Mango Mint Smoothie [1]

MAKES 2 SERVINGS (1 CUP EACH)

This is a great pre- or postworkout drink, as it has a nice blast of protein from the tofu. Be sure the mango is very ripe. You can add a splash of agave nectar for extra sweetness.

Ingredients:

3 ⁄ 4 cup very ripe mango, roughly chopped

3 ⁄ 4 cup silken tofu

1 ⁄ 2 cup almond milk or fat free milk

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint leaves

1 ⁄ 8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup crushed ice or ice cubes

Agave nectar (optional)

Instructions:

Combine all the ingredients in the jar of a blender or bowl of a food processor. Blend or process until smooth.

[1]

With permission from Positively Ageless: A 28-Day Plan to a Younger, Slimmer, Sexier You by Cheryl Forberg RD (Rodale)

MORE FROM CHERYL FORBERG

Dana Jacobi has authored six cookbooks and written for Food & Wine, Cooking Light, and the New York Times. Her work has won a Gourmand World Cookbook Award and has been twice nominated for a James Beard Foundation Book Award. Her new cookbook, The Essential Best Foods Cookbook: 225 Irresistible Recipes Featuring the Healthiest and Most Delicious Foods is available everywhere books are sold as of April 15, 2008. Dana writes a nationally syndicated newspaper column which also appears at The American Institute for Cancer Research. In addition, she teaches cooking classes in New York City, where she also lives. 

 Dana Jacobi--

This year, look to the rat to make the dragon dance as we welcome in the Chinese New Year on February 7th. According to tradition, a different animal depicts each year in the cyclical twelve-year Chinese calendar, which is based on the cycles of the moon. If you were born in 1996, 1984, 1972, 1960, 1948 or 1936, you, like Shakespeare and Mozart, are a rat. People born under this sign of Chinese astrology are said to be ambitious and hard working.

Symbolism is an important part of Chinese culture, and especially so during New Year celebrations. Foods that symbolize gold are often featured and include spring rolls, which resemble gold bars, and dumplings that are meant to signify coins. Oranges are also symbolic of gold due to their color and round shape. Citrus with leaves still attached are particularly favored as they represent wholeness and the family staying together. A fish served whole is another symbol of completeness. When presented at New Years’ banquets, it encourages abundance.

I have attended some spectacular Chinese New Year dinners. At one, a whole flounder was cooked by spooning boiling hot oil over the fish, which was set on a rack so the oil drained away. This careful process, effectively poaching the fish, took about 10 minutes and produced the most delicate texture, virtually free of excess oil.

While I would not attempt to make this dish at home, it was accompanied by a scallion sauce flavored with ginger and orange zest that has since become one of my favorites. The sauce, which is simple to prepare, is great with any broiled, baked or grilled white fish. While this recipe calls for tilapia, other options include turbot, flounder, sole, cod or halibut. Prepare the sauce while the fish cooks for an easy, delectable and auspicious meal this New Year.

Fish With Chinese Ginger Scallion Sauce

2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced scallion, white and green parts
2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. grated orange zest
Freshly ground pepper, preferably white, to taste
4 (4-oz.) pieces tilapia or other mild, flaky white fish.

Preheat the broiler.

Heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Mix in scallions to coat them with oil. Add ginger, sugar and salt. Cook, stirring until sugar dissolves and scallions are tender but still bright green, 3-4 minutes. Off the heat, mix in the zest. Season sauce generously with pepper. Set skillet aside so it keeps warm while the fish cooks.

Arrange fish on baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. Season fish lightly with salt and ground pepper. Broil until fish is opaque in the center at the thickest point, about 6 minutes. Divide fish among four dinner plates. Top each piece with one-fourth of the sauce. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 180 calories, 9 g total fat (1 g saturated fat), 3 g carbohydrate,
23 g protein, 1 g dietary fiber, 210 mg sodium.

Dana Jacobi's Blog

From Robert Ferguson, MS, CN, Performance Nutritionist to the Boxing Elite and Founder of the Food Lovers Fat Loss System and the Diet FREE Life,  Mr. Ferguson is the author of Conquering the Munchie Monster.

From Robert Ferguson, MS, CN, Performance Nutritionist to the Boxing Elite and Founder of the Food Lovers Fat Loss System.  Mr. Ferguson is the author of Conquering the Munchie Monster.

When you think of chicken and weight loss, rarely will someone say "chicken wings", and that's because losing weight and eating chicken is synonymous with chicken breast. Well, it doesn't have to be that way. Lecturer, nutritionist and weight loss expert Robert Ferguson shares with you one of his mother's delicacies. And YES, she has been able to reduce her waistline with this protein portion.

• 20 Chicken Wings
• 2 TBSP Smart Balance Buttery Spread
• Mrs. Dash Garlic Powder to taste
• 1 cup vinegar
• Pepper to taste
• Non-stick cooking spray

Method:

First clean chicken wings and then soak in half-filled sink with cup of vinegar for 15 minutes. Pre-heat oven and broil on high temperature about 450 degrees or higher. Then lightly spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray. Evenly lay the raw uncooked wings close together and flat on a large cookie sheet, lining the bottom of the cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Melt butter and brush lightly and evenly on top of all wings facing up (one side only). Season to your choice using pepper, garlic powder and chicken seasoning all on one side. Place wings under broiler for 20 to 30 minutes or until they turn golden brown. Then, remove wings by taking a fork and turning each wing over on the uncooked side and put back under the high broiler, watching them, until golden brown.

