This RD Eats!

Teriyaki Chicken Freezer Meal

Posted on July 2, 2013 by April Graff

]Freezer meal websites are popping up all over the place. As we try to cram more into our days and still want to be able to have a healthy meal on the table, freezer meals appear to be the “quick fix” we are looking for.

I have done quite a bit of research on freezer meals and making 30 meals in one day. (Yes, some people make a month’s worth of meals at one time). Each time I read about it, I shake my head, knowing that it isn’t as simple as it sounds. Like most things in life, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. The fine print of this meal-prep method is that it can take hours to plan out the menus and shop for groceries. Many of the sites also suggest having a helper present (by “helper” I don’t think they are referring to my ever-so-eager 2.5 year old). Plus, many of these recipes require 10-15 minutes (or more) of cooking time the day you eat them.

I don’t know about you, but convincing my husband to find a sitter for the kids for two days (one for planning an shopping and the other for cooking) and to come help me cook for the entire day, just isn’t in my cards. Another claimed benefit of the once a month cooking is that it is supposed to save money. I wonder if the cost of the freezer bags and pans have been calculated into the cost. And let’s not forget about the cost of purchasing an extra deep freeze and the electricity to run that freezer for the year.

Now, that’s not to say that all make-ahead meals are bad, but in typical American style, we have taken it to the extreme. A more realistic approach is to use the recipes you currently cook and make a double batch for use later. It is quite easy to build up a few meals in your freezer for those days you don’t have the time or desire to cook.

So, don’t get discouraged if the thought of planning out an entire month’s worth of meals stresses you out. (It scares me sensless). You can still use freezer meals. Just go slowly. Here is one freezer meal that we use and is so easy to throw together. Make up one for tonight’s meal and a second for a meal later.

One of my biggest challenges of freezer cooking is finding recipes that include enough fruits and vegetables. The days I choose to include freezer meals are days that I don’t want to or have time to prepare a fussy side dish. This meal is loaded with both fruits and vegetables and is an easy lazy-day meal.

Teriyaki Chicken Freezer Meal[/caption

Teriyaki Chicken

All you need:
4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce*
2 large carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 large can pineapple tidbits
1 onion, chopped

All you do:Combine all ingredients in a freezer bag.
To prepare: Thaw. Cook in a slow cooker on low for 4 hours. Serve with rice.

*To make gluten-free, use gluten-free teriyaki sauce.

Posted in Recipes | Tagged Freezer Meal, freezer meals, Make Ahead Meals, Once a Month Cooking, Teriyaki Chicken | 2 Comments

Grilled Watermelon. FAIL!

Posted on June 27, 2013 by April Graff

Have you ever had a recipe that you keep seeing around and were so excited to try? I had a recipe for grilled watermel that I kept seeing pop up here-and-there and always was curious how it would taste. The perfect opportunity to try it out presented itself to me last week. I had a large watermelon needing to be eaten and a meal that just needed a little something extra.

Meet “Walter” the Watermelon!

So, after scouring online for grilled watemelon recipes, I summarized that it really is simple. Brush a little honey onto the watermelon, grill it for a couple minutes, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Simple enough…

The hubby was grilling up some steak and broccoli already, so we threw the watermelon on the grilled and anxiously waited while it got the perfect grill marks.

I will admit, that once he brought the melon in, I got really excited. It looked so yummy. Just look at it. Picture perfect.

Well, imagine our disappointment when we bite into it and none of us liked it. Booo! As a matter of fact, no one even finished their small piece. I’m not sure which was worse, the fact that the watermelon was warm or smoky tasting. Some fruits are great on the grill (pineapple and peaches being two of them), but watermelon just isn’t one of them.

Consider this a lesson learned.

The rest of our meal was delicious, so we didn’t really miss the watermelon. Grilled steak and broccoli with sauteed potatoes and a glass of milk – a real “MyPlate” meal.

So the next time you are trying out a new recipe and it doens’t go as planned or it really isn’t your thing, that’s okay. It happens to the best of us. At least you tried something new!

Posted in Recipes | Tagged grilled fruit, grilled watermelon, myplate, watermelon | Leave a comment

Wasabi Tuna Steaks, Celebrate at Home!

