A New Twist on the Old Holiday Feast

We are having a wonderful holiday here at the Zeff house.  

With the kids home from school, we took some time off and have been enjoying many Christmas festivities for two weeks now.  And we are still lucky enough to be basking in that post-holiday glow. Yes, our decorations and tree are still up and in full force at our house.

And this year again, we were fortunate to have most of my family available to come to our house on Christmas day for food and fellowship.

You might be thinking I had a big feast prepared - but with two small kids underfoot (and a husband who was sick in bed that day), I scrapped any idea of a big "to-do" and went the easy, fresh, easy, nutritious and easy route.  

Did I mention easy?

This year, I made a healthy version of chicken tortilla soup and paired it with locally-made black bean tamales, homemade guacamole and chips.  And we topped it all off with a Whole Foods' freshly made cranberry/apple pie (thanks, Janice) and homemade cookies (thanks, sister).

Hadn't planned on a big turkey, ham, pork loin, roast or meatballs; no pounds of potatoes for gratin or mashed within an inch of their lives; no babysitting food in the oven while everyone else is having fun; no pre-event planning or making long lists of things to buy.   

Just a simple meal, made that morning in the span of oh, about 20 minutes. 

So what did  I do with all of that free time?  I spent it playing with my kids, visiting friends, toasting champagne with my family and lounging at the Christmas table....laughing and having fun.  And best of all, my family loved every bit of it.

It was a great Christmas.

I hope you had as wonderful a Christmas holiday as we did.  And here's hoping for a wonderful 2011, as well.

Recipes for the Zeff Christmas Meal, 2010: 

Southwestern Chicken Soup

Originally from Cooking Light, this soup is easy, healthy and really tasty.  I change it up a bit by using about a cup less liquid (and I use half low-sodium chicken broth to half water for less sodium); I add more rice and spices, and save the fresh juice and veggies for last. Garnish each bowl with a generous squeeze of fresh lime along with chopped cilantro, halved grape tomatoes, avocado cubes and a few crushed tortilla chips.  It truly makes the soup outstanding.

Black Bean Tamales

I'm lucky enough to have a Market Street nearby; they have a dedicated, local tamale supplier so the tamales are fresh and really good.  They make black bean, chicken tomatillo, pork, beef and apple/cinnamon (yum, by the way).  I buy a bunch and freeze them; then I heat and eat by covering with foil at 350 degrees.  But the best part?  They are made without lard and with healthier ingredients than your regular tamales.  My family raved about them and didn't miss the extra grease.  Check out your local tamale suppliers and try to find lard-free.

Guacamole

Seriously, sometimes nothing is better than homemade guac.  And it's just about the easiest thing to make: mash ripe avocados with fresh lime juice, a little garlic powder, a little salt (I use Kosher for the big crystals) and a little pepper.  No need for tomatoes, peppers, onion, etc., unless you want it.  Takes about 2 minutes and is gobbled up in about 30 seconds.

Power Shopping? Get Healthy Snacking

The season is here.  Christmas.  Holidays.  Gifts.  The mall.  Mall food.

Ah, yes.  Mall food. 

If you are planning any type of shopping this season, chances are you’ll find yourself inside a mall.  And, chances are, you’ll be desperately seeking not only a perfect gift for your mother-in-law but a decent food court meal.

Is it even possible to find a tasty and healthy meal at the mall?  I’m happy to report that yes, it is (once you get past the Cinnabon and cookie stores, of course).  

Here are some of my favorite "happy and healthy" shopping tips that I follow myself.  And let me know if you have any favorite food finds - I'll add them to my list to check out this year.

 

General tips:

• Eat a meal before you leave. 
• Bring bottled water - sometimes your body is simply thirsty, not hungry. 
• Take breaks.  Watch the ice skaters.  Check your lists. Listen to the Christmas music.  Relax.
• Step it up occasionally to burn more calories – take the stairs, walk the long way, park a little farther away.
• Have fun.  It is the holiday season, after all.

Pack a snack:

Whether you tote a huge bag or a small clutch, pack a snack.  It will help save time, money and an extra trip to the food court. Easy-to-carry ideas:

• Nuts/trail mix: Crunchy and satisfying (and heart-healthy fats and protein to keep you fuller, longer).  Pack small servings in baggies (20 almonds make about one ounce).
• Fruit and veggies: Bananas, grapes, pre-sliced apples, pre-cut (or baby) carrots, sliced cucumbers and grape tomatoes – easy to tote and eat, and are full of nutrition.
• Granola bar: Fiber-rich and generally low calorie (less sugar varieties are best).
• Raisins or other dried fruit
• Cheese sticks: Not just for three-year-olds, low-fat cheese sticks with a few whole-grain crackers get you through the long haul.

