Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 08:15 AM
Today is Wordless Wednesday! So, I’ll give my fingers a rest and instead listen to what you have to say about my photos. I love WW! Your comments, please!
Yesterday’s Giveaway
Congratulations to Commenter #13 Tanya! You’ve won the Back To School Giveaway! Please send me an email at abetterbagofgroceries@gmail.com with your mailing address so that I can send your prize out to you. Thanks to everyone who entered!
Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: Wordless Wednesday
Tags: Broccoli
Wednesday, April 14, 2010 at 10:02 AM
Today’s post comes to you from my friend and colleague Rachel Rodek, MS, RD, LDN, CSSD. Rachel is Manager of Nutrition Communications for NuVal. Lucky for me, she sits just a stone’s throw away from me at the office. We have a great time sharing our cooking stories and I love this one that she wrote and photographed about The Night That Her Fiance Made Dinner. So, without further ado, I bring you Rachel!
Ah, the beauty of letting go of the reigns in the kitchen. A rare yet beautiful bird. That’s right, Fernando was the cook tonight – and boy does he know how to spice it up. Who doesn’t love watching someone else work their magic with food?
On the menu tonight: Eggplant Frittata with Roasted Broccoli.
The eggplant, also known as aubergine, is another only modestly-loved fruit. Yep – you read it right: Eggplant is botanically classified as a berry. Quite a big one at that. And although it’s not dangerous, this fruit is related to the nightshade family along with tomatoes, potatoes, and sweet peppers.
Eggplant scores a 96 on the NuVal scale and is packed with fiber, potassium, and flavonoids (another name for antioxidants). So though you may be intimidated by this large, alien-shaped purple knob – it’s an incredible addition to the diet.
Back to dinner. As you know, sometimes dinner doesn’t go as planned. What was the plan? To try and flip the L-A-R-G-E LeCreuset pan of eggplant frittata like a pancake. What?? My thoughts exactly. But I wasn’t in charge tonight, so I let The Chef man the helm. You would have enjoyed being a fly on the wall.
*Splat* Eggplant Frittata everywhere. Did we eat it? Of course – it was delicious! But dinner was more of an eggplant scramble than an open-faced omelet.
To help ease the cooking anxiety of a Frittata Flop, I took over the Roasted Broccoli. Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable that contains a type of flavonoid called glucosinolate, which is responsible for its sharp-taste. These powerful little substances act like Scrubbing Bubbles for your body; helping to activate enzymes in the liver that eliminate toxins. Other cruciferous veggies include Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, collard greens, turnip, radish, and wasabi.
Ingredients:
1 Large eggplant, cut into ½ inch cubes (NuVal score 96)
1 Onion, chopped (NuVal score 93)
2 Plum tomatoes, diced (96)
4 whole eggs (33. Trade up to 660mg omega-3 eggs for a score of 42)
4 egg whites (26. Trade up to Egg Beaters egg substitute for a score of 58)
1 Tbsp olive oil (11. trade up to Canola oil for a score of 24)
1 Pound broccoli, cut into florets (NuVal score 100)
2-3 Garlic cloves, diced (91)
Olive oil (11. Trade up to Canola oil for a score of 24)
Salt & Pepper
½ a Lemon zest and juice
Eggplant Frittata:
Whisk eggs and egg whites together.
Saute eggplant in ½ Tbsp oil until cooked through, remove from pan. Saute onions in ½ Tbsp oil until translucent, then add tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes.
Stir back in eggplant and cook for another 5-8 minutes. Pour eggs over vegetables, cover, and cook for about 12-15 minutes.
Lift edges with spatula occasionally to allow uncooked egg to flow to bottom of skillet.
Heat broiler (So that you don’t have to attempt the “flip”!) and broil frittata for 2-3 minutes until golden.
Optional: Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top of frittata before broiling.
Roasted Broccoli:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Spread broccoli onto a cookie sheet, drizzled oil, and toss with salt, pepper, and diced garlic.
Roast in oven for 20-25 minutes until crisp, tender, and some floret tips are browned.
Remove from oven and sprinkle with zest and juice of ½ a lemon.
Optional: sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Enjoy!
Winner of Yesterday’s Giveaway
Congratulations to Tiffany from adantatslife.wordpress.com. She guessed correctly (as many of you did) that Newman’s Own makes the highest scoring salsa. But here’s the catch: It’s Newman’s Own Black Bean and Corn Salsa Medium All Natural that gets the high score of 48. Newman’s Own All Natural Chunky Salsa Medium only gets a 15. Interesting, huh? Thanks to everyone who entered.
Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: Marvelous Meals
Tags: Broccoli, eggplant
Wednesday, December 9, 2009 at 06:50 AM
On Monday, I gave you my tips for avoiding the dreaded holiday weight gain. You can do it – and have fun – promise! One of those tips was to eat a light lunch when you know you are headed to a holiday party in the evening. Here’s one of my favorite light lunches of all time: The Incredible Vegetable Sandwich.
The inspiration for this sandwich comes from a cafe in Providence. Back in the early ’90s, I was working in Providence temporarily for a small consulting firm who was reengineering a Big Bank. This was just after finishing my graduate degree and just before beginning my traveling days with Big Consulting Firm. There was a small deli/cafe nearby where we often got take-out sandwiches for lunch. This steamed veggie sandwich was what I often ordered – without cheese! I was such a masochist – trying to lose the last of some leftover college pounds on Weight Watchers.
Now, it is my Go-To Sandwich when I want something warm but healthy.
Chop up some broccoli (cooked or raw – whatever you have) and grate a few carrots. Top with some roasted red peppers, also chopped. Heat in the microwave.
Top with some cheddar cheese and microwave it some more. Spoon the heated veggies and cheese into a pita, and voila – lunch! I recommend adding something with protein, such as a glass of skim milk, to help to round out your lunch.
So, how does the Incredible Vegetable Sandwich Score on the NuVal scale?
Well, the carrots score a 99 (remember 100 is best) and the broccoli scores a 100. The Pastene Roasted Red Peppers do not score as well as fresh, raw peppers. They score a 7. Last time I used roasted red peppers in a recipe, some readers asked me why they score so low. So I checked in with Annette Maggi, MS, RD, LD, FADA, Sr. Director of Nutrition for NuVal LLC. She said that these roasted red peppers have 5 calories per serving (80% come from sugar) and 85 mg of sodium, so the sodium for the calories is what is driving the score down. Additionally, while there is some vitamin C in the product, it has very little positive nutrition. Too bad! They taste so good.
I use Boar’s Head Cheddar cheese from the deli and NuVal has not yet scored deli cheeses as of yet. However, we have scored other cheeses that you would find in the refrigerated section. For example, Cabot Sharp Cheddar Slices score a 22. You might think that the Cabot Light Cheddar would score better. Well, it only brings the score up by one point to a 23. As for the pita, I use Joseph’s Flax, Oat Bran and Whole Wheat Flour Pita. These nutritional juggernauts, which made my list of Top Ten Favorite Foods, score a 65, an amazing score in the bread category. And don’t forget, if you add a glass of skim milk, it scores a 91. Fabulous!
So, if you know you have a fun night of cocktails and hard-to-resist hors d’oeuvres coming up, have the Incredible Vegetable Sandwich for lunch. With cheese!
Winner of Trade-Up Tuesday
Congratulations to Commenter #41 Emily J, winner of yesterday’s Almond Give-Away!
Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: Broccoli, Carrots, Incredible Vegetables
Tags: Broccoli, Carrots, cheese, Incredible Vegetables