Posted on June 20, 2013 by April Graff

Like in every culture, food plays a big part of celebrations in my family. For birthdays and other special days (like Father’s Day), the honored person gets to choose what the family eats for supper. This is nearly always a meal that we prepare at home (instead of going out to eat). I know for many families, birthdays and other special days are celebrated by going out to eat, but for the most part, our celebratory meals are homemade. I’m sure the reasoning is two-fold. Both my husband and I grew up in a small, rural town in Iowa where the norm was to eat at home. We had two restaurants in town (1 pizza place and the other a diner) and going out to eat wasn’t a regular part of our life. Also, providing a quality and delicious meal for my family is yet another way that I can nuture and show my love for that family member on their special day (as corny as it may sound).

So, when I asked my husband what he wanted to eat for Father’s Day, he was quick to request Alton Brown’s Wasabi Tuna Steak recipe that we have made for several of our Valentine’s Day meals.

This recipe is deliciously simple and the leftovers are amazing on a bed of lettuce the next day! I’m not a huge fan of wasabi normally, but the flavors are amazing in this recipe.

Tuna steaks in the marinade.

To make, mix up the marinade (honey, soy sauce and wasabi). Reserve 1/4 cup for dipping sauce. Marinate the tuna steaks in the marinade overnight.

Coat in sesame seeds.

Sesame seed-coated tuna steak

Then saute in a little oil for a minute or two on each side. You won’t be cooking the tuna all the way through. It really is best when it is medium-rare (or even rare). *Note, make sure you are getting your fish from a reputable store and are handling the fish properly.

We served the Tuna Steaks with sauteed broccoli and a creamy mushroom risotto. I left out the asparagus because we didn’t have any.

So, next time you or your family are having a special day, choose to stay in and try something new!

Posted in Recipes | Tagged Birthday, Father's Day, fish, Tuna, Wasabi Tuna | Leave a comment

Grilled Romaine Salad

Posted on June 13, 2013 by April Graff

I saw this picture of a grilled salad in the most recent Hy-Vee Seasons Magazine and curiosity finally got the best of me. I decided to wing it and give it a try. I had a bag of romaine lettuce that needed to be used up and I was short on inspiration for a vegetable to serve with supper.

This recipe is the perfect summertime grilling addition and was so easy to make. I have a feeling that it will be making an appearance several times throughout the summer. The concept is quick and easy.

Wash and thoroughly dry full heads of romaine lettuce. Cut in half length-wise. Brush with olive or canola oil.

Place the lettuce, cut-side down, on a hot grill. Flip after 2 minutes and grill for another 2-3 minutes. You still want the lettuce to be crunchy in the middle. The edges should crisp up and you should see char marks. Remove from the grill and garnish with Parmesan cheese, diced tomatoes, bacon bits and your favorite dressing.

*Note, I had some “help” from a certain 2-year-old who apparently has a heavy hand when it comes to bacon!

I’m not sure if you have noticed lately, but I have really been rocking Parmesan and lemon juice in so many of my recipes (Don’t believe me? Check out Lemon Parmesan Broccoli, Lemon Parmesan Brussels Sprouts and Tuscan Kale Salad).

So, in keeping with all the lemony-goodness, I made my own Caesar Vinaigrette dressing (from Food Network) and it was good enough to drink!

The only odd-ball ingredient in the recipe was anchovy paste. I actually had a tube of it in my refrigerator and was happy to have an excuse to use it up! You should be able to find anchovy paste in most supermarkets. It comes in a little tube and will keep for a long time. If you weren’t feeling up for making your own dressing, you can always use whatever you have on hand. But I will be making this dressing again in the VERY near future.

We served it with homemade chicken nuggets and sauteed potatoes. DELICIOUS!

