Zoe Cuisine

Banana Whip

Looking for a sweet treat to beat the heat in this weather? When the temperature rises I turn straight to soft serve. Since it doesn't always make sense to pull the car out (yes I have to worry about being able to find a parking spot) at night to go to the local ice cream parlor, and I have yet to find a store bought soft serve to keep in the fridge that is any good, it means it is time to get creative. My nutrition instructor gave me a great idea for a healthy homemade soft serve substitute. Peel a few bananas, seal them in a plastic bag and pop them into the freezer until they are completely frozen. When they are ready, break them into a few smaller and more manageable pieces, and put them in a blender with about 1/4 cup non fat plain or vanilla yogurt (per 2 bananas). Blend until just mixed and you have a delicious and nutritious frozen fruit delight. Now this probably won't tame your cravings for cherry garcia or double chocolate brownie ice cream, but if you are a banana lover like I am then it will do just fine. The bananas make this super creamy and thick so it is the exact consistency of soft serve. I like to top mine with some raspberries or blueberries. Why not get a dose of antioxidants with your serving of potassium? If you need something a little sweeter try adding a little honey or mixing in some dark chocolate chips after blending. This is a great kid friendly dessert too. Let them help you use the blender and see how this favorite fruit can be transformed into a frosty whipped treat before their eyes.

Healthy Grilling

Now that summer has FINALLY arrived and appears to be sticking around for a while (knock on wood), everyone can dust off their grills and get cooking. There is nothing that makes me happier in the summer months than cooking and eating my food outside. Unfortunately we are no longer allowed grills on our decks in the city, so we literally must escape every weekend to some relative or friend's home to get our barbeque fix. Grilling has widely been accepted for some time as one of the healthiest cooking methods for seafood, meat and poultry because less fat is used. I often beeline right for the grilled chicken or shrimp salad on a restaurant menu thinking I am making the most health conscious decision. It turns out that this is only partly true. Through my nutrition class I have learned that the process of grilling meats creates certain hazardous chemicals that are carcinogenic when ingested. Nine different chemical compounds have been detected on grilled foods during research that the Department of Health and Human Services have deemed "reasonably expected to cause cancer in humans". Yikes!!! There are two ways that these chemicals, called HCAs and PAHs form. HCAs form on grilled meats and seafood as a result of high temperatures and long cooking times. PAHs form when the fat from meat drips onto the coals in the grill and causes flare ups. The compounds don't form on the meat, but instead are redeposited onto the food from the smoke and flare ups that are caused. Now the last thing I want to do is get people freaked out about their favorite summer past time, but I think that it is important to be aware of. The good news is that there are many ways to grill to reduce the incidence of these chemicals forming. Here is a list of healthy grilling tips from my nutrition instructor:

- Trim excess fat from meats before grilling to reduce the amount of dripping that can cause flare-ups

- Grill more foods like kabobs that use small pieces of meat that cook quickly and spend less time on the grill

- Marinate meats in citrus and/or garlic which research shows can reduce the formation of hazardous chemicals by up to 90%

- Use lots of fresh herbs in marinades which are natural antioxidants that protect your cells against carcinogens

- Grill more foods wrapped in foil

- Grill lots of vegetables which do not produce any unhealthy chemical byproducts

- Try not to grill foods for long amounts of time, avoid cooking meats to well done temperatures

Of course eating a well done steak or burger from the grill will not cause any immediate health problems. As with everything in life, moderation is key. I just wanted to pass along these easy and interesting tips for how to grill more safely and healthy this summer and beyond.

Roasted Shrimp Salad

This is yet another shrimp recipe from the Barefoot Contessa. I don't know what to say except that the lady knows her shrimp! I think the key to her recipes is the fact that she roasts the shrimp in the oven first in a little olive oil, salt and pepper to develop the flavor, rather than the boring old poaching method. This is a method that I have adopted for preparing shrimp for many occasions, from the standard shrimp cocktail to shrimp that I want to add to pasta or a salad. I gave Ina's shrimp salad recipe a little bit of a makeover by halving the amount of mayo used and substituting the other half with non-fat Fage Greek yogurt. I really don't think you miss any flavor by doing this, and your waistline will thank you. This salad is great served in the traditional way, on a toasted roll just like lobster or crab salad (in which case I would chop the shrimp and not leave them whole), or else just over some simple greens. Of course I added some sliced avocado, because it makes everything better, and if you are foregoing the bread you can live it up in other ways. This is a perfect summer supper and is great for entertaining. This would make a delicious light appetizer if you placed a scoop of the salad in an endive leaf.

