Category Archives: Recipes

“Can’t Be Beet” Salad Recipe & Bounty of Beet Benefits

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can't be beet salad

Do you fancy a beet? It seems like people either love this vegetable or despise it, often without even a fair taste. If you’re in the “yuck” camp, it’s time to give this purple-red root a second (or first) chance. Beets have amazing health advantages for athletes and all of us!  A tasty way to enjoy the benefits of beets is with my “Can’t Be Beet” Salad, a savory roasted potato salad dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette. The recipe follows this laundry list of reasons to love beets.

By the way, if you cant get to fresh beets, I have been using Beet Powder in my smoothies and such to reap all the benefits below.

  • Beets have been shown to guard against cancer thanks to the pigment molecule, Betacyanin, which give beets that signature red color.
  • Beets can help your cardiovascular system. Research consuming beets reduces the amount of homocysteine, a substance which can contribute to peripheral vascular disease, stroke and heart disease
  • Beets are high in natural carbohydrates (not the processed kind), making them fabulous fuel for endurance sport enthusiasts.
  • Beets are high in important minerals including sodium, magnesium, calcium, iron and phosperous. Athletes need plenty of these nutrients to replace those lost through sweat, muscle use and other byproducts of exercise.
  • Beets are full of fiber and rich in vitamins including vitamin A, vitamin C, and niacin!
  • Beets (drum roll) may actually help improve athletic performance. According to a 2010 study by researchers at the University of Exeter, drinking beet juice helped athletes achieve higher intensity exercise by allowing their muscles to perform the same work with less oxygen. In the same vein, the International Journal of Sport, Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, reported in the February 2012 issue, that highly-trained cyclists were able to shave more than 10 seconds off their 10-kilometer race times after drinking beet juice in a study.

“Can’t Be Beet” Salad Recipe

  • 1-1/2 pounds small red potatoes, halved
  • 2 medium red onions, cut into wedges
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1-1/2 pounds fresh beets, peeled and cut into wedges
  • 2/3 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
  • 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Place potatoes and onions in two 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pans coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt; drizzle with oil and toss to coat.

Place beets in pans (do not stir). Bake, uncovered, at 425° for 35-40 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

For dressing, in a small saucepan, combine the broth, vinegar, brown sugar, thyme, pepper and remaining salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until reduced to 1/3 cup.

Transfer vegetables to a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Sprinkle with parsley. Yield: 9 servings.

Nutritional Facts3/4 cup equals 135 calories, 3 g fat (trace saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 244 mg sodium, 24 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 3 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 1/2 fat.

Created by Jennifer Fisher and originally published as Can’t-Be-Beet Roasted Potato Salad in Light & Tasty October/November 2007, p41

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Happy National Almond Day! Munch on my Almond Lover Cookie Recipe

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jennifer fisher- thefitfork- almond lover cookiesDid you know today, February 16th, is National Almond Day? Roasted, raw, spiced, salted, covered in chocolate; you probably don’t need any additional encouragement to snack on these delicious little nuggets from nature. But, just to bring more cred to the crunch, here are my top five reasons that eating almonds is good for you. Plus, I’ve also included my Almond Lover Cookie Recipe below.

  1. Almonds are a super source of vitamin E, an antioxidant that many runners and other athletes lack, primarily because there are so few good food sources of it. Plus, research has suggested the type of vitamin E, called gamma-tocopherol, found in nuts helps to fight cancer. And, apparently gamma-tocopherol isn’t found in supplements, you have to get it straight from the food source.
  2. Almonds are chock full of other nutrients (besides vitamin E) beneficial to runners and athletes including magnesium, iron, calcium, and potassium. One handful of almonds can help reduce muscle damage, strengthen your bones, and boost energy to power through a workout.
  3. Other research has shown that munching on nuts several times per week reduces circulating cholesterol levels, particularly the artery-clogging LDL type, decreasing your risk for heart disease.
  4. Almonds are packed with both protein and fiber, meaning a snack incorporating almonds will keep you feeling fuller longer. A serving of almonds is one ounce (about 24 almonds) and has 170 calories, 3 grams of dietary fiber and 6 grams of protein.
  5. There are so many delicious things you can do with almonds. Gobble them straight from the bag, sprinkle in salads, mix with dried fruit or grind up and use as a coating of fish or chicken. Almond meal (a fancy way to say “ground almonds”) also makes a great substitute for flour in baking, especially if you are following a gluten-free, low-carb or Paleo diet. Check out this yummy Almond Lover Cookies Recipe I came up with that takes advantage of almonds in every way!

