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LivRite Produce of the Month: The Spinach

Posted by Christine Murzyn on Mar 4, 2020 2:37:24 PM

Spinach

 

 

5 fast facts about the spinach

  1. March 26th is National Spinach Day!I
  2. In the 1930’s U.S. spinach growers credited Popeye with a 33% increase in domestic spinach consumption.
  3. Spinach is a native plant of ancient Persia (modern day Iran).
  4. China is the world's largest producer of spinach, with about 85% of global production.
  5. The creamy dish, Spinach Florentine, was named byCatherine De Medici, wife of France’sKing Henry II, who introduced the dish and called it Florentine in honor of her native country, Italy.

Produce Pun:

Why are spinach leaves never alone?

Because they come in bunches :) 

Nutrient Highlights

Spinach Nutrition cooked

  1. Spinach , raw or cooked ,provides over 100% of the body's daily need for Vitamin K, which is important for blood clotting and relieving symptoms of hemophilia.
  2. Spinach is an excellent source of folate, which helps prevent neural tube defects in babies. Folate also is needed for DNA production and cell division as well as preventing megaloblastic anemia.
  3. Spinach is an excellent source of iron, though it is not as readily available as animal sources of iron. For better absorption, pair with a Vitamin C-containing citrus fruit .

Kid Friendly Family Recipe: Creamy Parmesan Spinach Squares

Creamy Spinach Recipe

 

 

Ingredients:

  • 20 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup fat-free milk
  • 1 cup white whole-wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1½ cups (6 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

 

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Place chopped spinach in a colander. Squeeze out as much excess water in spinach as possible. Whisk together eggs and milk in a medium bowl. Add flour and baking powder to egg mixture. Stir to combine. Mix in cheeses and spinach. Transfer mixture to baking dish, spreading evenly.Bake for 35 minutes, or until firm and edges are golden brown. Let cool 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

Looking for more great  recipes?  Give this awesome sweet potato chicken chili recipe a try. 

Topics: Healthy Recipes

LivRite Produce of the Month: The Cranberry

Posted by Christine Murzyn on Dec 9, 2019 7:45:01 PM

cranberry bog

 

 

5 fast facts about the cranberry

  1. Cranberries are native to North America. In fact, along with blueberries and the Concord grape, they are the only native North American fruits that are commonly cultivated today!
  2. Most cranberries are wet harvested, meaning that cranberry bogs/marshes are purposely flooded so the berries float to the top to be corralled. Cranberries have four air chambers that allow them to float!
  3. Water is also used during the winter months to protect the vine beds from freezing and desiccation.
  4. In 1816, the first commercial cranberry bed was planted in Dennis, Massachusetts by Revolutionary War veteran, Captain Henry Hall.
  5. U.S. farmers produce over 800 million pounds of cranberries per year!

Produce Pun:

Why was the cranberry late to the party?

It was bogged down in traffic

Nutrient Highlights

Dec 19 RDI

  1. These tiny berries are packed with phytonutrients, which may provide a wide array of health benefits, including protection from bacterial pathogens, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and inflammation.
  2. A specific class of phytonutrients in cranberries, called proanthocyanidins, helps prevent urinary tract infections. Research suggests that two- 8 oz. glasses of cranberry juice cocktail per day, one in the morning and one in the evening, may prevent bacterial adhesion. In the same way, cranberries may also work to prevent stomach ulcers





Kid Friendly Cranberry Pumpkin Muffin

cranberry pumpkin muffin

Cranberry Pumpkin Muffin

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups white whole wheat flour
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ cup apple cider
  • ½ cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
  • 1 ½ cup fresh cranberries, washed and any remaining stems removed
 

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 F and line a muffin pan with paper baking cups. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together until there are no clumps. In a small bowl, mix together the egg, milk, apple cider, and pumpkin puree. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture and mix just until combined. Do not over-mix. Add cranberries, mixing just until incorporated. Fill each baking cup with batter (about 3/4 full). Bake on middle oven rack for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove muffins from pan and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack. Keep stored in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.

