FoodTalk Newsletter

January, 1998

University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County

MAKE THIS A YEAR OF FABULOUS FOOD ADVENTURES!

Are you craving more excitement in your life? Sometimes you need look no further than the end of your fork! A world of food adventures is at your fingertips:

Take a safari through a supermarket aisle!
Reconnoiter a new restaurant!
Take a risk with a new recipe!

Resolve to have at least one new food fling a month. Here are 12 possibilities to point you on your way.

#1: ADD A LITTLE SPICE TO YOUR LIFE

Cruise through the supermarket seasonings section. Buy a flavoring that intrigues you. Check label information for suggested uses and amounts. Spices and herbs are great ways to add flavor when you lower the salt, fat and/or sugar in a recipe.

#2:TIME FOR AN OIL CHANGE?

Lowering your fat and liking foods less?

Try raising the quality while lowering the quantity of fat in your diet. Make your next salad dressing with a flavorful "extra virgin" olive oil. Experiment with a few brands to find the one you enjoy most. Purchase some of the new flavored oils to drizzle (lightly!) over vegetables or pastas for added pizzazz!

#3: GRAB A NEW GRAIN

Venture beyond bread for more of your recommended six to 11 daily grain servings. Try a new grain or different form of a familiar grain. How about amaranth or barley? Buckwheat and quinoa, though not true grains, also count and may offer new adventures. Check the back of food packages for quick access to new recipe ideas.

Or, test untried forms of favorite grains. Consider bulgur or couscous from the wheat family. If you've always used cornmeal for making cornbread, try cooking polenta instead.

NOTE: Whole grains tend to be higher in fat content than refined grains and grow rancid sooner. Buy from stores that have a fairly rapid turnover of foods. Store in the refrigerator or freezer to help maintain quality longer.

#4: SAY CHEESE!

In the book "On Food and Cooking," Harold McGee says cheese probably has been around since 2300 B.C. If your history with cheese is limited to two or three favorites, you'r missing out on centuries of cheese flavors!

High in important bone-building calcium, there's a cheese for everyone: Low fat, low sodium, sharp, mellow--the options are endless. Use a new variety to liven up a favorite dish.

#5: FANCY A NEW FRUIT

Take home a new fruit on your next supermarket trip. Try different varieties of old favorites, such as apples. There are any number of varieties out there--which ones haven't you tried yet?

Make sure you know how to fix the fruit you fancy. Avoid the sad situation of the person who threw away the edible seed portion of a pomegranate and tried to eat the inedible spongy membrane! Chech with the produce department if you have preparation questions.

#6: VARY YOUR VEGETABLES

Instead of a baked potato, try a sweet potato; score an "A" for adventure as well as vitamin A. Pep up color and flavor by adding green, yellow and red peppers to your meals. Turn up the heat with hot peppers. Go easy on your first adventure with the hotter peppers!

#7: GO FOR THE GREEN

Mix up your salad with a variety of greens; continue the adventure by sampling a new salad dressing. Combine greens with different textures, colors and flavors. Use stronger-tasting tart greens in smaller amounts. For example, a romaine or Boston lettuce is milder in flavor. Radicchio and escarole are tart. Include fresh herb leaves, such as basil and tarragon, for added interest.

#8: CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH A NEW CUISINE

If you can't travel to another country, step through the door of a restaurant offering foods from a different culture. Check to see if there is a "sampler" plate so you can try a variety of foods.

#9: JUMP ON THE BEAN BANDWAGON

Black beans, red beans, garbanzo beans, adzuki beans, navy beans. . .

Have you tried beans yet? Serve them as a main dish or serve them on the side. Mix them into salads. Mash them and add a spice for a flavorful dip. Use them straight from the can, or cook up a bag. High in fiber, they make a healthy addition to your meals.

#10: PASTA POSSIBILITIES

Try a different shape, color or flavor of pasta to add a new look to an old dish. As a rule of thumb, match larger and bolder pasta shapes with chunkier and more robust sauces.

#11: MIX UP YOUR MAIN DISHES

Are you afraid to order a food you can't pronounce? Do you always choose your main dishes from the same menu food grouping?

Venture out with some of your more adventurous friends and make it a point to order foods you've never eaten. Share the foods . . . and the fun!

