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Recipes entice healthy appetite
Now that we're back in school and the snow is flying, we are all doing our best to keep warm and to keep within a budget. We are also looking for meals that are easy but don't involve a drive-thru. Some of us have even made a goal to lose last semester's weight. Here are a few recipes that most everyone can make, as well as some ideas that taste as great as they sound.
Black Bean Salsa
1 lb. black beans, soaked at least 8 hours
1�2 yellow bell pepper, finely diced
1�2 red bell pepper, finely diced
1�2 red onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 T. olive oil
2 T. cilantro, chopped
1 t. ground cumin
1 t. ground coriander
1�2 t. cayenne pepper
1�2 t. pepper
1 lime
Simmer the black beans in a Dutch oven over medium heat for about an hour. Remove and cool to room temperature as is. Drain the beans and place them in a large mixing bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and the juice of the lime and mix well. Cover and chill for at least an hour before serving. This recipe is very easy as well as tasty. It beats all the shelf salsas with their preservatives, and for those with a preference for taste this salsa is spicy, which is another advantage of making your own salsa; you can control the level of heat. It also makes the perfect snack food. Chips and salsa is considered a very healthy snack as well as a snack that increases brain power and studying capability, as the peppers and spices activate specific chemicals in the brain associated with learning.
Grapefruit and Spinach Salad
2 T. red wine vinegar
2 t. cane sugar
1 t. olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 red onion, cut in half vertically and thinly sliced
2 large grapefruit, preferably red or pink
1/3 cup orange juice
1 T. Dijon mustard
10 oz. fresh spinach, trimmed and washed
In a bowl, stir together the vinegar, sugar, oil, a pinch of salt and a generous grinding of black pepper. Next add the onions and stir to coat thoroughly. Set those aside for 15-30 minutes to marinate and soften. While that happens remove grapefruit skins with a serrated knife. Cut the grapefruit segments from the membrane into a bowl. Squeeze any juice from the membranes into the bowl as well. Set that aside while you make the dressing. In a food processor or using a bowl while stirring with a whisk, combine the orange juice, mustard, the juice from the grapefruit segments, 1 heaping tablespoon of the marinated onions and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth. Finally in a large salad bowl, toss the spinach and salad dressing. Drain the marinated onions and add to the salad along with the grapefruit segments. Toss gently and serve. This salad makes a tasty beginning to a hearty meal. This salad is both healthy and tasty. Sweet, sour, tangy and bold flavors come together to make this tasty dish. This salad tastes great served before the following meal.
Risotto with Turkey and Asparagus
1 package Jennie-O Turkey Breast, cut into one inch slices
1�2 c. onion, minced
1 T. butter
1 T. olive oil
1 package of risotto mix, mush room and pea flavor
5 cups chicken broth, hot
1 lb. asparagus, blanched
1�2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Chopped chives
In a large saucepan, saut� the onion in butter and olive oil for at least two minutes or until tender. Add the risotto and prepare according to package directions. Add one cup of broth and stir until absorbed. Continue adding the broth one-cup at a time until mixture is moist, but not soggy. After about 10 minutes add the asparagus, turkey and cheese. Sprinkle with the chives. Turkey is one of the healthiest meats. This recipe is a healthy meal as well as filling and calorie conscious. It tastes the best with the following desert.
Baked Apples
4 large apples
1 vanilla bean
1�4 cup apple cider/juice
2 T. brown sugar
1�2 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. pure vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Core the apples leaving the bottom 1/8 intact. Next remove the peel for about the top 1�4 of the peel. Place in a Dutch oven or baking dish with the vanilla bean. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and then pour over the apples. Cover and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the apples are soft and retain their shape. Serve warm, with a small amount of sauce over the top and a scoop of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream. Delightful! This tasty dessert fills the sweet tooth's desire as well as makes any non-chocolate lover's dream come true. It is a low calorie dessert (before the ice cream), which makes it that much tastier!
As you have read these recipes, you will notice the continued encouragement of the low calorie meals. As students and a society of convenience, we have also become people with expanding waistlines. Not everyone is this way, but many of you agree that eating healthier is a wise idea for your immediate future. Many of us are on a schedule that does not allow for mom's meals everyday, however, there are a few tips out there for you to follow to keep yourselves healthy. Some of the best snacks are right in front of us. Try eating bananas, oranges, yogurt, nuts, low salt pretzels and salads. Atwood offers real fruit juices and real fruit. Instead of buying a burger or pizza, go get a sandwich or a Husky Den meal. Now if they would only offer to toast our subs, we'd have a great deal. There is also the smoothie place, which offers one of the best alternatives to coffee and other mixed type drinks. There, you can choose the type of health booster you want in your drink as well as get a drink that fills you like a meal. Now if only they offered a warm version of that. Don't be afraid to bring your own snack, just remember eating healthier is just a matter of thinking before consuming. Walk around and look at your options. Take that extra time at the grocery store to buy items that make perfect backpack snacks. Yes, you might feel like a dork at first, but your stomach and your health will thank you later.
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