At the mall:

My biggest problem with mall food?  It tends to be overloaded with fat, sugar and salt – bad for your heart, arteries and hips.  Case in point: enjoy one Cinnabon roll and you’ll wolf down over 800 calories and 32 grams of fat – plan on 1 ½ hours of extra fun on your elliptical machine to burn that baby off.

But fear not; you can find some decent snacks and meals if you look hard enough:

Pretzels (Auntie Anne’s)

Ask for a no butter, no salt pretzel – just 350 calories and you’ll slash half the fat and sodium.  Go for plain original, jalapeno or raisin – and skip the dips (except mustard) and flavored pretzels.  Even without butter, the cinnamon sugar pretzel has 7+ teaspoons of sugar – as much as a Snickers bar.  

California Pizza Kitchen

A sit-down meal where someone serves you?  Heaven after fighting the crowds.  Try a margarita pizza with its crispy, thin crust, cooked tomatoes and fresh basil.  Ask for light on the cheese and share it with a friend.  My kids eat the plain pasta with just a touch of butter and parmesan. The salads are pretty good if you order the dressing on the side (or mix vinegar and oil yourself – dressings are full of salt).  

Starbucks

Check out their Artisan Snack Plates – pita, hummus, grilled chicken strips and veggies; or a hard-boiled egg with whole grain roll, peanut butter and apple slices – both less than 350 calories each.  Or try the perfect oatmeal, egg white English muffin or egg white spinach wrap – all under 320 calories.

Chick-Fil-A

Most items are staggeringly full of salt, fat and calories.  The salads, however, are pretty decent (without the dressing).  The best choices: Chargrilled and Fruit and Chargrilled Chicken Garden salads – both under 250 calories (but they are high in sodium at 30% of your daily recommended amount).  Squeeze a few slices of lemon on top instead of dressing.

Chinese/Stir Fry (Panda Express)

Ditch the sauce (high in salt) or fried (high in fat).  Order stir-fried veggies with the sauce on the side so you can add a touch.  Or try a steamed, mixed veggie entrée with steamed rice – this meal packs vitamins and minerals, and is low in calories, fat and sodium.

Sandwich Shops (Which Wich, Subway, Paradise Bakery)

The easiest place to find healthy food.  Try these tips: choose mustard over mayo; order extra veggies; go light on the cheese; try healthier meats (turkey instead of salami); order whole grain breads and bypass the hot sandwiches (too cheesy and saucy).  Soups can be high in sodium (one cup of Paradise soup can contain 50% of your daily recommended amount) – opt for a fresh fruit cup or side salad.

Go ahead, Read me Anytime

For those of you who can't wait for another entry to Carrots and a Cupcake, I've just added subscription and feed services to my blog.  When I enter a new post, you can now have it delivered right to your reader or email.

No muss, no fuss.

And really, nothing says "nutrition" like an orange RSS logo, don't you think?

You will find the Subscribe in a Reader and Subscribe via Email options on the right sidebar.  Thanks to Deb, by the way, for commenting to me about how convenient it would be for my readers.

Pears: Fussy but Yummy

If you know me, you know that my favorite produce season is Summer (read my blog entry in September, 2010, about Summer's fruit bounty).

But over the years, Fall has been making a pretty good effort at winning my heart - sneaking up on me with its variety of apples, bright red cranberries,dark leafy greens, squash and pumpkins, sweet potatoes, pomegranates and of course, sweet, juicy pears.

Ah yes, pears. 

I've always liked pears - but quite frankly, they are a fussy little fruit.  They taste wonderful but have kind of a diva attitude. Too ripe and they taste mushy and gritty.  Yuck.  Not ripe enough, and they taste like cardboard - no sweetness, no juiciness, not really anything (and they're hard to bite).  Not to mention you have to handle them delicately or they'll bruise.

But if you happen to experience a pear that is perfectly ripe, you forget all the hassle and relish the taste.  Over the years I've learned how to handle the "pear issues" and discovered how to arrive at that perfect Fall pear.  Which is lucky, because not only do I like them but my four-year-old son can inhale them two at a time.

Some handy tips for your perfect pear experience:

• Shop at pear peak season: October through May
• Pears actually ripen off the tree; they are harvested small and green (typically found at the supermarket)
• If you don't need them right away, allow them to ripen on your counter for a few days
• Pears are perfectly ripe when the stem end yields gently to pressure; don't wait until the whole pear is soft or it will be over-ripe with that yucky gritty texture
• To speed up the ripening process, place pears in a paper bag with a banana or apple (these fruits give off ethylene gas which help the pears ripen faster).  Check daily and don't wait too long.

