`H1N1’ (Healthy Ones, Nutritious Ones) FoodsCelebrEATy PAGE
Healthy eating is not saying goodbye to delicious foods, but eating everyday foods "deliciously." Or, simply, eating wonderfully tasty and wonderfully "good-for-you" foods. I call them H1N1 foods --- healthy ones and nutritious ones. It is given that what we choose to eat and also how much we eat shape our health. In her best-seller book, Fit Food: Eating Well For Life, nutrition expert Ellen Haas (thanks, Ms. Haas, for providing me a copy of your great book) mentions that, "when you focus on the healthful qualities of everyday foods, eating becomes an enjoyable way to improve your health and well-being." Healthy living, well-balanced diet, regular exercises...that will oblige your doctor to give you a "10" on your health report card. And, if the bleak and dreary economic times seem to stay for awhile, you really can't afford to be unhealty and ill, no way! So make it your goal this 2010 and beyond to keep being fit and healthy. I have compiled ten "healthy eating" cheat sheets and like to share them with you all.1) PORTION SIZE - It's all about knowing the ideal sizes of foods you consume. Examples of individual serving size are as follows: 1 cup of cooked pasta, size of your palm for meats or fish, medium-size apple, 3/4 cup fruit juice and 1/2 cup vegetables. Restaurant portion sizes, when eating out, are very, very, very big portions; don't be shy to ask your server to wrap half of the portion to go.
2) FRUITS AND VEGETABLES (packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants) - Eating 2 cups of fruit and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables each day is highly recommended. Foods high in anti-oxidants include blueberries, spinach and brussel sprouts. And don't forget that steaming is the best way to cook vegetables. Avoid overcooking vegetables; you'll end up with limp veggies and valuable nutrients are boiled out.
3) HIGH-FIBER FOODS -Whole grains and beans are some of these high-fiber foods. They help prevent heart diseases and other illnesses. Carrots, celery, skins of fruits and vegetables are rich in fiber.
4) LIMIT REFINED CARBOHYDRATES - Opt for "natural" carbohydrates in fruits, vegetables and whole grains than those carbohydrates in processed foods and drinks made with white sugar, corn syrup, and regular flour. Thicken your soups with cooked potato rather than stirring into it some flour or cornstarch.
5) FRESH, LEAN RED MEATS, FISH AND POULTRY - Buy lower-fat cuts of meat, opt for skinless chicken and discard fats from meats.
6) TRY TO REPLACE WITH UNSATURATED FATS - Use liquid oils, when you can, such as olive oil, safflower and corn oil rather; limit use of saturated fats or animal fats such as butter. Unsaturated fats help lower cholesterol. Our body definitely needs some fats though (fats protect our vital organs like our heart and our liver).
7) GO EASY ON SODIUM - High levels of
sodium or salt means high risks of high blood pressure. Substitute
herbs rather than salt to enhance flavor of food. Go easy on Japanese
foods, the chefs love to bathe their dishes in soy sauce. At home, make
your own chicken or beef stock with lots of fresh herbs, vegetables and
spices; canned broths are high in salt and artificial flavorings are
infused in it.
S
8) CONSUME MORE CALCIUM - Stock up on yogurt (Organic Valley's bottled
yogurt now available in Whole Foods), leafy green vegetables (yes,
broccoli), fruit juices and cereals; they are rich sources of calcium
(for healthy bones).
9) SAY YES TO GRILLED MEATS, FORGO THE FRIED - Also watch out for
fried rice or heavily buttered toasts or garlic bread when you eat out,
they are diet disasters. Invest on good quality non-stick cookware, so
when you stir-fry foods, you only need very small amount of oil.
10) ENJOY A BALANCED, VARIETY FOODS - No single food can supply
all
the nutrients our body needs so experiment with different ingredients
in your recipes, specially with salads and soups recipes. Experiment
with some unfamiliar fruits too, like pomegranate, blackberries and
black currants, kumquats, etc. And I don't use anymore creams in my
fruit salad, low-fat yogurts are healthy substitutes.
