Talking Nutrition with Lori 2022

Watermelon Smoothie

From Watermelon Day: August 2022

Time                  5 minutes (plus freezing time)
Serves               2

Ingredients

  • 3 cups of ½-inch cubed watermelon
  • 1 cup 1% milk or plant milk of choice
  • 1/2 cup plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons chia seeds
  • 1 tablespoon honey, optional
  • Squeeze of fresh orange or lime, optional
  • 2 Small watermelon wedges, for garnish
  • 2 Sprigs fresh mint, optional

Preparation:

  1. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or plastic wrap. Place watermelon chunks on the pan, leaving space between the pieces and cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 1 hour or until firm.
  2. If preparing the watermelon in advance for smoothies later in the week, transfer to a plastic storage bag and freeze until ready to use.
  3. Place frozen watermelon chunks in a blender and top with milk, yogurt and chia seeds. Add honey and a squeeze of fresh citrus, if desired.
  4. Blend until smooth.
  5. Serve watermelon smoothies immediately, using chilled glasses. Garnish with a wedge of watermelon and fresh mint, if desired.

Watermelon Dessert Pizza

From Watermelon Day: August 2022

 

Time                 5 minutes
Serves              6

Ingredients

  • 1 round 1-inch thick slice of watermelon
  • 1 cup vanilla or preferred flavor Greek yogurt
  • 1 cup assorted berries
  • 4 Tablespoons toasted unsweetened coconut
  • 2-3 sprigs fresh mint

Preparation:

  1. Spread the yogurt in an even layer over the watermelon slice.
  2. Top with berries and sprinkle with coconut over the top. Scatter mint leaves for garnish.  Cut into six even slices and enjoy immediately.

Watermelon Salad

From Watermelon Day: August 2022

Time                  10 minutes
Serves               4

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
  • ¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • ¼ cup shallots, minced
  • 1 Tablespoon honey
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 6 cups baby arugula
  • 1/8 seedless watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 12 oz. feta cheese, ½-inch diced
  • 1 cup whole fresh mint, julienned

Preparation:

  1. Whisk together the orange juice, lemon juice, shallots, honey, salt, and pepper. Slowly pour in olive oil, whisking constantly to form an emulsion.  If not using within an hour, store vinaigrette covered in the fridge.
  2. Place the arugula, watermelon, feta, and mint in a large bowl. Drizzle with enough vinaigrette to coat the greens lightly and toss well.  Taste and adjust for seasonings.  Enjoy immediately. 

Watermelon Fruit Salad with Tajin

From Watermelon Day: August 2022

 

Time                 10 minutes
Serves              2

Ingredients

  • Mini watermelon
  • 1/2 cup pineapple
  • 1/2 cup mango
  • 1/2 cup papaya
  • 1/3 cup chiffonade mint
  • Lime juice, to taste
  • Tajín (chili lime spice), to taste

Preparation:

  1. Cut mini watermelon in half and hollow out each side. Cut watermelon into bite size pieces.
  2. To make you mini watermelon bowl steady, slice ½” of rounded end of watermelon off so it lays flat on surface of table.
  3. Add all fruit to a bowl with lime juice and mix.
  4. Pour into half of hollowed out watermelon
  5. Sprinkle Tajín on top of fruit. Enjoy!

Watermelon Poke

From Watermelon Day: August 2022

Time                  35 minutes – plus marinating and chilling time
Serves               6

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds’ seedless watermelon, rind removed, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • ½ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
  • ¼ cup toasted sesame oil
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons tahini
  • 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 scallions, white and pale-green parts, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup cilantro leaves with tender stems

Preparation:

  1. Place watermelon in a large resalable bag. Puree rice vinegar, oil, soy sauce (or tamari), lime juice, and honey in a blender until smooth. Pour over watermelon, seal bag, and chill at least 4 hours or up to 1 day.
  2. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Remove watermelon from marinade; set marinade aside.  Cook watermelon, tossing often, until lightly caramelized and dried out, about 6-8 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, bring reserved marinade to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat; simmer until thickened to the consistency of heavy cream, about 12-15 minutes.
  4. Chill watermelon and sauce separately for at least 1 hour.
  5. To serve, toss watermelon with sauce; taste and season with salt as needed. Top with scallions, cilantro, and sesame seeds if desired.

