Category: Healthy (Page 19 of 24)

      17 hours in Vestal NY

      June 14, 2011 /

      Well, 17 hours plus 6 more waiting in the Binghamton airport. But that’s for a story on another blog. So let’s talk about my whirlwind on Sunday as I flew back with my mom, who visited us in Wisconsin. As with most families, my family gathers for and rallies around (and consumes happily) food. Not that I’m complaining, of course…I mean, I have a food blog, right?

      Anyway, here were the three highlights from Sunday….

      Chef JimMy sister made a lunch of chicken spiedies on the grill. These are marinated chunks of meat that are popular only in the central part of New York State for some reason. I mean, kebabs are everywhere, but only in this region are they called spiedies. And man, they are delicious. They are served on bread, often with sauteed hot peppers–this is especially awesome during the summer when my sister and brother-in-law grow the peppers and garlic in their garden. Yum. Oh, and don’t use whole wheat bread. As my brother-in-law says, who wants to put spiedies on “sawdust?” Sorry, Ellie Krieger.

      Chef JimFor dinner, we ate at the place that, in my opinion, has the best pizza in the free world — Bud’s Place in Appalachin, New York. It’s thin, crispy, and has a cheese and sauce blend that is about as close to food nirvana as there is. Seriously…..if I could have Bud’s ship me frozen pies, I would be happy. We just don’t have good pizza in Madison, despite the fact that cheese is what we do here. Or at least, I haven’t found good pizza yet. I’m from Long Island, so I’m partial to NY pizza, but still, no one does it like Bud’s–it’s truly one of a kind.

      Chef JimFinally, we stopped for ice cream at The Big Dipper. I was so full from pizza that I could only stomach the “lite” stuff called Dole Whip. Now, I wish I would have had the custard instead, but the pineapple whip wasn’t too bad. Still, we do have good custard places in Madison such as Culver’s and Michael’s.

      Oh, and even though I got stuck in Binghamton’s airport for far too long, Bud’s pizza survived in plastic wrap at room temperature, well enough for my wife and I to have it for dinner when I got home. Man, that pizza is amazing. If you’re ever in that area, make sure you check it out.

      Healthy, Ingredients, On the Grille, Product Reviews

      Linguine with red pepper sauce

      May 25, 2011 /

      You want something light for the spring or summer warm weather months? Here is a pasta that fits the bill, especially in the throes of summer when bell peppers are in season. If you want something even healthier, use whole wheat pasta and fat free half and half, but I’m a big proponent of portion control (well, I try to be!), so I prefer regular pasta and real half and half or cream. This is also a good recipe to make for a date night in, such as the one I wrote about on Bullz-Eye.com’s Get Real Guide for Men. Enjoy….

      Ingredients
      1 package Linguine
      1 tbsp. Olive oil
      3 large red bell peppers, halved and seeded
      3 tbsp chicken broth
      ½ tsp. Minced garlic
      ¼ cup half & half
      Salt and pepper to taste

      Directions
      On a preheated grill rack, grill pepper halves on high heat. Grill for 10-12 minutes or until peppers begin to char, turning occasionally. Set aside to let cool. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, drizzle with olive oil to keep from sticking and set aside.

      Place grilled peppers in a food processor along with chicken broth, garlic, salt and pepper. Puree or pulse until just smooth and pour mixture into a large saucepan. Warm over medium heat, slowly adding half and half until smooth. Add pasta to sauce and heat through. Makes 8 servings.

      Healthy, Ingredients, Recipes, Your Kitchen

      Product review: Savi Seed

      May 23, 2011 /

      When the rep reached out to me about Savi Seed, it sounded too good to be true. Here was a nut product that is harvested in South America that have 13 times Omega 3 fatty acids as wild salmon. Say what? Well, that’s good news for me because I’m not a fish person. I am hesitant as well to take fish oil capsules, because I am afraid of having fish burps. But if you can have a product that has 3500 milligrams of Omega 3’s in a convenient little pouch, and if these nuts can be covered in sugar or chocolate to make them taste even better, why would you ever eat fish? Okay, I know that was a rhetorical question, because I’m in the minority about my distaste for seafood.

      Anyway, Savi Seeds are all that. I tried the two they sent me–“karmalized,” which are coated with raw sugar cane; and cocoa kissed, which are coated in extra dark chocolate. The sugar ones were a bit too crunchy, and kind of grainy. But you could still taste the roasted seeds and they taste pretty good. The chocolate ones are way better, and incredibly addictive. The seeds themselves are something akin to a cross between a peanut and hazelnut, and about the size of a small peanut. Each packet (1 oz./28 g) also has 5-6 grams of protein. Can you say mega-food?