Posted in Recipes | Tagged Grilled Lettuce, Grilled Romaine Salad, Grilled Salad, Grilled Vegetables, Grilling Vegetables, Summer Vegetables, vegetables | 2 Comments

Tuscan Lacinato Kale Salad

Posted on June 6, 2013 by April Graff

Last night was a proud moment for this dietitian-mamma. My 2.5 year old devoured kale. Yes, you read that correctly. My youngest had three helpings of a fresh kale salad that I made. I could hardly keep from jumping up and down. (It is the small victories that matter!) I knew that the Tuscan Lacinato Kale Salad that I made earlier that day was delicious (I should know, I helped myself to a rather large bowlful as a “tasting”), but I wasn’t sure if my children would like it. Kale, afterall is a fairly strong-tasting vegetable. Judging by the leftovers (about 1/2 cup total), I would say this recipe is a “keeper”.

Lacinato Kale (also known as Tuscan Kale or Dinosaur Kale) is a very dark green, bumpy-textured kale. I knew I had to buy it the first time I saw it in our store. I didn’t have a plan for it, but thought I would make it into a salad like I have with other greens. (Like in the Lemon Parmesan Broccoli and Roasted Lemon Parmesan Brussels Sprouts.

Here’s a close up of Lacinato Kale

The recipe is simple and uses ingredients that I always have on hand (and frequently use together). Olive oil, lemon juice, Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. So simple, but absolutely delicious. I mean, look at this amazing salad!

I served the salad with Lemon Pepper Fish and bulgur. A homerun for supper tonight. Evening meals can be a bit of a challenge (even for a dietitian), but my kiddos (and husband) loved everything.

If you can’t find Lacinato kale, you can use the typical Curly kale or a mixture of both. If you like spicy, feel free to spinkle in a little dried red pepper flakes. Like any of my recipes, it is crucial to use quality ingredients. Always use fresh lemon juice and the grated parmesan cheese. It makes all the difference.

Tuscan Lacinato Kale Salad

All you need:
1 bunch Lacinato Kale
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 lemon, juiced
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
Red pepper flakes, optional

All you do:
1. Wash and thorougly dry kale. Remove the stems from the leaves and cut into bite-sized pieces.
2. Place the kale in a large bowl. Drizzle the olive oil over the kale and add the garlic. Massage the oil into the kale. Don’t be shy, get in there and give your kale a good rub-down.
3. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper. Massage into the kale again.
4. Stir in 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese and add red pepper flakes (if desired).
5. Garnish with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
*It is best to let this salad sit for at least 1 hour (even overnight is fine).

Posted in Recipes | Tagged Dinosaur Kale, kale, Kale Salad, Lacinato Kale, Lacinato Kale Salad, Lemon, Lemon Kale Salad, Parmesan, Tuscan Kale | 2 Comments

Try Vegan: To Tofu or not to Tofu

Posted on May 17, 2013 by April Graff

I’m going to just lay it out there. Drastically changing our diet has proven to be stressful. Much more stressful than I anticipated. I knew going into this that meal planning and cooking would take a bit more work, but I didn’t expect it to be a source of stress all week long. As a supermarket dietitian, I am surrounded by food and have many opportunities to try new products. I get samples sent to me almost daily (and what do you know, I walk into my office on Thursday and find a sample of organic raw honey). So, I begrudgingly put the honey to the side for next week and have plans to add it to my Greek yogurt come Saturday.

I think most of the stress (outside of the actual meal preparations) is because I now have to read every single label and can’t just simply eat. I enjoy eating and am not one of those people that simply eats for fuel. My food needs to taste great, have a nice texture while also being nutritious. I have found this week that eating is work. It really hasn’t been fun. I also really enjoy cooking and this week’s meal prep has been stressful and I find myself looking at is as yet another task added to my day, rather than the opportunity to unwind and spend time with my family. I think in time, this would change as I find recipes that we like and that don’t take so much work, but for this week, cooking has been w-o-r-k, work!

Enough of my sob story….

Tuesday's supper was heaven-sent. We had Supreme Veggie Burgers with sweet potatoes and strawberries. Finding a vegan bun was challenging, but we used Brownberry Pocket Thins and it was delicious. Just the right amount of bread. This meal was great for so many reasons. It tasted wonderful, was easy to make (I had prepared and frozen the uncooked patties a couple weeks before) and provided a sense of familiarity that I know I was craving. This meal allowed us to go on “auto-pilot” and not have to worry about yet another new recipe with unfamiliar ingredients. I never thought I would say that since we seem to make at least 1 new recipe each week (but not the 3-4 new recipes per DAY we have been trying).