Rosemary Chicken and Vegetable Skewers

From Celebrating Herb Week: May 2022

Time                  25 minutes
Serves               6

Ingredients

  • Cooking spray
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 2 small zucchini, halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into ½-inch slices
  • 1 large red onion, cut into ½-inch thick wedges
  • 1 large bell pepper, cut into ½-inch slices
  • 5-6 rosemary sprigs

½ cup marinade

  • 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, minced
  • 1 ½ Tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1 ½ lemon juice
  • 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

Preparation:

  1. Preheat broiler to high. Lightly spray a large rimmed baking sheet.
  2. Pull off most of the rosemary leaves to save for another use, leaving the herbs at the top of the skewer intact.
  3. Prepare marinade: whisk all ingredients for marinade together.
  4. In a large bowl, combine chicken, zucchini, onion, bell pepper, and marinade; toss to coat. Let marinade for 30 minutes.
  5. Thread any combination of chicken and vegetables onto rosemary skewers and place on the prepared baking sheet.
  6. Broil on high for 10 to 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Spring Pea, Asparagus and Mint Salad

From Celebrating Herb Week: May 2022

Time                 15 minutes
Serves              6

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups frozen peas
  • 1 bunch (about 3/4 lb.) asparagus, tough ends removed, sliced into 2” pieces
  • 2 cups fresh pea shoots
  • Juice and zest of one lemon
  • ½ cup fresh mint, roughly chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation:

  1. Fill a large saucepan 3/4 full of water and bring to a boil over high heat.
  2. Add peas to boiling water and blanch for 1 minute.
  3. Strain peas using a slotted spoon (save the boiling water for the asparagus). Add peas to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking process, then strain again and set aside.
  4. Add asparagus to the boiling water and cook until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Similarly drain asparagus and add to ice water for 1 min; drain and set aside.
  5. In large bowl, combine peas, asparagus, pea shoots, lemon zest, lemon juice, mint and olive oil and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Optional: garnish with a slice of lemon.

Garden Chickpea Salad

From Celebrating Herb Week: May 2022

Time                  15 minutes
Serves               3

Ingredients:

  • 1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
  • 3 green onions, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup finely chopped dill pickle
  • ¼ cup finely chopped red bell pepper
  • 3 Tbsp. store-bought or homemade vegan mayonnaise; or hummus
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 ½ tsp. yellow mustard
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh dill (optional)
  • 1 ½-3 tsp. fresh lemon juice, to taste
  • ¼ tsp. fine sea salt, or to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper

 Preparation:

  1. In a large bowl, mash the chickpeas with a potato masher until flaked in texture.
  2. Stir in the celery, green onions, pickles, bell peppers, mayonnaise, and garlic until combined.
  3. Now, stir in the mustard and dill, and season with the lemon juice, salt, and pepper, adjusting the quantities to taste.
  4. Serve with toasted bread, on crackers, wraps, or on top of a basic leafy green salad.  Or just enjoy it all on its own!

Four Herb Tabbouleh Salad

From Celebrating Herb Week: May 2022

Time                 40 minutes
Serves              6

Ingredients:

1 ½ cup

1 cup

6 T.

¼ tsp.

2

¼ cup

2 cups

1 cup

½ cup

¼ cup

1 pint

1

Medium grind bulgur

Water

Fresh squeezed lemon juice

Salt

Garlic cloves, minced

Extra virgin olive oil

Fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Lovage leaves or tender light-green celery leaves

Mint leaves

Chives, snipped

Grape tomatoes, quartered

Seedless cucumber, peeled and finely diced

1

 

Jalapeno, halved, seeded, and thinly sliced, optional

 

Directions:

  1. Combine bulgur, water, ¼ cup lemon juice, and ¼ tsp. salt in a bowl. Cover and let sit at room temperature until grains are softened and liquid is fully absorbed, about 20-30 minutes.
  2. Whisk 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and stir into bulgur.    
  3. Add parsley, lovage or celery leaves, mint, chives, jalapeno (if using), tomatoes, and cucumber into the bulgur and mix well. Season with salt and pepper and serve. 

Poppin' Cancer Popcorn

Time                  10 minutes
Yield                   8 Cups

Ingredients

  • 1-2 Tbsp. avocado oil
  • ¼ cup popcorn kernels + 3 to test
  • 1 Tbsp. garlic powder
  • 1 Tbsp. dried parsley
  • 1 ½ tsp. dried basil
  • 1 ½ tsp. dried marjoram
  • 1 ½ tsp. dried thyme
  • 1 ½ tsp. pepper
  • ¾ tsp. cayenne (optional) or substitute with smoked paprika
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Place a heavy-bottomed large saucepan or soup pot on stove to and heat to medium high. Coat saucepan or pot with avocado oil.  Place 2-3 kernels inside and cover. 
  2. When the kernels pop, add remaining kernels and swirl to cover them with the oil. Cover saucepan or pot.
  3. Shake the pan occasionally to redistribute the un-popped kernels to the bottom of the pot. Continue cooking until the popping slows to less than one pop in 4 seconds.
  4. Immediately pour the popcorn to a bowl and add spices.

