Minty Blood Orange and Watermelon Salad

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Oh the summer gardening stress has started again.  Poor Nick. He works so hard on our garden, but it never seems to turn out quite as he wishes.  For starters, we planted this mint about a month ago, and we've been warned from countless people that we need to transplant it to a pot so it doesn't start growing out of control and stealing the nutrients from our other plants.  Warning heard, it was moved last week.  Of course, since it's the first ting in our garden to really start thriving, I was sure to snip some mint and make a few things....mint smoothies, mint chocolate chip ice cream, and mint on top of steamed veggies with Parmesan cheese.  I also made this lovely watermelon salad, even though I can't eat watermelon (watermelon is not low FODMAPs).  Watermelon. It's so juicy and sweet and full of nutrients. Yet my body rejects it. Oh well.  Sometimes I just have to make food, despite not being able to eat it myself. I made this for a work demo one day and it was such a big hit that I figured I'd make it again for a family reunion.  Once again, it was a huge hit (although the flies liked it too, ewww).  It's just so easy to make, I could really care less that I can't enjoy it myself.  I mean, I did have one tantalizing taste......every cook/chef/or even dietitian-wannabe-chef needs to taste their food before serving!

Don't have blood oranges? Neither did I when I wanted to make this recipe.  But I did have blood orange olive oil, so I recreated this salad sans the actual blood oranges, and made a couple other "healthy choice" adjustments. It was amazing.  Click the link above if you'd like to follow the original recipe (or use my recipe and just use regular olive oil, half the watermelon, and add a couple blood oranges to the mix!)

Minty Blood Orange and Watermelon Salad

Serves 4

1 small seedless watermelon, peeled and cut into chunks **

¼ cup fresh mint leaves

½ cup reduced-fat feta cheese

  3 tbsp Extra virgin Blood Orange olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Add the watermelon to a large bowl, sprinkle with mint, feta, salt and pepper. Drizzle with oil. Let chill for about an hour. Serve cold.

**NOTE:  If you are following a low FODMAPs diet, try this with cantaloupe instead.  I think it would taste wonderful.  It's on my list of salads to try!

Estimated Nutrition Facts for 1 -serving
Source: CalorieCount.com

Nutrition Highlights:  Low sodium, excellent source of vitamin A (plus lots of lycopene!) and vitamin C.

QUESTION:  What's your go-to summer salad when you have to bring something to a cookout?  I have three; this minty watermelon salad, this quinoa salad, and this bulgar blueberry salad.  

And before I go, did you know that today is "National Eat Your Vegetables Day"?!  In honor of vegetables I'd like to share this photo from a food demo I did at work last week.  Grilled veggies, thrown into a bowl of balsamic vinegar, Tuscan oil and a dash of seasoning. Delicious.

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

Joy Bauer's Turkey Chili (made low FODMAPs and Gluten-Free)

I was privileged to meet Joy Bauer in January, and since then I've been perusing her website and checking out all of her wonderful recipes. Among one of the recipes she shared with us when she visited was this turkey chili recipe. The onions and garlic, which pretty much make any chili taste amazing, are two things that I can't eat on my low FODMAPs diet, so I set out to make this FODMAPs-free (or at least, free of FODMAPs that I can't control. Broccoli and beans contains FODMAPs, but Beano helps me digest those better!).  Overall, this is a "Lower-FODMAPs" chili.

Turkey Chili
(lower-FODMAPs and Gluten-free)

Adapted from Joy Bauer

(Makes ~8 large servings)


Ingredients

2 pounds ground turkey (at least 90% lean)
1 28-ounce can roasted tomatoes
2 cups water
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. brown rice flour or corn flour
2 cans beans (I used white beans) **
2 cups frozen chopped broccoli

** If you are following a Low FODMAPs Diet  take a Beano for the beans (or heck, you may need one even if you aren't following a special diet!). Also, be careful about your garnish. I chose avocado, but they aren't low FODMAPs!  Oops. **

Directions
1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the turkey, stirring to break up the meat. Add the tomatoes, water, chili powder, paprika, black pepper, cumin, oregano, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Mix thoroughly. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 25 to 30 minutes.

2. Stir in the flour, and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in the beans and broccoli, and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.

If you want, garnish with avocado and serve with jalapeno cornbread. That is, if you want to be cool like me ;)  If following a  low FODMAPs diet, be careful with the avocado, you should limit your intake.

Nutrition Facts
(1/8 of entire batch)

• Excellent source of fiber, vitamins A and C

• Excellent source of iron

• Not too high in sodium

• Only 261 calories.

NOT BAD!

QUESTION: Do you prefer beef or turkey in your chili? Or, do you like it vegetarian??
Any fun weekend plans? I'm working all weekend. Wahoo (haha, sarcasm.....)!

Flavorful Cod Skewers, Served with Wholesome Wheat Berries

I know what you're thinking.....RANDOM! I mean, fish on a skewer?! Yes, random, but also very tasty. You could alternatively use salmon for this recipe if you are lucky enough to live with a salmon-lover, but these turned out wonderful with cod.

