Kate Lawson on Food

Category: Easy recipes

Posted by Kate Lawson (The Detroit News) on Sun, Feb 22, 2009 at 8:34 AM

Choose cherries for heart health

I would be remiss if I let the short month of February slip by without mentioning American Heart Month - and cherries play an important role in good heart health.

Cherries are not only good for you, but they're also considered a homegrown "Super Fruit," as they're on the list of locally produced products. In fact, a large percentage of the cherry crop actually comes from Michigan.

Food and nutrition experts say the homegrown advantage, coupled with powerful health benefits, make cherries "America's Super Fruit" a double delight. "America's Super Fruit" also delivers on safety. As stewards of the environment, the cherry industry has been at the forefront of sustainable growing practices and responsible pesticide research for many years.

So, in celebrating American Heart Month, it's no wonder it's also National Cherry Month. The antioxidant compounds - called anthocyanins - that give cherries their red color continue to demonstrate heart-health benefits. Recent studies from the University of Michigan revealed that cherry-enriched diets in animals lowered multiple risk factors for heart disease.

Tart cherries come in dried, frozen and juice forms so they're readily available to enjoy all year long, making it that much easier to sustain a healthful diet. Not only is it easy, it's fun and delicious when you include cherries in your diet.

To learn more about the health benefits of cherries and to find recipes and tips, visit the official cherries Web site. There you can also download a copy of the Cherry Nutrition Report, a compendium of the more than 65 published studies on the potential health benefits of cherries.

In the meantime, here's one delicious way to help protect your heart:

Cherry Pecan Energy Bars

1 cup quick-cooking oats

3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour or regular whole wheat flour

1/4 cup toasted wheat germ

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup honey

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/4 cup canola oil

1 large egg, beaten to mix

1 large egg white

3/4 cup chopped dried cherries

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

Cooking spray

1/4 cup "fruit only" apricot preserves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, wheat germ, cinnamon and salt.

In another bowl, whisk together the honey, applesauce, oil, egg and egg white until well combined. Stir in the oatmeal mixture until well combined. Add the dried cherries and pecans.

Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out

clean, 30-35 minutes. Put the preserves in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. As soon as the bars come out of the oven, brush with the preserves. Cool completely and cut into 12 bars, about 4 x 1" inches each. Makes 12 servings

Nutrition information:

230 calories, 10 g total fat, 1 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat, 34 g carbohydrate, 20 mg cholesterol, 4 g protein, 3 g fiber, 60 mg sodium

Category: Easy recipes

Posted by Kate Lawson (The Detroit News) on Tue, Dec 30, 2008 at 2:42 PM

Don't diet, just eat better

Here we go again. Another New Year, another resolution to lose weight and eat healthier.

Why does that sound like a punishment instead of a reward?

First of all, I'm not going to give up anything except standing at my kitchen counter and mindlessly eating a bowl of pistachios while I watch the birds peck away at their feeders.

The image of me working away at that bowl of nuts while the chickadees separate the sunflower seed from the hull just a few yards away stopped me in mid munch last week and I laughed out loud.

The difference is that I have neither the metabolism nor the appetite of a bird so I'd better be watching myself or I'll be sharing a weighty confession right along with Oprah.

I contend that there are no bad foods, just bad habits.

My husband and I look forward to our cheeseburger forays at our favorite joint (although we don't go as often as we used to but we enjoy it nonetheless) and I'll never say "no" to a good piece of chocolate, pie or a homemade cookie.

But I am going to cut back on the fries and the chips and will sub those pistachios for some heart-healthy almonds.

Dinner will likewise be a bit on the leaner side and as I wean myself from the mashed potatoes and fried foods I'll tell myself I'm doing me a big favor.

And I'll be looking for ways to serve salad more often that won't have me feeling like a rabbit if I eat one more piece of lettuce.

Here's one simple salad dish that satisfies and is packed with vitamins and nutrition.

I like to roast seasonal vegetables and serve them tossed with baby spinach or arugla with a light dressing and a sprinkle of goat cheese.

