Creamy Wild Mushroom Risotto

Wild mushrooms, with their earthy flavors, are a reason to celebrate this wonderful dish. Like any risotto, this takes a bit of time stirring at the stove, but it's otherwise simple and there's no reason to be daunted.

Ingredients

5 Cups reduced sodium Chicken stock or Vegetable stock
2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
3 medium shallots, thinly sliced
1 cup button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 cup shitake mushrooms, cleaned, de-stemmed and sliced
1 cup dried forest blend wild mushrooms(found in most grocery stores and specialty food shops)
1 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 cup aborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Place wild mushrooms in small pot, and add 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 min. Let stand for 15-20 min. Drain, reserving liquid, and thinly slice mushrooms when cool.

Meanwhile,heat 1 TBS oil in a large pot, sauté 1/2 the shallots, until translucent, add the aborio rice and stir with a wooden spoon, sauté for 1 min stirring constantly. Add white wine, and reduce by half. Add all of the mushroom stock, and constantly stir until liquid is absorbed. Then add chicken stock 1/2 cup at a time continuously stirring, and repeat until rice is just under cooked. Remove from pot and place in a sheet pan to cool.

In a large sauté pan over medium high heat, add remaining oil. Add remaining shallots and sauté until lightly golden. Add all mushrooms, and sauté until they give off their liquid, about 5 min. Add thyme, salt and pepper and cook for 30 seconds. At this point, add the risotto to the pan, and stir completely. Add chicken stock, 1/2 cup at a time, and cook risotto to desired consistency. Remove from stove, and add the Parmigiano, and stir completely, til cheese is melted. Divide into four serving bowls. Sprinkle w/ chopped thyme and Parmigiano. Enjoy!

PER SERVING
372 cal, 11 g fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 54 g carb, 14 g protein, 6 g fiber, 632 mg sodium

Firecracker Shrimp with Five-Spiced Acorn Squash Drizzled with Ginger, Peanut and Cilantro Sauce

Acorn Squash is the perfect bowl to serve these spiced shrimp. Chili paste gives this soy-lime marinade a wonderful blast of flavors. Adjust the amount of chili paste to suit your taste!

Ingredients

2 small acorn squash 2 TBS lime juice
1 tsp five-spice powder 1 TBS mirin
20 large shrimp(16-20 count) peeled and deviened 2 TBS low-sodium soy sauce
tail left on 2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp olive oil 48 snap peas
1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed 2 TBS chopped chives
1 tsp Chili paste w/ garlic Ginger, Peanut, Cilantro Sauce (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut acorn squash in 1/2 and scoop out seeds. Season squash with sprinkling of five-spice around the edges, and place them in a shallow baking dish, flesh side up. Pour about 1/2 in. of water into baking dish, cover dish with foil, and bake for about 45 min., or until fork-tender. Keep Warm.

Combine fennel seeds, chili paste, lime juice, mirin, soy sauce and garlic in a bowl. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Cover and Marinate for 30-35 min.in refridgerator.

Get a steamer going for snap peas.

Meanwhile, place olive oil in large non-stick saute pan and set over medium-high heat. Remove shrimp from marinade and reserve, and place in pan in a single layer carefully, not to get burned by spattering of oil. Saute for 2-3 min. per side. Add reserved marinade, and simmer for additional 2 min., or until shrimp are cooked through. Be careful not to over-cook.

While shrimp are cooking, place snap peas in steamer, and steam for 2-3 min, until tender and bright green.

To Serve:
Place 1 acorn squash half in center of plate. Place 5 shrimp inside each squash, letting their tails hang over the sides of the squash. Place snap peas in the middle of the shrimp in an upright position. Sprinkle w/ Chopped chives, and drizzle w/ Ginger, Peanut and Cilantro Sauce.

Ginger, Peanut and Cilantro Sauce

Ingredients

1 1/2 TBS fresh ginger finely minced
1 TBS rice vinegar
1/4 cup orange juice
1 TBS lime juice
1 tsp chili garlic paste
2 TBS all natural peanut butter
1 TBS honey
2 TBS water
1 1/2 TBS chopped cilantro

Place all ingredients except cilnatro in blender, and blend until smooth. Place cilantro in belnder and pulse 4-6 times to combine.

Let me know your thoughts on this one.

