Recipes and Foods

Cooking and Recipe Library

Diet & Body — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 09:49:00 +0000

Appetizers, sandwiches, chicken wings, breads, cookies, deep fry, 450 crock pot dishes, 350 salads, 200 Great Gifts In A Jar, 600 chocolate recipes, even Amish recipes! In Culinary Delights you will find 220 sumptuous and inventive recipes created by some of the finest chefs - all for just $19.95 -- plus 6 bonus books! - click here to order them all!

Click on any image to order all these cookbooks
	As the enticing beginning to any meal or as snacks for the big game, appetizers are the chance for a cook to show off there imagination and creativity. With a selection of 150 taste tempting recipes, suitable for any occasion or skill level, from the familiar to the more exotic, The Appetizer Collection opens up endless possibilities and brings together a great range of dinner starters that will help you lead off any dining experience in style. Order entire collection - click here

	Have you just arrived home from a long work day and want to prepare something simple? You look in the refrigerator and the only thing that looks easy is the not-so-tasty frozen dinners? So instead you hop in the car and it's off to the fast food restaurant. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to prepare something that was tasty yet simple? With Quick And Easy Cooking you can! 155 easy to prepare yet tasty recipes that you and the family will love. Order entire collection - click here

	The Sandwich... it's a meal between two slices of bread. Sandwiches are great for an easy-going, laid back meal. If you are tired of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, then Great Sandwiches is the sandwich recipe eBook for you! Order entire collection - click here

	Chocolate is the ultimate indulgence and Chocolate Recipes For Chocolate Lovers is the ultimate chocolate cookbook. Chocolate Recipes For Chocolate Lovers delivers more than 600 of the best recipes from cookies and cakes to candies and truffles, this eBook is pure chocolate satisfaction for chocolate lovers everywhere. The diversity of the recipes make this the perfect cookbook for any chocolate fanatic! Order entire collection - click here

	Your family and friends will be delighted with these thoughtful gifts straight from your own kitchen. With this unique ebook you will have over 200 recipes for gift jars filled with the ingredients to make delicious cakes, cookies, soups and chilis, Gift-giving has never been this much fun and so easy. Great Gifts In A Jar is the ultimate resource for inexpensive gifts you can give for any occasion. Here are just a few of the recipes you will find inside Great Gifts In A Jar: Order entire collection - click here

	Who can pass up a big dish of chicken wings? Spicy, crunchy, and delicious, they're simply irresistible. The Ultimate Chicken Wing Cookbook is the definitive collection of recipes for the chicken wing lover. Filled with easy, addictive recipes that run from classic to exotic, you will discover some of the BEST chicken wing recipes in the world! Your family and friends won't touch fast food once they have tasted just some of these wings. The Ultimate Chicken Wing Cookbook contains 101 of the best chicken wing recipes. Order entire collection - click here

	If you own a bread machine, this is the book you need, with over 150 fantastic recipes for every make of machine. Breadmaker machines have become enormously popular in recent years and it is not difficult to understand why, when you can simply pop in the ingredients and let the machine make fabulous bread for you. Although all machines come with a basic manual and some recipes, they barely scratch the surface of what is possible. The Ultimate Bread Machine Cookbook will enable you to get the best possible use from your machine. Order entire collection - click here

	Everybody loves cookies. Is there anyone without a memory of their favorite fresh from the oven cookies with milk? With The Big Book Of Cookies you can bring back these great memories or create some new ones, and with The Big Book Of Cookies you will have over 200 cookie recipes to chose from. Whether for holiday treats or just to fill the cookie jar, you will find a cookie that will fill the bill. From the old-fashioned, most requested to the newest and easiest bar cookies, this collection has it all! Order entire collection - click here

	Prepare yourself for the ultimate taste treat! Throw aside that diet book and join the hot craze that is deep-frying! 101 Recipes For The Deep Fryer will acquaint you with great recipes for cooking in a deep fryer. The high cooking temperature of deep frying seals in flavor and texture and seals out extra fat, resulting in juicy, succulent meats, crunchy vegetables, and satisfying breads and desserts. Order entire collection - click here

	More than any other dish, the unique flavors of a salad is the perfect accompaniment to an elaborate dinner. The simple combination of fresh ingredients in a salad can be more impressive than even the most elegant dish. The Ultimate Salad Recipe Collection gives you more than 350 easy-to-follow recipes, including both classic favorites and fresh new ideas. Inside you'll find salads designed to suit any occasion throughout the year -- from a summer barbecue to an elegant dinner with family or friends. Order entire collection - click here

	Amish cooking has become ingrained into traditional American cooking. Chances are, growing up your grandmother or your mother prepared a dish or two that was based on a traditional Amish recipe and you didn't even know it. You just knew that you found it delicious. Order entire collection - click here

	You've been warned . . . Cheesecake is a Sinfully Delicious Melt In Your Mouth Dessert! Smooth and Rich, cheesecake is the most tasteful and unforgettable way to end a dinner meal. Now with Deliciously Decadent Cheescake Recipes, you can easily treat yourself to a delicious homemade slice of heaven or try some of these gourmet cheesecake recipe ideas with friends or family. Order entire collection - click here

	Chicken is one of America's favorite foods and many different dishes can be created with Chicken! With this collection of Chicken Recipes your sure to find something everyone in your family will like! You'll find recipes in here for Casseroles, Enchiladas, Appetizers, Pot Pies, and more. Order entire collection - click here

	The recipes in the Classic Dessert Collection are the most requested, most popular and most memorable desserts. If you're looking for a cookbook with sure-to-please desserts this one is a winner. With over 400 recipes from Ambrosia to Zwetschgendatschi, from favorites to traditional, we are quite sure this is the only dessert collection you will ever need. Most of the recipes are are quite easy to make, a great cookbook whether you're a novice cook or an expert. Order entire collection - click here

	I know that a lot of you have at least one of these efficient and time saving appliances hidden away somewhere in your kitchen collecting dust. You probably thought that the crock pot was just for making soups or stews. Well guess what, you can make delicious meals your family will love with less effort using a crock pot. Order entire collection - click here

	A great chef is like an artist using their inspiration and talents to create masterpieces in food. In Culinary Delights you will find 220 sumptuous and inventive recipes created by some of the finest chefs. If you admire great food, then Culinary Delights is sure to inspire the great chef in you and prove that spectacular cooking that everyone loves at first bite, can be done at home, in your very own kitchen! Order entire collection - click here

	"Delicioius Diabetic Recipes" gives you an awesome collection of over 500 recipes! You'll find recipes for things you may have thought you couldn't have any more, like Fudge, Cakes and Cookies. Well the good news is you can still have all those things you just need some recipes that tell you how to make them! You don't even have to be a Diabetic to enjoy these recipes, anyone wanting to cut down on the sugar in their diet will benefit from these recipes! Order entire collection - click here

	Homemade Ice Cream has not lost any of its good, old-fashioned appeal. In 131 Ice Cream Maker Recipes, there is a delicious homemade ice cream to meet every need: regular, low calorie, sugar free and non-dairy, Anyone can make a homemade ice cream to suit their need. Ice cream fills a useful place in homes throughout the country. It is a favourite for desserts or snacks incorporating an array of many flavour variations. With the recipes provided, everyone will be able to enjoy some type of this taste tempting food. So let's mix up a batch of ice cream for anyone and everyone to enjoy! Order entire collection - click here

	Now you can enjoy the many, unique flavors of Mexican food in your own home. With Recipes From South Of The Border you will find the finest examples of culinary creativity from this intriguing and vibrant country.

