Easy Spinach and Parmesan Egg Muffins

Hello everyone!  It has been again a while since we posted, and we apologize for that.  Many many things have been going on!  Now the semester is over, the move is done, the half marathon complete and house projects are on the way.  

We wanted to be sure to take a few minutes to share with you one of our favorite new breakfast recipes - baked spinach and Parmesan cheese egg muffins!  It's a great low-carb and gluten free recipe that takes only 15 minutes, and can be made the night before.   Egg's used to get a bad rap, but as a Registered Dietitian reviewing the literature, it turns out that the cholesterol in the eggs is not internalized into our own cholesterol.  Eggs are a great low saturated fat choice for breakfast and has a good amount of protein as well to keep you full! It's also a great option if you have company over, since the eggs are all done at the same time.  Enjoy!!

Recipe and photo by Brittany Chin, RD, LD

Easy Baked Spinach and Parmesan Egg Muffins

Serves: 8

Ingredients

10 eggs

1 cup frozen spinach, thawed

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Pepper, to taste

Paprika, to taste

Directions

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2.  In a medium sized mixing bowl, beat eggs with a fork or whisk.  Add pepper and paprika to taste.
3.  Spray muffin tin with Pam Olive Oil spray.

4.  Divide thawed spinach into 8 muffin tins.  

5.  Ladle 1/2 cup of the egg mixture into the muffin tins over the spinach.
6.  Top with of Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 oz).
7.  Place in the oven on 375 for 15 minutes.  Once bake time is completed, broil for 2 minutes to brown the cheese.
8.  Let cool for 2-3 minutes.  Serve and enjoy with some fresh fruit :-)

Nutrition: 125 calories, 3.7g saturated fat, 1g total carb, 212mg sodium, 11.6g protein

Note: try with your favorite kind of low-fat cheese (such as feta or mozzarella) and whatever kind of vegetables you have available (peppers and onions, tomatoes, zucchini - almost anything!)

Colorado Vacation & Mexican Bison Stew

It seems like spring will never come!  Even in South Carolina we have continued to wear sweaters and boots all through March, and it is looking like we will be even to the beginning of April.

For our "spring break" (as I am now back in school mode) trip this year, we headed to Durango, Colorado with friends for a Wild Wild West Ski trip!  We are very grateful to have been invited on this trip with both old and new friends, and appreciated the hospitality of our hosts Amy and John.  Durango is a beautiful and quaint town in southern Colorado, right over the New Mexico state line.  We skied/snowboarded the fresh pow pow just about everyday, and we really grew to love Durango Mountain Restort/Purgatory, it had awesome green and blue trails for me and some really great blacks for the experts (like Trevor and Brendan).  The views were absolutely amazing, and Purgatory has both a front and a backside to the mountain.  By the second day, we were already fans of the back side of the mountain, with the wide open trails, less people and some cool tree skiing (for those crazies who can do that kind of stuff…ahem Brendan and Trevor).  Check out the amazing view from the top of the mountain:

T and B on top of Purgatory!

Each day after skiing we took part in the Forney tradition of "apre ski beers" by the fire outside the lodge.  The weather was gorgeous, sunny and in the 40s-50s each day!  Our favorite beer while we were there was the Durango Wheat from the Durango Brewery, incredibly refreshing after a day of skiing.  

Trevor, Vanessa, Brittany and Brendan having apre ski beers by the fire.

We not only skied/boarded Purgatory, but also Wolf Creek, which has the most snowfall of any mountain in Colorado, with an average of 465 inches per year!  Wolf Creek was a bit smaller, and the lodge sort of reminded us of the lodge in Hot Tub Time Machine, but man was it snowy!  It snowed the entire time we were at the mountain - with tons of fresh powder.  Trevor and Brendan ventured out and found some amazing bowls and even trekked their way to the peak to ski down some vertical chutes of untouched powder.  Check out Trevor's beard, I told ya it was snowy!

It wasn't all just about downhill skiing/boarding in Colorado, we also got a chance to get some  Xcountry skiing in too at Durango Mountain.  Trevor's first time on skis in 13 years!

