Avocado & Sardine Toast

Avocado & Sardine Toast

The theme for Recipe Redux for this month is "Sea what you've been missing." We've been given the creative challenge this month of using the more obscure treasurs of the sea, such as sardines, anchovies, smelts, kelp or seaweed.

I have to admit that I'm not a big fan of sardines. I remeber eating them as a young girl, but haven't touched them in decades. I know they contain healthy fats and are an inexpensive source of protein. So, when I learned the theme for Recipe Redux this month, I promised myself that I would figure out a tasty way to add sardines to my diet.

I did some recipe searching and came across a recipe by Alton Brown (2009) for sherried sardine toast. That started me thinking. Avocado and sardines didn't sound bad. I veered from Brown's recipe in that I substituted cilantro for parsey and used twice as much, I used balsamic vinegar instead of sherry vinegar, and I used an artisan loaf of garlic bread.

Here is the complete recipe.

Avocado & Sardine Toast

Ingredients:

1 4.3 oz. tin sardines in soybean or olive oil

¼ cup finely chopped cilantro

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Lemon zest from ½ lemon

4 thick (1/2-inch) slices crusty bread, such as artisan garlic or sourdough

1 ripe avocado, pitted & peeled

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

¼ tsp ground black pepper

Cilantro sprigs, for garnish

Directions:

Drain 1 Tbsp of oil from sardines and set aside. Place remaining oil in small bowl. (There should be about 3 Tbsp). Add cilantro, vinegar, and lemon zest; stir. Add sardines that have been broken into ½-inch pieces (and remove bones if desired). Let sardines marinate in oil mixture for 30 minutes.

Preheat broiler to high. Brush one side of each slice of bread with reserved 1 Tbsp of oil. Place the read, oil side up, on baking sheet and broil for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Meanwhile, mash the avocado in a small bowl with fork. Stir in lemon juice and pepper.

Equally spread the avocado among the 4 slices of toasted bread. Then top each with ¼ of the sardine mixture. Garnish with sprig of cilantro.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Information per Serving:
398 calories, 10 g total fat,2 g saturated fat, 44 mg cholesterol, 5 g dietary fiber, 20 g protein, and 260 mg sodium. One serving of this low cost recipe provides an excellent source of protein, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine and folate.

Cost per Serving: $0.78

Pricing Note: all ingredients were at “regular” prices except avocados were on sale for $1 each and cilantro was on sale for $0.79 a bunch.


Click here to download and copy of the recipe.

Here are a couple of prep pictures:

Left: sardines marinating in cilantro mixture; Right: garlic bread, toasted under broiler

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Leek Potato Salad Perfect for Spring

Stuffed Leeks with Leek Potato Salad

The theme for Recipe Redux for April is "the first shoots of Spring." At this tme of year, you're seeing leeks, scallions, garlic scapes, pea shoots, ramps, rhubarb, and asparagus in farmer's markets and some grocery stores. This theme is courtesy of Katie@HealthyBites.

fresh leeks

I decided I wanted to do something with fresh leeks. Of course, there is always potato leek soup -- one of my favorites, but I wanted to do something a little different. Instead of a hot soup, I wanted something cold and refreshing that contained potatoes and leeks. So, I came up with a potato salad that has steamed leeks in it and can be served in leek "boats" for a more impressive presentation if desired.

Here is the complete recipe.

Stuffed Leeks with Leek Potato Salad

Ingredients:
6 medium leeks, well washed, root end sliced off
2 cups cooked potatoes, peeled (such as gold, red, or russet)
1 hard cooked egg
1/4 cup reduced fat mayonnaise made with olive oil
2 Tbsp plain nonfat Greek-style yogurt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper, or to taste
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

 Directions:

Clean leeks in warm water to remove any soil. Cut a 3-inch piece starting from the white end of each leek. The remaining leek greens can be used for broth or another use. Cut each 3-inch leek piece in half lengthwise.  You should have 12 pieces total. Fill a large steaming vessel with one-inch of water and bring to a boil. Place leek halves cut-side-down in a single layer in the steamer basket of the steaming vessel. Place over boiling water, cover and steam for 10 minutes. With tongs, lift cooked leeks from steamer and place in single layer on plate. Cover and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes.