"LOVIN'
IT"
CHICKEN
WRAPS
1
1/2 cup whole almonds, oven roasted for 8 minutes 300 F store-bought
rotisserie chicken, use breast only, sliced
1/2 cup dried apricots or mangoes, cut-up
1/2 cup raisins or craisins
2 celery ribs, washed, dried and chopped
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons honey
shredded lettuce
warmed regular-size flour tortillas
Mix in a bowl: roasted almonds, chicken slices, dried fruits, chopped
celery ribs, yogurt, Dijon mustard and honey. Place a handful of
shredded lettuce and a scoop or heaping tablespoon of chicken mixture
into a tortilla. Fold up the bottom, fold in the sides, and
enjoy!
"LOVIN' IT" CHICKEN WRAPS 2
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced in strips
store-bought rotisserie chicken, use breast only, sliced
hoisin sauce and black pepper to taste
baby spinach leaves, washed and dried
warmed regular-size flour tortillas
In a wok, stir-fry sliced chicken and red bell pepper in heated oil.
Season with hoisin sauce and black pepper. Place some baby spinach
leaves and chicken mixture in a tortilla. Fold up the bottom, fold in
the sides, and enjoy!
"LOVIN' IT" CHICKEN WRAPS 3
store-bought rotisserie chicken, use breast only, sliced
2 large hearts romaine lettuce, chopped
store-bought Caesar salad dressing
grated parmesan cheese
hard-boiled eggs, sliced
warmed regular-size flour tortillas
In a large bowl, toss together sliced chicken, chopped romaine lettuce,
Caesar salad dressing, parmesan cheese and sliced hard-boiled eggs.
Scoop chicken mixture into a tortilla. Fold up the bottom, fold in the
sides, enjoy!
ROAST SALMON WITH TERIYAKI GLAZE
1 lb pack (4 pcs) salmon fillets
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons banana/tomato catsup or sweet chili sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine or white vinegar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
Place salmon fillets in Pyrex square dish. Mix together the rest of the
ingredients in a small bowl; blend well. Pour mixture/marinade over the
salmon, turning salmon to thoroughly coat. Marinate for 15 to 30
minutes. Heat oven to 450 F. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or just until
fish flakes easily. Serve with hot white rice, yummm. You may use thin
beef slices instead of salmon, and cook in wok instead of baking in
oven. Perfect with tangy slaw.
CARAMEL BANANAS WITH YOGHURT DIP
4 ripe bananas, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
2/3 cup Organic Valley vanilla or berry yogurt (sweetened with agave
nectar)
1 tablespoon confectioner's sugar (optional)
In a bowl, coat banana pieces with lemon juice so as not to brown or
discolor. Then pat dry with paper towel and arrange on a
parchment-lined baking sheet (use silpat, if you have).
Boil sugar and water in a small saucepan and continue cooking until
mixture turns caramel or golden brown. Drizzle caramel over the
bananas. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Let cool for about 10
minutes. Peel bananas away from the parchment paper and transfer to
serving plates. Serve with yogurt dip (mix yogurt and confectioner's
sugar in a bowl). So whatever your 2010 goals are,
just don't give
up easily on your resolution to be healthy. Just remember this...keep
it fresh (incorporate fresh ingredients in your home-cooked meals and
be creative) and keep it low (change to low-fat, low-cal, reduced,
skimmed, or zero-fat foods). And before you go crazy, ridiculously
crazy, about making changes in your diet, have a good conversation
first with your doctor. Good luck with getting your meals off to a good
"healthy one-nutritious one (H1N1)" start.
On next issue, there's something to celebrate...I complete 5 years as
Chicago Philippine Reports TV's cooking host. And my long-time dream is
not just a dream anymore...it is good news!
Suman Sa Ibos with Choconut Sauce, Brownie Trifle Bow
LOWFAT
YOGURT
IN
A
BOTTLE
FROM ORGANIC VALLEY
Yogurt lovers all over America are celebrating this new bottled live,
organic, lowfat yogurt from Organic Valley that comes in three flavors
--- plain, berry and vanilla. Introduced this January 2010 nationwide,
the multi-use, "live" organic yogurt contains THRIVETM – Organic
Valley’s unique blend of billions of "good" probiotic cultures that
boost digestive and immune systems, and are beneficial to overall
health. Just "pour it, drink it, blend it," truly this calcium-rich
yogurt in a bottle is ideal as an ingredient in delicious dressings,
sauces, smoothies or dips recipes, as a morning starter topped with
granola, or as a yummy/healthy drink straight from the bottle. Visit
Whole Foods Markets and indulge in these 3 wonderfully tasty yogurt
flavors. For more information, visit website: www.organicvalley.coop,
www.organicprairie.coop and the cooperative’s farmer website,
www.farmers.coop.