	It's a fact that food just tastes better outdoors. Now with 101 Camping & Outdoor Recipes, even campers who have never cooked anything more complicated than S'mores can make great meals and snacks over the campfire. You no longer need to sacrifice eating well just because you are not in your home kitchen. 101 Camping & Outdoor Recipes provides you with 101 delicious, and easy-to-prepare recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner that are sure to make you a hit around the campfire. Order entire collection - click here

	Make great tasting and inexpensive jams, easily, at home without the preservatives and chemicals you will find in the store-bought brands. 120 Lip-Smacking Good Jam Recipes is full of easy to make recipes for preserves as well as a section covering the basics of jam making. Enjoy these delicious jams on toast, in sandwiches or to top off your favorite ice cream. Order entire collection - click here

	Make fun and delicious recipes with your family! Do you want to spend more time with your kids? Then let them join you in the kitchen, creating fun foods that they will love. Kids Fun Recipes is a collection of simple and easy to follow recipes that kids of all ages will enjoy. Order entire collection - click here

	These Wonderful Ole Timey Recipes Will Provide You With Many Years Of Pleasant Fundraising And Baking Pleasure. Delectable recipes from the 1800's will have you baking wonderful treats and biscuits that will make even your worst critics' mouths water! In "The Bread And Biscuit Baker's And Sugar-Boiler's Assistant" you'll find delightful, easy to follow instructions for baking all types of delicious breads, cakes, candies, crumpets, custards, ice creams and even lozenges! Order entire collection - click here

	Vegetables are something we all know we're supposed to eat a lot of because they're good for us, but they can be bland and boring if not prepared in a tasteful way! With these delicious recipes your family will be asking for a second helping of vegetables! Here's just a small sampling of just some of the recipes you'll find in this ebook. Order entire collection - click here

Healthy Raw Food for Beginners

Diet & Body — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 10:14:00 +0000

By Karl Ross

Raw food has become very popular these days for some very good reasons. I will attend several of them in this article. Raw food is a vegetarian food which is not baked, cooked or heated over 48 Celsius, about 120 Fahrenheit, degrees. Raw food can be categorized into four main groups: vegetables and fruits, sprouts of all kinds, dehydrated breads and fruits, and fermented food with friendly germs. In this article I will discuss how one should start to consume raw food for healthy raw food diet.

It is a known fact that since 1500 BC famous people consumed raw food among them you can find: Leonardo de Vinci, Russo, Hippocrates, Tolstoy, and many more. Today many famous people follow their footsteps and consume raw food as a healthier way of life and maintaining great appearance as a bonus.

Before we start consuming raw food we need to better understand the biggest advantage in eating living food. In one word: Enzymes. When the food is heated over 48 degrees all enzymes died and we loose their blessed work. Enzymes are created by our body to support it in some of the most crucial tasks our body performs. They help in adjusting the food and consume less food but enjoy better feeding. Unlike heavy cooked food which is less nutritious.

One of the most important side affects of consuming raw food is maintaining balanced body weight. This is not the subject of this article but over weight problems are well known: blood pressure, heart disease, etc. We can benefit from the following if we keep in normal weight: improved immunity system, better night sleep, higher energy, and better digestion system, avoid skin disease, less fat in your blood, and live longer.

Another important element is consuming the correct blend of foods without mixing wrong types of foods. It is important to avoid mixing of vegetables and fruits, sweet fruits and sour fruits, fat and fruits. The reason is that every food group is digested by a different enzyme. The mixing could relate to a swollen stomach and unpleasant heavy feeling and an urge to take a nap while you have just eaten and should feel a live and energetic.

I hope that by now you are convinced that consuming raw food could change your life for the better. But how should you start consuming raw food? Here are few quick tips on how should you start to change your diet:

1) Instead of taking foods out, start with adding raw foods to your diet.

2) Drink only natural squeezed juices. Especially green juice made from celery, cucumber, and green leafs. (Try cucumber, celery, green leafs, some ginger, and ¼ of lemon).

3) Start your lunch and dinner with a big salad. Add nuts and seeds.

4) Start eating nuts, almonds, and seeds as snacks. Or some fruit.

5) Start to remove slowly processed food. At start 20 percent raw and 80 percent not and slowly change the relation.

Please note that in time when you start consuming only raw food your body will start to clean all toxics and it could be accompanied by bad breath, gazes, etc. This is normal and a sign that your body is getting one step closer to a healthy clean state.

Please consult your doctor before performing any change to your diet to make sure your diet fits your medical condition.

I am a Combination of realistic computer science engineer and an autodidact of Health & Fitness. I have had gone through some medical situations and found out some unusual solutions to them. I would like to share these with other peoples. If I could improve even one person's life I will be more that satisfied and considered my job done.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com Karl Ross

Fruits: good or bad for fat loss?

Diet & Body — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:48:00 +0000

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer
Truth About Abs

There's no debate that fruit is good for you with the large amounts of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and enzymes. However, there does seem to be a debate out there about whether fruit is good or bad for fat loss.

Some people claim that fruit is mostly sugar, so it will spike your blood sugar and insulin levels and prevent fat loss.

I disagree.

I do agree that fruit juices and processed canned fruit are NOT good choices and CAN hamper your fat loss.

However, whole fresh fruit is an entirely different story.

Yes, fruit is mostly made up of sugar (natural fructose and other sugars). However, whole fresh fruit also contains a good dose of fiber to keep the digestion of those sugars at a moderate pace and control blood sugar. A typical orange, apple, pear, or peach typically contains 3-5 grams of fiber depending on the size.

In addition, the sugars in whole fresh fruit typically have much lower glycemic responses than processed sugars or refined starches in white breads and cereals.

Also, it would be VERY hard for you to eat enough quantities of whole fresh fruit to ingest any significant amount of calories. Consider that those typical sized oranges, apples, pears, and peaches usually average between 60-100 calories each.

You could eat a couple cookies, cakes, or a donut and eat 500 calories without even thinking about it. However, to try to get 500 calories from whole fresh fruit, you'd have to eat 5-8 pieces of medium sized fruit in one sitting... this is pretty hard to do as that's a high volume of food in general for most people.

My point of this is that a couple servings of whole fresh fruit daily (preferrably organic if possible) are not going to ruin your fat loss efforts. In fact, it will usually help due to the fiber and high nutrient density of fruits, so they help to stave off cravings for other sweets.

My top rated fruits: any and all berries... blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, etc... they generally have some of the highest ratios of fiber to total carbohydrates, and also have the highest quantities of antioxidants.

However, each type of fruit has specific nutrients that others may lack, so don't be afraid to mix up your fruit intake for variety and to keep yourself interested. A couple of my favorites are kiwi, fresh whole pineapple, yellow mangos, and whole pomegranate.