#12: GET COOKING WITH A NEW COOKBOOK

Browse through the cookbook section in your favorite bookstore or your local library. Review magazines and newsletters that offer recipes. When you find a recipe that makes your taste buds tingle, give it a try. Cookbooks are your passport to adventure right in your own kitchen!

To help you start your food adventure, here are two recipes from "Food for Health Newsletter," a newsletter designed for health care professionals. These recipes are provided courtesy of Judy Doherty, Executive Editor.

CHILE RICE POT

(makes 4 servings)

1 cup white long grain rice
1 14-1/2 oz. can stewed diced tomatoes with Italian herbs (1)
1 15-1/4 oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 cup prepared salsa (2)
1-1/2 cups water

Place all ingredients together in a large, shallow microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave for 25 - 30 minutes or until rice is tender and has absorbed almost all liquid. This recipe can be made on top of the stove in a dutch oven — cooking time may vary.

Cook's Notes:

You also can use stewed diced tomatoes and add oregano, basil and marjoram.
Salsa should be chunky for this recipe. Try to buy one which has less than 200 milligrams of sodium per serving.

Per serving: 370 calories, 1 gram fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 650 milligrams sodium

% Daily Value Per Serving: 20% vitamin A, 8% calcium, 50% vitamin C, 25% iron

Diabetic Exchanges: 4 1/2 bread, 1 veg

BEANY BAGEL MELT

(makes 4 servings)

4 toasted bagel halves (1)
1 cup garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon each: garlic powder, cumin
1/3 cup nonfat plain yogurt
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup grated nonfat mozzarella cheese

Toast bagels while making bean spread. To make bean spread, combine garbanzo beans with spices, yogurt and lemon juice and puree in food processor. Spread bean filling on bagel halves and top each one with 2 tablespoons of nonfat grated mozzarella cheese. Broil (or use toaster oven) until cheese melts -- about 3-5 minutes. Optional garnish: fresh sliced tomato on top.

Cook's Notes:

For best results, use fresh-baked bagels for this recipe.

Per serving: 190 calories, 1 gram fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 310 milligrams sodium

% Daily Value Per Serving: 4% vitamin A, 20% calcium, 10% vitamin C, 16% iron

Diabetic Exchanges: 2 bread, 1/2 meat

For Those Teaching the Food Guide Pyramid

Our office has developed a game, "Pyramid Power: the Food Guide Game", for use with adults and youth age 9 and over. "Pyramid Power" has received awards from the American Dietetic Association and the National Association of Extension Home Economists. All materials may be reproduced on a standard copier for unlimited use. The format allows you to add your own questions to adapt this game to various settings. (Cost: $12.95 + $2.00 for shipping and handling.)

If you feel this activity might help you teach nutrition and would like more information:

e-mail me (ahenneman1@unl.edu) or
check my web site (http://lancaster.unl.edu/food/pyramid.htm)

ABOUT FOOD REFLECTIONS (new name for FoodTalk after 1999)
FOOD REFLECTIONS is a FREE monthly e-mail newsletter and is also archived on the Internet http://lancaster.unl.edu/food/archives.htm. FOOD REFLECTIONS provides a "how-to" message on food, nutrition, or food safety for health professionals, educators, and consumers.

Author: FOOD REFLECTIONS (new name for FoodTalk after 1999) is written by Alice Henneman, MS, RD, LMNT, Extension Educator and is archived on the Internet by Donna Weber, Extension Assistant.

Permission To Copy: You may reproduce FOOD REFLECTIONS for educational purposes but not for sales purposes. Please credit as follows: FOOD REFLECTIONS Newsletter, University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County (lancaster.unl.edu/food)

E-Mail Subscription: To receive FOOD REFLECTIONS by e-mail, visit our Web site at lancaster.unl.edu/food and click on the FOOD REFLECTIONS link to subscribe online.

Endorsement Policy: Use of commercial and trade names does not imply approval or constitute endorsement by the University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County. Nor is criticism implied of products not mentioned.

Contacting Us: Your comments and suggestions are welcome. Send to: ahenneman1@unl.edu

For More Information: For personalized answers to your food, nutrition, and food safety questions, contact your nearest Cooperative Extension office. Extension offices are located throughout the United States. For the nearest Nebraska office, click here: http://extension.unl.edu/countyoffices.html

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