Almond Lover’s Cookie Recipe

  • 6 Tablespoons butter, softened
  • ½ cup almond butter
  • ½ cup Splenda (or preferred sugar alternative)
  • ¼ cup egg white
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ cup almond flour
  • 24 chocolate covered almonds

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

In medium mixing bowl, add butter, almond butter, Splenda and mix together until well-combined. Beat in egg white until mixture is fluffy. Next, mix in baking soda, salt and almond flour, stirring until incorporated.

Let mixture sit in refrigerator for a couple hours (or freezer for 30 minutes). With hands, shape dough into 1-inch balls and place on 2-inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a chocolate-covered almond into the top of each. Let cool on sheet for 1 minute and then spatula off to wire rack.

Makes 2 dozen.

Nutrition per cookie: Calories 103, fat 9g, sodium 24mg, potassium 96mg, total carbohydrate 2.8g, dietary fiber 1.5g, sugars 1.0g, protein 2.5g

Coconut, Acai Berry & Banana Smoothie Recipe with 3Fuel – EatSmart Scale Saves Day

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Are you one of those people who pride themselves on precision, accuracy, and exactness?  If your marathon training plan says run 20 miles, would you be okay running 19.5?  If you’re sharing a cookie, would you measure it down the middle or just snap it in half, risking one side might be bigger? I say, who cares about being perfectly precise, aren’t we just getting too hung up on the details and ruining the delight of the moment. If you scrutinize my blog, you might even find some typos – but I think you still enjoy what I’m saying. Or, so I hope.

But, in some instances, approximating, being imprecise or overly loose-goosey has unfortunate consequences. It don’t like to venture into unfortunate consequence territory, that’s why I’m precise about some things. Of course, I’m not going to weave out of my lane driving, I’m going to take any and all medications as prescribed and I’ll always pay my bills on time.

As far as watching what goes in my mouth, I’ve always been more of an eye-baller. Too much measuring might get in the way of the experience, so I’ve relied on “rules” that say a 3-ounce serving of meat is the size of a deck of cards and grains, potatoes and such should be limited to the size of your fist at each serving. However, there is a margin of error here and the consequences vary depending on the food. Obviously, guess-timating a portion of lettuce is much less risky nutrition-wise that scooping willy-nilly out of a Haagen-Dazs container.

That’s why it can be handy for an “eye-baller” like myself to check-in and set some visual baselines every now and then with a food scale. I really like the EatSmart Precision Digital Kitchen Scale to help me figure out my serving sizes.  I used it this morning to measure out the protein powder for my smoothie (recipe below). If you’ve ever used protein powder, you know how frustrating it can be to lose the scoop!  The instructions to use “one scoop” are never supported by what fraction of a cup that is or how many tablespoons. I’ve always just guessed how much that scoop should be, imagine that! Thankfully, my bag of 3Fuel protein powder did give the number of grams per serving and the EatSmart Scale measures in both pounds (up to 15) and grams (up to 7000) via the push of a button.

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Tip: If you are weighing your protein powder (or anything else) in another container on the scale, remember to weigh that container separately and then subtract it from the final weight!

Tip: Remember to wipe you scale after measuring each ingredient, especially if you are plopping down meats that might cross contaminate. The EatSmart Scale has a really nice big stainless-steel loading platform that can easily be cleaned up.

Tip: Use an EatSmart Scale to portion servings of nuts, spices, protein powder and even the perfect amount of coffee beans to grind for your morning cup of Joe.  Find out other tips to “eat smart” on the EatSmart Facebook Page or by following the EatSmart Blog

Coconut, Acai Berry and Banana Smoothie Recipe (with 3Fuel)

  • 3 cups almond coconut milk (unsweetened)
  • 2 scoops protein powder of choice (I used 3Fuel Nutrition Shake)
  • 2 tablespoons dried acai powder
  • 1 tablespoon Stevia
  • 1 frozen banana
  • 2 cups ice

Easy to make, just pour all ingredients into a blender and process until smooth. Pour into tall glasses, serves 2.