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Nutrition Tools & Trends

Diet & Body — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 10:58:00 +0000

By Susan Burke MS, RD, LD/N, CDE
Contributor
Get help losing weight with eDiets

We're winding down toward 2007 and for this final column of the year, I'd like to feature some important nutrition news, including information on a couple of products I sampled recently.

Some trends have fallen by the wayside, especially "ow carb" packaged food, and the "glycemic index" has replaced "ow carb" as the nutrition trend of 2006.

New York City's Board of Health's brave ban of trans fats in restaurant food will set the bar for the rest of the country to follow. All NYC restaurants with standard menu items must make calorie information publicly available at the point of purchase by posting it on menus and menu boards. When you can see that your large latte has more calories than a bagel with a “schmear," it may help you make a better choice.

Nutrition Trends

Low Carb
In 2006, the marketplace saw fewer low-carb products, and even the Atkins program has discontinued marketing "ow-carb breads" and other substitutes for grain-based foods. In 2003, the low-carb craze was at its zenith, and when I saw low-carb pasta and even beer, I thought it wouldn't be long until the bubble burst. After all, as Marion Nestle said, "ow-carb pasta is an oxymoron."

"ow-carb pastas" and breads are still available in the marketplace, made from soy flour, generally, but they're a poor substitute for good ol' semolina. Most wheat flour substitutes have a pasty, gummy texture and are tasteless. Ultimately they were the undoing of many manufacturers, who were left with unsold inventory when the low-carb fad vanished.

Meal-replacement bars and shakes full of sugar alcohols and too much sucralose were sickeningly sweet and not calorie-free; consumers complained about gastric distress, and wanted their money back.

Still, carbs continue to be bandied around in diet speak. And if people eat fewer refined carbs and switch to whole grains and more servings of fruits and vegetables, that's a good thing (more about the glycemic index below).

The Atkins company's shakes, bars and candy fit into its graduated approach to low-carb living. Unlike other “carb-free" products on the market, Atkins' contains zero grams of trans fat, and Atkins shakes have only 2 grams of sugar alcohols. If you're sensitive to sugar alcohols, watch out because candies contain up to 9 grams per serving.

Low GI
As "low carb" loses favor, the glycemic index is the fad du jour. "ow GI" labels are showing up on more packaged foods, and restaurants are advertising "ow glycemic index" meals, as they try and stay current with diet trends. The glycemic index reflects the way a food affects blood glucose. High-GI foods usually are refined carbs, such as juice and white rice. Low-GI foods are whole grains, unrefined breads and cereals and combination foods.

Although the glycemic index is highly variable and not well-accepted by most health experts (the American Diabetes Association, for example, prefers people choose foods based on portion size and nutritional value, including grams of fiber per serving), the glycemic index continues as a trend for 2006.

The launch of “GI" products is especially strong in the UK and even stronger in Australia. According to NutraIngredients.com, by June of 2005, 19 low-GI products were launched in Australia, 13 in the UK, and only nine in the United States. And low-GI foods and restaurant menu meals grow in popularity. Punch “glycemic index" into Amazon.com, and see the extent of the latest diet fad -- more than 1,500 titles, including books, magazines and articles are available for purchase.

eDiets ' Glycemic Impact plan uses the best information about foods and balance. Rather than the unreliable glycemic index (after all, a chocolate bar has a lower GI than does mango or baked potato), our Glycemic Impact program is balanced nutritionally (approximately 40-percent unrefined carbs, 30-percent lean protein and 30-percent healthy unsaturated fats), offers high-fiber whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and avoids processed foods.

Eat Organic
Organic foods are increasingly popular, perceived as healthier and safer than conventional foods. Just-foods.com reports that U.S. organic food sales totaled nearly $14 billion in 2005, representing 2.5 percent of all retail sales of food, and it cites the Organic Trade Association's 2006 Manufacturer Survey that projects sales of organic foods to reach nearly $16 billion by the end of 2006.

Organic-food purchases increased in virtually all the major categories. Fruits and vegetables sales grew by 44 percent over the past year. Milk and other dairy products increased by 30 percent. Cereals, breads and pastas were up 29 percent. Sales of organic meats and poultry and packaged foods, such as snacks and beverages, grew by 26 percent. Organic eggs went up 21 percent, while organic soups and sauces increased by 16 percent over the past year.

The Department of Agriculture regulates the “organic" claim, and 95 percent of the ingredients in products that carry the "USDA organic" label must be farmed without the use of chemicals, hormones, pesticides or any method regarded as harmful to the environment. Since organic foods may be contaminated by pathogens in “natural" fertilizers, and may also be contaminated by human handling, treat organic food as you would any food and wash it carefully before eating. Also, avoid cross-contamination by using separate cutting boards for meat, poultry and produce, and sterilize utensils before putting them away.

Trans Fat
Since January of 2006, all food manufacturers are required to list the amount of trans fat contained in one serving of food. New York City's Board of Health just passed a regulation that all restaurants need to switch to trans-fat-free cooking oils by next July and eliminate all trans fat from their menu within 18 months. You'll still be able to buy foods containing trans fat in NYC -- from grocery stores and even from restaurants that may sell the foods in the manufacturer's original packaging (think plastic-wrapped crackers made with hydrogenated shortening). But since the information is listed on the package, a smart consumer can read the label and make an educated choice.

By the way, many of the largest fast-food chains already have switched to healthier cooking oils (Arby's, Wendy's, even KFC's fried chicken and French fries are trans fat-free), but McDonald's and Burger King still use the artery-clogging shortening to fry food.

Dairy Sales Up
The dairy industry's “Got Milk?" campaign generated controversy, but this year found more research to support the benefits of low-fat dairy. Remember, the type of fat in whole-milk dairy is saturated fat, plus cholesterol, but today's markets offer consumers a wide variety of favorites in low-fat and nonfat versions.

A study published in Diabetes Care (July 2006) found that women who included nonfat or low-fat dairy in their daily diets lowered the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Other recent studies have suggested that increased consumption of low-fat dairy may lower the risk for metabolic syndrome, enhance weight loss, lower blood pressure and lower the risk of developing insulin-resistance syndrome, which is a precursor to type 2 diabetes. Americans still consume less that the USDA-recommended three servings daily (based on a 2,000 calorie diet).

Nutrition Tools

E4B
There are some neat packaging features available nowadays, such as resealable pouches designed by Japanese scientists for NASA astronauts. Just look out for the misleading labels on E4B: "Easy 4 Busy" as in “easy for busy people," “100-percent fruit puree" and “natural."

Don't rely on the front of the package to tell you the complete truth about the product -- just some of the truth. A package may contain only “fruit" and not preservatives or added white sugar, but that's not the whole story. For example, the strawberry-banana version also contains cherry juice, apple-juice concentrate and aronia-juice concentrate. I don't know about you, but I've never eaten “aronia" fruit.

Fruit-juice concentrate is just another name for “sugar." By concentrating juice, the water is removed, leaving the added sweetener fructose, which means extra calories. Each package contains three servings, so don't forget to triple the calories per container (3 x 70 = 210 per package) if you consume the pouch in one sitting.

