A Better Bag of Groceries

Marvelous Meals with Rachel

Wednesday, February 10, 2010 at 07:02 AM

Welcome to Marvelous Meals with Rachel – a new feature here on A Better Bag of Groceries.  Rachel has offered to feature her unique recipes for nutritious, delicious meals  on a regular basis.  This is going to be awesome.  It’s like having my own personal chef who is also a Registered Dietitian.  I feel like a celebrity!

Meet Rachel Rodek, a Registered Dietitian who has a whole alphabet soup after her name:

• MS is for her Masters’ Degree in Science which Rachel has in Nutrition Communications
• RD means she is a Registered Dietitian
• LDN means she is registered to practice as a Registered Dietitian in Massachusetts

Rachel joined NuVal as our Manager of Nutrition Communications in December.  Rachel, Tina and I all sit within chatting distance of each other in the NuVal office.  I am so lucky to be in the company of others who are as passionate about food, fitness and good health as I am.  When Rachel is not busy communicating about nutrition for NuVal, you are most likely to find her counseling elite athletes in sports nutrition, working out, painting or planning her upcoming wedding in June.

Without further ado, I bring you Rachel!

At least once a week, I try to have a super meal.  One that makes me feel good all the way through.  It can be tough to fit in a nice meal – life gets hectic, schedules get tight – but having that one meal (with leftovers!) gets the week off on great footing.  This past Monday night was Marvelous Meal night for me:  Salmon topped with sauteed spinch, walnuts & feta and Baked Brussels sprouts with pears. 

Salmon, as you know, is a rock star in the world of fish.  Not only is it a great source of protein, it’s the highest in omega 3 fatty acids - a fat that has been linked to many possible health benefits: helping protect your joints; reducing internal inflammation; and lowering risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and arthiritis.  One serving of salmon has about 3,000 mg of the positive fat and scores highest among fish with an 82.

When I heard that Brussels Sprouts scored a 94 on the NuVal scale, I had to find a way to incorporate them more into my diet.  These petite cabbages get a bad rap, and I’ll admit that I hadn’t thought highly of them myself, but when done right they can be absolutely delicious.  One key to scrumptious Brussels is cooking time.  When these cruciferous veggies are left in the oven for too long they produce a bitter taste – one reason why many people don’t like them.  I wanted to share the recipe that allowed me to welcome them into my life with open arms!

Brussels Sprouts with Pears

1 pound brussels sprouts, outside leaves peeled off and halved

2 pears, cored and diced  (NuVal score 96)

2 tbsp lemon juice (I didn’t have any, so I used a clementine)

2 Tbsp honey (Score 1)

2 Tbsp olive oil (Score 11)

Salt and pepper

Combine halved brussels and diced pears.  Whisk together honey, lemon juice, and olive oil.  Add to Brussels mixture, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss well to coat.

Bake at 350F for about 30 minutes (until tender), stirring half way through.

Salmon with spinach and feta

2 large or 4 small Salmon filets

1 bag spinach

1 small onion, chopped

1/3 cup feta cheese (I used sharp cheddar)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (NuVal score of 82)

2 tsp olive oil

Salt and pepper

Place salmon, skin side down, in a baking dish – sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Sautee onions in 2 tsp olive oil, add spinach, salt and pepper and cook until wilted and water has evaporated.  Let cool then mix in nuts and feta cheese.  Layer spinach mixture on top of the salmon. 

Bake at 350F for 20-30 minutes, or until opaque.

Delectable!

TradeUp Tuesday Winner
Congratulations to Commenter #30, Mallory.  You’ve won the Kashi GiveAway which includes a NuVal T-shirt! 

Posted by: Melissa 18 comments

Posted in: Brussels Sprouts, Marvelous Meals, Salmon

Tags: Brussels Sprouts, Marvelous Meals, Pears, Salmon

Incredible Vegetables: Brussels Sprouts

Thursday, December 17, 2009 at 07:25 AM

Oh, Brussels Sprouts, how I adore thee! 

Sounds like the lyrics to some kind of vegetarian Christmas Carol, doesn’t it?  Or some kind of Elizabethan sonnet.  I really do love, love, love Brussels Sprouts, especially when they are roasted in the oven with a little olive oil & Kosher salt. 

So how did we fall in love?  I always had a little crush on these little round vegetables.  But it was the time we spent together in London (circa 1996) that moved me from mild infatuation to deep, irresistable passion.  The Brussels Sprouts that I ate in a small theater-district restaurant while on a two-week assignment for Big Consulting Company, were not the usual big, over-cooked, water-logged variety that we sometimes see stateside.  They were tiny and tender and succulent.  Parting from Heathrow was such sweet sorrow.

Back in the US, I soon found that I could replicate some of the ardor that I had experienced in that London eatery, right there in my own kitchen.  The key was to find Brussels Sprouts on a stalk. 

Aren’t they magnificent?

Check around your produce section to find this gem.  They tend to show up in fall and winter.  I bought this one for $3.99 at Stop & Shop.  It’s a far better deal than Brussels Sprouts packaged in a cup.  My husband always knows when I’ve found The Stalk because he hears me shriek in excitement from across the Produce Department.

The Fooducate Blog recently featured a post on Brussels Sprouts and gave a very good explanation of why most people don’t like them.  Fooducate explains, “An overcooked Brussels sprout is mushy, bitter, and smells bad. This is because too much heat releases glucosinolate sinigrin, responsible for a stinky sulfurous odor and flavor.”  Who knew?

My favorite recipe for Brussels Sprouts comes from Cooking Light.

Brussels Sprouts with Browned Garlic

6 cups trimmed Brussels sprouts, halved (about 2 pounds)

1 tablespoon olive oil, divided

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Cooking spray

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Combine the Brussels sprouts, 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, salt, and pepper.  Place sprouts mixture in a 13 X 9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. 

Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes or until sprouts are crisp-tender.  Keep warm.

Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat.  Add garlic, and cook for 3 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat; stir in juice.  Add to sprouts mixture; toss well.

The best part about my love affair with Brussels Sprouts is that there is no guilt:  they score a 94 on the NuVal scale.

My children will not touch these suckers.  More for Mommy!!!  My husband is not a huge fan either, although he will munch on a few, just to see if the ecstasy is contagious.

One word of caution: Brussels Sprouts do leave a certain, traceable aroma in your kitchen after roasting.  Last night, while my husband was working late, I roasted up a big batch for today’s blog post.  When my husband came home, he knew.  “Honey, tell the truth.  Have you been cooking Brussels Sprouts again?”  I was caught in the act.

Question of the Day

What fruits or vegetables are you passionate about?

Posted by: Melissa 19 comments

Posted in: Brussels Sprouts, Incredible Vegetables

Tags: Incredible Vegetables