Roasted Shrimp Salad Ingredients: 2 1/2 pounds (12-15 count preferably but you can use smaller) uncooked peeled and deveined shrimp 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt such as Fage 1 tablespoon orange zest (from 2 oranges) 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 1/4 minced fresh dill 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained 2 tablespoons red onion, finely diced salt and pepper Instructions: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the tails from the shrimp. Toss them with the olive oil and a little salt and pepper. Spread the shrimp in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 6-8 minutes or until firm, pink and cooked through. Allow to cool for about 3-5 minutes. You can leave the shrimp whole, or roughly chop each shrimp into 3-4 pieces.  Make the sauce by whisking the mayo, yogurt, zest, orange juice, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl until combined. Add the cooled shrimp and toss. Add the dill, capers and red onion and toss again. Let the salad sit at room temperature for about a half hour so the flavors improve if serving right away, or chill and serve at room temperature.  Serves 6. Recipe adapted from Ina Garten, 2008

View Printable Version

Get Your Sweet On

 

If you live in the Boston area you may or may not know of a little bakery called Sweet Tooth. Sweet Tooth was opened three years ago on West Broadway in South Boston, an area that not many people deemed an appropriate destination for a pretty little bakery. Luckily the bakery was ahead of the trend that was coming for the area. South Boston began a massive redevelopment around the same time as the bakery's opening with the advent of new retail shops, restaurants and luxury condos. The Whitey Bulger and Irish Mafia days are nearly a thing of the past. Yes there are still public housing projects and lots of bars, but there are also many young professionals, new families and businesses. Although the economy is in a slump, this little bakery is booming with business. I guess when times get tough people must want to "get their sweet on" as the bakery's slogan claims. 

Pesto Scramble

When I was growing up in a small suburb on the North Shore of Boston, the dining choices in the immediate area were pretty slim. Of course that has all changed and now you can find everything from fine dining to Bertucci's. But back then when we wanted to venture out for breakfast or brunch, we could choose a greasy spoon style diner, or else a family owned river side cafe called Chippers in the neighboring town of Ipswich. The diner made my mother cringe, so we always ended up at Chippers, as did most other residents. Since the restaurant was located right on the edge of the Ipswich River, it had great views and an abundance of ducks that we kids would feed with bread scraps that they supplied while we endured the long wait for a table. Unfortunately Chippers was flooded and went out of business at least ten years ago. A few new places have opened up across the street where flooding is much less of an issue. Although the food is great, they just aren't Chippers. What I miss most about Chippers, besides all the family memories, is a dish they served called the Pesto Scramble. You might think that pesto and eggs sounds like a weird concoction, but trust me the flavors work really well together. Since the ingredients in the dish weren't a secret - just eggs, pesto, tomatoes and cheese - I have been whipping up my own pesto scrambles for a while now. This is a great quick meal idea for breakfast, brunch or lunch. I find that it is an excellent way to use up any leftover pesto you might have since you only need a tablespoon or so depending on how many people you are cooking for. You could switch red peppers or spinach for the tomatoes, or omit adding any vegetables at all. I think parmesan, provolone, asiago or cheddar are the best cheeses to experiment with. These eggs are great served on their own, on toast, with some hash brown potatoes or just a simple green salad. 

Pesto Scramble Ingredients: 2-3 eggs 1/3 cup diced plum tomatoes, seeded, or quartered cherry or plum tomatoes with seeds 2 tablespoons shredded cheese of your choice 1 tablespoon pesto salt and pepper Instructions: Crack eggs into a bowl and whisk together. Add a little salt and pepper. Heat a small skillet over medium heat until hot, then spray liberally with cooking spray (you can also use butter or olive oil). Add the tomatoes and cook until the skins are just blistered, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and scramble as you normally would. When the eggs are set but still a little runny, add the cheese and pesto and stir to combine. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper before serving. Serves 1.

Cinnamon, Super Spice?

I recently began taking a series of online nutrition classes so that I can more fully understand the health benefits (or lack thereof) of foods when cooking. My hope is that I will be able to teach individual cooking lessons to clients, and with a background in nutrition I will be better able to tailor menu choices and meal planning to their specific needs. I have always been interested in learning about nutrition and eating healthy foods, so much so that I even applied to switch majors in college from liberal arts to nutrition. I got scared by the lengthy list of science courses that were required, including organic chemistry, so I ended up majoring in economics instead. If I had only known then what a role food would be playing in my life, I definitely would have suffered through organic chemistry!