Healthy Summer Grilling and a Recipe for Grilled Pork with Pineapple Pizzazz (Podcast #112)

Here in the Boston area, it’s been a glorious (albeit hot) summer. Though we’ve had little time to enjoy it — that’s what happens when you’re writing a cookbook and your deadline is August 9 — we’ve each managed to fit in some time for backyard barbecues. On this week’s Cooking with the Moms podcast, we join forces with fellow podcasters for the Summer 2010 Podcast Project. Sponsored by Jerilyn, Amy and Susan from The Because Show, we chose healthy summer grilling as our show theme.

Charged with dishing about any topic related to summer food, our show features healthy ideas for the grill and a recipe for Grilled Pork with Pineapple Pizzazz. Other podcasters who also recorded shows for the Summer Podcast Project are: Musing Mommies, PFD Podcast, Two Fit Chicks and a Microphone, and 2 God Chicks.

Grilled Pork with Pineapple Pizzazz

Makes 4 Servings

They don’t call pork the other white meat for nothing. A three-ounce serving of pork tenderloin, our favorite cut, is comparable to chicken breast with 120 calories, 3 grams fat, and just 1 gram of saturated fat. Pork is rich in the B vitamins, thiamin and B6, important for converting food into energy, and when it comes to grilling, it’s super easy. For this recipe, we pair it with grilled slices of sweet pineapple … but don’t stop there. While you’re at it, fill your grill with an array of veggies — zucchini, bell peppers, Portobello mushrooms, and onion. Your kids will think they’re at a luau.

  • 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1 small clove garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • One 1 ¼ pounds pork tenderloin
  • One 20-ounce can pineapple slices in juice, drained

1. Whisk together the soy sauce, honey, lime juice, sesame oil, garlic, curry powder, ginger, and black pepper in a small bowl until well blended.  Pour into a large zip-top bag and add the tenderloin.  Place in the refrigerator and marinate at least one hour and up to overnight.

2. Preheat the grill to medium and lightly oil the grate. Grill the tenderloin, turning halfway through, until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 155°F, 20 to 25 minutes.  The pork should still be slightly pink in the center. Remove from the grill and let stand before slicing, about 5 minutes.

3. While the pork is resting, spray the pineapple slices lightly with nonstick cooking spray and grill until golden grill marks appear, 1 to 2 minutes per side.

4. Slice the pork and serve with the pineapple slices.

Nutrition Information per Serving:  270 calories, 5g fat (1.5g saturated), 140mg sodium, 25g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 30g protein, 25% vitamin C, 10% iron

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Last summer, we shared a recipe for grilled veggie kebabs. Brushed with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with kosher salt, they cook up in under 20 minutes.

If you have a favorite summer-time recipe, feel free to tell us all about it.

August 3, 2010 | Filed Under Dinner, Fruits, Podcast, Pork | 5 Comments 

Quinoa Breakfast Cereal

I don’t know about you, but it’s not too often my children request quinoa … especially for breakfast. But my son, Josh, who recently turned 15 and eats more at lunch than I do in an entire day, is pretty much hooked on a recipe for Quinoa Breakfast Cereal that I discovered in Debra Stark’s new cookbook, Blue Ribbon Edition.

This recipe is packed with high-quality protein and lots of good-for-you calories, so when Josh has it for breakfast, I feel good just knowing he’s starting the day off right. Janice and I promised to share this super-easy recipe with all of you a few weeks back … so here goes!

Quinoa Breakfast Cereal

Makes 3 Servings

  • 1 cup quinoa (I rinse it well in a mesh strainer)
  • 2 cups water or milk of any kind
  • 1 apple, diced (about 1 cup)
  • 1 tablespoon coconut flakes
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup almonds or walnuts, ground
  • 1 tablespoon ghee (I used unsalted butter)
  • Sweetener options: Maple syrup, honey, agave, or stevia

1. Combine quinoa and water or milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add apple, coconut, cinnamon, nuts, and ghee. Lower heat, cover pot and simmer about 15 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.

2. Serve with the sweetener of your choice. Note from Debra: Try adding raisins, dates, rosewater, cardamom, or whatever variation floats your boat.

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Quinoa is perfect for people following gluten-free diets or for anyone looking to add interesting, fiber-filled, protein-rich grains to their diet. If you have a favorite quinoa recipe, feel free to share!

July 7, 2010 | Filed Under Breakfast, Fruits, Grains | 13 Comments 

The Power of Probiotics (Podcast #109)

You may have heard of probiotics – “friendly” bacteria that may have some powerful health benefits.  Consuming foods swimming in bacteria might not sound appetizing … but when good bacteria like lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium are ingested, they may help to keep everything from our digestive systems to our immune systems healthy and strong. On this week’s Cooking with the Moms podcast we share tips and advice for getting more probiotics in your diet.