Nutrition per serving: calories 199, protein 12g, fat 6g, carbs 24g, carbs from sugar 7g, fiber 3.5g, sodium 103mg, calcium 414mg (68% RDA).

Fact: Acai Berry is a macronutrient rich source of resveratrol, polyphenols and flavonoids for increased energy and health.

 Get your supplies here:

 

Save 10% on 3Fuel Nutritional Shake by using code 3FHUNT at checkout.

Plethora of Pears? Try this Cranberry-Ginger Pear Crumble Recipe

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When you have a plethora of pears that won’t last until the morning, make pear cobbler. It’s that whole lemon-lemonade philosophy! I came into a large windfall of sliced red pears that didn’t get used in a recent cooking demonstration because I couldn’t bear to see them be thrown away. I mean, not are pears a favorite winter fruit high in fiber, anti-oxidants, minerals and vitamins, they are just darn tasty. Plus, someone else had already done all the legwork, lovingly slicing them and tossing with a bit of lemon juice for freshness. So, with no shame (my son calls me a raccoon for this behavior), I skillfully rescued them from their ultimate demise in the dimpsty-dumpster.   “Wait, I’ll take those!” I say like a brash bandit! And, when I got home, I whipped up this scrumptious Cranberry-Ginger Pear Crumble from ingredients I already had squirreled away in the pantry. That reminds me, next time I will add nuts!

Cranberry-Ginger Pear Crumble Recipe

  • 6 pears, sliced (choose pears that are ripe yet still firm)
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons butter cut into bits

Topping:

  • 1/2 cup almond meal
  • 1/2 cup oatmeal
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 6 tablespoons butter, cut into bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss first six ingredients together in a bowl. Pour pear mixture into a 9” x 13” baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine all topping ingredients and mix with the back of a fork until crumble and butter is broken down into very small pieces.  Top pears with topping and pat down. Bake uncovered for 30 – 40 minutes, or until brown and bubbly.  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or alternative of your choice.

This is what it looks like before baking, if you wanted to do omit the topping!

Note: You can peel the pears if you like; however I prefer to keep the skin intact because it’s a rich source of nutrients. Remember, natural color (not artificial) usually indicates lots of vitamins and anti-oxidants.

Noodle Night! Thai Chicken Peanut Pasta Recipe

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Speedy, spicy, and super yummy; this peanuty chicken pasta dish fuses the flavors of Thai food with plain old spaghetti noodles. It’s already nutritious, but substitute with whole grain pasta to be even healthier!  I’ve been making this Thai Chicken Peanut Pasta dish forever; it’s one of my husband’s favorite quick, weeknight meals. Until recently, the creation has always been in my head; I’d just do a little of this and a little of that. But, I’ve had a recent query to feature it in a publication, so I decided to measure everything out and take a proper picture. I’ll keep you posted on that news.  But, until then, enjoy the sneak peek!

Thai Chicken Peanut Pasta Recipe

  • 1 tablespoon olive oli
  • 1 pound ground chicken breast
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 1/2 cups julienned carrots
  • 1 medium red onion chopped
  • 2 tablespoons Srirachai Sauce (the red “Rooster” sauce)
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
  • 1 teaspoon (more or less to taste) dried red pepper flakes
  • 12 ounces dried spaghetti noodles
  • 4 green onions chopped with tops
  • 1/2 cup chopped peanuts

In large skillet, cook ground chicken breast over medium-high heat for 10 – 15 minutes or until lightly browned; drain grease if any. Add garlic and carrots and red onion to skillet and continue cooking mixture several more minutes over medium heat, taking care not to over-cook.

At the same time that chicken and pepper stir fry is cooking, begin preparing noodles and sauce. Cook noodles to manufacturer’s directions; drain and set aside. In medium bowl, whisk together, Sriracha sauce, soy sauce, broth, lemon juice, peanut butter and red pepper flakes.

Over medium heat, pour sauce into skillet with chicken and pepper mixture and let simmer for 3-5 minutes until heated through. To serve, place a mound of warm noodles in an individual low pasta-style bowl and top with a portion of the chicken mixture. Top with chopped green onions and peanuts. Yield: serves 6

Notes: Sriracha sauce is a Thai condiment made of hot chilies; typically found on Asian aisle in supermarket.