Wednesday was another day of new items. I found a vegan coffee creamer and was very excited to give it a try. It was much better than the almond milk we were using, and a very good substitute for my usual creamer.

Lunch was a leftover burger with an avocado (sliced avocado, sea salt and fresh lime juice). I will admit that I nearly licked my plate clean!

Then it was time for supper. Having learned from my previous mistakes on Monday with choosing too many recipes and too little time, I started my meal prep in the early afternoon (I had the day off work). We made Marinated Asian Tofu and served it with a Pad Thai Salad and apples.

I made sure to follow the directions to a “T” and even remembered to press my tofu. (Old college text books really do come in handy.)

I marinated the pressed tofu and baked it as directed. The Pad Thai salad was a bit easier than the Sushi-Roll Edamame Salad from Monday and was DELICIOUS. The tofu was my least favorite part of the meal, but after I cut it up and put it in my salad, it was alright. The salad we will be adding to our normal meal rotation. I think I can say with confidence that tofu will NOT be making a reappearance on our future menus. The texture really gets me and the after taste is a bit odd.

We also tried vegan ice cream. The long list of ingredients was a bit scary, but we gave it a try anyway. The verdict from everyone: “I’d rather have frozen bananas“.

So, as you can tell from the tone of my posts, this Iowa girl has no intentions of going vegan for good, but I think the experience has been eye opening for many reasons. My next post will touch on vegan toiletries and other products and was a big surprise.

Posted in Meal Planning, Recipes | Tagged go vegan, Tofu, Try Vegan, Vegan, Vegan 101, Vegan Challenge | 1 Comment

Try Vegan: PBJ Saves the Day!

Posted on May 14, 2013 by April Graff

So, we made it through Day 1 of the Try Vegan challenge.
See my previous Try Vegan posts:
Try Vegan: Day 1, Meal Planning
Try Vegan: 5 days in the life of…

Breakfast and lunch yesterday both went great. For breakfast I had my usual bagel (Hy-Vee Cinnamon Raisin) with peanut butter and a mug of coffee. I couldn’t have creamer (my usual creamer is dairy, but even the non-dairy creamers have milk derivatives!) Not having creamer was a bit of an inconvenience, but today I switched to tea and all is well. 🙂

Lunch went surprisingly well considering I hadn’t gone shopping yet and had to use bits of random vegetables I had in the fridge. I cooked up a small batch of dried lentils and ate a delicious salad that was the envy of the breakroom.

Snacktime consisted of a handful of almonds and a few Girardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips (the only kind of chocolate I could find that didn’t have dairy).

Supper was the big doozy. I admit, that I clearly overplanned our meal. A fear that I had with vegan menu planning was that I would be hungry. (Don’t ask me why, maybe it was the thought of being so limited with foods). So, for our first vegan meal I planned Lettuce Wraps with Hoisin-Mustard Tofu, Unfried Rice and Sushi-Roll Edamame Salad with a homemade dressing (all from Appetite for Reduction). Phew! That was a lot of food and WAAAAAAAAY too many recipes to try to roll out on a worknight. In all, there were 4 separate recipes which just ended up stressing me out.

Lettuce Wraps with Hoisin-Mustard Tofu

I had high expectations from the Lettuce Wraps with Hoisin-Mustard Tofu because I make a similar chicken-containing dish (Chicken Lettuce Wraps) that we really love. I will admit, I have only ever used tofu 2 other times. Once in a stir-fry that was quite lackluster and another time in a dip that had me grabbing the nearest glass of water. But in the spirit of really giving this “vegan-thing” a try, the tofu came out.
So, here’s the overall verdict:
Husband: “I give it a B-”
Son: “Can I have a cheese stick?” 🙂
Daughter: “Mom, you make good fish” haha
Me: “Where’s the soy sauce?”

Unfried Rice

The Unfried Rice was good. A little bland, again, but nothing a couple dashes of low sodium soy sauce couldn’t solve. Everyone ate all of their rice and I even went back for seconds. YUM!