The manufacturers advertise each serving as containing equivalent to one serving of fruit, but as with fruit juice, you get a lot of quick calories for almost no fiber. I will use eDiets ' Nutrition Tracker to demonstrate. If you ate real fruit, for example half of a small apple, a half banana and six small strawberries (approximately by weight equivalent to ingredients in one serving of E4B), you'd get about 90 calories, 23 grams of carbohydrate, but no added sugar or additives and four times the fiber in one serving of the packaged stuff.

One serving of E4B strawberry-banana has 70 calories, 18 grams of carbohydrate plus 16 grams of sugars, from the added juice (a sweetener), but you're cheated of the fiber from real fruit (only 1 gram). Instead of spending your dimes on this overly processed and sweetened stuff, how about eating a cup of strawberries on your breakfast cereal, and snacking on an apple and a banana? Apples, pears, bananas are ultra convenient anyway -- they come in their own portable packages. By the way, the pear/caramel version is more like dessert than fruit. The Web site suggests using in slushy alcoholic drinks.

Not Nuts! Trail Mix
People with food allergies need to read food labels to be certain that the ingredients don't contain a potentially dangerous allergen. Not Nuts! is a healthy mix of crunchy pumpkin and sunflower seeds, dried fruit and dairy-free chocolate chips, and it fits into the diet of people with a multitude of food allergies because it's free of the most common food allergies: gluten (wheat), dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, soy and, of course, fish and shellfish. This product makes a nice snack for everyone.

Not Nuts! Trail Mix is still crunchy, despite containing no nuts. The crunch comes from roasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds, and the dried fruit -- raisins and apples -- add fiber and sweetness. I think they could leave out the nondairy chocolate chips (kind of waxy) and have a better product, but it's still on my “recommended" list. There are six 1-ounce servings in the bag; each contains 140 calories, 5 grams of protein, 0 grams of cholesterol, only 45 milligrams of sodium (very low sodium!) and 8 grams of total fat (1.5 grams of saturated fat and 0 grams of trans fat).

It's very easy to snack with abandon from the bag, so split servings into smaller baggies to practice portion control. By the way, unshelled nuts are best for people watching their weight because they take longer to eat. Since nuts contain a lot of (healthy) fat, the calories add up quickly.

<>Not Nuts! is available at your local Whole Foods grocery or most natural foods stores, or order online from the Gluten–Free Mall.

Why do it alone? eDiets ' health and fitness experts will customize one of our 23 meal plans to match your needs and preferences. Our chatrooms, online Community groups, mentors and motivational gurus can make adopting a healthy lifestyle so much easier. Do something good for your body, visit eDiets and fill out a free personal profile to learn more.

eDiets Chief Nutritionist Susan L. Burke is a registered and licensed dietitian and a certified diabetes educator who specializes in both general and diabetes-related weight management.

Broccoli Souffles

Diet & Body — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 17:24:00 +0000

by Chris Leishman

Prep time: 10 minutes; additional time required to roast the onion
Cooking time: 20-25 minutes
Preheat oven: 425F

Ingredients

1 onion, roasted and peeled
2 broccoli crowns (approximately 4 ounces), steamed
1/2 cup lowfat ricotta cheese
1 ounce chevre goat cheese
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup evaporated lowfat milk
2 teaspoons cornstarch
4 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Method

Place the broccoli, onion, ricotta, goat cheese, egg, and seasonings in the bowl of a food processor and work until speckled and fairly smooth. Dissolve the cornstarch in the evaporated milk and stir into the cheese mixture by hand. Whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Whisk a little of the whites into the base and then fold the rest in with a spatula. Gently spoon the soufflé mixture into four individual molds that have been sprayed with nonstick spray. Fill the molds all the way to the top, smooth the top level, and run your thumbnail around the inside of the rim*. Bake in the middle of a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until puffed and golden on top. Serve immediately or not. It will taste just as yummy it will just not have as dramatic an appearance, homier ala Stouffer's.

*This allows the soufflé to rise straighter and more easily.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 5 oz.)
Per serving: Calories 150; Fat 4.8 g; Saturated fat 2.6 g; Cholesterol 65.5 mg; Sodium 338 mg; Carbohydrate 12 g; Fiber 1.4 g; Sugars 2.6 g; Protein 14.8 g; Vitamin A 133 RE; Vitamin C 36 mg; Calcium 314 mg; Iron <1>

Chris Leishman began her cooking career at Greens Restaurant, the renowned vegetarian restaurant in San Francisco. Her interest in health and nutrition eventually led her to UCSF Medical Center where she was the Recipe Development Coordinator for both the patient and retail foodservice. She led cooking classes for the Outpatient Weight Management group, the Heart Disease Reversal Program, and Millberry Student Program. Her work for Dr. Dean Ornish's Heart Disease Reversal Programled to the publication of her cookbook Recipes From the Heart.

Mediterranean Tuna Toast

Diet & Body — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 11:26:00 +0000

You'll fall hook, line and sinker for today's awesome recipe. It's an easy way to get more heart-healthy fish into your diet. It's also a nice way to dress up a boring tuna-fish sandwich! Be sure to use water-packed tuna and icy cold tomatoes to enhance the all-around flavor.

Ingredients

4 oz. tuna fish water-packed, low-sodium
1/3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 medium fresh tomato
2 slices low-sodium whole-wheat bread

Directions

Drain water from tuna and mix with oil in a small bowl. Rinse and slice tomato. Toast bread and top with tuna mixture and tomato slices. Serve.

Makes one serving. Nutritional values per serving: 290 calories, 9g fat (1.0g sat), 26g protein, 29 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 630 mg sodium and 4g sugar.

From the Heart Smart on eDiets

eDiets' Mediterranean diet can help you make healthy choices without sacrificing flavor and variety. If you're ready to get serious about your health, click here and set up your personal profile to get a plan personalized to meet your needs.

Guilt Free Peach Mango Cobbler

Diet & Body — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 10:06:00 +0000

Guilt-free Peach Mango Cobbler

(post-workout - 45 minutes)

1 cup whole wheat pancake mix
4 scoops vanilla protein powder
1 tbsp fresh, shredded, orange peel
3 whole peaches, peeled and sliced
1 mango, peeled and sliced
1 cup water
1/2 cup Splenda
2 tsp cornstarch

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a mixing bowl, prepare the whole
wheat pancake mix following the instructions provided on the
box, making sure to use water instead of milk in your
preparation process.

Once the mixture is complete, take 4 scoops of protein powder and mix into the whole wheat
pancake mixture, one scoop at a time, ensuring that the
mixture remains slightly watery and not too thick. If the
mixture does thicken up too much, simply add small portions
of water while stirring in the protein powder to maintain the
consistency. When the protein powder has been folded in, add
1tbsp fresh orange peel and mix it throughout.

On a cutting board, peel and slice mango and peaches into
wedges. In a saucepan, mix fruit wedges with 1 cup of water
and 1/2 cup of Splenda. Heat saucepan on medium-high heat,
allowing water to come to a slight boil. After the water begins
to boil, remove 3 tablespoons of water from the saucepan and
place into a small bowl. In bowl, dissolve 2 tsp of cornstarch
thoroughly in the water, then place back into the saucepan.