When leeks have cooled, carefully removed the outermost  two layers from each leek half. You should end up with 24 leek "boats." The inside layers of each steamed leek piece will be added to the potato salad below. Do not discard.

For potato salad, combine 1 cup of chopped steamed leeks  (the innermost leaves that were not used as a boat in the last step above) with cooked potatoes, egg, mayonnaise, yogurt and pepper. Mix well. Place a generous tablespoon of the potato salad in each leek boat. Sprinkle with parsley.

Makes 24 leek boats (or 6 servings of four each).

Nutrition Information per Serving (4 leek boats):

134 calories, 4 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 32 mg cholesterol, 12g dietary fiber, 4 g protein, and 346 mg sodium. One serving of this low cost recipe provides an excellent source of vitamins A, C, and K.

Cost per Serving: $0.92

Pricing Note: all ingredients were at “regular” prices.

Tray of stuffed leeks with leek potato salad

Click here to download and print a copy of this Stuffed Leeks with Leek Potato Salad recipe.

Be sure to check out these other great springtime recipes from other Receipe Reduxers.

Easy Fennel Cheese Cups

Fennel Cheese Cups

Today's blog is part of a contest created by Cabot Creamery for members of Recipe Redux. The challenge given us was to discuss how Cabot's 50% or 75% Reduced Fat Cheddar cheese made trying a "New to You" fruit, vegetable or whole grain even tastier for you and your family.

Because I've considered myself a "foodie" for many years, I go out of my way to try new foods and new recipes. So, finding a new fruit, vegetable or grain was a bit of a challenge for me.  So, I walked the aisles of a couple of supermarkets to help identify and decide what ingredients to work with for this contest.

Instead of one item, I actually came up with two new foods: fennel and millet. Although fennel can be found in many markets, it's not a vegetable I've cooked myself. It's more popular in Europe. I've eaten it when eating out and love the sweet and subtle anise-like flavor. Here is a photo of what it looks like for those that may be unfamiliar with it.

Fresh Fennel Bulb

Fennel can be eaten raw or cooked. According to the tag on the fennel I purchased, there were several helpful serving suggestions including cooking it in chicken broth, pureeing it and adding it to mashed potatoes or shredding it for a slaw and tossing with a poppy seed dressing. You can use the whole fennel plant. The bulb can be sliced thin and served raw in salads or the bulb can be sautéed, boiled, or added to mire poix. The leaves can be cut up and added to soups and stews. The feathery fronds can be used for garnish. According to USDA, one cup of raw fennel provides 27 calories, 1.1 gram protein, 0.2 gram total fat, 6.3 grams carbohydrate, 2.7 grams of fiber, 45 milligrams sodium and 17% of daily value for vitamin C.

The second item I decided to cook with was millet. This looks like bird seed, but it is food grade.

Millet

 I chose millet for several reasons. As the Nutrition Budgeteer, I am constantly on the lookout for inexpensive, yet healthy foods. Millet is a low cost grain. I found it at a natural foods store for $1.79 per pound. One pound is about 2-1/4 cups raw millet. One cup of raw millet yields about 4 cups of cooked. Doing the math, a 1-cup cooked serving costs about 20 cents. That's inexpensive, especially when compared to quinoa, amaranth, and some of the other more exotic grains available. According to USDA's Standard Reference, one cup of cooked millet provides 207 calories, 6.1 grams protein, 1.7 grams total fat, 41.2 grams carbohydrate, 2.3 grams fiber, and is a good source of thiamin and niacin. I think six grams of protein is good, considering a cup of quinoa, touted for its protein, provides 8 grams for a cooked cup. Millet is fairly "neutral" in taste, complementing the other flavors that are mixed with it.