Nutritionally, pears are fiber stars - just 1/2 of a small pear has the same amount of fiber as one slice of whole grain bread.   Gobble up just two pears and you've already met half your daily fiber needs - now that's sweet.

And, I just found a new favorite pear recipe: Crunchy Pear Salad from Eating Well magazine.  I made it for Thanksgiving and received rave reviews.  Yummy pears, celery, pecans, a bit of cheese and honey/vinegar make for a sweet but tart combination.  Plus it's easy to make, refreshing to eat and healthy to boot.

Try it out this holiday season and let me know what you think.

A Healthier Thanksgiving? Yes!

Thanksgiving is here again.  And so are those wonderful foods we save just for this time of year.

I have fond memories of Thanksgiving.  Every year, my Mom and Aunt would gather our families together for a day of laughter, food, beautiful weather, food, UT football and food.

Did I mention the food?  Ambrosia salad, sweet potatoes, cornbread dressing, homemade pies and roasted turkey - yum.

Today, I make some of those same dishes for my own Thanksgiving feast.  I just do it a bit healthier.  Instead of using the traditional heavy ingredients Mom used, I make a few key substitutions.  By doing this (instead of making over the entire recipe), I keep the wonderful tastes I remember – just without some of the unhealthy results.

Check out my tips on how to give your favorite Thanksgiving dishes a health boost without losing the flavor you love.

And one more thing.  Relax.  Go ahead - eat your favorite foods during this one-time-a-year meal.  Don't stress out about indulging a bit.  It is a special holiday, after all.

Have fun, be thankful and enjoy this time with family and friends.

Mashed Potatoes

Traditional: Lots of butter, whole milk and cream

New Way: In place of butter, try fat-free sour cream for rich flavor and texture (low-fat plain yogurt works great, too).  You can also use 2% milk or low-fat buttermilk in place of whole milk or cream (low fat, low sodium chicken broth also lends a nice flavor).  And don’t be shy about spices – garlic, parsley flakes and fresh pepper add dimension.

Sweet Potatoes

Traditional: Hands down, my favorite dish.  However, the amount of butter in the original recipe is ridiculous.

New Way: I cut the butter down to one tablespoon and go heavy with seasonal spices: nutmeg, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and cloves.  I also broil a few big marshmallows on top for a toasty taste.  The result? Fluffy and spicy, not heavy and buttery.  And still my favorite (and my kids’).

Green Bean Casserole

Traditional: Condensed soups and fried onion topping make this dish loaded with fat and salt (the onions alone contain more fat than you need for an entire day).

New Way: Switch to low fat/low sodium condensed soups – tastes exactly the same but at half the fat, sodium and calories.  Try 2% milk in place of cream.  And for the topping, ditch the fried onions and try caramelized onions topped with toasted, slivered almonds.  You’ll get that onion flavor with a nice, hearty crunch.

Cranberries

Traditional: Still using those jellied, canned cranberries (you know, the ones that slide out of the can, shaped like the can)?  Get this: one can contains as much sugar as three Cokes (not to mention other unnecessary additives).

New Way: Try fresh cranberries this year.  Combine one 12-oz package of berries (discard any green ones) with ½ cup each of sugar and apple cider, bring to a boil and simmer until berries start to pop (about 10 minutes).  Super easy and tastes refreshingly tart and sweet.  And it’s a great way to control sugar and reap the berry’s antioxidant benefits.

Gravy

Traditional: Turkey fat, flour and butter, anyone?

New Way: Use the flavorful turkey juices and bits, minus the fat.   Here’s an easy technique: Place a gallon-size, ziptop bag into a small bowl; pour all liquid from the roasting pan into the bag; seal and let sit for a few minutes.  Once the fat rises to the top, snip a corner of the bag and let the juices run into your bowl – remove the bag (and all the fat) and discard.  The result? Just the flavorful juices minus the fat.  Use to season your gravy and dressing.  And instead of thickening the gravy with butter and flour, try a little cornstarch instead.

Dessert

Traditional: Pies – pumpkin, apple, pecan, chocolate, you name it.

New Way: I don’t substitute desserts on holidays.  Seriously, if you wait around all year to have your favorite pumpkin pie, you don’t want some pie imposter.  Go for the real deal.