Cod Skewers

(Adapted from a recipe from Giant Eagle Market District)
Serves 6


Ingredients
12 wooden skewers, soaked
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces
1.5 lb. cod, fresh, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces
10 ounces baby bellas, cleaned and halved **
1 small red onion, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces **
4 T garlic olive oil
2 T balsamic vinegar
1/2 t basil
1/2 t fresh ground pepper
1/4 t salt

Whole grain of your choice (such as wheat berries!)

** If you on following a low FODMAPs diet, just don't eat the red onion. Actually you shouldn't eat the mushroom either (according to the polyol content of mushrooms) but personally mushrooms don't bother me unless I eat more than about 1/2 cup.  Also, instead of wheat berries use rice or quinoa.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425.

2. Thread 1 piece of pepper, 2 pieces of cod, 1 mushroom, 1 piece onion, alternating each, until you've made 6 skewers.

3. Mix together the garlic olive oil and the balsamic vinegar, to make a vinaigrette.

4. Drizzle half of the vinaigrette evenly over the skewers and season well with spices (add the spices to a small bowl and mix together first).

5. Cover 2 baking sheets with foil, spray foil with cooking spray, and layer the kabobs on the sheet.

6. Bake skewers for about 6 minutes, then flip and bake for an additional 4-5 minutes, or until internal temperature of cod reaches 145 degrees, or more.

7. Serve with your favorite whole grain (I served mine with wheat berries).

Estimated Nutrition Facts
(Serving Size: 2 skewers)

Have you ever used the USDA Nutrient Database? You can find out the nutrient content of just about any food on this website. Here is the link for the nutrient content of cooked Atlantic Cod (Note: the amount of EPA and DHA is pretty sad, but the saturated fat is very low so this is a great substitute for meat, any day!)



QUESTION: What's your favorite vegetable and/or protein to put on a skewer? I had never tried fish on a skewer before, but I think it's my new favorite protein to put on a skewer and I'm going to try these on the grill over the summer. These were delicious, and Nick loved them too. I also really love mushrooms on a skewer. If I could, I'd eat about fifty.

Any fun weekend plans? I'm off today and Sunday, but have to work tomorrow. Tonight Nick and I are staying in to paint our workout room (the wooden edges) and catch up on TV shows we missed this week. We've both had a long week so we just want to be lazy. I can't wait.

Pork Chop Success! Grilled Lemon-Herb Pork Chops

I love pork chops, but every time I attempt to make them they turn out dry and tough. Recently I set out on a mission to find a great pork chop recipe that would help alleviate my pork-chop-induced stress. I went to my favorite recipe website, AllRecipes.com and found a recipe that sounded simple and delicious. The recipe called for garlic, which I replaced with garlic olive oil (because I don't eat garlic). If you would like to try this recipe with garlic, check out the AllRecipes link below.

Grilled Lemon-Herb Pork Chops

Ingredients
(Adapted from AllRecipes.com)

6 (4-ounces each) boneless pork chops
1/4 cups lemon juice
2 T garlic olive oil
1 t salt
1/4 t oregano
1/4 t pepper

** If you can eat garlic (not following a low FODMAPs diet), use regular olive oil and add 4 cloves of chopped garlic instead of using garlic olive oil **



Directions

1. In a large resealable bag, combine lemon juice, oil, salt, oregano, and pepper. Place chops in bag, seal, and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Turn bag frequently to distribute marinade.
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat. Remove chops from bag, and transfer remaining marinade to a saucepan. Bring marinade to a boil, remove from heat, and set aside.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill pork chops for 5 to 7 minutes per side, basting frequently with boiled marinade, until done.

You can marinade your chops in a container or in a large bag. I've done both (I've made this recipe twice now!).




Nick enjoyed his pork with a large salad and I ate mine with steamed kale. We both agreed that this recipe was "DELICIOUS", and I can finally stop saying that I have "never made a good pork chop". Wahoo!

ESTIMATED NUTRITION FACTS

(Serving Size: 1 piece of pork)

And if you want to reduce the sodium, try some Mrs. Dash or just omit some of the salt.
QUESTION: What's your favorite pork chop marinade? Share your recipes, please!

BBQ Tempeh with Bell Pepper and Avocado

I've been trying to find some good tempeh recipes lately and this one got my attention right away. I've made quite a few of Grace's recipes in the past, and I've never been disappointed. Of course, as usual, I made some modifications so as to make this recipe more FODMAPs-friendly (Although it's certainly not FODMAPs-free!!), but if you'd like to try the original version check it out here. I also modified the recipe to make it a bit lighter (I used less BBQ sauce, added more bell pepper, and used less oil).

Ingredients

8 ounces tempeh, cubed
1 bell pepper, chipped
1 T garlic extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup + 1 T BBQ sauce**
2 T tomato paste
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1 avocado**
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: Whole wheat buns or tortillas**

** These ingredients contain FODMAPs and may not be well tolerated for some. Use less if need be. **

Directions

1. Heat oil in a saute pan. Add chopped bell pepper and tempeh. Cook until both are browned and slightly tender (~5 minutes, mixing occasionally). Season with pepper and a dash of salt.