My recipe starts by making cheese cups. For this, I was inspired by Jennifer Behm, a real estate agent from Wilmington, Delaware that won the second season of Master Chef in 2011. I attended a cooking demonstration where she made an appetizer of flat cheese crisps using only parmesan cheese for a football party. Of course, I substituted Cabot's reduced fat cheddar cheese. And, instead of flat disks, I wanted to make little cups that could hold a tasty filling. Mini muffin tins work perfectly for this. I experimented with both 50% reduced fat and 75% reduce fat Cabot's sharp cheese and both worked great for this use. Nothing but Cabot cheese is used to make the cheese cup containers. Other spices or herbs could be added, if desired. I found that the taste of the cheese was the perfect accompaniment to the fennel and millet filling I created. I wasn't sure if the Cabot reduced fat cheese would work the same way that parmesan cheese does, as their textures are different. I was pleasantly surpirsed when the cheese cups worked with both the 50% and 75% reduced fat Cabot sharp cheddar cheese. The cheese cups can be made up to several days in advance, if desired. Keep them at room temperature in an airtight plastic container lined with paper towels to absorb moisture.

Preparation of Cheese Cups

For the filling,  I looked for ideas on ways to use fennel and was inspired by Julia Child's "The Way to Cook" where she made calzones using fennel and sweet Italian sausage.  I decided to combine sweet Italian lean turkey sausage (healthier than beef Italian sausage) with the fennel, toasted cooked millet, and some chopped onion. I love the flavor combination. It was perfect for my cheese cups.

Preparation of Filling

Here is the complete recipe.

Fennel Cheese Cups

Ingredients:

Cheese Cups:
Non-stick cooking spray
8 ounces Cabot 50% or 75% reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese

Filling:
1 lean Italian turkey sausage link (about 3.4 ounces), uncooked and casing removed
1/2 medium fennel bulb, chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
1 cup cooked millet* (or other cooked whole grain)

Equipment Needed:

baking sheets
parchment paper
mini muffin pan

Make Cheese Cups: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Spray parchment paper with non-stick spray. The cheese cups will likely need to be baked in batches. The parchment paper can be reused until all the cheese cups have been baked.  With large holes on a box grater, shred cheese. Place cheese in 1 tablespoon piles on parchment paper lined baking sheets, leaving about inch between piles to allow for spreading. Flatten piles slightly with hands or back of spoon. Bake 8 to 10 minutes on middle rack of oven until bubbly and slightly brown around edges. Don't over bake to prevent toughness. Remove baking sheets  from oven and let set for 1 minute. Then carefully lift each cheese circle and press in bottom of mini muffin pan. Let cool about 5 minutes before removing from muffin pan. Note: cheese cups can be made up to several days in advance, if desired. Keep at room temperature in airtight plastic container lined with paper towels to absorb moisture.

Make Filling: Brown Italian sausage in large, 10-inch non-stick frying skillet over medium-high heat until completely browned on all sides, breaking it apart as it cooks. Reduce heat to medium. Add fennel and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes, or until vegetables are crisp tender. Stir in cooked millet. Cook over medium heat for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat. Using a tablespoon, scoop a heaping tablespoon of filling into each cheese cup. Garnish with feathery fennel fronds, if desired. Serve.

Makes  16 appetizers or 8 servings (2 appetizers each).

Nutrition Information per Serving Using 75% Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese):  (Note: one serving is two cheese cups.)

111 calories, 3.8 g total fat, 1.8 g saturated fat, 16.3mg cholesterol, 0.8 g dietary fiber, 11.8 g protein, and 281 mg sodium.

Nutrition Information per Serving Using 50% Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese):  (Note: one serving is two cheese cups.)

121 calories, 5.8 g total fat, 3.3 g saturated fat, 21.3 mg cholesterol, 0.8 g dietary fiber, 10.8 g protein, and 251 mg sodium.

Cost per Serving (2 Cheese Cups per Serving): $0.88

Pricing Note: all ingredients were at “regular” prices.

