Monday, October 3, 2011 at 07:04 AM
When it comes to vegetables, my kids are split. My son loves summer squash but won’t touch broccoli. My daughter devours the broccoli, but turns her nose at the summer squash. And it goes on and on with the vegetables. But there is one fruit that they both adore: pears! And every time I go away on a business trip for a food show or conference, I meet up with the people from USA Pears.
They always give me some great goodies for my pear-loving kids. Like these cute little plush pears.
And my new favorite – the Pear Packer!
I went home from the show with about four of these pear packers and I just love them!! It’s funny – I had brought a pear with me to the show as a snack (this was, of course, before I owned a pear packer) and it got all mushy and it leaked all over my other snacks. Thankfully my snacks were in a gallon size ziploc bag, but still. What a mess! The pear packer keeps my pear perfectly. And the kids bring their pears to school in them too.
You can get a set of four pear packers on the USA Pears website for $1.50.
Yes, in our house, we love pears. I think it’s because we’ve perfected the art of ripening them. We leave them out at room temperature until they are ready for eating. The USA Pears website has tips for that too, including how to check the neck for perfect ripeness. There are some amazing recipes there too.
At this time of year, it seems like apples get all the credit! So, I just wanted to give a little shout out to pears today. I love them and all pear varieties get a great NuVal score of 96!
Question of the Day
What is your favorite kind of pear?
Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: Pears
Tags: Pears, USA pears
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
Posted in: Brussels Sprouts, Marvelous Meals, Salmon
Tags: Brussels Sprouts, Marvelous Meals, Pears, Salmon