Once the mixture turns thick in consistency (usually about a
minute or two), turn off the burner and remove the saucepan.
Pour the fruit mixture inside an 8-inch oven dish, and pour the
pancake mix on top of the fruit. Place oven dish in the oven
and bake for roughly 20 minutes at 375°F, or until pancake
topping begins to crack. Remove from oven. Allow to cool for
several hours on countertop or overnight in the fridge. Serve
cool.

Makes 4 servings.

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NUTRITION INFORMATION
(per serving)
Calories 334 kcal
Protein 26 g
Carbohydrate 44 g
Fat 6 g
Saturated 1.6 g
Monounsaturated 2.1 g
Polyunsaturated 2.0 g

Last-Minute Holiday Meals: Santa Fe Chicken

Diet & Body — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 16:50:00 +0000

Last-Minute Dinner Solutions

By Elizabeth Yarnell
eDiets Contributor

The holiday season can often be hectic and stressful. You've got lots to do with little time to do it. So when it comes to cooking dinner, most of us want a meal that's simple, quick to prepare, tastes great, and easy to clean up

Ask almost anyone who is in charge of putting the daily dinner on the table what the most dreaded chore is and you'll likely hear a complaint about meal planning. Figuring out what to make for dinner day in and day out is something many of us loathe. We'd like something easy to make, a recipe that won't require hours in the kitchen -- and it would be great if the meal was good for our family as well. And, of course, if it doesn't taste great, we might as well give up before we even start.

Typically, preparing exciting weeknight meals takes forethought, special trips to the grocery store for specific ingredients and a couple hours set aside for preparation and then the clean-up of multiple pots and pans after dinner. We all want to serve our families dinners that are as good for them as they are good tasting, but let's face it, only a few fortunate ones have the time to find interesting and achievable recipes, shop for fresh ingredients and spend hours in the kitchen every day of the week.

More likely, we find ourselves racing from the morning send-off through two careers, soccer practices, piano lessons, the dry cleaners and the other tasks that make up our busy days. And that's just before dinner. Afterward, there's homework, household chores and everything else that didn’t get done during the daylight hours. Really, who can blame us for choosing to eat out, bringing food home or reaching for highly-processed and expensive frozen meals?

Here's a solution for our time-crunched lives: quick, healthy and easy infused one-pot meals. With a few strategic purchases stocked in your freezer and pantry, you can bring out your inner intuitive chef and eliminate the drudgery of meal-planning.

Almost the opposite of crock-pot cooking, which requires that you think about dinner in the morning or it won’t be ready, infused one-pot meals can cater to your last-minute mentality, allowing you to get a nutritious dinner on the table in about an hour with only a few minutes of actual hands-on preparation and less than 50 minutes of unattended baking.

Infused one-pot meals offer a healthy, balanced meal of protein, energy-providing carbohydrates and a variety of vegetables to offer the range of vitamins, minerals and nutrients that we all need.

Here’s an easy, last-minute recipe to throw together out of your freezer and pantry for a nutritious and delicious meal that doesn’t require any forethought. So, even if you’re a last-minute mom or dad, you can still serve up a meal to be proud of at a moment’s notice.

Santa Fe Chicken

2 15-oz. cans black beans, drained & rinsed
2 green onions
4 pieces frozen boneless chicken
2 8-oz. cans green chiles or 8-12 Tbsp. prepared salsa
1 bell pepper, cut into 1" triangles
2 15-oz. cans corn kernels, drained
2 14-oz. cans tomatoes, diced, drained
2 6-oz. cans black California olives, drained and sliced

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray inside of 3 1/2 or 4-quart cast iron Dutch oven and lid with canola oil.

Open cans of beans, drain and rinse well. Pour in a layer across bottom of pot.

Slice green onion into rings and arrange on bean layer. Rinse chicken and arrange on top of onions. If using chiles, blanket the chicken with them. If using salsa, spoon over the chicken, using as much or as little according to taste. Add bell peppers, corn, tomatoes and olives in layers.

Cover and bake for 45 minutes, or until the aroma wafts from the oven. Serves 4.

Per serving: calories 321, protein 34g, carbs 32g, fat 6g, cholesterol 75mg, sodium 377mg, fiber 10g

This is a great meal to make when you don't have any fresh vegetables in the house. Stock up on the canned or frozen ingredients and you'll be able to whip up this southwestern staple in a jiffy.

Be sure to drain all cans well, refill with fresh water and drain again to remove extra preservatives and sodium.

Elizabeth Yarnell is a certified nutritional consultant and the author of Glorious One-Pot Meals: A New Quick & Healthy Approach to Dutch Oven Cooking, a guide to a guide to preparing quick, healthy and balanced one-pot meals. She is also a mother of two preschoolers. Visit Elizabeth online at www.GloriousOnePotMeals.com to subscribe to her free newsletter

Happy Holidays! Eggnog Recipe

Diet & Body — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 13:06:00 +0000

Marlene Koch
DietWatch

This recipe got a "yum" from every single taster -- along with a few "are you sure it's light?" comments. I made it for the holidays and it was a hit.

You can now find low-fat versions on the shelves but I have yet to see any that are low in sugar. In fact, the light or low-fat versions have even more sugar than regular. Once made, this keeps very well for up to a week in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

1 cup 1% milk
1-1/2 cups non-fat half and half
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornstarch
3 large eggs, well beaten
2/3 cup Splenda granular
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups 1% milk*

*Option: substitute 1/2 to 1 cup brandy or rum for milk if desired

Method

In a large saucepan, whisk together 1 cup 1% milk and next 4 ingredients. Place on stove and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and forms a thin custard.
Remove from heat; stir in vanilla and nutmeg. Stir in remaining milk and cool. Chill and store in refrigerator until served.

Yield: 8 servings
Per Serving: Calories, 100; Fat, 3 g; Saturated Fat, 1.5 g; Sodium, 80 mg; Carbohydrate, 11 g; Dietary Fiber, 0 g; Protein, 6 g.

Which part of egg is best for you?

Diet & Body — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 13:08:00 +0000

What is better for you: whole eggs or egg whites?
Tom Venuto
"How to burn body fat and keep it off for life,
without supplements, pills or starvation dieting":
Burn the Fat

I was on a weekend trip with some friends recently and one of my friends was cooking breakfast for the whole group. I went over to see what he was cooking and saw he was getting ready to make a big batch of eggs.

Well, to my shock and horror, I noticed that he was cracking the eggs open and screening the egg whites into a bowl and throwing out the egg yolks. I asked him why the heck he was throwing out the egg yolks, and he replied... "because I thought the egg yolks were terrible for you...that's where all the nasty fat and cholesterol is"

And I replied, "you mean that's where all the nutrition is!"

....................................................

Fat Burning Index of egg parts:

Egg white 0.735
Whole egg 1.643
Egg yolk 2.53 (what's Fat Burning Index?)

This is a perfect example of how confused most people are about nutrition. In a world full of misinformation, somehow most people now mistakenly think that the egg yolk is the worst part of the egg, when in fact, the YOLK IS THE HEALTHIEST PART OF THE EGG!