The typical person has more than 500 species of bacteria in their colon!  The key is to make sure that the beneficial bacteria outnumber the unfriendly ones that can cause problems.

This bacteria balancing act can be disrupted in two major ways:

1. Antibiotics kill off good bacteria as well as the bad ones so some health experts recommend consumption of probiotics to restore a healthy balance.

2. Disease-causing bacteria, yeasts, fungi, and parasites can upset the balance of bacteria in the digestive tract as well. Researchers are studying whether probiotics could fight the bugs that play a factor in conditions like:

  • Infectious diarrhea
  • Irritable bowel syndrome
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Infection with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a bacterium that causes most ulcers
  • Tooth decay and periodontal disease
  • Stomach and respiratory infections that children can get in daycare
  • Skin infections and eczema in children

One thing to remember is that different strains of probiotics have different benefits. Read the label to make sure the probiotic strain you’re using has been tested for the condition you’re hoping to help. Luckily, there are plenty of probiotic foods on the market to choose from including fermented foods like miso, tempeh, kefir, yogurt (Janice recently did some work on behalf of Dannon, maker of Activia and DanActive to educate consumers about the power of probiotics), GoodBelly probiotic juice drinks, ProBugs organic kefir for kids and more.

If you are interested in more information on the science behind probiotics check out the Dannon Probiotics Center and the National Institutes of Health National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

The Moms’ Party Punch

During our show this week we also talked about our weekend activities, especially Janice’s daughter Carolyn’s graduation party.  About 75 people stopped by to wish Carolyn well and to enjoy the festivities and food. The rainbow of fruit salad with watermelon stars (made by good friend Mary) and our new Party Punch (one of the recipes planned for our upcoming cookbook) were a big hit! Carolyn will be heading off to study neuroscience at Connecticut College in the fall and we’ll miss her recipe testing skills, among other things!

Rainbow of Fruit with Watermelon Stars

Congrats Carolyn!!

July 1, 2010 | Filed Under CulinaryAdventures, Fruits, Podcast | 3 Comments 

Nutrition for Young Athletes & a High-Energy Recipe for Date Bars

In celebration of the World Cup (go USA … but please, would somebody tell the fans to stop blowing those vuvuzela horns) it is with great pleasure that we welcome guest blogger, Nancy Clark, MS, RD. Nancy is a sports dietitian and author of the much-beloved athlete’s nutrition bible, Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook — among many other books!  In her most recent venture, Food Guide for Soccer, Nancy and her co-author, Gloria Averbuch, address a wide range of challenges associated with feeding your own avid athletes.  Without further adieu, here’s Nancy!

***

Calling all soccer parents.  If you are a soccer mom (or dad), you undoubtedly have questions on how to best fuel your young soccer players:

  • What should they eat before a game?
  • Should I give them a sports drink during games?
  • What’s best for recovery foods?
  • How can I manage family meals when soccer is in the middle of dinnertime?

In my new book, Food Guide for Soccer: Tips and Recipes from the Pros, I help parents and players alike understand how to eat for performance. The book is sprinkled with words of wisdom from members of Women Professional Soccer. Here are just a few tips from Nicole Barnhart, FC Gold Pride Goalkeeper:

“When I eat as healthy as possible, I feel better overall, and in the long run perform better.  My body is more resilient; I have rarely been sick since I started eating well-balanced meals throughout the day.”

“I like to make sure I get a good solid, well balanced meal about 3 to 4 hours prior to the game. Just prior to leaving for the game or in the locker room, I am a big fan of eating fruit (bananas and apples) with peanut butter, or I pack a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to take with me.”

“I enjoy creating my own smoothie for lunch.  I whip up some variation of fruit (strawberries, mixed berries, mango, bananas), peanut butter, ice, low-fat and low-sugar vanilla yogurt, and juice or soymilk.”

Food Guide for Soccer also includes winning recipes from all over the world. This recipe for Date Bars was contributed by Abby Wambach, Forward for the Washington Freedom.


Amy Wambach’s Date Bars (tested and tweaked a tad by The Meal Makeover Moms)
Makes 12 Servings

  • 1/4 cup butter or soft tub margarine (The Meal Makeover Moms used Smart Balance Omega-3 spread)
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 10 ounces dates, coarsely chopped
  • ½ cup flour, preferably half all-purpose and half whole wheat
  • ½ cup walnuts, finely chopped (optional)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil or coat a 9 x 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside (you can also use a 7 x 11-inch baking pan).

2. Place the butter or margarine in a medium-size microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave, about 30 seconds, until melted.  Whisk in the eggs and sugar until well combined. Stir in the dates until just combined.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, walnuts as desired, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder. Gently stir into the date mixture until well combined.

4. Spoon the batter into the baking pan. Bake about 30 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool before slicing.

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For more recipes and tips, visit Nancy Clark on her blog or website.

June 25, 2010 | Filed Under Desserts, Fruits, Snacks | 5 Comments 

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