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Monday, November 29. 2010
Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of
Lights, celebrates the victory of the Jewish Maccabean revolt against
a mighty Syrian Greek army in the year 165 BCE.When
the Maccabees went to rekindle the holy light in their Great Temple, they found
only enough oil to burn for a single night.
It was here that the Hanukkah miracle occurred. The oil in the tiny
cruet burned for eight straight days and nights. Hanukkah is unique among
holidays in that its liturgy urges the consumption of oil, in celebration of
the Hanukkah miracle. To celebrate, Jews
light candles in menorahs and eat foods that are fried in oil.
Traditional fried foods include soufganiyot and latkes. The following are some healthier takes on traditional Hanukkah dishes.
Low-Fat Latkes
Serves: 8 | Prep: 20 min | Cook: 15 min.
Ingredients:
- 3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
- 1 medium onion
- 1/3 cup matzah meal, or unbleached white flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup egg substitute, or 2 eggs plus 4 whites
- 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- olive oil spray (or 2 tablespoons olive oil)
- Serve with:non-fat (NF) or low-fat (LF) sour cream and/or
applesauce
Cooking Instructions:
- Place a
couple of non-stick baking sheets in the oven and preheat to 450°F .
- Peel the
potatoes and onion and coarsely grate in a food processor fitted with a
shredding disk or on a box grater. Grab handfuls of the grated vegetables and
squeeze tightly between your fingers to wring out as much liquid as possible.
- Transfer
the grated vegetables to a mixing bowl and stir in the matzah meal, baking
powder, egg substitute, parsley, and plenty of salt and pepper. (The latkes
should be highly seasoned.)
- Spray the
hot baking sheets with oil (or drizzle the oil on it and spread with a wooden
spoon) Spoon small mounds of potato mixture onto the baking sheet to form 2-1/2
inch pancakes, leaving 1 inch between each. Bake-fry the latkes in the oven
until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes per side, turning once with a spatula. (When
you turn the latkes, try to flip them onto spots on the baking sheet that still
have oil.)
- Transfer
to platter and serve immediately with sour cream and/or applesauce.
Nutrition Facts (for 6 or 7 latkes): 192 calories, 4 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 9 grams protein, 35 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 82 mg sodium
Recipe By: Steven Raichlen, Cookbook Author
Low-Fat Rugelach
This recipe makes: 64
rugelach
Ingredients:
For the dough:
- 8 ounces low fat cream cheese
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
- confectioners' sugar
- 1 cup apricot preserves, thick, best quality available
Cooking Instructions:
- Place the
cream cheese and the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the
paddle. Cream at a low speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Add the flour and
mix until a very soft dough is formed, about 2 more minutes. Cover with plastic
wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat
the oven to 350°F and grease 2 cookie sheets.
- Divide the
dough into 4 balls. Roll the balls out into 4 circles about 1/8-inch thick and
9-inches in diameter. Using a spoon or dull knife, spread the apricot preserve
filling over each circle of dough.
- Using a
dull knife, cut each circle of dough into 16 pie piece shaped pieces about 2
inches wide at the circumference. With your fingers, roll up the pieces from
the wide side to the center. Place the rugelach on the greased cookie sheets.
Bake in the oven on the middle and lower racks for approximately 30 minutes, or
until golden brown. Move the rugelach to racks to cool. Sprinkle the rugelach
with confectioners' sugar just before serving.
Nutrition Facts (for 1 rugelach): 46 calories, 2 grams fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 0 grams protein, 6 grams carbohydrate, 0 grams fiber, 12 mg sodium
Recipe by: Joan Nathan, Cookbook Author
Wednesday, November 17. 2010
Have a Happy & HEALTHY Thanksgiving!
This Thanksgiving, rather than treating the day as one dedicated to overconsumption, try to stay mindful. Mindful eating encompasses the following actions:
- Choosing food that is both pleasing to you and nourishing to your body.
- Learning to be aware of physical hunger and satiety cues to guide your decision to start and stop eating.
- Acknowledging responses to food (likes, dislikes or neutrality) without judgement.
- Eating slowly in order to savor the taste of the food, which also enables the body to more easily recognize satiety.
Plan a Healthier Thanksgiving Meal: In addition to being mindful, if we slightly alter the foods on our Thanksgiving plate, many calories can be saved. See below for an example of how reducing portions of high calorie foods and increasing portions of lower calorie foods plus choosing leaner cuts of meat can save almost 700 calories!
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Recipe of the Month: Cranberry-Apple Chutney
I made this chutney a few years ago on Thanksgiving and I still think back to how good it was! Now that I have managed to find the recipe again, it will definitely be on the menu this year. What's great about this recipe? It's quick and easy to prepare, it makes a great gift packaged up in a cute jar with ribbon (as below), and it serves many purposes for leftovers. Think beyond turkey and spread this chutney on toast wedges with cheese for delectable appetizers or dollop it onto some plain light yogurt with a few spoonfuls of granola. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! |
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Ingredients:
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- 1 medium apple, peeled & cut into 1/4" cubes
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup 100% orange juice
- 3 Tbsp cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp grated ginger or 1/8 tsp ground
- 1/4 tsp grated lime zest
- 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
Directions:
Boil all ingredients in a 2 quart saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer vigorously for 15 minutes, until thickened. Let cool and refrigerate.
Makes 2 cups (about 6 servings)
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Have a recipe you'd like to improve? Submit your favorite recipe(s) for a nutritious makeover today!
Wednesday, November 3. 2010
Geneen Roth, author of Women Food and God, explains the seven eating guidelines that will help you listen to your body and change your relationship with food in this video filmed for the Oprah show.
The Seven Eating Guidelines:
- Eat when hungry
- Eat sitting down in a calm environment (this does not include the car)
- Eat without distractions
- Eat what your BODY wants
- Eat until you are satisfied
- Eat with the intention of being in full view of other people
- Eat with enjoyment, gusto, and pleasure
For more about Geneen Roth, please visit
her website.
