March 22, 2011

Eat Right with Color...Green


I'm Blogging National Nutrition Month

For most of you, that probably doesn't sound too exciting but for those of us who are registered dietitians, it is a big deal.  This year's theme, as sponsored by the American Dietetic Association, is "eat right.with color" (the ADA website is eatright.org. so its a cute play on their logo).  The message is to encourage adding a splash of colors to your plate thus ensuring you are consuming the various nutrients and antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables.  Each color has a different bundle of potential benefits based on the antioxidants which are found in the pigments.  While I could go into the details, lets just say that the deeper the color, the better it is for you.  

One of the easiest colors to add to your diet is green.  Green vegetables are high in Vitamin A,C,E,K, folate and niacin.  In other words, eat your veggies!!  I thought I'd share a few of my standard green vegetable dishes to give you inspiration and motivate you to think green.  

Believe it or not, I love brussel spouts.  I know, its weird.  I'm not sure when it started, as I doubt I asked for them as a kid, but I cook with them all the time.  One of my favorite ways to make them is as a warm brussel sprout salad.  I owe the inspiration to Pizza Antica, but have simplified the recipe and made it as easy as possible.  First, I cut the top (or bottom) of the brussel sprout off to release the leaves.  

I pulled off the leaves to add volume and so that they cook faster.

A bit of diced onion and some of olive oil is all you need to add flavor and get them cooking.

And now for the secret ingredient.  Croutons!  I'm not sure if you've ever had warm croutons, but they are a completely different experience from the hard ones found in most salads.  When they heat up, they soften and provide a great texture contrast.  Right before the dish is finished cooking, I add a little balsamic vinegar and the croutons are a great help at soaking up the flavors.  


Topped with Parmesan cheese, it is the perfect starter or side dish to any meal.  

Baby bok choy, also known as Chinese Cabbage, is a popular leafy vegetable in Chinese cuisine.  It seems to me to be a cross between celery and spinach, although it isn't related to either.  It is actually the same species as the turnip, but I admit that I don't see a connection.  However it is classified, in my books, its delicious.  The flavor is very light but slightly sweet, and the texture is wonderfully crisp yet wet.  

I find them visually beautiful, and in these photos they remind me of some exotic sea creature, adrift in the ocean.  Poetic descriptions aside, they are easy and quick to cook.  

I threw them in a very hot pan with vegetable oil, soy sauce and a touch of sesame oil.  Since it has such a strong and distinct flavor, its easy to overdo it on the sesame oil so I suggest you start small and build up as needed.  



I served them with a side of tofu and noodles. But since this post is all about green, you'll have to learn about that recipe another time :)

The last green recipe I want to showcase is a pasta dish with broccoli and spinach.  I always try to keep spinach in the fridge because it is so easy to add to dishes, and get in those extra vitamins.  It wilts down quite a bit so you can concentrate your nutrients without a lot of bulk.  I also love broccoli.  I can eat it steamed with nothing on it, not because I'm trying to be good, but because I really enjoy the natural flavor.  For this recipe, I simply cooked the spinach and broccoli in olive oil and garlic.  

I added some store-bought pasta purses.  This one was stuffed with brie and roasted garlic.

After adding my usual shaved parmesan and freshly cracked pepper, this dish is ready to enjoy.  

So next time you are at the grocery store, or farmer's market, or even at your favorite restaurant, think about eating right with color.  As Georgia O'Keefe said, "I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way- things I had no words for".  I think its kind of the same thing when cooking with vegetables.  Don't you?


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March 03, 2011

Pizza delivery from Naples to Boulder

Who doesn't love pizza?  Anyone?  Hello??  Didn't think so... 


If you ask a foodie, the best pizza to love is the classic Italian style.  Naples, or Napoli, is known for their pizza and chefs around the world are attempting to re-create it and pay it homage.  It is serious business.  So serious in fact, that there is an Italian organization, called the VPN (Vera Pizza Napoletana), whose sole purpose is to protect the authenticity of their beloved pizza.  Their objectives are to cultivate the culinary discipline of Neapolitan pizza, to defend the origin of the authentic pizza, to teach the art of pizza making and to designate a certification to those pizzerias which respect the tradition.  

I told you.  Serious business.  

So we set out to dine at the newly opened Pizzeria Locale in Boulder, Colorado and see if the certification really did produce a better pizza. 

According the to VPN standards, in order to be certified you need: 
1. A Wood-Burning Oven: Pizza Napoletana must be cooked in a wood-fired dome oven operating at roughly 800ºF.

2. Proper Ingredients: Tipo 00 flourSan Marzano tomatoes, all natural Fior di Latte or Bufala mozzarella, fresh basil, salt and yeast -- only fresh, all-natural, non-processed ingredients. (That is my kind of rule!)  

3. Proper Technique: The pizza dough must be kneaded either by hand, or with a low speed mixer. No mechanical dough shaping is allowed, such as a dough press or rolling pin.  Pizza baking time should not exceed 90 seconds.

4. The Final Product: Pizza Napoletana should not be larger than 11 inches, with a raised edge crust and thin center. The pizza should be soft and elastic, and easily foldable, not hard or brittle.  

Pizzeria Locale takes this standard so seriously, that the waiter explained it to us as soon as we sat down. "Your pizza will be 11 inches wide, uncut, and soft and chewy".    

To get the full experience, I suggest sitting at the pizza bar where you can watch the chefs at work, and witness your pizza come to life.  

Of course, a couple of glasses of Italian red wine make it that much more enjoyable.  

I ordered the Margherita.  Simply topped with tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella.  
It.  Was.  Delicious. 

 Every good meal deserves a good ending.  
This butterscotch pudding was a perfect touch of dolci (sweet).  

Three hundred years of pizza making history has definitely paid off.  Thank you to the VPN for your diligent work and passion in keeping the traditional Napoletana Pizza alive.  

Would you like to tackle chocolate next?....



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