Polenta with Greens and Chicken Apple Sausage

Awhile ago I had polenta with chicken sausage and maple syrup at Nickel Diner in downtown LA, and since then, I can't get enough of this meal...or at least my healthier version of this meal.  It is so warm, comforting, hearty, and satisfying: perfect for a weekend brunch or quick weeknight dinner.

POLENTA WITH GREENS & CHICKEN SAUSAGE

POLENTA

1 cup polenta (course or medium ground cornmeal,

you could also use grits)

4 cups water

1-1/2 cups 1% milk

1 Tbsp butter

1 tsp salt

Bring the water to a boil, add salt, stir in the polenta and whisk constantly until it thickens, then pour in the milk and continue to whisk until creamy and smooth (should take 5-10 min). It's hard to ruin polenta -- just get it to a consistency you think is good, like oatmeal or Cream of Wheat.

SAUSAGE

4 chicken apple sausages (I like the uncooked ones from the Whole Foods meat case)

Grill pan or skillet

Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium heat, add a drop of oil, then place sausages in pan and brown on all sides (2-3 min/side). Remove to a cutting board, slice in half lengthwise, then grill the inside for a couple minutes until browned.  Set aside.

GREENS

In the same grill pan or skillet, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil.  Add a couple handfuls of the greens and a sprinkle of salt and saute until wilted, then add more greens and keep doing this until all your greens are somewhat wilted. Add a few splashes of lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, or balsamic vinegar, remove from heat.  This is a great time to use these greens:

Spoon some of the polenta into a bowl, pile some greens on it, then lay a sausage on top and drizzle with maple syrup (use Grade B for best flavor, its darker and more robust).  Enjoy!  Makes 4 servings.

More Wintertime Snacks

Want a few healthy snacks to go along with your Chip Buffet, Buffalo wings, and 7-Layer dip this Superbowl Sunday?  Look back at my blog about roasting, and try one of these:

Roasted Garbanzo Beans with Pistachios

Drain and rinse a can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), toss with a little olive oil, roast at 425 for 15 minutes or until browned and pretty crunchy.  Pour into a small bowl with some shelled pistachios and sprinkle with coarse salt.

Roasted French Green Beans

Empty the contents of a bag of Haricot Vert (French green beans, the thin ones--they sell them pre-cut & washed at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Costco) onto a baking sheet, toss with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast for 12-15 minutes at 425.  They are supposed to get brown on the ends and wilt...if you want them crunchy, roast for only 3-4 minutes.  For a fun presentation, put them in a glass like this so people can just pull out a bean at a time.

**Thank you to Kari for this wonderful bean presentation idea!!

Winter Vegetables

If you like to eat seasonally, winter can present a challenge.  We have plenty of winter produce in California (that is shipped to your state if you live elsewhere), but it may be less familiar to us than summer and fall items.  Most of us wouldn't see kholrabi or chayote at the market and think "Oooh! Just what I was hoping to make for dinner!"  We're more likely to give it a weird stare and move on to the bag of baby greens and yellow-looking tomatoes we at least recognize.  Here are some delicious fruits and veggies to keep your eye out for in the winter and early spring. 

ROOT VEGGIES

Beets, Carrots, Parsnip, Rutabaga, Onions, Leeks, Turnips, Kohlrabi, Chives, Radishes 

OTHER VEGGIES 
Brussels Sprouts, Fava Beans, Cabbage, Winter Cauliflower, Collards, Swiss Chard, Broccoli, Iceberg Lettuce, Mustard Greens, Spinach, Winter Squash, Chayote

FRUITS

Oranges, Tangerines, Satsumas, Pears, Kiwis, Grapefruit, Cherimoya, Passion Fruit, Pummelo, Apples, Avocados

Over the month of February I will feature recipes with winter produce, so keep your eye out for these in-season vegetables and fruits at your farmer's market or grocery store.  Below is the first idea -- a simple cabbage slaw (to replace a green salad that's better suited for spring or summertime).