 

Cauliflower Power

Time                  50 minutes
Yield                 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
  • ½ cup whole wheat or almond flour
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ¼ tsp. black pepper
  • ½ cup buffalo sauce

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 450o Prepare baking sheet by lining with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk flour, cornstarch, water, and spices until batter is smooth. Add cauliflower to batter and toss to coat.
  3. Spread cauliflower onto the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Bake in oven until lightly browned, about 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through.
  4. Remove cauliflower from oven and brush buffalo sauce onto each.
  5. Return to oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until browned.
  6. Serve warm along with ranch dip, cut carrots and celery.

Nourishing Ranch Dip

Time                  5 minutes
Yield                  8 – 2 Tbsp. servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 clove garlic, grated
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1 Tbsp. parsley, chopped
  • ½ Tbsp. chives, chopped
  • ½ Tbsp. dill, chopped
  • Dash of hot sauce
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Whisk all ingredients together. Refrigerate for at least an hour to allow flavors to meld.

EBTB Roasted Chickpeas

Time                   55 minutes
Yield                   2 cups

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp. everything bagel seasoning
  • 1 16 oz. can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil

 Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Add everything bagel seasoning to a mortal and pestle, mini processor, or spice grinder. Grind until seasoning has become fine.
  3. Dry chickpeas with paper towels. Add to a bowl and toss in olive oil.  Add seasoning, toss to combine.  Spread chickpeas on a large, rimmed baking sheet, and roast for 25 minutes.
  4. Remove pan, shake and place back in the oven. Roast until golden brown and crispy, another 20-30 minutes. Chickpeas will crisp up more as they cool.  Cool completely.

Sweet Popped Corn

Time                   20 minutes
Yield                   6 servings

Ingredients

  • 6 cups plain popped popcorn
  • ½ cup date syrup
  • 1 tsp. sea salt

Instructions

  1. Combine popcorn, date syrup, and sea salt in a large bowl.
  2. Mix with a large wooden spoon until syrup is evenly distributed throughout popcorn.
  3. Spread mixture onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 6 minutes.  If desired, let cool completely and add roasted almonds or pecans.

Nourishing Recipes to Celebrate Thanksgiving

Plant Based Snack Board

Why not invite more cancer protective choices to your diet?  A beautiful, bountiful snack board full of treats that allow you to display your own creative, nutritious masterpiece!

Step 1:  Find a good delivery vehicle for the board contents.  Whether it is a large wooden cutting board or any serving platter of your choice, this helps set the stage for your design.

Step 2:  Load up the board with fresh, seasonal fruit and vegetables.  From raw to steamed to roasted veggies, there are plenty of options.  Also look for dehydrated vegetables that have minimal added salt and fat.  Fresh seasonal fruit, unsweetened dried fruit, and dehydrated fruit are all great choices to add.

Step 3:  Fill in the gaps with yummy dips.  You can take advantage of store-bought dips, like hummus, tapenade, Baba Ganoush, red pepper dip, Greek yogurt (or alternative) dips.  Alternatively, you can make your own.  See below a recipe for pumpkin hummus dip.

Step 4:  Fill in the gaps with crunch and flavor.  Roasted nuts or beans, olives, crispbread, air popped popcorn.  See below a recipe for Rosemary Popcorn and Seasonal Roasted Nuts.

Step 5:  Garnish with the season.  Use fresh herbs like Rosemary, mini gourds, and pomegranate seeds to add more color and beauty!

Pumpkin Hummus

Time                  10 minutes
Servings           7 (1/4-cup servings)
Toss in               5-7 Days

Ingredients

  • 1 15-ounce can white beans
  • 2/3 cup pureed (unsweetened) pumpkin (fresh roasted or canned // if using canned, we prefer Libby’s brand for a deep orange color and rich flavor)
  • 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp. tahini
  • ½ tsp. sea salt (plus more to taste)
  • ½ tsp. ground cumin
  • ½ tsp. smoked paprika
  • 1 pinch nutmeg
  • 1 pinch cinnamon
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

Sage & garlic

  • 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage
  • Fresh parsley to garnish

 Instructions

  1. Rinse and drain white beans in a fine mesh strainer. Then add to a food processor or blender along with pumpkin, lemon juice, tahini, sea salt, cumin, smoked paprika, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cayenne (optional). Purée until creamy and smooth, scraping down sides as needed.
  2. Heat oil in a small skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and sage and sauté for a few minutes to brown slightly. Then add both to food processor and pulse to incorporate.
  3. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more salt for saltiness, lemon for acidity, cinnamon for warmth, cumin or paprika for smokiness, tahini for nuttiness, olive oil (or water) for creaminess, or cayenne for heat. 