* To cook millet: Toast 1 cup dry millet in a non-stick 10-inch frying pan over high heat, stirring constantly, until millet just begins to turn brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add  2 cups of boiling water (or low sodium broth)  to toasted millet, reduce heat to medium and cover. Gradually reduce heat to simmer and let cook covered for about 20 minutes. One cup of dry millet yields about 4 cups of cooked millet. Only 1 cup of cooked millet is needed for this recipe. The remainder can be used for another recipe or use.

Click here to download and print the complete Fennel Cheese Cups recipe.

Want to Win a Free Giveaway? 

Dr. Barb will be giving away a free cutting board and a cheese knife (compliments of Cabot Creamery) to two different people who post a comment related to this blog post. Persons will be randomly selected from all those that post a comment before April 30, 2012.

Disclaimer: I received free samples from Cabot Creamery of the cheese and giveaway items mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe, I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Cabot Creamery cooperative and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest.  I was not compensated for my time.

Refreshing Orange Banana Ambrosia Perfect for Spring

Orange Banana Ambrosia Perfect for Spring

The challenge this month for Recipe Reduxers is to create a recipe using maple syrup or honey to add natural sweetness to foods.  I wanted to create a fruit dessert that is light, refreshing, and easy. Sunkist has a navel orange variety called Cara Cara that is available now through April. This orange is grown in California's San Joaquin Valley and has flesh that is red to pinkish red in color. According to Sunkist's website, the Cara Cara orange is "exceptionally sweet with a tangy cranberry-like zing. It is a rich source of vitamins A, C, fiber and lycopene."

So, I decided to make an ambrosia, using cara cara oranges, banana, Greek-style vanilla yogurt,  maple syrup, and coconut. I found cara cara oranges featured in my market, $3.99 for a 3-pound bag that contained 8 oranges. That works out to 50 cents an orange.

Here is the complete recipe:

Orange  Banana Ambrosia

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vanilla nonfat Greek-style yogurt
2 Tbsp maple syrup or honey or agave syrup
2 cara cara oranges, peeled and sliced crosswise, and then into chunks (or other oranges)
1 medium banana, peeled and sliced
4 Tbsp shredded or flaked coconut, toasted

Directions:

In medium bowl, combine yogurt and syrup. Add orange chunks and banana slices and mix well. Scoop into 4 individual dessert glasses and sprinkle each with a tablespoon of toasted coconut.

Makes 4 servings (1/2 cup each).

Nutrition Information per Serving:

127 calories, 2 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 2 mg cholesterol, 3 g dietary fiber, 4 g protein, and 26 mg sodium. One serving of this low cost recipe provides an excellent source of vitamin C (64% of DV) and a good source of fiber (11%).

Cost per Serving: $0.72

Pricing Note: all ingredients were at “regular” prices except the cara cara oranges on sale for $3.99 for a 3-pound bag and the Greek-style yogurt on sale for $1.00 for a 5.3 ounce container.

Click here to download & print the Orange Banana Ambrosia recipe.

Deep Dark Chocolate Almond Sauce

February's theme for Recipe Redux is "Chocolate Love is in the Air."So this month members of Recipe Redux are offering somewhat "healthier" chocolate recipes that will make your heart grow fonder - and stronger.

I love chocolate. Dark chocolate that is. I'm not a fan of milk chocolate. It's great that science now supports that dark chocolate can be healthy, in moderation. Some research shows that eating dark chocolate may be associated with decreased rates of stroke, lower blood pressure and reduced rates of cardiovascular disease. A number of different compounds with cocoa and cocoa butter are thought to be at least partly responsible for these effects, including flavonoids (especially catechins, epicatechins, and procyanidins), sterols, fiber, minerals, and fat. The fats in cocoa butter present an interesting story. Stearic acid is one of the primary fats in cocoa butter. Even though it is a saturated fat which should be limited in one's diet, the stearic fatty acid in cocoa butter is unusual in that it has been shown not to elevate blood cholesteol levels like other saturated fats do.

I typically eat one square (about 1/2 an ounce) of Trader Joe's dark chocolate a day. There are 40 squares in one pound-plus chocolate bar (17.6 ounces) that sells for $4.99 in my market. That equates to only 12.5 cents for one square. And it is so good. Trader Joe's get there chocolate from Belgium. And, for me, one square is just enough to satisfy my chocolate cravings.

