Tag Archives: olive oil

Recipe: Herb Roasted Vegetables

Posted on by MaryO
A single week's fruits and vegetables from com...

A single week’s fruits and vegetables from community-supported agriculture share: peppers, okra, tomatoes, beans, potatoes, garlic, eggplant, squash. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

 

We have belonged to a CSA (Consumer Supported Agriculture) Farm for 13 or so years.2013-04-30 21.03.21

We originally joined Great Country Farms so our son could see what farm life is like.  Our son has long left home but we still love the farm, now more than ever.  They deliver each week during the growing season and we can go out there whenever to pick our own.  Sometimes, we go just to walk around in the country air.

By chance, I also found a winter CSA that I’ll join next fall and a buy-as-you-go farm that delivers each Thursday, if you want what they have on offer each week.

I originally found East Side Produce through a half-off deal on Groupon.  We got $40 worth of fruits and veggies for only $20 – including delivery.  You can’t beat that!

We’ve only had one of the East Side boxes so far, but the dog was very interested in the pineapple they brought us along with all kinds of wonderful things.  She even looks like she’s licking her lips!

With all these fruits and veggies coming into the house, we’ve started eating more healthfully.

This is one of our newer recipes when I have the time to heat up the oven.

 

veggiesHerb Roasted Vegetables

Oven roasting concentrates the flavors of the vegetables resulting in a flavorful side dish that’s still low in sodium.

6 cups assorted cut-up vegetables (1 1/2-inch chunks), such as red onion, potatoes, red bell pepper, yellow squash or zucchini (I also add green peppers when I have them)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon Thyme Leaves

2 tablespoons Mrs. Dash

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Toss vegetables with oil in large bowl.

Sprinkle seasonings over vegetables; toss to coat.

Spread vegetables in single layer on foil-lined 15x10x1-inch baking pan.

Roast 30 minutes.

Related articles

Mediterranean Diet

Posted on by MaryO
Fresh vegetarian pasta (2528005054)

Fresh vegetarian pasta (2528005054) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A randomized, multicenter trial conducted in Spain found that a Mediterranean diet resulted in a reduction in the incidence of major cardiovascular (CV) events and a 30 percent relative risk reduction in major CV events over a 4.8-year follow-up period.

The trial results were published on Feb. 25 in The New England Journal of Medicine. The PREDIMED (Preventión con Dieta Mediterránea) trial compared the consumption of a Mediterranean diet supplemented with either extra-virgin olive oil or nuts vs. a control diet among 7,447 individuals at high risk of CV disease (CVD) but with no CVD at enrollment. Individuals in the trial had either type 2 diabetes or at least three of seven major CV risk factors — smoking, hypertension, elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, were overweight or obese, or had a family history of premature coronary heart disease.

Results showed the group of participants assigned to a Mediterranean diet supplemented with olive oil had 96 primary endpoint events (a composite of myocardial infarction, stroke and death from cardiovascular causes), those assigned to a Mediterranean diet supplemented by mixed nuts (walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts) had 83 events and the control group had 109 events (p = 0.015). The Mediterranean diets resulted in an absolute risk reduction of three major CV events per 1,000 person-years.

A traditional Mediterranean diet consists of high amounts of olive oil, fruit, vegetables, nuts and cereals; moderate amounts of fish and poultry; and low amounts of dairy products, sweets, red meats and processed meats. Participants assigned to the Mediterranean diet groups significantly increased weekly servings of fish and legumes, as well as olive oil and nuts, depending on the group they were in.

According to the study authors, the results of the trial might explain, in part, CV mortality rates among Mediterranean countries compared with mortality rates in northern European countries and the U.S. They note that the dietary supplements of extra-virgin olive oil and nuts were possibly responsible for most of the observed benefits of the Mediterranean diets.

From CardioSource – Mediterranean Diet Major CV Events.  The original link also includes a video

Recipe: Low-Sodium Chicken Piccata

Posted on by MaryO

Adapted from The DASH Diet Action Plan: Proven to Boost Weight Loss and Improve Health (A DASH Diet Book)

We had this last night and DH really liked it. I didn’t have all the ingredients on hand and my car is still out of commission so I made a few changes 🙂

Original Recipe:

Chicken Breast, no skin, 16 ounces
Yellow Cornmeal, .5 cup
Lemon pepper 1 tbsp
Low-sodium chicken broth, 1 cup
Olive Oil, 1 tbsp
Lemon Juice, 2 tbsp
Butter, unsalted, 2 tbsp

Directions

Preheat broth over medium heat.
pound chicken breasts to 1/4 inch think.
Mex cornmeal and pepper on a plate and dip chicken in it. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat add chicken and cook for 4 minutes on each side until brown. Remove from pan and keep warm.
Add lemon juice and hot chicken broth to skillet, scraping the pan. Reduce heat to medium, stir in butter. Return chicken to skillet and cook for 3 minutes until done. Serve immediately.

Serving Size: 4 4oz servings

Number of Servings: 4

Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 287
Total Fat: 12 g
Cholesterol: 82 mg
Sodium: 94 mg
Total Carbs: 20 g
Protein 28 g
Potassium: 299 mg

My Version:

Chicken Breast, no skin, 16 ounces, cut into thin slices
Mss. Dash Original, 1 tbsp
Low-sodium chicken broth, 1 cup
Olive Oil, 1 tbsp
Lime Juice, 2 tbsp (note change lemon to lime)
Butter, unsalted, 1 tbsp

Directions

Preheat broth over medium heat.
Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat add lime juice, Mrs. Dash and chicken broth to skillet, scraping the pan. Add chicken and cook for 4 minutes on each side until brown.  Reduce heat to medium, stir in butter.
Serve immediately.

Number of Servings: 6