Apple-Cinnamon Fruit Bars

These easy apple-cinnamon fruit bars are delicious— perfect for parties or tea.

Total Time: 2 3/4 hours (including 1 1/2 hours cooling time)

Ingredients (18 bars )

Crust

• 1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds or hazelnuts) or old-fashioned rolled oats, divided
• 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour (see Tip below)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Fruit Filling

• 6 cups diced peeled apples, divided
• 1/2 cup apple cider or orange juice
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

1. To prepare crust: Combine 3/4 cup nuts (or oats), whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar and salt in a food processor; pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Add butter; pulse until well incorporated.
2. Whisk egg, oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla and almond extract in a small bowl. With the motor running, add the mixture to the food processor. Process, then pulse, scraping down the sides, if necessary, until the mixture begins to clump, 30 to 45 seconds (it will look crumbly). Measure out 1/2 cup of the mixture and combine in a bowl with the remaining 1/4 cup chopped nuts (or oats). Set aside for the topping.
3. Preheat oven to 400°F. Generously coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
4. To prepare fruit filling & assemble bars: Combine 4 cups apples, cider (or orange juice), sugar and cornstarch in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is very thick, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 cups apples, cinnamon and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
5. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking dish. Spread evenly and press firmly into the bottom to form a crust. Spread the fruit filling over the crust.. Sprinkle the reserved topping over the filling.
6. Bake the bars for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350° and bake until the crust and topping are lightly brown, 25 to 30 minutes more. Let cool completely before cutting into bars, at least 1 1/2 hours.

• Tip: Lower in protein than regular whole-wheat flour, whole-wheat pastry flour is milled from soft wheat and has less gluten-forming potential, making it a better choice for tender baked goods. You can find it in the natural-foods section of large supermarkets and natural-foods stores. Store in the freezer.

Nutrition

Per bar: 193 calories; 9 g fat ( 2 g sat , 2 g mono ); 19 mg cholesterol; 27 g carbohydrates; 11 g added sugars; 3 g protein; 2 g fiber; 69 mg sodium; 74 mg potassium.

Sesame Chicken Salad

Toss some crunch into your salad with Chinese noodles and say goodbye to unhealthy Chinese take out forever!

Ingredients (4 servings)

• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup dark low-sodium soy
• 1/2 cup sweet hot mustard
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 pounds chicken breast tenders
• Black pepper

• 5 to 6 ounces mixed baby greens, 1 bag
• 1 /4 English or seedless cucumber, halved lengthwise then thinly sliced on an angle
• 1 /2 cup shredded carrots, a couple of handfuls
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle
• 1 each of Green and yellow bell peppers, sliced thin
• 1/4 pound snow peas, sliced on an angle
• Chinese noodles for garnish, perhaps leftover from take out, optional

Directions

·         Combine syrup, soy and sweet hot mustard in a bowl.

·         Season chicken tenders with salt and pepper on both sides. Add chicken tenders to 1/2 of the marinade and coat. Set aside. Reserve the remaining 1/2 for dressing.

·         Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.

·         Spread sesame seeds on a sheet of waxed paper or into a shallow dish. Waxed paper will speed your clean up. Dip the tenders into the sesame seeds.

·         Coat the pan with a thin layer of oil. Cook chicken in small batches 3 minutes on each side and remove to plate.

·         Whisk ginger, vinegar and the reserved marinade together then stream in the oil while you are continuing to whisk dressing. 

Combine all of the salad ingredients in a bowl. Toss with dressing and serve, topping with sesame chicken tenders.

Tuna & Tomatoes Provencal

I eat a lot of tuna and this dish from the Mediterranean area of Southern France is delicious!

