Real New Year’s resolution
Make realistic New Year’s resolutions that you will stick to, especially about eating. Changing habits in food is always a New Year’s resolution when people say that they are going on a diet for the New Year. People make promises and plans to exercise and to undo their unhealthy eating habits. The best way to stick to a New Year’s resolution about food is from day one on January 1, create a meal that is healthy and encompasses my plate foods in your meals.
Now eating healthier adds to the longevity of your life. It does not mean that foods have to be boring and tasteless. You will be amazed how your pressure will be stabilized and you will lose water weight if you stop adding any salt to the preparation of your dishes.
Starting the year off on the right path
Start cooking more, and eating out less; this will not only help you save money throughout the year, but will indeed help you to better control what you are putting in your mouth. When preparing your food you can put Ms. Dash on it which is sodium free, and contains no MSG. It is safe to put on your cooked foods or foods being seasoned for preparation. Your food will have the flavor without the added health risks.
Another option is using fresh herbs, onions, shallots and garlic in the seasoning of your meals or doing a mire poix which is onion, celery and carrots when cooking soups, stocks and meats. It gives your food tremendous flavor especially when you add fresh thyme, parsley and cilantro to the pot.
Pre planning your meals will help you keep your meals healthy with a cooking plan. Healthy cooking isn’t all about losing weight, but more about living long and strong. It’s about changing your lifestyle not a diet. Diets set you up for failure because eventually you feel you can’t live up to the expectation. However changing your lifestyle is something you want to do for life.
Foods that boast your energy
You want to eat foods that increase your metabolism and will give you energy to work out. Foods that have fiber also help in losing extra pounds. Here are some high energy foods to add to your food repertoire such as old fashion rolled oats, apples and pear, sweet potato, brussel sprouts, turkey spinach and broccoli which contain vitamin C and iron. Some other foods that are speed metabolism are low fat yogurt, beans, grapefruit, water and green tea. Spices such as hot peppers, cinnamon and curry also aid in speeding up your metabolism because of the spiciness it burns calories and increases your heart rate.
Green foods that give you more daily vitamins
Incorporating fresh greens such a spinach, collard, green peppers, mustard greens, kale, swiss chard and green leafy lettuce in your weekly cooking regimen will give you the extra boost of vitamin A, C, E, K and iron needed in your body.
Here is a healthy New Year’s Day dinner with turkey roulade accompanied with brussell sprouts that are loaded with Vitamin A, C, E and folic acid and lots of fiber and oyster dressing. Can’t forget dessert made of fresh baked apples with dried cherries on puff pastry.
Roasted Turkey Roulade
• 12 pieces of turkey breast
• 1 ounce of butter
• 1 shallot, minced
• ½ pound of shitake mushroom, trimmed and coarsely chopped
• ½ pound pecans, roughly chopped and toasted
• 12 ounce of madeira wine
• 1 pound of ground turkey
• 2 eggs
• 8-12 ounces of heavy cream
• 2 tbs. sage chopped
• 1 tbs. parsley chopped
• ½ tsp. white pepper
Steps
1. In a medium sauté pan, add the butter, mushroom and shallots and cook until softened.
2. Deglaze the pan with 6 ounce of madeira, season with a pinch of white pepper. Set aside to cool.
3. Put ground meat with white pepper in food processor; add egg one at a time until all incorporated. Then slowly stream in the cream (add cream until it forms a paste).
4. Fold in cooled mushroom and shallot mixture in ground turkey paste.
Assemble Roulade
1. Take breast and spread out ground turkey paste mixture.
2. Start rolling from one end to end. Tie off and truss roulade.
3. Season the exterior of roulade if needed
4. Spray the rest of the madeira on the roulade to keep the breast moist.
5. Bake at 350 F until the internal temperature reaches 160 F.
6. Remove from oven and let rest for 20 minutes, slice and serve.
Brussel Sprouts
• 1 ½ pound of turkey bacon
• 1 ½ cup pecans
• ¾ cup of maple syrup
• 4 ½ pound of brussel sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
• Season with a little salt if you desire with pepper to taste.
Steps
1. In a large sauté pan fry the bacon until almost crisp. Remove bacon and drain excess grease.
2. Add pecans and toast, add maple syrup.
3. Remove the bacon to pan and let the syrup reduce lightly.
4. In a lightly oil casserole dish add the trimmed brussel sprouts then toss with maple bacon and pecans.
5. Roast in 300 F oven until brussel sprouts are tender. Season with salt and pepper if you so desire.
Oyster Dressing
• 4 tbs. butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery
• 4 green onions
• 3 cups corn bread crumb dry
• 3 cups cube bread toasted
• 1 bunch parsley, chopped
• 2 eggs beaten
• 2 cups shucked oysters
• Reserve some oyster liquid
• Salt and pepper to taste if you desire.
Steps
1. Heat pan and add butter, let it melt and then add the chopped onion and celery and green onion sauté until softened.
2. Add rough chopped oyster, stir and let cook.
3. Remove from heat, transfer into a clean bowl and let cool.
4. In separate bowl combine cubed bread, corn bread crumbs and oyster vegetable mixture and stir to blend.
5. Add some of the reserve oyster liquid to moisten and fold and beaten eggs. (mixture should be moist but not saturated)
6. Fold mixture to a casserole dish and bake at 350 F until edges are golden brown, approximately 45 minutes.
Apple Cherry Galette
• 12 Granny Smith apples
• ½ cup dried cherry, softened
• ½ cup brandy
• 1 cup sugar. 3tbs. reserve
• 2 tbs. cornstarch
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• ½ tsp. nutmeg
• 4 oz butter
• ½ cup silvered almonds
• 1 egg beaten with 2 tsp. water
• 2 puff pastry sheets
Steps
1. Peeled core and slice apples.
2. Place in a bowl of cool water with a squeeze of lemon juice
3. In a small sauce pan heat the brandy until simmering
4. Add the dried cherries to brandy and remove from heat. Set aside until softened.
5. Drain the cherries and apples and place in a clean bowl. Mix together sugar , nutmeg, cinnamon and cornstarch.
6. Toss dry ingredients with apples and cherries. Set aside.
7. Cut puff pastry with circle cutter to 4 in rounds. Place on backing sheet lined with parchment paper.
8. Spread the apple cherry mixture evenly over the puff pastry. Leaving an inch around the edges.
9. Sprinkle almond silvers over the apples and cherries.
10. Brush the edges with egg wash. Sprinkle with sugar.
11. Bake at 400 F for 5-8 minutes. Then lower oven temp to 350 F bake until golden brown and crispy edge.
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