By throwing out the yolk and only eating egg whites, you're essentially throwing out the most nutrient dense, antioxidant-rich, vitamin and mineral loaded portion of the egg. The yolks contain so many B-vitamins, trace minerals, vitamin A, folate, choline, lutein, and other powerful nutrients... it's not even worth trying to list them all.

In fact, the egg whites are almost devoid of nutrition compared to the yolk.

Even the protein in egg whites isn't as powerful without the yolks to balance out the amino acid profile and make the protein more bio-available. Not to even mention that the egg yolks from free range chickens are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids.

Yolks contain more than 90% of the calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, thiamin, B6, folate, and B12, and panthothenic acid of the egg. In addition, the yolks contain all of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K in the egg, as well as all of the essential fatty acids.

And now the common objection I get all the time when I say that the yolks are the most nutritious part of the egg...

"But I heard that whole eggs will skyrocket my cholesterol through the roof"

No, this is FALSE!

First of all, when you eat a food that contains a high amount of dietary cholesterol such as eggs, your body down-regulates it's internal production of cholesterol to balance things out.

On the other hand, if you don't eat enough cholesterol, your body simply produces more since cholesterol has tons of important functions in the body.

And here's where it gets even more interesting...

There are indications that eating whole eggs actually raises your good HDL cholesterol to a higher degree than LDL cholesterol, thereby improving your overall cholesterol ratio and blood chemistry.

And 3rd... high cholesterol is NOT a disease! Heart disease is a disease...but high cholesterol is NOT. You can read the following article about why trying to attack cholesterol is a mistake, and what the REAL deadly risk factors actually are... http://www.truthaboutabs.com/cholesterol-myths.html

So I hope we've established that whole eggs are not some evil food that will wreck your body... instead whole eggs are FAR superior to egg whites.

Also, your normal supermarket eggs coming from mass factory farming just don't compare nutritionally with organic free range eggs from healthy chickens that are allowed to roam freely and eat a more natural diet.

I recently compared eggs I bought at the grocery store with a batch of eggs I got at a farm stand where the chickens were free roaming and healthy.

Most people don't realize that there's a major difference because they've never bought real eggs from healthy chickens... The eggs from the grocery store had pale yellow yolks. On the other hand, the healthier free range eggs had deep orange colored yolks indicating much higher nutrition levels and carotenoids.

So next time a health or fitness professional tells you that egg whites are superior, you can quietly ignore their advice knowing that you understand the REAL deal about egg yolks.

One more thing about eggs...

I read a study recently that compared groups of people that ate egg breakfasts vs groups of people that ate cereal or bagel based breakfasts. The results of the study showed that the egg eaters lost or maintained a healthier bodyweight, while the cereal/bagel eaters gained weight.

It was hypothesized that the egg eaters actually ate less calories during the remainder of the day because their appetite was more satisfied compared to the cereal/bagel eaters who would have been more prone to wild blood sugar swings and food cravings.

Dark chocolate: benefits and calories

Diet & Body — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 12:03:00 +0000

Question: Is there a supplement that one can take that gives you the same benefits as dark
chocolate, without the calories of the chocolate? Also, would you know any
good supplements for high blood pressure?

Answer: One good thing about dark chocolate is that it's effective in very small amounts. As an antioxidant, it's 7 times stronger than the "next best" antioxidant - blueberries!

Another good thing is, remove the added sugar - and you'll have even stronger "power food" for a calorie. The problem is, in sugar-free chocolates, they add sugar alcohol, which do have calories. The alternative is using unsweetened dark cocoa powder to cook with (see some suggestions below) -- it has most calories from fat, not carbs.

The fats in dark chocolate are mostly heart-healthy monounsaturated fats also found in olive oil polyunsaturated) and those found in palm and coconut oils. Though being saturated, they are so called medium-chain fats shown to be beneficial in low carbohydrate diets.

Read more:

For a quick and easy chocolate fix
Caramel Chocolate Crunch --The first "Bites" candy ever created for the low-carb and low-glycemic lifestyles
Is Chocolate Healthy?
Chocolate's Sweet Rewards
Low Carb Chocolate Cake Recipe

Tanya Zilberter, PhD

7 Foods That Cure

Diet & Body — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 10:19:00 +0000

By Shawn McKee
eDiets Staff Writer

Take the weekends off your diet and still lose weight! Check out our new 5-day "Weekends Off" meal delivery plan -- voted #1 by Epicurious.com! Plus, sign up and get a FREE eDiets membership! Click for details.

Food is the fuel that runs the body -- and the better the quality, the better the performance. Foods not only can turbo charge your engine, but can be a great device for upkeep as well, giving you the tools to ward off the regular wear and tear associated with as much tread as you've put on your tires.

What additives do you require to keep your engine running on all cylinders? The vast majority of foods with healing qualities work best in preventative roles and are most effective when consumed as whole foods. If you’re not already eating these superfoods, it’s time to get in the fast lane.

Bean dieting?
Beans are a great source of protein and fiber and are extremely filling, keeping you full longer and helping to decrease obesity. Additionally, The Journal of the American Medical Association published a study in November 2005 reporting that a healthy diet rich in lean protein -- about half from plant sources such as beans -- was found to lower blood pressure and "bad" LDL cholesterol, and to cut the risk of heart disease by 21 percent. This magical fruit is full of antioxidants and in some studies has been shown to reduce the risk of colon cancer.

Thank You Berry Much…
Strawberries, raspberries and especially blueberries have been touted as great sources for antioxidants. Researchers at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University analyzed 40 fruits and vegetables for their disease-fighting antioxidant activity. They found blueberries to have two to three times as much antioxidants as apples, broccoli, spinach and many other fruits and vegetables.

Berries are thought to slow the deterioration of joints as well. According to a Boston University study of arthritis patients, these foods protected joints because of the vitamin C they contain. Vitamin C is also a key component in the creation of collagen, a necessary component of cartilage and bone.

Go Nuts for Your Heart
Nuts are a great source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids (you know this), but did you know they can help lower "bad" LDL cholesterol levels? Walnuts have especially high levels of omega-3s, which reduce the risk of heart disease and hypertension.

Japanese men and women who ate a one-fourth to one-third cup of walnuts a day lowered their "bad" LDL cholesterol levels by up to 10 percent. Walnuts, almonds and pistachios are all high in arginine, an amino acid that increases blood flow to the heart.

Grainy Reception
Researchers at the University of Minnesota suggest that eating three daily servings of whole grains can reduce the risk of heart disease by 25 to 36 percent, stroke by 37 percent and Type 2 diabetes by 21 to 27 percent. Whole grains include oats, whole wheat, brown rice, bulgur and bran. Ditch the Wonder Bread -- you’re a grown up now. Go for breads labeled “whole” and skip those “enriched” kiddy breads.

Yo-Yo-Yogurt
Yogurt is the king of foods containing probiotics, the "friendly" bacteria that helps fight illness and disease. Yogurt seems be the most beneficial of the probiotics. Two recent studies suggest that eating yogurt significantly improved a person's ability to fight off pneumonia. You can eat yogurt every day -- just make sure the brand you buy contains "live" or "active" cultures, as the bacteria won’t be very effective if they're dead before you ingest them.