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients (4 servings)

• 2 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic, or red-wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 6-ounce cans white albacore tuna, packed in water, drained and flaked
• 1/2 cup diced roasted red peppers
• 1/4 cup chopped pitted black olives
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives, or scallion greens
• 2 tablespoons drained capers
• 4 large vine-ripened tomatoes
• Several fresh basil leaves for garnish

Preparation

1. Mash garlic and salt into a paste; transfer to a large bowl. Add oil, vinegar, lemon juice and black pepper. Whisk until well blended. Add tuna, red peppers, olives, chopped basil, chives (or scallions) and capers. Toss gently to combine.
2. Slice tomatoes 1/2 inch thick and arrange on a serving platter. Sprinkle tuna mixture evenly over tomatoes. Let stand 20 minutes to let flavors meld. Garnish with whole basil leaves just before serving.

Nutrition

Per serving: 180 calories; 6 g fat ( 1 g sat , 4 g mono ); 35 mg cholesterol; 10 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 18 g protein; 2 g fiber; 342 mg sodium; 317 mg potassium.

** Be sure to buy domestic albacore to keep the mercury to a minimum.

Pineapple-Raspberry Parfaits

You won't mind serving dessert on a busy weeknight after assembling these quick parfaits.

Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients (4 servings)

• 2 8-ounce containers (2 cups) nonfat peach yogurt
• 1/2 pint fresh raspberries, (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups fresh, frozen or canned pineapple chunks

Preparation

Divide and layer yogurt, raspberries and pineapple into 4 glasses.

Nutrition

Per serving: 109 calories; 0 g fat ( 0 g sat , 0 g mono ); 2 mg cholesterol; 23 g carbohydrates; 5 g protein; 3 g fiber; 58 mg sodium; 113 mg potassium.

Mediterranean Apple Dessert

Ingredients: (4 servings)

• 1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup chopped almonds
• 2 cup chopped peeled apples

Preparation:

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat egg and sugar together until creamy. Stir in sifted dry ingredients, blending well. Stir in vanilla, chopped nuts, and chopped apples.

Spoon batter into a well-greased 10-inch pie plate and bake at 350° for 35 minutes. Sprinkle more nuts over the top, if desired, and serve warm.

Italian Hazelnut Cookies

These crispy cookies are made with Piedmont, Italy staples—hazelnuts and eggs—and called Brutti Ma Buoni which literally means “Ugly But Good.” They’re really more plain-looking than “ugly,” and pack a wonderful, sweet, nutty burst of flavor, making them welcome at any table.

Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients (About 2 dozen cookies)

• 2 cups hazelnuts, toasted and skinned (see Tip)
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 4 large egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Position 2 racks as close to the center of the oven as possible; preheat to 325°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.
2. Pulse nuts and sugar in a food processor until finely ground. Scrape into a large bowl.
3. Beat egg whites and salt in another large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the nut mixture. Add vanilla and gently but thoroughly mix until combined.
4. Drop the batter by the tablespoonful 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
5. Bake the cookies until golden brown, switching the pans back to front and top to bottom halfway through, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Gently transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. When the baking sheets are thoroughly cooled, repeat with the remaining batter.

• Tip: To toast whole hazelnuts on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 7 to 9 minutes. Let the nuts cool for a few minutes, then rub together in a clean kitchen towel to remove most of the papery skins. 
• Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Nutrition

Per cookie: 88 calories; 5 g fat ( 0 g sat , 4 g mono ); 0 mg cholesterol; 10 g carbohydrates; 2 g protein; 1 g fiber; 46 mg sodium; 61 mg potassium.

Take the Eat Right America 28-Day Challenge sponsored by Whole Foods Market and get your Nutrition Prescription for FREE!

Sign up online to receive your FREE Nutrition Prescription: www.EatRightAmericaChallenge.com and enter access code: CERAFLCGB

What is the 28-Day Challenge?

This lifestyle-changing challenge encourages participants to take a 28-day pledge to the five cornerstones of healthy eating:

1)      A large salad every day
2)      At least a half-cup serving of beans/legumes in soup, salad or a dish once daily
3)      At least 3 fresh fruits a day
4)      At least one ounce of raw nuts and seeds a day
5)      At least one large serving of steamed green vegetables daily

What is the Nutrition Prescription?

