Taking advantage of summer

Hi, Everyone –

I don’t know about you, but it just doesn’t feel like summer to me without a good barbeque. The sun is shining, the kids are out of school and charcoal is hot. Grilling on a summer day is not only one of the best ways to take advantage of the warm months ahead, but it is also actually one of the best ways to cook delicious, healthy foods. Check out the recipes below from Cooking Light to create the perfect summer feast that will let you indulge without the guilt. Happy barbequing.

Salmon Skewers with Lemon-Parsley Pesto

Ingredients

1/2 cup (2 ounces) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup capers, drained
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
2 1/2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil, divided
2 pounds skinless, boneless salmon fillets, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
4 cups hot cooked orzo
Parsley sprigs (optional)
Lemon wedges (optional)

Preparation

Prepare grill. Combine first 7 ingredients in a food processor. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons oil to herb mixture; process until smooth, scraping sides. Set aside.

Thread fish evenly on each of 16 skewers. Brush fish with remaining 1 tablespoon oil; sprinkle evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Arrange skewers on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 1 minute on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from grill, and keep warm.

Combine orzo and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt; toss well. Place 1/2 cup orzo on each of 8 plates; arrange 2 skewers on each plate. Top each serving with about 1 tablespoon herb mixture. Garnish with parsley sprigs and lemon wedges, if desired.

Yield: 8 servings

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 407(28% from fat); FAT 12.7g (sat 2.6g,mono 5.5g,poly 3g); IRON 3mg; CHOLESTEROL 58mg; CALCIUM 87mg; CARBOHYDRATE 43.3g; SODIUM 398mg; PROTEIN 29.2g; FIBER 2.1g

Papaya and Avocado Crab Salad

Ingredients

1 poblano chile, halved and seeded
1 medium jalapeño pepper, halved
1 cup diced peeled papaya
1 cup diced peeled avocado
2/3 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound lump crabmeat, shell pieces removed
1 garlic clove, minced
6 (6-inch) pitas, split

Preparation

Preheat broiler. Place chile and pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined broiler pan; flatten with hand. Broil 10 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel and finely chop; place in a large bowl.

Add papaya and next 7 ingredients (through garlic); toss gently to combine. Serve with pitas.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 cup salad and 1 pita)

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 294(17% from fat); FAT 5.4g (sat 0.8g,mono 2.6g,poly 1.1g); IRON 2.2mg; CHOLESTEROL 45mg; CALCIUM 101mg; CARBOHYDRATE 41.2g; SODIUM 746mg; PROTEIN 19.5g; FIBER 3.3g

Dr. Snyder

Add comment June 15th, 2008

Healthy and tasty popcorn recipe

Hi, Everybody -

I was at the movies the other day (I saw the new Narnia movie with my kids - it was really good!) and I watched the employee behind the food counter squirt some butter in a HUGE bucket of popcorn. You would not believe how much butter they put in there!! I’m sure it tasted great, but I just had to shake my head and thought about all the minutes walking on the treadmill it would take to burn those calories.

Anyway, that got me thinking about a good and healthy popcorn recipe. I found this one and tried it - give it a shot! And remember - a huge part of healthy eating is portion control. You don’t NEED that huge bucket of popcorn. Be disciplined about portion sizes. It’s about being smart - not about denying yourself.

Here’s the recipe, which I found at the Diet Blog:

• 1/2 cup popcorn kernels
• Flavored cooking spray (butter, olive oil, garlic)
• Garlic salt or cinnamon

Place the popcorn in a two-and-a-half quart microwave safe bowl, microwave for four to five minutes (don’t burn it!) Pour it on to a baking sheet, coat with spray, and follow with the garlic salt or cinnamon. The nutritional breakdown for this is 61 Calories, fat - .8 g, carbs - 5 g, protein - 1 g, and sodium - 0 g.

Make sure you use about 1-2 seconds of spray at most - with Pam, that’s 14 calories. If you use 1/3 second, I really doubt you’ll cover the popcorn.

I recommend using olive oil spray for the garlic variety, and butter spray if you’re using cinnamon.

Have a great (and healthy) weekend!

Dr. Snyder

Add comment June 6th, 2008