Jam Dot Cookies

Not only are these cookies delicious, but they are also good for you, and with only 77 calories each, they make for a great desert or snack anytime. They are fast and fun to make, and can be filled with your favorite jam or fruit spread

1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 Cup Slivered Almonds, ground into a course meal
1 Cup Oats, ground into a course meal
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 Cup Grapeseed Oil
1/2 Cup Maple Syrup
1/4 Cup Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
1 tsp Vanilla
Your Favorite Jam or Fruit Spread(I really enjoy Cascadian Farms)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray baking sheet w/ vegetable spray(PAM) and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, ground almonds, ground oats and cinnamon until thoroughly mixed.

In a separate bowl, combine the grapeseed oil, maple syrup, orange juice and vanilla. Combine wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and mix well. Let sit for ten minutes. Scoop 1 TBS of batter for each cookie, onto the prepared baking sheet. Using your pointer finger, make a well in the middle of the cookie. Fille the middle of the cookie with 1/2 tsp of fruit spread or jam and repeat the process for the remainder of the batter. Bake for 8-10 min, rotate your tray and bake an additional 8-10 min or until cookies are golden, and the filling is bubbly.

Each cookie = 77cal; 4g Fat; 2 g Protein; 9 g Carbohydrate; 1 g Dietary Fiber; 0 mg Cholesterol; 1 mg Sodium

Stock your Kitchen to be Healthy Meal Ready

I try to keep my kitchen stocked with most of the items below, so when that "emergency dinner" comes up, I have good variety to choose from.

-Fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables.

-Recipe and soup starters such as garlic, onions, carrots, and celery.

-Healthy staples like brown rice, white Basmati rice, whole-wheat pasta, quinoa, and wild rice.

-Whole wheat bread and tortillas for healthy sandwiches and wraps.

-Beans such as lentils, black beans, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, kidney beans, fava beans, and lima beans.

-Frozen corn, peas, and other vegetables to add to recipes or for a quick vegetable side dish.

-Frozen fruit and berries to make smoothies or frozen desserts.

-Dark greens for salads, plus salad add-ins like dried fruit, nuts, beans, and seeds.

-Fresh and dried herbs and spices.

-Healthy fats and oils for cooking, such as olive oil and canola oil. You can also try specialty oils like peanut, sesame, or truffle oil for adding flavor.

-Unsalted nuts for snacking, like almonds, walnuts, cashews, peanuts, and pistachios.

-Vinegars, such as balsamic, red wine, and rice vinegar for salads and veggies.

-Strong cheeses, like aged Parmesan or blue cheese for intense flavor in salads, pasta, and soups.

-Low sodium chicken and vegetable stocks

As you can see, most of these items above will keep awhile, and you have a wide variety to choose from to make that healthy meal on the "fly".

In future posts, I will be sharing recipes with the above ingredients.

How many of these items do you keep on hand.

Please share

Pre-Diabetic Warning Signs

Roasted Bell Pepper and White Corn Tamales with Avocado-Tomatillo Salsa

Living in Colorado for the past 18 years, I have grown fond of south-western and Mexican Cuisine. This is my version of tamales. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Ingredients
18 dried corn husks, plus extra husks to make ties
3 cups freshwhite corn kernels or frozen kernels, thawed
2 cups masa harina (found in the ethnic food section of your gorcery store)
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 red bell pepper (roasted then chopped)
1 green bell pepper (roasted then chopped)
2 tablespoons diced yellow onion
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

For the salsa
1/4 cup chopped avocado
5 ounces tomatillos, husked under warm running water
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, or to taste
1 tsp Cumin, ground
1/2 cup coarsely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or fresh coriander
1/2 jalapeno chile
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions
Place the corn husks in a bowl of water to soften for 30 minutes. Drain and rinse well. Pat dry and set aside wrapped in paper towels.

Grill or char Bell peppers on gas stove until skin is completely charred all over. Place in bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 30 min. Under cold running water, de-seed and remove as much of the peppers skin as possible. Coarsely chop.

In a food processor, process 2 1/2 cups of the corn kernels until coarsely pureed.

In a large bowl, combine the pureed corn, masa harina, lukewarm water, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and oil. Mix until well blended, using your hands if necessary.