After filling out a brief survey, you’ll be directed to your personal diet/nutrition breakdown which will include some graphic representations of your diet versus the typical American diet, your current versus proposed daily servings of healthy foods, your current versus maximum allowed weekly intake of fats/bad foods, your blood chemistry breakdown including cholesterol, blood pressure readings and an overall health rating. Then you’ll get a health risk assessment of your personalized possibilities of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and bone fracture risks. On top of all of that, you’ll receive a personalized eating plan…all FREE! Pretty cool!

The Nutrition Prescription is a free online nutritional assessment that offers a personalized approach to healthy eating based on indvidual biometrics and eating habits. The personalized tool includes:

• Nutrient analysis
• Health risk evaluation
• Daily eating plan
• 30-days of step-by-step email support

Crunches

Try these crunches instead of traditional sit-ups. They work great on the abdominal muscles without straining the neck or back.

Lie on the floor and do a set of traditional crunches, with your arms behind your head and your knees bent.

• Start by lying face up on the floor with knees bent.
• The movement begins by curling or ‘crunching’ the shoulders towards the pelvis.
• When in full crunch position, hold for 5 seconds.
• Lower back to the floor and repeat.

Crunch Variations

• The reverse crunch is a crunch done with the legs instead of the chest.

• The twisting crunch is performed by lifting one shoulder at a time. More emphasis is placed on the obliques.
• The Thai crunch is performed by hitting the stomach after full contraction. This variation is used by Muay Thai fighters to condition the core to take hits from punches or knees.
• The bicycle crunch is performed by bringing together alternating elbows and knees, resulting in a leg motion similar to pedaling a bicycle. The bicycle crunch is the most effective in targeting the rectus abdominis and the obliques, according to a study done by the American Council on Exercise.

Shrimp Saganaki-Style

Shrimp top a delicious sauté of fennel, scallions and feta in this version of saganaki. A saganaki is a shallow, two-handled skillet that is one of the most traditional cooking vessels in Greece. Saganaki is also the name of the fried cheese, made in the pan, which is one of Greece's most famous appetizers.


4 servings
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 12 jumbo shrimp, (6-8 per pound), peeled and deveined, tails left on
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium bulb fennel, cored and finely chopped
• 5 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 small chili pepper, such as jalapeño or Serrano, seeded and minced
• 1/2 cup Chardonnay, preferably Greek
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparation

1. Toss shrimp with 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a medium bowl and sprinkle with salt.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet (or “saganaki” pan) over medium heat. Add fennel, scallions and chile pepper and cook, stirring, until soft and beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour in wine. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Place the shrimp on top of the fennel mixture, cover and cook until the shrimp are pink and just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3. Transfer the shrimp to a plate. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice, feta and pepper to the pan and stir until the cheese begins to melt, about 1 minute. Serve the shrimp atop the fennel mixture.

Tips & Notes

• Ingredient note: Shrimp is usually sold by the number needed to make 1 pound. For example, “6-8 count” means there will be 6 to 8 shrimp in a pound. Shrimp that size are usually labeled “jumbo.” Prawns will also work well in this recipe.

Nutrition

Per serving: 239 calories; 9 g fat ( 4 g sat , 4 g mono ); 227 mg cholesterol; 8 g carbohydrates; 26 g protein; 2 g fiber; 631 mg sodium; 540 mg potassium.

Side Bends

Tones: obliques (side muscles of your abs)

·        Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, holding a 5 lb dumbbell in each hand, with your palms facing your body. (Two gallon bottles of water can be substituted for the dumbbells)

·        Lean your torso to the right as far as you can, while lowering the dumbbell along your right thigh, stopping when the weight is just above your knee, as pictured above.

·        Don't bend or strain your neck sideways. Instead, keep your head and neck in line with the trunk of your body as much as possible.

·        Slowly lift your body and the dumbbell back to the starting position, then repeat the move on your left side to complete one set. 

Complete 3 sets of 20. If you don't have the weights, do the exercise anyway!