 

Looking for more great  recipes?  Give this awesome sweet potato chicken chili recipe a try. 

Topics: Healthy Recipes

LivRite Produce of the Month: The Sweet Potato

Posted by Christine Murzyn on Nov 16, 2019 3:19:53 PM

Sweet Potatos

November is Sweet Potato Awareness Month!  Oftentimes, this vegetable gets lost in the shadows=of another round, orange beauty (see October’s blog post about the Pumpkin!). 

Both sweet potatoes and pumpkins are an ample source of Vitamin A, providing over the daily recommended value in one serving!

This vitamin is a vital component in normal vision. It also plays a role in the immune system,  reproduction, and proper functioning of the heart, lungs, and kidneys.

Okay, spotlight back on our sweet potato.  

 

5 fast facts about the sweet potato

  1. November is Sweet Potato Awareness Month!
  2. Sweet potato is a vine that grows horizontally on the ground. It can reach 6-12" in height and 1-6' in length.
  3. Depending on the variety, the flesh of sweet potatoes may be white, yellow, orange, red, pink or purple-colored. More intensely colored varieties of sweet potato have sweeter taste.
  4. Juice extracted from sweet potatoes is used to produce hundreds of dyes (shades from purple to black) when combined with lime juice. These dyes are used in textile industry.
  5. Many people think yams and sweet potatoes are the same, but yams are just one of the many varieties of sweet potatoes!

 

Produce Pun:

What do you call a complimentary carb?

A sweet potato

Nutrient Highlights

Sweet Potato nutritional chart

  1. Manganese is abundant in sweet potatoes, assisting with glucose metabolism and bone formation.
  2. Sweet potatoes are high in many B-Vitamins, including pantothenic acid, which may help lower risk for hyperlipidemia, due to this vitamin’s role in lipoprotein metabolism.
  3. Copper, an essential mineral found in high amounts in sweet potatoes, aids in energy metabolism, iron absorption, immune function, and brain development.
  4. One cup of baked sweet potato provides a quarter of daily fiber recommendations, which promotes digestion and satiation, in turn, promoting weight loss.

  5.  Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure. Research suggests that high potassium intake is linked to a decreased mortality risk.






Kid Friendly Sweet Potato Fries

Sweet potatot fries

Roasted Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients:

    • 1 large sweet potato (leave skin on for more fiber, potassium, and quercetin!)
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 teaspoons desired spices (Garlic powder, ground black pepper, paprika, and cumin)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Rinse the potato well and cut into thin strips. In a large bowl or mix together the spices and olive oil. Toss in the potatoes and coat with spice mixture (you could also do this in a large plastic bag). Spread potatoes out on a large

baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake until brown and crisp on the bottom, about 20 minutes, then flip and cook until the other side is crispy, about 15 minutes.

 

Looking for more great sweet potato recipes?  Give this awesome sweet potato chicken chili recipe a try. 

Topics: Healthy Recipes

Sweet Potato White Chicken Chili

Posted by Christine Murzyn on Nov 16, 2019 3:16:39 PM

 

Sweet potato white chicken chili 1

Sweet Potato White Chicken Chili

 

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl (no garnish) | Calories: 310 kcal | Carbohydrates: 30 g | Protein: 34 g | Sodium: 430 mg

 

Things I love about this recipe:

  • Very Filling (all that fiber from those beans and sweet potatoes!)
  • Extremely nutritious
  • Even more flavorful
  • Super simple, low skill-level
  • Short prep time
  • Small number of ingredients, budget-friendly
  • One-pot meal
  • Family seal of approval

 

 

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 6 hours

Servings: ~10 people

Calories: 310 kcal

 

First, dig out your Crock-Pot. (If you don’t have one, get out a large stock pot.)  After that, it’s pretty much dump the ingredients and go!