XCountry Skiing around the lake

When asked what kind of meal we would like to prepare for everyone for "our dinner night," we thought of something that we can almost never find on the East Coast.  Bison!  Bison is a very lean meat with only 150-160 calories in a 3oz serving, 2grams saturated fat and is very rich in iron and protein.  These things were very important with us skiing for over 6 hours everyday!  We ended up purchasing bison stew meat from Sunnyside Farms in Durango, CO.    We decided to make a yummy Bison Mexican Stew with lots of veggies over cheese grits.  

Note: The one ingredient that we could not find for the recipe was chayote.  A chayote is a Mexican squash and though we could not find one in Durango, but I would highly recommend looking for one in South Carolina at Publix or your local grocery store.

Chayote at Publix

The recipe was adapted from the Delish.com recipe here .  Some key changes: we found that the bison meat only needed to be seared ever so slightly before cooking in the stew, bison is very lean therefore it should be cooked to medium to avoid a chewy texture and losing flavor (this is something we will have to practice).  If bison is not available, a lean cut of beef such as sirloin tips would be a great substitution, or even chicken!  Enjoy!

Mexican Bison Stew
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

For the stew:
3 tablespoons chili powder, divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 pounds bison chuck, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 cups chopped onion
3 milkd green chiles, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/2 cup tequila
1 can no-salt added diced tomatoes
1 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons lime juice
3 cups diced chayote or summer squash
fresh ground pepper
8 lime wedges
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
2 cups finely shredded cabbage
1 cup finely chopped red onion

For the grits:

1 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits
3 Tbsp Smart Balance Spread
3/4 cup low fat cheddar cheese
4 cups low sodium chicken broth


Directions

1.  Combine 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder, salt, and cumin in a large bowl. Add bison and toss to coat
2.  Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot oven over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, add half the meat, and brown on all sides, 1-2 minutes, do not over cook! Transfer to a plate. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and brown the rest of the meat. Transfer to the plate
3.  Add onion to the pot and cook, stirring, until starting to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add chilies and garlic; cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes more. Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder and stir until the vegetables are well coated. Add tequila (or water), scrape up any browned bits, and simmer until most of the liquid is evaporated. Stir in tomatoes, broth, orange juice, lime juice, and the reserved bison. 
4.  Return to a simmer, reduce heat, cover, and cook until the bison is easily pierced with a fork, about 15-25 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, while the bison is cooking prepare grits.  Bring low sodium chicken broth to a boil in a medium sauce pot.  Whisk in grits, reduce heat to medium-low and cook 5-6 minutes until tender.  Remove from heat and stir in Smart Balance and reduced fat cheese.  Set aside.
6.  Stir squash into bison mixture and cook until just tender, 5-7 minutes, depending on the type of squash. Season with pepper. Serve the stew with lime wedges, cilantro, cabbage, and red onion on the side, if desired. 

Overall, we had a great trip with John, Amy, Vanessa, Brendan, Ron and Laurie.  Thanks again for y'alls hospitality and we can't wait to return to the awesome town of Durango!!

The gang on our sleigh ride

Homemade Egg Drop Soup with Sweet Corn

Happy Chinese New Year!  

Being a second generation in a Chinese-American family, Chinese New year is a time I most vividly remember spending with my family going to our favorite family owned restaurant in Albany, NY.  We ordered family style and used the lazy susan on the table to "pass" our food around and share.  

This year I had plans to be in NYC for Chinese New Year and was looking forward to spending time celebrating with friends and family in NY.  But of course, it is winter and nor'easter Nemo came and quickly demolished those plans.  Looks like I will have to plan a trip this Spring to NYC for some good Chinese food, bagels, pizza and many many visits with friends/family!

With a free weekend in Greenville, I took this extra time to complete my first test in graduate school!  My midterm for BU's American Health System course was online and it feels SO good to have it completed :-) I'm now more than halfway through the class!