Fish Food
Study upon study indicates that incorporating salmon into your diet reduces blood pressure, lowers cholesterol and helps prevent heart disease. New research from the University of California, San Diego, reports that a higher intake of omega-3s appear to preserve bone density, keeping your bones stronger and protecting against fractures. These omega-3s can also be found in other cold-water fish, such as sardines, tuna and mackerel.

Cabbage Curbs Cancer?
The American Association for Cancer Research presented a study at the November 2005 meeting that found Polish women who ate cabbage or sauerkraut (fermented cabbage) four or more times per week were 74 percent less likely to develop breast cancer. Additional studies found that cabbage may also protect against lung, stomach and colon cancers. The secret ingredient seems to be sulforaphane, a phytochemical in cabbage that works by stimulating cells to eradicate cancerous substances.

eDiets has a whole team of nutritionists and fitness experts ready to help you lose all the weight you hate. With 24 diets to choose from, you're sure to find your perfect match! Click here for a FREE diet profile.

Shawn McKee graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a BA in Journalism and has written for The Broward and Miami New Times. He predicts a National Championship for the Sooners this year

Save 1,000 Calories This Thanksgiving

Diet & Body — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 13:10:00 +0000

by By Kim Droze
eDiets Contributor

Oven-roasted turkey... butter-saturated mashed potatoes... creamy green bean casserole... savory stuffing...

Thanksgiving comes just once a year. That in itself is somewhat of a blessing, considering the typical turkey-based feast can cost you between 2,000 to 5,000 calories!

Take heart. The Thanksgiving holiday doesn’t have to be a diet disaster. Not when you have renowned wellness coach Pam Smith planning your festive menu.

The author of Healthy Living Cookbook (Siloam Press) stresses it’s not the traditional foods that make Thanksgiving so fattening. No, it’s more what we do to those foods from the moment we begin the basting and baking ritual. Between the butter, the cream and the oils, we turn the meal into a fattening free-for-all chock-full of undiet-like ingredients we avoid the rest of the year. From the turkey to the green beans, Smith says we’re too often adding fat and calories while subtracting the nutritional value.

Thanks to Smith there are plenty of ways to work makeover magic on your meal this Thanksgiving. The staples you've grown to love will still grace your table. Only this year, you’ll grow a little less while loving them! In fact you and your loved ones can save thousands of calories and steer clear of the five pounds the average person packs on over the holidays. It starts with a few simple steps.

"Dressing calories and fat can be reduced by using defatted chicken or turkey stock, cornbread dressing cubes instead of higher fat cornbread, egg substitute in place of whole eggs and cooking spray instead of oil and butter,” Smith notes. “Sweet potato casseroles can be ‘lightened’ by using egg whites instead of whole eggs, by lowering the amount of sugar and using cinnamon instead; by lowering the amount of butter and adding flour to thicken; by using fewer nuts and cooking spray instead of butter.”

Smith advises placing a thin layer of celery leaves, herbs and onion slices between the skin and the breast meat of the turkey before roasting. This will add rich flavor to the meat and absorb much of the fat from the skin. Also, baste with defatted chicken or turkey stock instead of butter -- it will thicken with cornstarch and seasoning for a healthier gravy.

How much will these steps save you? A six-ounce serving of turkey that’s been basted in butter and is covered in gravy will set you back about 600 calories. By consuming three ounces of turkey cooked Smith’s way and topped with a healthy gravy, you’ll be getting around 178 calories per serving.

Smith has blessed us with a Thanksgiving menu. Take a moment and weigh out the differences between the same old fattening favorites and the new and improved dishes.

DRESSING
The average serving: 225 calories, 13 grams fat
The healthy weigh serving: 135 calories, 1 gram fat

Cornbread Dressing
1 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 Tbsp. snipped fresh parsley (2 tsp. dried)
1 tsp. ground sage
1 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
2 packages (12 oz. each) unseasoned cornbread stuffing cubes
3 cups chicken stock (fat-free/low salt)
1/2 cup egg substitute (or 4 egg whites)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a medium nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Add the celery and onions. Cook over medium heat until tender. Stir in herbs, seasoning and spices. Lightly spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray. Place the cornbread cubes in casserole. Add onion and celery mixture, 2 cups of broth and egg substitute. Gently toss. Drizzle with remaining broth to moisten bread thoroughly; gently toss again to mix well. Bake uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes or until heated through. Makes 10 servings.

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE
The average serving: 737 calories, 36 grams fat
The healthy weigh serving: 178 calories, 3.5 gram fat

Sweet Potato Casserole
3 cups cooked and cubed sweet potatoes
1/4 cup sugar
4 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. melted butter
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 1 1/4-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside until ready to use. In a food processor or with electric mixer, mix potatoes, sugar, egg whites, vanilla and cinnamon. Spoon into prepared casserole dish. Make topping by rubbing together, with your fingers, the brown sugar, flour and butter until crumbly. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle the mixture on top of sweet potatoes. Bake approximately 30 minutes until golden brown. Makes 8 servings.

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE
The average serving: 259 calories
The healthy weigh serving: 53 calories, 2 grams fat

Green Beans and Mushrooms
2 lbs. green beans
2 tsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. minced shallots
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 tsp. Mrs. Dash seasoning
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. Creole seasoning
1/2 lb. (8 oz.) fresh mushrooms, trimmed
2 Tbsp. Lea and Perrins Worcestershire for Chicken

Trim ends from green beans; break into smaller pieces if desired. Steam in chicken stock until crisp and tender. Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray; add olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add herbs and seasonings, and sauté another 30 seconds; then add mushrooms and Worcestershire sauce. Continue to sauté for about three to four minutes, then add steamed green beans. Toss together and serve. Makes 8 servings.

Recipes and Foods: Grilled Pizza with Pesto, Tomatoes & Feta

Diet & Body — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 13:49:00 +0000

Recipes and Foods: Grilled Pizza with Pesto, Tomatoes & Feta

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Diet & Body — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 13:38:00 +0000

Good news for food lovers! You can get savory, gourmet meals like this -- without spending time in the kitchen -- with our new eDiets DeliciouslyYours meal delivery plan. Mouthwatering, chef-prepared meals delivered fresh, right to your front door. Simply heat, eat and enjoy how delicious weight loss can be! Visit eDiets to learn more.

Carbs per Serving: 7.5g

To dress up your cheesecake with pumpkin flavor, use this trick for a treat.

This seasonal version is all cheesecake without a crust, highlighting its pure, creamy pumpkin flavor. Like most cheesecakes, this one is placed in a water bath to ensure even baking.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake/Cook time: 45 minutes
Chill time: 4 hours

Ingredients

3 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree (*see note below)
2/3 cup granular sugar substitute
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
3 eggs, at room temperature
Mint sprigs, for garnish (optional)
3 Tbsp. lightly toasted and coarsely chopped pecans, for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray an 8 x 3 inch-deep cake pan with vegetable cooking spray. Line bottom with a round of parchment or wax paper; spray paper; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin purée, sugar substitute, vanilla, cinnamon and ginger; beat until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, just until combined.