2. Stir in tomato paste and saute another minute. Add BBQ sauce and water. Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens but still remains saucy (you may have to add more water if you want, but I liked mine sort of dry and concentrated!).

3. Add cilantro 1-2 minutes before removing from heat, cooking until cilantro is wilted (about 1 minutes, or less).


4. Add the final mixture to a whole wheat bun, tortilla, or eat it alone in a bowl. Chop your avocado and sprinkle on top for a garnish and extra deliciousness.

Estimated Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
Note: Does not include a bun or tortilla

I'm so thankful that tempeh doesn't give me the same problems as tofu. I actually enjoy tofu but the gas it gives me isn't even worth it. Tempeh, on the other hand, is a good friend of mine. The fact that it's cultured means that it doesn't cause me stomach issues. I really like the texture too (Nick, on the other hand, is not a fan. He has issues with different textures other than the normal meat and poultry. I need to continue trying to train him....)



QUESTION: What's your favorite meat-replacement? Which do you prefer, tempeh or tofu (or neither??).

Healthy and Tasty Appetizer; Baked Zucchini Roll-Ups

Do you have a party coming up? Or are you looking for something fun to do with the last of your fresh summer zucchini? Check out this great recipe!

BAKED ZUCCHINI ROLL-UPS
(Makes ~10)

Ingredients

2 large zucchini, cut lengthwise into strips 1/4-inch thick

1 red bell pepper, seeded, cut into quarters

1 T extra virgin olive oil

3-4 ounces herbed goat cheese **

1 T finely chopped basil

2 tsp. balsamic vinegar (I used blueberry balsamic vinegar)


** If following a low FODMAPs diet, choose a plain goat cheese **

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Cut zucchini with a mandoline or knife

3. Add about 1 tsp. EVOO to each of two baking sheets and coat each well.

4. Add the strips of zucchini and the quartered red peppers to the baking sheets

5. Brush the zucchini and red peppers with the remaining extra virgin olive oil.

6. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if you desire

7. Bake in the oven about 3-4 minutes on each side (you may have to remove the zucchini and then allow the red pepper to bake longer in order to get soft).

8. Once zucchini and red peppers are baked, place 1 tsp goat cheese about an inch from the end of each zucchini slice. Then place a strip of red pepper down on the zucchini slice.

9. Gently roll up the strip and place seam side down on a serving plate. Repeat this with each of the zucchini slices.

10. Top the serving plate with some fresh basil and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

Estimated Nutrition Facts
(Serving, 1 roll-up)

At first I just made a few (see picture above), but then ate them all (hehe, oops!) so I had to continue making more :)

I'm not creative with my food photos. As you can see in the picture above, I don't know how to garnish food. I mean, that basil is completely random. I did add a bit of the basil to the inside of some of the roll-ups and it tasted pretty delicious.

This is my new favorite way to eat zucchini. I could have easily eaten all of these in one sitting, but thankfully Nick was there to help. They are healthier apps, but their calories could still add up pretty fast. If you want to decrease the calories you could use something like Laughing Cow cheese instead of goat cheese (yum!).


QUESTION: Do you like to make fun appetizers? Do you have any favorites? Do you like goat cheese? Nick hates it, I LOVE it!

Slightly Southwestern Salmon Soft Tacos

First off, can you believe it's September first? I feel like just yesterday it was Christmas. Do the years fly by these days, or is it just me?! My goodness!!

Recently, with hopes of getting Nick to eat salmon, I set out on a mission to create the perfect salmon soft taco (Nick loves tacos). I failed on getting Nick to try the salmon, but I succeeded in coming up with a great recipe!

Salmon Soft Tacos

(serves 6)

Ingredients

For the Salmon

1.5 pounds salmon (wild caught, preferably)
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

*** Don't have fresh salmon? You could use canned salmon instead.***
*** Following the low FODMAPs diet, like me? Omit the garlic!***

For the Soft Taco

6 whole wheat soft tortillas
1.5 cups broccoli slaw
1 avocado
2 limes
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup cilantro
Your favorite salsa

** Don't have broccoli slaw? Add something else for crunch and nutrition, such as cabbage or shredded carrots. **

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Spray a large baking sheet with non-stick spray and place the salmon on the sheet, skin-side down.

3. Bake the salmon for 15-20 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, arrange the other ingredients for your soft taco. Warm your tortillas in a skillet until slightly brown.

5. Once the salmon is finished you can build your soft taco! I prefer this order; soft taco shell, broccoli slaw, salmon, lime juice, cilantro, avocado, plain Greek yogurt and salsa (you can mix the two together if you'd like).

6. ENJOY!


Nick made his soft tacos with shrimp. Oh wait, you can't see the shrimp? That's because Nick likes to make salsa tacos, with a bit of shrimp added..... HA!

Estimated Nutrition Facts for Salmon Soft Tacos
(For 1 soft taco)

QUESTION: Do you like salmon? What's your favorite way to eat salmon? Or, if you don't like it, what's your favorite type of fish?