Asian Slaw

1/2 head green cabbage, shredded

1/2 head Radicchio (small leafy red-cabbage-looking ball)

2 carrots, shredded or thinly sliced

4 green onions, thinly sliced

handful of fresh cilantro, mint, or basil, roughly chopped

1/4 cup sesame seeds, chopped peanuts, or sliced almonds

Combine all these vegetables in a large bowl.  Pour about 1/3 cup Asian-style dressing (try Newman's Own Lowfat Sesame Ginger, or Ken's Lite Asian Sesame) over them and toss gently with your hands to coat.  Let the slaw sit in the dressing for 5-10 minutes, tossing occasionally, before serving.

Note: this recipe makes a lot, and can be saved in the fridge even with the dressing on it: it just gets more flavorful.

Other things you could to this salad: sliced snow peas, thin cucumber slices, shredded raw zucchini, shredded broccoli stems, shredded red cabbage, boiled edamame beans, tofu cubes

To make your own dressing: whisk together 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 3 Tbsp rice vinegar, juice of 1/2 lime, 2 Tbsp sugar or honey, dash of Siracha or other hot sauce, and either 2 Tbsp peanut butter or

1 Tbsp sesame oil.

Hearty Weekend Breakfast That Won't Slow You Down

So often weekend breakfasts turn into enormous, heavy meals, after which we are so full all we can do is  take a nap for the rest of the day.  Not that a nap is a bad thing, but a few weekend overeating episodes can undo all the hard healthy eating work we've put in during weekdays.  So, here's an idea for a hearty breakfast that will fill you up, taste special, and get your weekend morning started off right.

Oatmeal with Fruit Topping 
1 cup cooked oatmeal of any kind
(steel cut oats, quick oats, oat bran, old fashioned oats)
1/2 cup sauteed fruit

Fruit Topping Idea
(Note: this is the perfect time to use fruit you have that's getting too soft/mushy, or anything frozen)
1 Tbsp butter
1 apple, sliced
1 cup fresh cranberries (or 1/4 cup dried)
3 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp walnuts

Melt butter in skillet, saute apples for ~3 min with a tiny pinch of salt
Add cranberries (& 1 Tbsp water if mixture is getting dry)
When fruit is soft, add nuts and sugar and stir
Remove from heat and spoon onto oatmeal with drizzled milk
Another Topping Idea
1 Tbsp Butter
1 Pear
Seeds of 1 Pomegranate

Same directions as above.

Other Fruit Topping Ideas
1 cup frozen raspberries + segments of 1 orange + 1 Tbsp white sugar
2 cups strawberry slices + zest of 1 lime + 1 Tbsp honey
1 sliced banana + 2 Tbsp chopped walnuts + 1 Tbsp maple syrup
 1 mango cut into chunks + 1 Tbsp shredded coconut + 1 cup frozen blueberries

All of these Toppings would also work well for pancakes or waffles
--even frozen whole grain waffles (like Kashi GoLean).

Breakfast Ideas

You always hear that "breakfast is the most important meal of the day." That may or may not be true, but research does show that people who eat breakfast are less likely to overeat later in the day, and that they tend to eat healthier overall.  So yes, eating breakfast is a good idea.

But don't be intimidated: you don't have to sit down to a large meal, eat breakfast-y food, or give up your quick morning routine to be considered a Breakfast Eater.  Eating breakfast just means getting something into your body within 1-2 hours of waking up.  Here are some examples of healthy breakfasts, all between 200-300 calories (approx) each:

If you like breakfast, but you're in a hurry in the morning, try these on-the-go options:

• Spread 1 dollop peanut butter on a whole wheat tortilla, layer with sliced apples or bananas, and roll into a burrito
• 1 Luna bar (Nutz Over Chocolate is my fave) + 1 large orange
• Small baggie of whole grain cereal (try Kashi Heart-to-Heart or Barbara's Cinnamon Puffins) + 6oz container of yogurt (for good yogurts, see my yogurt post)
• 5oz container 0% Greek yogurt w/ small handful dried cranberries & chopped walnuts
  