But if you truly desire a lower-fat pie, remember most of the unhealthy ingredients (trans and saturated fats) are in the pie crust.  Try crustless mini pies, puddings or mousses; or make cream pies with low-fat milk and sugar-free pudding mixes.  Seasonal apple or pear fruit crisps can be divine – use oatmeal for a healthy topping.  Check out www.eatingwell.com for easy recipes.

The Restaurant Critic's Diet

Imagine that you wake up one day completely sick of your overweight self - and you decide that this is it.  Today is the day you start losing weight.

Now imagine that you set a goal of losing 20 pounds in 20 weeks. And that you begin two weeks before Thanksgiving - right at the start of the holiday feeding frenzy.

And finally, imagine you are the restaurant critic for the Dallas Morning News - requiring you to eat out five to six nights every week, with no limitations on what you are eating.

Sound daunting?  Not to Leslie Brenner.  Prompted into action last year by her own health history and a visit from two old (but very svelte) friends, she faced each obstacle and ultimately met her goal.  

And she did it without pills, surgery or crazy diets.  In her words, she did it by "burning more calories than I consumed" every day.   

Simple, but true.

Check out her story in the News, cleverly dubbed "The Restaurant Critic's Diet".  To Leslie, however, it's clear her success is more than just a cute name. It's a lifestyle change motivated by an epiphany to "take responsibility" for her own health.

Here are some points I love about this story:

* She knew when she was absolutely ready to lose weight, and she acted on it with no holds barred (even in the face of the holiday season)

* Her goal was realistic and doable - losing one pound per week over a sensible period of time

* She is a self-proclaimed food lover with a passion for her food-centric career - but she didn't let those facts give her an excuse to quit

* Thinking ahead and planning became a part of life - if she was eating out at night for instance, she would compensate with a light lunch during the day

* She embraced help that she could relate to: she used an iPhone app called Lose it! to choose food, track calories and log exercise

So a hearty congratulations to Leslie; you show that it can be done and done the right way.  I hope her story gives inspiration to anyone out there who wants to lose weight but just needs that little extra reinforcement.

Yummy Pun'kin Seeds

Have you ever eaten a home-made roasted pumpkin seed?

When I was a kid, I remember digging the goo out of the big, huge jack-o-lantern pumpkin every Halloween while my mom stood over us ordering, "Save the seeds!"  She would then clean them, pat them dry and roast them in the oven, with just a hint of salt.

And they were so good.  I mean really, eat-the-entire-bowl good.

We aren't big pumpkin carvers here at our house (but we're working on it) so I never really have had the opportunity to roast seeds directly from a pumpkin.  And while I have tried the prepacked and bulk roasted seeds in the past - they just don't have that fresh-from-the-oven taste like my mom's did. 

So the other day, I bought bulk raw, untouched pumpkin seeds - green as can be (and surprisingly inexpensive, by the way).  My kids and I then proceeded to ceremoniously prepare and roast them.  

And guess what?  They tasted exactly the same as I remember - they were so good.  Crunchy, roasty and spicy with just a hint of sweet.  We (including my husband) ate that entire bowl in just one day.  

But the best thing?  Pumpkin seeds are healthy.  

Just one ounce provides a good source of iron and protein; as well as a good amount of your daily need for magnesium (essential for heart, bone and teeth health) and zinc (essential for growth in children) - not to mention they contain heart-healthy fats.   

Inexpensive, easy to make and a good-for-you snack.  What more do you want? And did I mention my kids loved them?

Check out the recipe below for simple, roasted seeds.  No need to boil or precook them; and no need for butter or other unnecessary ingredients.  

And if you missed out on saving your jack-o-lantern seeds, try bulk raw seeds.  They are available year-round and are super cheap (I bought more than half a pound for just $1.50).

Crunchy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds (just like Mom's)

Ingredients:

- Raw pumpkin seeds

- Olive oil spray

- Salt

Prep:

1. If you're carving a pumpkin, separate the seeds from the stringy goo by rinsing in a colander.  Don't worry if there are some pieces left; they'll cook up tasty, too.  Just get the big chunky stuff off.  Pat the seeds dry.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

3. Spread pumpkin seeds in a single layer on the sheet.  Spray a little olive oil spray over them.  Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. 

4. Bake at 400 degrees until seeds begin to brown and pop (about 10 to 15 minutes - keep your eye on them).

5. Let cool completely. Savor and enjoy.

Optional seasonings: 

You can also dress up your seeds with spicy, savory or sweet spices.  Try a cinnamon/nutmeg/ginger combo for sweet.  Or cayenne, chili powder and garlic for spicy.  Italian seasoning with garlic and a bit of Parmesan make a good savory option.  Experiment and find your favorite.