Blackened Salmon Sandwich

Blackened salmon is great in a sandwich with a spread of mashed avocado and low-fat, olive oil mayonnaise. Add peppery arugula leaves, cool tomato slices and zesty red onion and you’ve got a sandwich delicioso! If you grill Cajun-style salmon there is no need for any added cooking oil.

4 servings
Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound skinless salmon fillet, cut into 4 portions
• 2 teaspoons blackening or Cajun seasoning
• 1 small avocado, pitted
• 2 tablespoons low-fat Olive Oil mayonnaise
• 4 crusty whole-wheat rolls, split and toasted (or 8 slices of good, dense whole-grain bread)
• 1 cup arugula
• 2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

Preparation

1. Oil grill rack (see Tip); preheat grill to high.
2. Rub salmon on both sides with blackening (or Cajun) seasoning. Grill until cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
3. Mash avocado and mayonnaise in a small bowl.
4. To assemble sandwiches, spread some of the avocado-mayo mixture on each roll and top with salmon, arugula, tomato and onion.

• Grill Tip: To oil a grill rack, oil a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. (Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.) When grilling delicate foods like fish, it is helpful to lightly spray the food with cooking spray.

Nutrition

Per serving: 414 calories; 14 g fat ( 2 g sat , 6 g mono ); 65 mg cholesterol; 43 g carbohydrates; 33 g protein; 6 g fiber; 775 mg sodium; 756 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Fiber (24% daily value), Potassium (22% dv), Vitamin C (18% dv), Folate (15% dv), good source of omega-3s.

7 Must-Have Nutrients in Your Diet

The USDA says American adults don't get enough of seven essential nutrients, so here they are in no particular order. Take a close look and you’ll notice that every one of these foods is an essential par of the Mediterranean diet: fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, nuts and whole grains.

Potassium: Lower Blood Pressure

Potassium is a key nutrient. Studies show that potassium can help keep blood pressure healthy. Potassium also supports fertility and muscle and nerve function. But while potassium is in lots of foods naturally -- like potatoes, sweet potatoes, and bananas -- many Americans still aren't getting enough.

Magnesium: Prevent Disease

Low magnesium levels have been linked with health problems like osteoporosis, high blood pressure, diabetes, muscle cramps, and heart disease. Some people, such as the elderly, people with stomach or intestinal problems, or those who regularly drink alcohol, are at risk for having low magnesium levels. So eat your spinach -- and your beans, peas, and nuts (especially almonds). They could do a lot for your health.

Vitamin A: Up Your Beta-Carotene

There are two types of vitamin A: retinol and carotenoids, like beta-carotene. It's the latter -- found in foods like sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, winter squash, and fortified cereals -- that we're missing. It can be a problem: Vitamin A is key in supporting good vision, healthy immunity, and tissue growth.

Vitamin E: Healthy Fat Benefits

Vitamin E is an antioxidant that's important for immunity, healthy skin, and good vision; it may reduce plaque buildup in blood vessels. It tends to show up in foods with higher levels of fat like almonds, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, and oils such as safflower and sunflower oil. If you cut down on fat for health reasons, be sure to get enough healthy fats.

Calcium: More Than Strong Bones

You probably know that calcium is good for bones. But that's not all. Calcium helps maintain muscle function and heart rhythm. It might even help prevent high blood pressure. Dairy is a good source, but has too much bad fat, so eat foods like salmon and tofu are, too.

Vitamin C: Immunity Booster?

Can vitamin C prevent the common cold? Maybe not. But some studies suggest it can shorten the duration of symptoms. This vitamin, found in many citrus fruits and vegetables, has other benefits, too. It boosts the growth of bone and tissue. As an antioxidant, it might also help protect cells from damage.

Fiber: Bulk Up

Fiber from whole grains, beans, and leafy greens has loads of health benefits. It helps lower cholesterol and improve bowel regularity. It might lower the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers. And it's great for people trying to lose a few pounds. High-fiber foods are often filling and low in calories. It may, however, decrease the absorption of medications and supplements if they are taken at the same time so stagger any meds apart from the time your going to eat these foods.