Wednesday, September 1, 2010 at 07:10 AM
Salmon
Chicken Parmesan
As I’ve said before, this has been a Summer of Celebrations for us. My husband and I are in that strange demographic where our friends aren’t really getting married anymore (soooooo ten years ago). They aren’t really having babies anymore (soooooooo five years ago). And our milestone class reunions have come and gone. However, now we have younger cousins and siblings who are tying the knot and having babies, and parents and grandparents celebrating milestone birthdays. So, this summer, we have spent more than half of our weekends (probably more) attending said celebrations. Celebrating is synonymous with eating. There have been breakfast buffets, luncheons, a Mexican fiesta, and the fanciest party of them all – my grandmother’s 80th birthday party held at the Kirkbrae Country Club in Lincoln, RI where my cousin Michael is the PGA Golf Pro.
To me, NuVal is like Weight Watchers. Once you get the system in your head, it is always there. While the scores might not be right in front of me all the time, I keep them in mind when making choices. When the invitation to my grandmother’s party arrived, with the meal choices, I knew exactly what to order.
- Salmon: NuVal score of 87
- Prime Rib: NuVal score of 25
- Chicken Parmesan: NuVal score of well, I don’t know. I mean I could tell you what the NuVal score is for a boneless skinless chicken breast (39), but should we really talk about how this is prepared?
For some people, food is the celebration. They might choose the richest or most decadent of the meals because that is celebrating to them. And I like to celebrate with food or wine too. But there is one problem for me. Because I eat pretty healthfully on a daily basis, when I overdo it on an occasion like this, I get a very bad tummy-ache. During the event. And then I am not celebratory anymore. This happened to me when we celebrated this Grandmother’s 50th wedding anniversary to my grandfather who sadly, is no longer with us. The party was at a different location. I ate something that was too rich and I spent the rest of the night wishing I had Mylanta in my tiny little purse. Ouch.
So I guess now that I am a little wiser, I soberly keep to the straight and narrow on the food choices when celebrating. Actually, as you can tell from the picture of the salmon above, it was delicious and very celebratory to me.
So was the asparagus!
But best of all was watching my kids play with their cousin…
and goof around with Papa…
and see my grandmother celebrate 80 years in style!
Question of the Day
When you have a menu choice, what do you choose?
Yesterday’s Winner
Congratulations to Commenter#27 Kristy, the blogger behind Casual Dish! You’ve won the salad dressing kit giveaway. Please send me an email at abetterbagofgroceries@gmail.com with your mailing address so that I can get your prize out to you. Thank you to everyone who entered!
Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: Celebrations
Tags: Chicken Parmesan, Salmon
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