3. Pour batter into prepared pan. Place cake pan in a deep roasting pan and carefully pour in enough boiling water in roasting pan to reach halfway up sides of cake pan. Bake 42 to 45 minutes, until cake is just set in center. Turn off oven, open door and let stand in oven 15 minutes. Remove cake pan from water bath and transfer to a wire rack; cool completely. Run a knife around edge of cake, cover and refrigerate until chilled (four hours or overnight).

4. To remove cake from pan, dip bottom of pan into hot water for just a few seconds to loosen. Place serving platter over top and invert. Remove pan and peel off paper. Garnish with mint and pecans, if desired.

* Note: Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix, which is sweetened with sugar.

Makes 10 servings (serving size: 1 wedge). Nutritional values per serving: 298 calories, 27g fat, 8g protein, 7.5g carbohydrate, 1.5g fiber and 6g net carbs.

This recipe is from Atkins Diet

Deliver Us From Evil Foods

Diet & Body — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 12:25:00 +0000

Best Convenience Foods: 3 Tips!

By Glenn Mueller
eDiets Senior Writer

Contrary to what you may believe, there is no sacred diet commandment out there which proclaims: "Thou shall not eat convenience foods." The mere fact that a meal is healthy doesn’t mean it can’t also be quick and easy to prepare.

"Like a lot of people out there, convenience foods are extremely important to me," says eDiets Director of Nutrition Services, Pamela Ofstein. "Now, I won’t say all convenience meals taste exactly like home cooking -- but when you need a meal that is fast, convenient and nutritious, there are some choices out there that fit the mold."

Pam offers some important tips to help you save time without sacrificing your health. For her, the bottom line about convenience foods comes down to taste and nutritional value.

"There are a lot of frozen entrees out there that claim to be low in fat and calories," Pam says. "However, many of the meals you see with tempting pictures on the box have more fat, calories and sodium than you should consume in an entire day."

So just what kind of healthy convenience foods can you eat without going off your meal plan? In order to eat healthy and conveniently, Pam says it is important to read labels and check for sodium, fat content and calorie levels.

The salt of the earth.
Many frozen entrees contain high levels of sodium, which is used for preservation and flavoring. In fact, some of these entrees can contain over 2,000 milligrams of sodium -- and that's just for one meal! Pam suggests looking for items that have 800 milligrams of sodium or less. After all, the American Heart Association guidelines dictate that healthy Americans should consume no more than 2,400 milligrams of sodium per day.

Time to cut the fat.
Pam recommends looking for a meal that contains 8 grams of fat or less. She also suggests looking for entrees that contain little or no saturated fat. Don’t worry! Just because something contains little or no fat doesn’t mean it won’t taste good.

Cut the calories.
If you are trying to stick to a healthy meal plan, you should make sure each of the meals is within your acceptable calorie range. Most healthy meal plans on eDiets include meals of 250 calories and up, so that should give you a wide range of choices. "If you find a meal that is slightly lower in calories than your plan is designed for, add a salad or a piece of fruit," Pam says. "It is a lot easier to add calories than to take them away."

Deliver Us From Evil… Foods.
One way to ensure your meals are always healthy and convenient is to sign up for eDiets DeliciouslyYours, the top-ranked diet meal delivery service on the market. DeliciouslyYours is the first major meal plan from a national weight-loss company that ships a full menu of chilled, fresh foods with no added preservatives. Unlike other plans that rely on frozen, canned or powdered foods, eDiets DeliciouslyYours guarantees freshness, since the foods are not prepared until customers order them.

SPECIAL OFFER: DeliciouslyYours is now available in a convenient 5-day "Weekends Off" plan! Sign up and get a FREE eDiets membership! Click for details.

This great service is available throughout the continental United States, and you can have those meals delivered directly to your home or office. The eDiets DeliciouslyYours program includes meals prepared by expert chefs who honed their skills at the Culinary Institute of America along with several high-end restaurants across the country. Delicious meals on the menu include, Fresh Basil & Tomato Salad with Grilled Chicken, Homestyle Meatloaf, Classic Five-Layer Lasagna and Shrimp Scampi… Just to name a few.

Once an order is created, chefs prepare the meals fresh in restaurant-style kitchens and immediately seal in the freshness with proprietary packaging. With this stay-fresh packaging, eDiets DeliciouslyYours guarantees a full 14-day shelf life from the day of receipt when the product is kept chilled in a refrigerator. Best of all, no preservatives are added, which ensures that your meals are always fresh.

"Better-tasting food makes sticking to a diet much easier, and with eDiets DeliciouslyYours, we've raised the bar on what consumers have come to expect from a meal delivery service," says eDiets president Steve Rattner. "We have taken unprecedented steps to ensure the freshness of the foods being delivered, while offering a new level of quality and variety in the types of foods being offered. In addition, all of our menus are developed by trained chefs in conjunction with a staff of registered dietitians, so customers can feel secure in knowing these delicious entrees and desserts are appropriate to help them meet their lifestyle, diet and nutritional needs."

Two Great Programs; One Great Product

The top-ranked diet meal delivery service on the market just got even better. Due to popular demand, eDiets DeliciouslyYours now offers a convenient 5-day plan. By taking advantage of our new "Weekends Free" program, you can enjoy all of our finest freshly-prepared entrees and still keep the flexibility to plan your own meals two days each week. Best of all, this plan is available for the low cost of only $99.

"Our members give us great feedback, and offering a 5-day option has consistently been a top request," says Rob Drago, eDiets Vice President - Meal Delivery. "In addition to being a great value, our new ‘Weekend's Free’ plan offers all the benefits of our #1 rated diet meal delivery program with the added benefit of enhanced flexibility."

Two Great Programs; One Great Product

With two great programs to choose from, signing up for eDiets DeliciouslyYours has never been easier. You may want to kick-start your weight loss with the structure and discipline of the 7-day complete program and switch to the more flexible 5-day "Weekends Free" program as soon as you reach your goal weight. The 5-day program provides an ideal way for a person who has been on any kind of meal delivery or pre-made meal plan to transition back into preparing their own healthy meals.

"The five day plan is perfect for people who want to lose weight or maintain," says eDiets Director of Nutrition Services Pamela Ofstein. "For those of you who like to cook or eat out on the weekends or during the week, the five day a week plan will fit your lifestyle. It provides you those great-tasting, portion-controlled meals, yet gives you that bit of flexibility when you need it."

Whichever option you choose, you will receive the same freshly-prepared signature dishes that helped eDiets DeliciouslyYours become the #1 rated diet meal delivery service. That’s right… we beat out Zone Chefs, Jenny Craig’s Direct, Nutrisystem and others in a recent taste test conducted by Epicurious.com. Among the tester’s favorite entrees were Chicken Flatbread Pizza, Frittata with Turkey-Ham, and Turkey Chili. They should try our program again, now that we’ve added a host of mouth-watering new entrees, such as White Chicken Vedure with Chick Peas, Tuscan Chicken Fettucini, Turkey Bolognese, and Sweet Basil Chicken with Brown Rice and Vegetables.

The fitness pros at eDiets can show you how to combine exercise and nutrition to get the best results. This is what you’ve been looking for. You will need to make the commitment, but isn’t it time to finally take care of you? Click here to get started.