Sushi-Roll Edamame Salad

The Sushi-Roll Edamame Salad was a deconstructed sushi roll. It had edamame, rice, lettuce, nori, vegetables and a homemade green onion dressing. I thought that this sounded great, but found that the 3 cups of green onions that were used in the recipe overpowered everything. Plus, we had a big salad for lunch so the thought of chewing more raw vegetables had my stomach in knots.
Husband: “I give this a C-“.
Son: “Is this really seaweed? How did they get it away from the sharks?”
Daughter” “Mom, you take it, I don’t want it”.
Me: “My jaw hurts from chewing so much and my eyes are burning from the onion”.

So, here’s an overall rating of how supper went.
My son and daughter each filled up on string cheese and sweet mini peppers.
My husband and I each ate most of our food then topped it all off with a good ol’ PBJ sandwich!

Each of the recipes used many of the same ingredients: green onions, garlic, and fresh ginger. So I think we were a little “flavored-out”. Last night’s meal reminded me of another meal my husband and I cooked when we were in high school.

We both grew up in the same small town and filled out time creatively. We both like to cook and decided that one afternoon we would prepare a meal for my husband’s parents. It was summertime and we thought that potato salad sounded great and so did tuna salad sandwiches. But my husband (boyfriend at the time) had a craving for deviled eggs too. We had all afternoon so they all made the list. We were very excited about how everything turned out. That is until we all sat down and ate our feast of mayonnaise. Individually each recipe was delicious, together, it all turned in to rich and creamy blob.

So maybe last night’s supper was just too much of a good thing.

Posted in Meal Planning | Tagged go vegan, Try Vegan, Vegan, Vegan Challenge, vegan cooking, vegan disasters | 3 Comments

Try Vegan: Day 1, Meal Planning

Posted on May 13, 2013 by April Graff

And so it begins! Today is Day 1 of my Try Vegan challenge to go vegan for 5 days.

I will be blogging throughout the week as well as chronicling my week via twitter. Some come and follow me as I sort through this vegan thing.

I spent the afternoon of my Mother’s day scouring through recipes and cookbooks trying to find the best recipes. I wanted variety and also to try products that I am unfamiliar with and don’t use often (or at all). A couple new products we will be having include tofu and tempeh and I will also be using miso. All of which I am excited to use and have my family try.

Since introducing this challenge, I have been very surprised at the outpouring of questions, comments and support. It seems everyone is a little curious if this Iowa-raised girl can really give up her meat, yogurt and cheese. (I’m actually wondering the same thing). My husband has even come around and decided to “Try Vegan” with me. He has been great at reading labels and helping to keep me on track (like reminding me not to take my fish oil today.)

My recipes for the week come from three places (well, four if you count my own Supreme Veggie Burger recipe). I used Veganomicon and Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz as well as one recipe from http://www.AllRecipes.com.

I will be going grocery shopping tonight after work to get the majority of my food needs. I have been asked if I expect my grocery bill to go up for the week, and I don’t really think it will. I guess there’s only one way to find out….

So, what is on the menu this week?

Monday:

Lettuce wraps with Hoisin-Mustard Tofu (Appetite for Reduction)
Unfried Rice (Appetite for Reduction)
Sushi Roll Edamame Salad (Appetite for Reduction)

Tuesday:

Supreme Veggie Burgers
Sweet Potato Fries
Side Salad

*Note, I pre-made these burgers using flax meal as the egg replacement and have them in my freezer. I work late on Tuesday night and needed a meal that my husband could prepare while taking care of my wonderful, energetic children.

Wednesday:

Marinated Asian Tofu (Veganomicon)
Pad Thai Salad (Appetite for Reduction)

Thursday:

Cajun Bean Balls and Spaghetti (Appetite for Reduction)
Salad

Friday:

Tempeh Fajitas (All Recipes)
Guacamole

Saturday and Sunday we will be heading down to Iowa to celebrate a nephew’s high school graduation, so there’s no telling what we will be eating. But then again, it doesn’t really matter since my challenge ends on Friday.

Wish me luck!

What are your favorite vegan recipes?