 

Ingredients

  • 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 3-4 diced tomatillos (or 16 oz tomatillo salsa)
  • 1 lg. sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 1- 32 oz. container low sodium chicken broth
  • 1- 4 oz. can diced green chiles
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1- 1.25 oz. package of white chicken chili seasoning mix
  • 2- 16 oz. cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2- 15.5 oz. cans navy beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 tsp. Garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Garnish suggestions: cilantro, avocado, low-fat Mexican cheese, plain Greek yogurt, finely chopped onion, green onions.

 

Instructions

  1. Add chicken breasts to bottom of your slow cooker and top with the diced tomatillos (or salsa). Then add in all of the remaining ingredients (except garnish ideas) and gently stir.
  2. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours or on HIGH for 4 hours.
  3. Remove the chicken and transfer to large mixing bowl, shred, then return to slow cooker. (Or you can shred in your slow cooker; it should be tender enough that it just falls apart when you stir!).
  4. Stir and add pepper to taste if desired. Serve in a bowl, add optional garnishes, and enjoy!

 

Notes:

  • Feel free to add more veggies as desired. Pro-tip: Mushrooms make an awesome addition!
  • If you’re vegetarian, make using vegetable broth and tofu
  • Can’t find white chili seasoning mix? Try this: Mix together 2 tsp. cumin, ½ tsp. paprika, ½ tsp. chili powder, ½ tsp. oregano, ½ tsp. coriander, ½ tsp. cayenne, salt and pepper to taste.

 

Enjoy!

Sweet potato white chicken chili 2

 

 

 

 

 

(Recipe adapted from: https://krollskorner.com/recipes/slow-cooker-green-and-white-chicken-chili/ )

Topics: Healthy Recipes

LivRite Produce of the Month: The Pumpkin!

Posted by Christine Murzyn on Oct 21, 2019 3:28:07 PM

Jack o lantern

5 fast facts about the pumpkin

  1. Pumpkins are members of the Cucurbita family, including squash and cucumbers.
  2. 80% of the US pumpkin supply is available in October.
  3. The largest pumpkin in history weighed 1,140 pounds!
  4. Jack-o-Lanterns originated from a Celtic celebration called Samhain, meaning “Summer’s End.” It was believed that passed souls were closest to contact and carved gourds would be set out as both a beacon to deceased loved ones and to ward off evil spirits.
  5. The pumpkin seeds are also edible and contain additional health benefits! Just 1-oz. of roasted seeds is an excellent source of fiber, zinc, and magnesium. Both zinc and magnesium play a vital role in the nervous system and DNA synthesis.

 

Pumpkin Pun:

What do you use to mend a broken jack-o-lantern?

A pumpkin patch! 

Nutrient Highlights

October Produce Picture

  1. 1 cup of pureed pumpkin provides over 2x the daily recommendation Vitamin A! It is crucial to vision/eye health and also aids in immune function, skin and bone formation, and red blood cell formation.
  2. Pumpkins are packed with Vitamin K, which helps in blood clotting and building strong bones

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Recipe:

Pumpkin Seeds

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

After you carve pumpkins, save your seeds for a delicious and healthy recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup fresh pumpkin seeds (from 1 medium pumpkin), rinsed and patted dry
  • 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • ¼ tsp kosher salt
  • 2-3 tsp desired seasonings (such as paprika and garlic, or cinnamon and nutmeg)

Directions:

To separate seeds from pumpkin “guts”, place in a large bowl of water; seeds will float to the top. Skim and pat dry. Heat oven to 300° F. Spread the seeds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake until dry throughout, 50 to 60 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 350° F. In a large bowl, toss the seeds with the oil and desired spices. Return the seeds to the baking sheet and toast, tossing occasionally, until golden brown. Let cool 10 -15 minutes. Enjoy!

Topics: Healthy Recipes