Your Deliciously Healthier February

by Elise Griffith

Instead of dinner out at a crowded restaurant this Valentine's Day, how about a preparing a special dinner in? Let's imagine your delectable meal is also chock full of vegetables, power-packed nutrition, and at the same time costs less than half the price of a high-calorie, high-fat dinner out. The following recipes use fresh produce that's locally "in season", including cool weather kale. Here's what Dr. Kathleen Zelman at webmd.com has to say about kale:

"One cup of kale contains 36 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and 15% of the daily requirement of calcium and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), 40% of magnesium, 180% of vitamin A, 200% of vitamin C, and 1,020% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.

Kale's health benefits are primarily linked to the high concentration and excellent source of antioxidant vitamins A, C, and K -- and sulphur-containing phytonutrients.

Carotenoids and flavonoids are the specific types of antioxidants associated with many of the anti-cancer health benefits. Kale is also rich in the eye-health promoting lutein and zeaxanthin compounds.

Beyond antioxidants, the fiber content of cruciferous kale binds bile acids and helps lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease, especially when kale is cooked instead of raw."

Savory Sausage, Lentil & Kale Stew

 

• 12 ounces fresh, mild sausage from chicken, pork or turkey meat, skin removed and chopped*
• 1 large, sweet yellow onion, peeled and chopped coarsely
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 4 cups homemade beef, chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 small bay leaves
• ½ pound dry lentils
• 12 baby red potatoes, quartered
• 1 bunch fresh kale, rinsed and drained
• Sea salt to taste

*Partially freeze the sausage to make it easier to remove skins and chop into small pieces.

Preheat a large, nonstick pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add chopped sausage, onion and celery; sauté for 10 minutes, stirring regularly.
Add broth and bay leaves, stir and bring to a low boil; stir in dry lentils, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes (or until lentils are soft).

Stir in potatoes, cover and simmer on low for an additional 15-20 minutes (or until potatoes are soft).

While potatoes are simmering in the stew, trim the main vein from each leaf of washed kale and break the leaves into pieces. Stir into the stew once potatoes are tender, cover and simmer no more than 5 minutes (just until kale is tender). Remove bay leaves, season with sea salt to taste.

Spoon the stew into bowls and top with chopped, hard boiled eggs if desired. Be sure to rinse, dry and save those eggs shells for your garden soil. Serve the stew with fresh rolls or sliced, fresh bread; recipe makes enough for up to 6 adult servings. My guys think it tastes a lot like Italian Wedding Soup. Your family or guests can enjoy a bowl while watching a romantic comedy.

Some folks aren't big kale fans, and others just aren't into greens in general terms. In his book, "The World's Healthiest Foods" (available through Amazon), George Mateljan explains not only the nutritional facts of countless vegetables—including greens—but also explains the best way to cook or prepare each, along with common mistakes in cooking methods that cause bad flavor. Usually, it's overcooking.

Bok Choy and Napa Cabbage were recently on sale at Spencer's for 10 cents per pound; that's too good of a deal to pass on for fresh vegetables loaded with vitamins A, C and K, calcium, folate and potassium, plus lutein, antioxidants and 3.5 grams of fiber per 33 calorie serving. Fortunately, both Bok Choy and Napa Cabbage are very tasty additions to winter stir fry recipes. When you consider 1 cup of Napa Cabbage has 27% of the daily adult requirement for zinc, it's at least worth trying in the cold and flu season! Bok Choy is comparable… and greens of any variety can be used in the following recipe while remaining good for you.

Super-Quick Shrimp & Veggie Stir Fry

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 medium, fresh white or yellow onion, halved and sliced thin
• 1 large, thinly sliced, fresh carrot
• 1 large thinly sliced, fresh celery stalk
• 3-4 cups thinly sliced (or shredded) fresh Bok Choy or Napa Cabbage… or other thinly sliced fresh greens
• 2 cups frozen, cooked salad shrimp, thawed and drained

Preheat oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add onion, carrot and celery. Stir and cook vegetables for 2-3 minutes or until the onion is transparent. Add Bok Choy or Napa Cabbage and shrimp; stir and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Serve over steamed rice. Add salt and pepper to taste, if desired. The recipe serves 4 adults, and has a mild, slightly sweet taste.

Speaking of Sweets—Valentine's Day is quickly approaching—you can make your own healthier candies in 20 minutes or less! My husband, Steven, is our resident candy maker. It all began when he decided to make a batch of chocolate dipped strawberries a few years ago, and has now expanded to dipping dried fruits, coconut macaroons, granola bar squares, pretzels and more. Through trial and error, we've discovered Guitard brand semi sweet chocolate chips work best.

Simply melt the chocolate chips in a glass bowl in the microwave for 1 ½ to 2 minutes, stirring once mid cycle, and when the chocolate is smooth and fully melted, using teaspoons (as shown), dip your gathered assortment of goodies in the chocolate and place on waxed paper lined cookie sheets to set up into candy. You can even refrigerate for a few minutes to speed the candy set. In the pictures shown, we used homemade coconut macaroons, dried apricots and dried dates for our candy.

 

From Where I Cook . . . February is Heart Health month, which is slightly ironic since I've made my first visit to a cardiologist, and am researching the best foods for a healthy heart. All of the recipes above fit the goal. They're also delicious and relatively inexpensive. Why not whip up a batch or two of your own homemade candy to give as gifts to your Valentines? With your savings, snap up a few in-season greens at the Farmer's Market and experiment to concoct your own fresh recipes. It's FUN to "play with your food", and it's good for your heart!

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Image on Banner by Nathan Drew