On Saturday, Trevor and I celebrated New Year's Eve at Lieu's Chinese Bistro on Woodruff Rd. in Greenville.  It wasn't exactly dim sum in Chinatown, but it was very good.  We ordered the Happy Family (minus the scallops, Trevor's request after the Xmas incident...), egg flower and sweet and sour soup, spring rolls, and the spicy cabbage.  It was all wonderful and we would recommend all of these dishes, though the spicy cabbage was even too spicy for Trevor!  If you chose to order a spicy dish at Lieu's, we recommend trying it mild first. ;-)

On Sunday, for New Year's dinner we made Trevor's mother's famous Chicken Almond recipe and egg drop soup.  It was a perfect New Years dinner and a great end to a long weekend!  Check out the egg drop soup recipe below, adapted from  Food Network.  This soup has a wonderful consistency to it and we sweetened it up a bit by adding some corn, I always love the little crunch and sweetness the corn adds!

Egg Drop Soup with Sweet Corn

Homemade Egg Drop Soup with Sweet Corn

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

4 cups low sodium chicken stock, plus 2 tablespoons

1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1/2 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 cup frozen yellow corn

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 green onions, chopped for garnish

White pepper to taste

Directions

1.  In a large pot on high heat, bring the low sodium chicken stock, soy sauce, ginger and frozen corn to a boil.  

2.  In a small dish, combine the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of chicken stock.  Stir until the cornstarch is dissolved.  

3.  Slowly pour the cornstarch mixture into the soup while constantly stirring.  Continue to stir until thickened.  

4.  Reduce heat to a low simmer.

5.  Add the beaten eggs slowly while stirring the soup in the same direction.  Egg will spread and feather.

6.  Turn off heat and season with white pepper to taste (be careful, it is spicy!)

7.  Serve a 1 cup serving in each bowl and garnish with green onion.  Enjoy!

Nutrition for 1 serving: 90 Calories, 2.5g Total fat, 0.7g Saturated fat, 180mg Sodium, 11g Total Carbohydrate, 1.2g Fiber, 6g Protein

Chicken Almond source: Susie Jones.

What is your favorite Chinese dish?  Tell us below!

"Diet" Book Review: RevItUp!

Hopefully this post will be the first of many diet book reviews!  As a Registered Dietitian, I am always looking to keep up with the latest nutrition literature to discuss with my patients.   There are many fad diets that are "quick fixes," such as the cabbage soup diet, the eat 3 grapefruits per day diet (Note: please do not do this without consulting your doctor/pharmacist grapefruits can actually counteract many prescription medications!), and the "Biggest Loser Diet," but what about a lifestyle diet that actually sticks?

January 17th is known to be the day that most people "drop" their New Years Resolution, which means people "give it a go" for only about 16 days.  Sound familiar?  If you, or someone you know, is looking for a great book that encourages more of a healthy lifestyle change and making changes at a reasonable pace then please pass this review on!

RevItUp! The lifestyle that diet puts you in the driver's seat by Tammy Beasley, RD, CSSD, LD is, in my professional opinion, a great book to help us get rid of the "diet rules" in our head, and replace them with factual nutrition information and science.  It is also an easy read with analogies that make you smile.

My first introduction to RevItUp! was at a conference in July 2011 where I saw Tammy speak.  She was a wonderful public speaker who was very engaging in describing to an audience of Health Coaches how her book on lifestyle change really works.

In Tammy’s book RevItUp! She describes a healthy lifestyle change that encourages mindful eating, exercise and journaling.  Tammy outlines an 8 week plan and encourages readers to log their foods/exercise/hunger/fullness in the log provided in the back of the book.  The 8 weeks are divided up into two phases both using the four F’s (food, fluid, foundation and fitness), Phase #1 Let’s get started, and Phase #2 Let’s accelerate! Tammy does a great job in the book of using the analogy of a car in relation to your own body’s metabolism and your new healthy lifestyle.  This analogy is very applicable to most people and she does a great job of making a linear connection between the importance of fueling your body correctly and fueling your car correctly. 

Have you ever thought about why you eat?  Do you eat because it is time to eat?  Or because you are at a party?  Phase 1 describes how recognizing your hunger and fullness is just as important as listening to your cars fuel gauge, in that it communicates to you when it needs fuel and when it is indeed full.  This is your foundation.  

I'm sure you have heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day since grade school.  In the book, breakfast is compared it to “turning the key” in a car.  She explains that breakfast is “the key” and eating it is the act of “turning it.”  She asks readers to think about how they expect their body to “back out of the garage”(starting the day) without turning the key (eating breakfast)?? 

