 tbs flax meal
  • 2 tsp oregano
  • 2 tsp basil
  • 1 tbs real maple syrup
  • Pinch lemon pepper

For Dressing:

  • ½ cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • ½ lemon, squeezed
  • ½ lime, squeezed
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • Pinch ground black pepper

Directions:

  1. Marinate salmon in balsamic citrus dressing for 30 minutes before cooking. While salmon is marinating, mix together walnuts, flax, oregano, basil, and lemon pepper.
  1. Preheat oven to 350*. Remove salmon from marinade and brush top of filet with maple syrup. Sprinkle the dry mixture on top of fish.
  1. Place salmon on a baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and serve with your favorite vegetable!

Which Fitness Tracker Is Right For You?

This year’s top fashion accessories are fitness trackers! If you are one of the few that have yet to join the movement, here are some of the highly rated trackers out there to help you to get started on your fitness goals. We’ve compared several brands and models to help to choose the right activity tracker for you.

1. Fitbit Surge: According to Consumer Reports the best overall tracker is the Fitbit Surge. This fitness tracker is also a watch. The Fitbit Surge has been classified as number one because its easy to use, it’s heart-rate monitor accuracy and sleep-count accuracy. The other features of this great fitness tracker is it calculates how many floors you climb a day, has GPS tracking to calculate running outside and has a food tracking ability. In addition, the battery lasts for 7 days without charge. The price for this fitness accessory is around $250.

2. Basis Peak: The Basis Peak is also a watch like the Fitbit Surge. This watch is rated just as high as the Surge in the fact that it is easy to you and heart-rate monitoring accuracy. The battery life lasts around 4 days. This watch is good for individuals who are looking for a simple, accurate heart rate monitoring watch that does not have any fancy features. This fitness watch starts at a retail price of $200.

3. Fitbit ChargeHR: The Fitbit ChargeHR is not a watch, but a band unlike the Surge and the Basis Peak. This band is highly rated in terms of ease of heart rate monitoring and sleep-count accuracy. The battery life lasts around 5 days. The features of this band consist of food tracking, sleep tracking and stairs climbed tracking. If you are not looking for a GPS tracking, this band is very similar to the Fitbit Surge. The pricing for the Fitbit ChargeHR is $150.

4. Samsung Gear Fit: The Samsung Gear Fit is highly rated amongst the fitness bands. The band is easy to use, has heart rate monitoring and sleep count activity. This band has also has a sleep tracking feature as well as notifications to update you about your exercise progress. The battery lasts about 3.5 days. This fitness tracker averages around $150.

5. Fitbit One: The Fitbit One is a clip on health tracker. This fitness tracker is easy to use and also has a sleeping tracker. Other features include tracking of floors climbed, GPS tracker and a food tracker. This clip on food tracker has a battery life of 14 days. The price on this fitness tracker is $100.

6. Microsoft Band:This band ranks high in sleep-count accuracy and heart rate monitoring. This band also has GPS tracking and notifications that alert you throughout your exercise progress. The battery life for this watch is 1.5 days and is priced at $130.

7. Withings Activité Pop: If you are looking for a fitness accessory that just tracks sleep, this is the watch for you. The battery life also lasts for a very long time, 240 days. The price of this gadget is $150.

There are many different fitness tracking devices out there that feature an array of different applications, you just have to pick the right one for you! Get out there and get tracking!

 

By Sally Leahy

Recipe of the Week: Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 can chickpeas, drained (16 oz)
  • 3/4 cup almond butter
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 1/2 cup chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

STEP 1: Preheat oven to 350 ° degrees. Spray a 9×9 pan with coconut oil spray. You can also use a 9×13, but if you want thicker, gooier brownies, the smaller works best! STEP 3: Bake for 45 to 60 minutes depending on what size dish you are using. You’ll know they are done when the top is slightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow bars to cool for 10-15 minutes before cutting.

STEP 2: Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor (except for the chocolate chips) and blend until smooth. Add chocolate chips to the batter and mix with a wooden spatula, being careful of the blade. Pour into baking pan and sprinkle with a few more chocolate chips on top.

STEP 3: Bake for 45 to 60 minutes depending on what size dish you are using. You’ll know they are done when the top is slightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow bars to cool for 10-15 minutes before cutting.

 

Original recipe & image from toneitup.com