Posted in Meal Planning | Tagged Best Vegan Recipes, Going Vegan, Try Vegan, Vegan, Vegan 101, Vegan for a Week, Vegan Recipes | 2 Comments

Try Vegan: 5 days in the life of…

Posted on May 9, 2013 by April Graff

As a supermarket dietitian I get questions about all types of foods and diets. Gluten-free, paleo, vegan, low carb, low fat, vegetarian, DASH, high fiber, Mediterranean and the list goes on. People want to know what to eat (or what not to eat), where to find it, and lastly, what it tastes like.

I pride myself on having tried most of the specialty foods we offer. When a customer asks about a product, I want to be able to describe its taste and texture, not just its nutritional benefits. With that being said, I recently came across Food & Nutrition Magazine’s TRY VEGAN Challenge.

The challenge is to try eating a vegan diet for 5 days. Hmmm… I will admit, being a vegan is something that this Iowa-raised, meat-, fish-, dairy-, and egg-loving dietitian hasn’t even considered. But those of you who know me, know that I am always up for a challenge. Plus, it is a great way to research new recipes and to “put myself in someone else’s shoes”.

So, I will be trying vegan starting Monday, May 13th- Friday, May 17th!

From this challenge, I am hoping to find new recipes and products, to increase my intake of fruits and vegetables, and to understand some of the challenges that people beginning a vegan diet may come across. So, I consider this challenge a research project.

I will be consuming as many whole foods as possible and minimizing processed “faux” foods. Understanding that most people choosing a vegan lifestyle do so for more than the health benefits. It is an ethical issue. However, in my day-to-day diet, I do not use many artificial and processed foods so I won’t be incorporating “faux” foods such as vegan cheese and “meat” products. My diet will consist mostly of nuts, seeds, beans, grains, fruits and vegetables (at least that is my goal).

I will be checking over my personal care items, chapstick (good-bye Burt’s Bees), shampoo, make-up and other toiletries. I just checked my belt and it is NOT made from real leather (phew, I would hate to have saggy pants for a week).

(not leather)

I would love to hear your thoughts, insights and tips.

With any contest, there is always the fine print!

My work shoes are leather as are the seats of both of our cars. I will not be getting new shoes (although it might be a good excuse to go shopping), nor will we be getting two new cars (bummer).

I will be making vegan entrees for my entire family, but they may choose to continue to eat their typical diet when away from home.

Also, by taking this challenge, I am not endorsing a vegan lifestyle, nor am I condemning it. I am just trying to get a better idea of the challenges a person faces when they choose to become a vegan. I am hoping that this experience makes me a better, more enlightened supermarket dietitian.

Posted in Meal Planning | Tagged Try Vegan, Vegan, Vegan 101, Vegan Challenge, Vegan for a Week | 1 Comment

How do you MyPlate?

Posted on May 6, 2013 by April Graff

Eating the MyPlate way is a goal I strive for with each meal. Like many people out there, getting enough fruits and vegetables on my plate can be a bit of a challenge. I am really good about dairy (we have a glass with every meal, eat cheese and yogurt), grains (nearly all the grains in my house are whole grain) and protein (meat, fish, eggs, beans, nuts – we eat them all), but I don’t always have enough in the fruit and vegetable category.

I also worry about the meals my children eat when they are away from home. So, my goal for the meals that I do eat with them, is to make up for any possible shortcomings. Each Wednesday I am blessed to be able to spend at home with my children. So this past Wednesday, when faced with what to make for lunch, I took on the MyPlate challenge with gusto!

Since our fridge was looking sparce in the leftovers department, I decided to make a quick meal. There are two proteins that are my go-to quick proteins: eggs and fish. We had eggs for breakfast, so fish it was! I baked up dill chip tilapia fillets and served them with fresh mangos and strawberries (I was in the middle of cutting them up to dry for snacks), one of my kids’ favorite vegetables, “power pellets” aka peas and a glass of milk.

What a beautiful plate my 4-year-old had. The colors alone had him running to the table. So I challenge you on your next meal to try to eat the MyPlate way.

Posted in Eat Right | Tagged fish, healthy kids, kids, kids meals, myplate | Leave a comment

This RD Eats!