      Anyway, it looks like these are distributed by Sequel Naturals in Vancouver, but if you can’t find them online or in health food or Whole Foods type stores, let me know–the information that was sent with the product was limited. But either way, Savi Seeds are well worth seeking out.

      Healthy, Product Reviews, Your Kitchen

      Breakfast

      May 20, 2011 /

      Here is a stray Grub for Guys recipe set that hasn’t published but that I thought you might like to check out heading into the weekend. Enjoy!

      Two Healthy and Extremely Awesome Breakfast Recipes
      Panko Banana Waffle French Toast & Sweet Potato Pancakes

      Without trying to sound like Sandra Lee in her “Semi-Homemade” show (come on, I know you guys watch her), here are two easy breakfast recipes that begin with pre-made ingredients. Because after a night of drinking, you need carbs to soak up that alcohol. Or if you’re a dad like me, and want to impress your family, these two are can’t-miss.

      Panko Banana Waffle French Toast
      Ingredients:
      8 Eggo frozen waffles (whole wheat if you want to go healthier)
      2 large eggs
      ¾ cup panko-style bread crumbs
      2 bananas, sliced to ¼ inch thickness
      2 tbsp. milk (skim is fine)
      ¼ tsp. vanilla extract
      Powdered sugar
      Maple syrup

      Directions:
      Pre-heat non-stick skillet or a large non-stick frying pan. Let waffles thaw, which takes about 30 minutes. Beat eggs with milk and vanilla in a large, wide bowl. Put bread crumbs on a plate next to egg mixture. Take the waffles, one at a time and put a few banana slices on one half, then fold over. Dip in egg mixture, then bread crumbs, and then onto skillet. Repeat with remaining waffles, and cook until crispy on the outside. Top each waffle with powdered sugar and serve with maple syrup on the side. Makes four (2-waffle) servings.

      Sweet Potato Pancakes
      Ingredients:
      1 cup whole wheat pancake mix (such as Bob’s Red Mill)
      1 medium sweet potato
      ¼ cup chopped pecans, divided
      1 Tbsp brown sugar
      2 Tbsp. butter
      Maple syrup

      Directions:
      Peel and cut the sweet potato into chunks. Place in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 12-15 minutes or until tender. Drain and mash into a puree and set aside. Pre-heat non-stick skillet or large non-stick frying pan. Prepare pancake mixture according to package directions (it’s really easy…you mix it with an egg, some oil and water until the proper consistency). Then fold in ¾ cup of the sweet potato puree and 2 tbsp. of the pecans. After pouring the batter onto the skillet, melt the butter with brown sugar in a small frying pan over medium heat, and then add the remaining 2 tbsp. pecans and toast for a few minutes until dark brown and caramelized. After cooking the pancakes to desired doneness, serve on a plate topped with some of the pecan mixture and serve with maple syrup on the side. Serves 4, or two really hungry people.

      Healthy, Ingredients, On the Grille, Recipes, Your Kitchen

      Product review: Blue Diamond Nut-Thins

      May 17, 2011 /

      Chef JimIf you haven’t tried Blue Diamond’s new Nut-Thins, you are in for a treat–especially if you are allergic to wheat products (although there is a disclaimer on the box about that). The fine folks of Blue Diamond have figured out a way to make a cracker out of almonds, even if the main ingredient is rice flour. The second ingredient is pure almonds, and you can surely taste the delcious nutty flavor in each bite.

      The company sent us two flavors–original and smokehouse. The original tastes very much like a flattened rice cake, but a bit more dense from the almonds. The smokehouse has that signature flavor we’ve all come to love from the company’s signature Smokehouse Almonds. And I can attest to one thing that Mrs. Mikey and I both noticed–you absolutely can’t stop eating them, especially the highly addictive smokehouse flavor.

      And the good thing about not being able to put the box down, is that each 16-cracker serving is only 130 calories, 2.5 grams of fat but with a whopping 3 grams of protein. They are baked, not fried, and yet are light and crispy.

      In addition to the flavors we tried, there is also a cheddar flavor almond cracker, as well as hazelnut and pecan versions.

      For more information, go to www.bluediamond.com or just go pluck a box or three off your grocery store shelf.

      Healthy, Product Reviews, Tailgating, Your Kitchen

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