KULINARYA TOUR
Emily Wong Galang,
founder & owner of Galang Culinary School in Pampanga, poses with
her finished culinary creations of brazo de mais, birenghe
(kapampangan’s paella with glutinous rice, sisig, and tibok-tibok,
after her hands-on cooking demo with her son and daughter, for Via
Times and CPRTV (we will be featuring her yummy recipes with photos in
our next issue).
The Dean of
Pampanga cooking, with her son doing the latik for tibok-tibok, and
voila, showing her palatable birenghe at the demo.
Serving of lunch was
held at Lilian Borromeo’s antique residence where VT/CPRTV’s Veronica
and Joe Mauricio enjoyed a feast of Pampanga’s tocino, San Nicolas
cookies, bangus Sasmuan, Pako Salad, and many others.
Photo on right
show Ms. Borromeo showing her skills in making the traditional and
popular San Nicolas cookies using antique cookwares, as old as more
than 200 years ago.
EuroBake in Malolos,
Bulacan, founded & managed by the Ramos family (shown at left photo
are mom Clara and son Raymond Ramos), carries the unbeatable ensaimada
and inipit baked goodies for meriendas.
Right photo
shows an inipit demo done by one of the bakers of EuroBake for VT/CPRTV
coverages.
SARAH'S BAKING AND CAKE DECORATING SCHOOL
Fun, inexpensive, exciting "PANGNEGOSYO OR PAMBAHAY" short culinary
courses now offered:
1) SIOPAO WORKSHOP (this is my most popular course!)
2) HOLIDAY TREATS WORKSHOP (includes moist food for the gods and
Phil-style fruit cake)
3) KAKANIN, PHIL SWEETS AND DELICACIES I (includes my incredibly tasty
cuchinta)
4) ENSAIMADA AND HOMEMADE HOPIA (who doesn't like melt-in-the-mouth
ensaimadas )
5) CHOCOLATE CAKES AND NO-BAKE CHEESECAKES (moist chocolate cake to die
for)
6) NEW MANILA-STYLE CAKES LIKE CARAMEL CAKE, YEMA CAKE, CUSTARD CAKE
7) SIMPLE CAKES AND CAKE DECORATING (great for beginners and kids)
Available every Saturday and Sunday, as long as there are at least 2
students per session, lots of hands -on and the cakes and other baked
products learned in class can be duplicated by each student when they
get home. Simply call to register - Cakes by The Lake Glenn
(815-342-3560) or Sarah (815-545-8007). All classes are taught by
Celebr-EAT-y Circle TV host Sarah Lee (watch her regular Sunday
noontime cooking segment with Chicago Philippine Reports TV). Baking
tutorial, Cake Decorating/Icing Flowers and on-site classes are also
available.
ADD A DIVA'S TOUCH TO YOUR NEXT PARTY
Need help in planning your next party? Call the Diva and make that
party truly awesome and unforgettable party or email
(divasarah@sbcglobal.net). Avoid the unwanted party stresses, let me
help you bring out your best party ever with divalicious
entrees/appetizers (chicken empanadas, chapchae/korean pancit, dinuguan
with puto, fresh lumpia with brown sauce and homemade egg wrappers,
chicken cacciatore, menudo, etc), perfect desserts/kakanins (maja
blanca, cuchinta, colored pichi-pichi, cassava cake, mocha sans rival,
slow-baked biko, custard cake, etc) top-caliber entertainment,
affordable DJ equipment, awesome invitations and decorations, etc).
Leave me a message in my cell (815) 545-8007, and let's get
started...it is that easy!
2010 is just few sleeps away...I'll be featuring some healthy recipes
in the January, 2010 issue of Viatimes. Make sure you don't miss next
month's special issue. You may want to share your tried-and-tested
healthy recipes; please email your recipes to: divasarah@sbcglobal.net.
Keep warm...and another important reminder...don't drink and drive
(driving with a Blood Alcohol Content or BAC that is 0.08% or higher is
illegal in all 50 US states). So if you need to drink to celebrate the
new year, have a designated driver or better yet, take a cab.