• 1 hard boiled egg + 1 piece whole grain toast (try Milton's 100% whole wheat, Milton's Healthy Dark, or When Pigs Fly whole wheat)
• Good old PB+J on whole wheat (eat half for breakfast, half for mid-morning snack)
• Glass of low-fat chocolate milk + 15 almonds
• 2 Kashi GoLean frozen waffles, toasted
• Breakfast burrito made with 1 steamed egg (scramble an egg in a mug and microwave 45-60 seconds or until fluffy), 1/4 cup reduced-fat cheddar, 2 Tbsp salsa
• Quesadilla made with 2 corn tortillas and 1/4 cup reduced-fat cheese, toasted in toaster oven then pressed together
• Kashi TLC Crunchy Granola Bar (Toasted Almond and Pumpkin Spice Flax are both delish) + cup of coffee with milk
  

If you stop at a coffee shop on your way to work/school: 

• Starbucks Tall Nonfat Latte (unsweetened, or sweetened w/ 1 pkt sugar or Splenda) + 1/2 an Eight grain roll
  
• Starbucks spinach-tomato-egg wrap + Tall coffee with low-fat milk
• Dunkin Donuts Egg white-veggie flatbread + small coffee w/ low-fat milk
• Dunkin Donuts glazed donut + small nonfat latte (please note: I do not suggest you eat donuts for breakfast, but if you're already going to eat something at Dunkin' Donuts, it's one of the lower-calorie options, and if it prevents you from binging at lunch then go for it)
• Coffee Bean Medium Sugar-Free Vanilla or Mocha Ice Blended
• Coffee Bean Medium Sugar-Free Tea Latte
• McDonald's Egg McMuffin w/ no butter + small coffee
• McDonald's Medium Nonfat Latte w/ 2 pkts sugar
• Jamba Juice 12oz Sunrise Strawberry yogurt blend (ask for 3 scoops ice if you want it thick like a regular Jamba smoothie)
• Jamba Juice oatmeal with fruit topping
  

If you "aren't a breakfast person," try bringing one of these to eat when you get to work:

• 16 Kashi TLC crackers + 2 wedges Laughing Cow Light cheese
• Large orange + 1 string cheese
• 2 pieces smoked salmon + 1 Tbsp light cream cheese + 7 Reduced-Fat Triscuits
  
• 2 slices deli turkey breast, cut into strips and wrapped around carrot sticks
  
• 2 individual containers applesauce + 10 walnut halves
  
• Apple slices dipped in 1 individual container Kozy Shack chocolate pudding
• 1 SoyJoy bar + large apple
• Small carton of low-fat chocolate milk 
• 1/2 Avocado with dollop of salsa
  

If you like to sit down to breakfast in the morning, but need some new ideas:

• 2 Kashi GoLean waffles spread with 1 tsp peanut butter each, topped w/ sliced bananas
  
• 1 whole wheat English Muffin with 1/2 cup cottage cheese and sliced tomatoes
• 1/2 whole wheat bagel with 1 Tbsp Light cream cheese and 1 tsp fruit preserves
• 1/2 cup cottage cheese layered with 1 cup berries, drizzled with honey & 2 Tbsp chopped nuts
• Bowl of 1 cup plain nonfat yogurt, 1 cup chopped fruit (try thawed frozen mango in winter) and 1/4 cup granola
• 2 poached eggs w/ 1 sliced whole wheat toast spread w/ 1 tsp Smart Balance Light
• Banana Oat Smoothie (click here for recipe)
• Berry Smoothie, made with 1 1/2 cups frozen berries + 1/2 cup plain yogurt + 1/2 cup soy milk
• 2 corn tortillas topped with 1/4 cup reduced-fat cheese, melted in microwave or skillet and topped with salsa and chopped tomatoes
  
• 1/2 cup (dry) oat bran cereal, microwaved with 1 cup water then topped with sliced banana, drizzle of honey, and 1/2 cup vanilla soymilk
• Homemade McMuffin - 1 toasted whole wheat English Muffin +1 steamed egg (scramble an egg in a mug and microwave 45-60 seconds or until fluffy) +1 slice 2% American or Cheddar Cheese + 2 tomato slices
• 1 piece whole wheat sourdough toast with 1 Tbsp light cream cheese, cucumber slices, and few pieces smoked salmon