Place a dry nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and remaining 1/2 cup corn kernels, and saute until tender-crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the chopped roasted peppers and red pepper flakes and remove from the heat.

To assemble a tamale, place 3 tablespoons of masa mixture in the center of a soaked corn husk. Flatten with your hand and form a small well in the center. Add 1 tablespoon of the sauteed vegetables to the well. Fold the long side of the corn husk over the filling to cover, then fold over the ends, overlapping them. Tie with a thin strip torn from an extra soaked husk. Repeat to make 18 tamales in all.

In a large pot fitted with a steamer basket, bring 2 inches of water to a boil. Layer the wrapped tamales in the steamer basket. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and steam until the filling becomes firm and the tamales are heated through, 45 to 60 minutes. Add more water as needed.

While the tamales are steaming, make the salsa. Toss tomatillos, jalepeno and red onions in 1 TBS olive oil. Roast in 425 oven for 15- min, stirring once half way through. Puree tomatillos, jalepeno and red onions in a blender,careful not to allow the top to blow off because of the steam. Allow to cool. In a small bowl, combine tomatillo mixture with the avocado, lime juice, ground cumin, cilantro, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Toss gently.

To serve, place 3 tamales on each plate. Accompany each serving with a generous spoonful of salsa on the side.

Serving size: 3 tamales
Calories 297 Cholesterol 0 mg
Protein 7 g Sodium 375 mg
Carbohydrate 49 g Fiber 7 g
Total fat 11 g

Tips to help you fall asleep, and stay asleep!

Despite what some people say most of us need 7.5 to 8 hours sleep a night.

A really basic health & wellness tip: Get adequate sleep (sleep until you're done sleeping.) This may involve changing your routine, but less stress and better health may be worth it. Getting a decent mattress may help a lot. You spend around 8 hours a day on that thing, and only a couple in your car. Isn't your bed worth a few extra dollars?

If you don’t sleep enough you will build up a sleep debt. A night every now and then is fine. You just sleep a little longer one of the following days and you’ve “paid back” your debt.

But if you sleep less than you need on a regular basis you will get sleep deprived.

A study during the 80's showed that poor sleepers (who slept 5-7 hours a night):

-had fewer promotions during their careers.
-were more likely to be hospitalized.
-stayed on lower pay grades.
-had a higher attrition rate.

But for many it is hard to fall asleep at night. What use is it to go to bed on time it you are not able to sleep?

Not being able to fall asleep can be very frustrating and it can potentially turn into a serious problem. So before that happens have a look a your evening routines and read this list.

15 Tips To Help You Fall Asleep:

1. Get up at the same time every morning. It is important to keep a regular sleep schedule.

2. Reserve the bedroom for intimacy and sleep. Don’t watch TV, eat, talk on the phone etc.

3. Don’t lie awake in bed for too long. There is no use lying in bed tossing and turning. Instead get up. Do a quite activity like reading and drink some relaxing herbal tea or eat a handful of walnuts,(You'll be giving yourself a boost of fiber and essential fatty acids along with the amino acid tryptophan -- a natural sleep-inducer.)that will help you fall asleep.

4. Make sure your bedroom is quiet. Noise makes it very hard to fall asleep. Limit it as much as you can. If needed, use earplugs.

5. Keep your bedroom dark. Use good curtains to block out light. Darker bedroom = better sleep.

6. Love your bed. Your bed should be comfortable and cozy.

7. Keep your bedroom cool and well ventilated. Most people sllep more comfortably in a room set at a cooler than normal temperature.

8. Limit caffeine. It think everyone knows that caffeine makes you more alert.

9. Exercise on a regular basis.

10. Stop smoking. Nicotine is a nervous system stimulant. It speeds up your heart, brain and blood pressure.

11. Avoid naps. If you have trouble falling asleep at night avoid napping in the afternoon.

12. Keep your bedroom clean. A nice uncluttered bedroom will make it a much easier to relax.

13. Limit alcohol. A night cap is not at all a good idea. You might feel more relaxed with some alcohol but it disturbs your sleep.

14. Eat healthy foods on a regular basis.

15. Sprinkle just-washed sheets and pillowcases with lavender water, or use a lavender scented lotion on your hands. The scent has been shown in studies to promote relaxation, which can lead to better sleep.

Let me know which of the above tips works best for you.

I look forward to your comments!