She then goes on to discuss “fuel groups” (food groups) and how to design a healthy meal.  She does a great job of keeping it comical and light by saying “proceed with caution” on high sugar/high fat foods such as bacon, alcohol and fried foods.  “Watch the speed limit” discusses the speed at which we consume meals/snacks and “Paint Your Portions” talks about how to use the portion plate in regards to fruit and vegetable intake.  Concerned about starting an exercise plan but know it is something that will make you healthier?  Check out the "Warm up your motor" section where the book breaks down exercise into a warm-up, exercise and cool down.  Examples of stretches are given along with tips of how to stay on track with your exercise goals!  The book encourages starting small, and building up to a certain exercise or a certain duration.

I have found many "diet books" have many rules, but one must ask what is the reward for following these rules?  Tammy also does a great job of encouraging readers to set rewards for themselves.  There is a page called “victory lap” where a reader can write down their accomplishments and awards.  Phase 1 also discusses the ever so confusing topic of carbohydrates, and breaks it down in way we can understand and also gives some examples of healthy snacks.  Fats are also discussed and their relationship to your cholesterol (if cholesterol is something you are watching).

Phase 2 is called “Let’s Accelerate!”  It's always great when books or providers can give information on healthy foods and exercise, but what about when "life happens?"  Tammy reviews some challenges such as dining out and skipping meals, and lists some healthy choices when tough real-life situations arise.  So you CAN go on vacation and still keep up with your new healthy lifestyle!  

Overall, this book is a great description of a what a REAL lifestyle change looks and feels like.  The author does a great job of using analogies that many can understand as most people deal with driving a car (and the complications thereof) each day.   In my opinion, the most important part of this tool is the final maintenance chapter/maintenance log, as it signifies that at the end of the book the “diet” does not end!  It is a lifestyle change and having a maintenance plan prevents the reader from falling back into hold habits.  This book works great to “break” the food rules that other strict diets do not allow and uses small steps to work towards a healthy lifestyle, healthy weight and body acceptance.  

All of the images in this post are from Tammy's website, which can be found at: revitupfitness.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @TamBeasRD!

Have you read this book?  If so, please share in your comments below.  What are your favorite "diet" books that you have read?  Please share your comments below and maybe it will be featured on the next diet book review!

Happy New Year from Lilly

Happy 2013!  

We apologize for the delay since our last blog post - Trevor and Brittany left for somewhere with a lot of snow for a week in December (Christmas in NY!).  It seems like with Brittany starting graduate school, and Trevor constantly playing guitar and chasing the ball around (soccer), I am the only one who has time to keep up with this blog.  Fortunately, before they left, they got me a HUGE new bed that I absolutely love.  I get a lot of great blogging ideas while lounging on my new pad.  I spend most of my time here, pondering the meaning of life in the same essence as greats like Nietzsche, Socrates, and Wishbone.

Except, of course, when I am protecting everyone in the house by watching the door...

They call me guard dog.

Anyway, once Trevor and Brittany got home from the great snowy North, they started using this round loud thing that is on for hours and hours on end.  They call it a dehydrator.  I wasn't too sure about it, but once I realized that it actually makes food I was all about it!  Check out below for some of the tasty creations they have been making.

The NESCO FD-75PR 700W Dehydrator.  It kind of looks like R2D2..  *Bleep bloop*

Some fun things we've made
Kale chips 
Dried Pineapple
Apple chips
Sweet Dried Tomatoes
Sweet Potato Treats for Lilly!

Some apple chips & dried sweet tomato photos:

Trevor peeling & coring the apples

Preparing to cut up the slices on Trevor's 'Obsessive Chef' cutting board (his favorite)

The work station!  Note the lemon juice on the apple slices for preservation (of color and taste!)

The apple slices ready to be dehydrated

Brittany the beautiful blancher! (knocking out some "tomaters")

The finished product!  The humans put a cinnamon on some of the slices for a little more flavor.  A fantastic choice, in my opinion.

Next, Trevor and Brittany made me some awesome sweet potato treats using Trevor's new Cuisinart mandolin.  They are wicked orange and crunchy!

Showing off my amazing patience.  This was seconds before the sweet little potato met it's maker.