Goat cheese is lower in fat that most cow's milk cheeses and is a good source of calcium and protein.

Serve this for dinner before your New Year's resolutions turn to dust along with your resolve to take better care of yourself.

Roasted Vegetable and Goat Cheese Salad

2 carrots, cut into 2-inch matchsticks

2 red, yellow or orange bell peppers, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 large red onion, cut into small wedges

1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Bag of washed baby spinach or arugula

1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

Toss vegetables with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with kosher salt and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast at 450 degrees for 25 minutes (tossing once).

In a salad bowl, combine remaining oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Add spinach or arugla and toss.

Divide between 2 plates and place roasted vegetables on top along with 1/4 cup goat cheese for each plate. Serves 2.

Category: Easy recipes

Posted by Kate Lawson (The Detroit News) on Tue, Aug 5, 2008 at 11:48 AM

Food processor gets you out of a jam

When it comes to making jam, I take the easy way. I don't have time for canning and I sure don't want to be standing over a big bowl of cherries with a pitter. Time's a wastin' and I want to eat.

So here's an easy way to pit fruit that requires only a few short bursts in the food processor. This method using the short dough blade breaks down the fruit for sauce or jam and doesn't knick the bitter seeds or pits which releases an unpleasant taste.

Pick out the seeds before adding the fruit to the saucepan you're good to go.

Serve this jam with scones, spread over pancakes, alongside grilled pork or chicken, swirled into yogurt or to top some ice cream.

Chunky plum and cherry jam

1 1/2 pounds dark-skinned plums (about 6 large), quartered, pitted

1 cup sweet cherries, pitted

1 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Put plums and cherries in food processor. Using the short, plastic dough blade, give the fruit a few short bursts to release the pits. Remove pits from work bowl and mix plums, cherries along with the juices, sugar, and allspice in heavy large saucepan. Cover and cook over low heat until sugar dissolves and juices form, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Uncover and increase heat to medium. Cook until plums start to fall apart and preserves are thickened and reduced to 2 1/4 cups, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes longer.

If desired, break up any large plum pieces. Transfer to bowl and refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours. Makes about 3 cups of jam.

You can store in fridge for up to a week but I bet it doesn't last that long.

Category: Easy recipes

Posted by Kate Lawson (The Detroit News) on Wed, Jul 30, 2008 at 2:25 PM

It's the berries

So far this season I have succumbed to strawberries, reveled in raspberries, cheered for cherries and now I'm bouncing like an idiot for blueberries.

As corny as it may sound, it is the honest, little things in life that bring me joy and fresh Michigan fruit straight from the grower is at the top of that list (along with corn and tomatoes, of course).

I am thrilled that the "blueberry people" are back at my favorite farmer's market. Their annual July arrival is met with a long line of customers as they snack on the free samples and fork over the dollars for pints, quarts and flats of the beautiful blueberries.

I have probably already eaten my weight and then some of blueberries and I never tire of them.

I use them in smoothies, scones in pies and crumbles and mostly I just snack on them right out of the fridge as they are perfect on their own.

But if you want to get a bit fancy, here's a terrifically easy way to fix them for simply topping ice cream, French toast or a refreshing bowl of yogurt.

I've been making this for years and I swear it gets better every time. This recipe is more about technique than anything else. The trick is to not let the berries cook but collapse. Use the freshest, firmest berries you can find. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Berry Best Blues

3 cups blueberries, drained and picked over

6 tablespoons sugar (superfine, if possible)

Combine blueberries and sugar in a nonreactive saucepan. Place over medium low heat and stir gently with a wooden spoon. After a few minutes the sugar will have dissolved and the blues will begin to turn purple. Juices will begin to form and bubble and that's when you want to take the pan off the heat. Do this immediately as otherwise the berries will burst. Then turn the berries into a stainless steel strainer set over a bowl to reserve the juices. Let cool. Serve berries as you desire and add a little of the reserved juice. Makes 4 servings.