My recipe for this month's Recipe Redux is Deep Dark Chocolate Almond Sauce. The sauce can be eaten any time of day and is great on bagels, toast, pancakes, and waffles. Or use it as a dip for strawberries or other fruit or as a topping for lowfat ice cream. The recipe goes together very quickly and if you're like me, you've got the ingredients on hand and can whip up a batch on short notice.  The chocolate sauce has just a hint of coffee because it complements the dark chocolate so well and gives it a deeper, stronger flavor, in my opinion.

I start with Trader Joe's dark chocolate (without nuts). With a pointed sharp knife and cutting board, I break it up into small chunks. Then the toasted almond slices and chocolate chunks are ground together in a food processor until they are finely ground.

Next, a small amount of cream, brewed coffee, agave syrup and salt are brought just to a boil and then added to the chocolate-nut miture in the food processor. This all gets mixed together. You remove it to a bowl and stir in almond extract. Voila! You have a wonderful deep dark chocolate almond sauce that is ready to spread on bagels, toast, or whatevr. Any leftover sauce (if there is any) can be stored in the refrigerator.

Here's the full recipe:

Deep Dark Chocolate Almond Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
3 ounces bittersweet or semisweet dark chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp light agave syrup
1 Tbsp brewed coffee or expresso
Pinch of salt (less than 1/8 tsp)
1/4 tsp almond extract

Directions:

Combine toasted almonds and chocolate in bowl of food processor. Pulse, scraping down sides of bowl 2 to 3 minutes, until chocolate and nuts are finely ground.

Combine cream, agave syrup, coffee, and salt in a small saucepan; bring just to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. With motor running on food processor, pour cream mixture through feed tube and process, scraping down sides of bowl, 3 to 4 minutes or until mixture is smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in almond extract.

Makes 8 servings (about 2 tablespoons per serving)

Nutrition Information per Serving:
145 calories, 11 g total fat, 5 g saturated fat, 14 mg cholesterol, 2 g dietary fiber, 2 g protein, and 36 mg sodium.

Cost per Serving: $0.46
Pricing Note: all ingredients were at "regular" prices.

Here is the chocolate sauce on whole grain toast. Yum!

Click here to download and print a copy of Deep Dark Chocolate Almond Sauce.

Be sure to check out these other chocolate recipes from fellow Recipe Reduxers.

Make a Fresh Start with Berry Oven Pancake

January's theme for Recipe Redux is ʺFresh Starts.ʺ So, we’re starting 2012 with tasty recipe ideas for breakfast. Some will think waffles, granola, or breakfast sandwiches. For me, I'm thinking oven pancakes or someties called "Dutch Babies."

One of my favorite breakfasts for years has been a German pancake or Dutch Baby. For those who may not be familiar with Dutch Babies, these are large pancakes made from eggs, flour, and milk and often flavored with vanilla, cinnamon and sugar. They are baked in a large skillet in the oven, not on top of the stove or range. They typically collapse soon after removing them from the oven and can be served with sugar, lemon, butter or syrup.

My version serves two (generously) and only uses 2 eggs, or one egg per person. It is loaded with strawberries and blueberries. It can be made with fresh or frozen berries, whichever is the most economical at the timeof preparation. One serving (with syrup) provides 327 calories, almost 11 grams of protein and 5.5 grams of fiber. One serving also provides an excellent source of vitamin C, phosphorus, and riboflavin and a good source of vitamin A and fiber. And it costs only $1.64 per serving.

Here is the recipe. It can easily be doubled to serve four people. Just use a 10-inch oven-safe skillet.