Homemade Sweet Potato Doggie Treats
Yield: 8oz

Ingredients
2 large sweet potatoes (about 2-3 pounds)

Directions
1.  Mandolin the sweet potatoes, length wise 1/4 inch thick.
2.  Blanch potato slices
3.  Arrange potatoes in dehydrator
4.  Dehydrate on 120 degrees for 14-20 hours
5.  Serve to your favorite four legged friend and enjoy!

The sweet and crunchy finished product.

My new bed is calling my name.. Until next time!

Love,
Lillers

Brittany and Trevor in that snowy place called Buffalo, NY!

Rainy Day Jambalaya

Today's post is themed after our recent rainy-almost-spring-weather we have been having in Upstate South Carolina.  Of course, this also yummy and warm crockpot recipe weather!  I prepared this recipe before going to meet with my intern at 8am and it was done by the time I got home, and the house smelled amazing!  It is also a great recipe party recipe if you hosting 5+ people for dinner.

Heart Healthy Chicken Jambalaya

Heart Healthy Chicken Jambalaya

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

12oz Fully Cooked Al Fresco Smoked Andouille All Natural Chicken Sausage

1 can Low-Sodium Dark Red Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained

1 16oz package frozen peppers and onions

1 14.5oz can no salt added diced tomatoes 

1 Box Reduced Sodium Jambalaya Mix

2 cups water

Jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (optional)

Directions

1.  Half chicken sausage length wise and cut into half moon slices (about 1/2 inch).

2.  Add frozen vegetables to bottom of a 3.5-4 quart slow crockpot.  Top with chicken sausage and dark red kidney beans.

3.  Add water, undrained no salt tomatoes and jambalaya mix.  

4.  Cover and cook on low heat setting for 6.5-7.5 hours or 3-3.5 hours on high.  

5.  Cook until water is absorbed and rice is fully cooked, do not over cook as it will make the rice soggy.  

6.  Serve a 1 cup serving in a bowl and top with low fat jalapeno or cheddar cheese!  Add a side salad and enjoy!

Nutrition: 259 calories, 3.5g Fat, 1g saturated fat, 608mg sodium, 40g Total Carb, 6.5g Fiber

What is your favorite crockpot meal?

Pintrest Craft Party + Holiday Cookies

Pintrest is awesome.  You can find amazing recipes, connect with people professionally and keep up with friends.

Our friend, Erin, recently decided to hold a "Pintrest Holiday Craft Party" at her townhouse (sorry Trevor this one is just for the girls)!  We decided to make a Pottery Barn inspired Noel sign for our apartments :-)  

Erin's completed Noel Sign

It was an easy craft using just acrylic paint, some MDF letters and a hot glue gun.  

Girls painting their letters!

But of course, we had wine and holiday cookies as well!  Nicole and I made some spritzer cookies with her awesome spritzer cookie "gun" and we also made my favorite peanut butter and chocolate kiss cookies!  We altered the recipe a bit to make it healthier by using fat free evaporated milk and natural peanut butter (anyone who knows me knows that I think hydrogenated oils are the devil)!

 Natural Peanut Butter and Dark Chocolate Kiss Cookies

Natural Peanut Butter and Dark Chocolate Kiss Cookies
Yield: 5 dozen cookies

Ingredients

1 (14oz) can Eagle Brand Fat Free Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 1/4 cups SmartBalance Natural Creamy Peanut butter (or any natural peanut butter without hydrogenated oils)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups Bisquick baking mix
60 pieces Hershey's Dark Chocolate Kisses
Red, Green and White granulated sugar

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  In a large bowl, mix sweetened condensed milk, peanut butter, egg and vanilla until smooth.
3.  Add biscuit mix and mix well.
4.  Combine the red granulated sugar and the white granulated sugar in a small bowl.  Combine the green granulated sugar and the white granulated sugar in another small bowl.
5.  Roll dough into 1 inch balls with your hands.  Roll dough, alternating colors, in the sugar.
6.  Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes.  Be sure to not over bake!  
7.  Immediately after cookies come out of the oven, place 1 Hershey kiss in the middle of each cookie.
8.  Cool and serve!

The Girls at Pintrest Craft Night!