Serve immediately or refrigerate until chilled – about 3-4 hours – for a thicker, creamier dip. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 5-7 days.

Rosemary Popcorn

Time                  4 minutes
Serves               3 for a snack, more when using on snack board

Ingredients

  • ½ cup popcorn kernels
  • 2 tsp. olive oil or use olive oil spray
  • chopped leaves from 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 1 tsp. fine sea salt
  • ½ tsp. ground pepper
  • brown paper bag

Instructions

  1. Combine popcorn kernels, olive oil, rosemary, sea salt, and pepper in the brown paper bag.
  2. Fold over the top of the bag and crumple up the edges so that the bag will stay shut in the microwave.
  3. Shake the bag to coat the kernels in the oil and flavoring. The bag will look gross and oily, but don’t worry! Your popcorn will not taste as greasy as the bag looks.
  4. Pop for 3 minutes (or until there are 3 seconds between popping noises)

Cinnamon Roasted Nuts

Time                  1 hour
Serves               8 ¼ cup servings or more for snack board

Ingredients

  • 2 cups raw mixed nuts unsalted, not roasted
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. salt

 Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 250o Line baking sheet with parchment.
  2. Place nuts in a medium bowl and toss with oil. Once covered, toss with spice and salt.
  3. Spread spiced nuts in a single layer on parchment. Bake for 1 hour.
  4. Enjoy warm or cooled, store in sealed container.

Savory Mashed Sweets

Time                  30 minutes
Serves               6

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds sweet potatoes (about 7 small-to-medium), peeled and cut into 1″ cubes
  • 2 tsp. salt, divided
  • ⅓ cupfinely sliced green onion, mostly green parts (from 1 bunch)
  • ⅓ cupfinely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 small-to-medium garlic clove, pressed or minced
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Place the cubed sweet potatoes in a large saucepan and add enough water to cover by about 1″. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender (in other words, it’s easy to slide a fork in and out), about 10 minutes.
  2. Drain well, then return the potatoes to the pot. Mash the sweet potatoes to your desired consistency.
  3. Promptly add almost all of the green onion and parsley, reserving a small amount of each for garnish. Add the garlic, and stir to combine. Then stir in most of the plain Greek yogurt (reserve roughly 1 tablespoon for garnish), all of the oil, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Season to taste with additional salt (about ¼-1/2 teaspoon) and freshly ground black pepper.
  4. Transfer the mashed potatoes to a serving bowl and swirl the reserved yogurt onto the top with a spoon. Sprinkle with the reserved green onion and parsley, drizzle the top lightly with olive oil, and finish with a sprinkle of pepper.
  5. Serve promptly. Leftovers will keep well, covered and refrigerated, for 3 to 4 days.

Roasted Vegetables with Tahini Dip

Time                  1 hour
Serves               1 Platter

Ingredients

  • 1 package pre-cubed butternut squash or 1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • ½ tsp. sea salt
  • Mushrooms 1-2 cartons mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 (1 lb.) bag of Brussel sprouts, cut off ends and halved or package pre-halved Brussels sprouts

Tahini Sauce

  • 1 cup tahini
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ tsp. of sea salt (add more to taste)
  • ¾ cup of warm water (add more as needed or desired)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425o
  2. Lay in a single layer on individual baking sheets. Sprinkle with salt. I like to also sprinkle the mushrooms with lots of basil. Roast for 25-30 minutes.
  3. Make the Tahini Sauce. Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides when needed.  Alternatively, you can whisk ingredients in a small bowl using a fork, 
  4. Taste and adjust as desired. Add more water for a thinner sauce, more lemon juice for a brighter and tangier sauce.
  5. Place vegetables on a platter with the dip to enjoy.

Baked Pears

Time                  40 minutes
Serves               2-4

Ingredients

  • 2-4 bosc, Anjou, or Concorde pears
  • Sprinkle of cinnamon
  • Pomegranate seeds (optional)

Date Crumble

  • 1 1/3 pitted medjool dates, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp. hemp seeds
  • 1 Tbsp. chia seeds
  • 1-2Tbsp. chopped nuts
  • ¼ tsp. sea salt
  • 1-2 Tbsp. unsweetened coconut (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350o
  2. Make the Date Crumble. In a food processor, pulse together the walnuts, Medjool dates, hemp seeds, chia seeds, and salt. Continue pulsing until the mixture is crumbly and broken down, but not quite sticky the way you’d want a snack bar base to be.  Alternatively, simply mix ingredients with a spoon.
  3. Slice pears in half lengthwise and scoop out core. Lie flesh side up on a baking sheet. 
  4. Scoop a heaping tablespoon of date crumble into each pear.
  5. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven.

If desired, top with sprinkled cinnamon and pomegranate seeds.