Berry Oven Pancake

Ingredients:
2 large eggs
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 Tbsp sugar or honey
½ tsp ground nutmeg or cinnamon
Pinch Kosher salt
1/3 cup white wheat flour
1/3 cup skim milk
1 cup chopped strawberries
1/3 cup frozen wild blueberries or fresh blueberries
1 Tbsp unsalted butter-like margarine blend stick
2 Tbsp maple syrup

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine eggs, lemon zest, sugar, nutmeg or cinnamon, and salt and whisk until blended. Add flour and milk and mix just until blended. Stir in strawberries and blueberries; stir just to combine. (Don’t over mix). Melt butter in 7- to 8-inch oven-safe frying pan over medium heat. Pour in fruit mixture and spread evenly in pan. Place frying pan in hot oven and bake for about 15 minutes. Sides of pancake will puff up during baking. Carefully remove skillet from oven (remember handle will be hot) and cut pancake in half. Serve immediately with maple syrup or your favorite topping.

Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition Information per Serving:
327 calories, 11.3 g total fat, 3.6 g saturated fat, 187 mg cholesterol, 5.5 g dietary fiber, 10.9 g protein, and 158 mg sodium. One serving of this low cost recipe provides an excellent source of vitamin C, phosphorus, and riboflavin and a good serving of vitamin A and fiber.

Cost per Serving: $1.64
Pricing Note: all ingredients were at “regular” prices except fresh strawberries which were on sale 2 pints for $5.00.

Click here to download and print a copy of this Berry Oven Pancake recipe.

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Recipe Redux: Mexican Cheese Ball (with Beans)

The theme for Recipe ReDux this month is "Putting the P(ea) in Potluck.."  Because December is full of holiday parties and family gatherings, Recipe Redux requested party-friendly recipes that can feed a crowd that use peas, beans or lentils in festive dish. So, I decided I wanted to do something other than hummus, a favorite of mine, but fairly typical. I wanted to see if I could develop a recipe for a simple cheese ball that incorporated cooked beans.

Typically, cheese balls aren’t high on the list of healthy offerings at a buffet or party table. They often start with cream cheese and mayonnaise and are then rolled in nuts.  A “typical” cheese ball recipe can provide as much as 275 calories, 22 grams of total fat and 10 grams of saturated fat per 1/4-cup serving. I wanted to make a healthier version, naturally. So, I started with Neufchatel cream cheese with 1/3 less fat than regular cream cheese and added cooked pinto beans and Monterey Jack Cheese.

I was pleasantly surprised at the ease of adding cooked pinto beans to softened Neufchatel cream cheese in the food processor. I add some shredded Monterey jack cheese with the jalapeno peppers already in the cheese to give it more flavor and a little spice. You end up with a healthier cheese ball with a hint of pintos. The recipe uses few ingredients and goes together in minutes. It does need to be refrigerated for several hours so the cheese can get firm.

Mexican Cheese Ball uses pinto beans

Here is the complete recipe:

Mexican Cheese Ball

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked pinto beans (from scratch or from can, rinsed)

8 oz neufchatel (1/3 less fat) cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup (4 oz) shredded Monterey jack cheese with jalapeno peppers

1 cup finely chopped cilantro

Directions:

Process beans, cream cheese and Monterey jack cheese together in food processor until smooth, about 20 seconds, scraping sides if needed. Transfer cheese mixture to center of a large sheet of plastic wrap. Bring 4 corners of wrap together and twist to form ball. Place ball in bowl to help hold its shape and refrigerate until firm for several hours or overnight. When ready to serve, roll ball in chopped cilantro and place on serving tray. Serve with whole wheat crackers (such as Triscuits) and top with a teaspoon of chunky salsa, if desired.

Makes 16 servings (about 3 tablespoons each).

Nutrition Information per 3-Tablespoon Serving:

72 calories, 4 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 14 mg cholesterol, 1 g dietary fiber, 4 g protein, and 115 mg sodium.

Cost per Serving: $0.22 (plus the cost of crackers and salsa)

Pricing Note: all ingredients were at “regular” prices except Neufchatel cheese was on sale for $1.50, jack cheese on sale for $2.00 for 8 oz., and cilantro on sale for $0.50 a bunch.

Click here to download and print a copy of this Mexican Cheese Ball recipe.

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