Serves: 4

Tip: Pull the skin off the dark part of the wing before serving.

Related:  Salmon and Roasted Vegetable Burritos

               Power Pancakes Recipe

From Robert Ferguson, MS, CN, Performance Nutritionist to the Boxing Elite and Founder of the Food Lovers Fat Loss System.  Mr. Ferguson is the author of Conquering the Munchie Monster.

Ingredients:

• 2 TBSP grapeseed or avocado oil
• 2 TBSP lime juice (squeezed from fresh limes)
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1.5 tsp ground chilies
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 pound salmon filet (preferably deboned and without the skin)
• 1 large sweet potato, quartered lengthwise, then cut into ¼ inch thick pieces
• 1 zucchini cut in half, then sliced into 1/3 inch thick pieces
• 1 fresh poblano chile, stemmed, seeded and shopped
• 1 red onion, peeled, halved and cut into ¼ inch think wedges
• 1 cup shredded cabbage
• ½ - ¾ cup of non-fat sour cream or guacamole
• 6 large whole wheat tortillas or La Tortilla Factory Low-Carb

Method:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line two 12 x 15 inch baking pans with aluminum foil.

Whisk together the oil, lime juice, garlic, ground chilies, and salt.

Rinse the salmon and pat dry. Brush salmon with a few tablespoons with the lime chile marinade. Set aside in the fridge.

In a medium bowl, add the sweet potato, zucchini, onion and poblano chile with the remaining lime marinade. Arrange on one of the lined baking pans.

Roast vegetables in the oven for 10 minutes. While they are cooking, arrange salmon on the remaining baking pan (skin side down), then put in the oven with the vegetables. Roast for 7-10 minutes until salmon is opaque in the middle and the sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.

While the salmon and vegetables are cooking, warm tortillas in the oven or in a pan on the stove.

Remove from the oven. If the salmon has skin on it remove it before slicing into six equal portions.

Spoon vegetables equally onto the warm tortillas. Top each with a piece of salmon, cilantro and a few slices of cabbage. Add a tablespoon or two of non-fat sour cream or guacamole. Fold tortilla over the filling and serve.

Serves: 6

Approximate nutritional value per serving: 325 calories (25 grams of protein, 30 grams of carbohydrates (unless using low-carb tortillas), 10 grams of fat, 4 grams of fiber).

Chicken And Tofu Soup

Hawaiian Breeze Smoothie

From Robert Ferguson, M.S., C.N., Performance Nutritionist to the Boxing Elite and Founder of the Food Lovers Fat Loss System. Mr. Ferguson is the author of Conquering The Munchie Monster.

Robert Ferguson's latest and tastiest warm winter soup--

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups sliced mushrooms
• 2 carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 10.5 ounces of low sodium chicken or vegetable broth*
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• 1 cup cooked white rice
• 1/3 cup julienne cut radishes (in sticks)
• 1 cooked chicken breast – grilled or baked, shredded*
• 1 package (10.5 ounce) firm tofu, cut into 16 pieces
• 2 tsp red wine vinegar
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced

Method: In a medium pot sauté the mushrooms and carrots in the olive oil for 3 minutes. Add the broth, salt, ginger and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the rice, radish sticks chicken and tofu. Heat well. Add the vinegar and green onions, then serve.*Vegetarians can use vegetable broth and omit the chicken.

Serves: 4

Approximate nutritional values per serving: 309 calories (25 grams of protein, 25 grams of carbohydrates, and 13 grams of fat).

Related: Cooking Vegetables Better Than Raw

                 Hawaiian Breeze Smoothie Recipe

This recipe is reproduced weekly in my home.  We usually eat this vegetarian main dish with brown basmati rice and yogurt.  Alternatively, add a piece of chicken and eat the spinach and rice on the side.

Ingredients:

1/2 a sweet Vidalia onion, chopped into small squares

1 T olive oil

1 14oz can water-packed canned artichokes, drained and rinsed

1 small package fresh Shitake mushrooms (optional), rinsed, stemmed, and sliced thin

1 16oz bag frozen chopped spinach

1/2 handful fresh sage leaves, washed and minced

1/2 handful fresh rosemary leaves, washed, stemmed, and minced

Salt and pepper

Fresh juice of 1 lemon

Procedure:

In a large heavy pot--saute the onion in the olive oil until soft.

Add the artichokes and the mushrooms.  Cook for 10 minutes further.

Add the spinach, sage, and rosemary.  Reduce to low and continue cooking for 30 minutes more with a lid on the pot.

Add salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste.

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Robert Ferguson--

According to new Italian research in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the latest in a series of studies overturning conventional wisdom about the nutritional superiority of raw produce - cooking vegetables boosts levels of some antioxidants. The study looked at carrots, zucchini, and broccoli, which were boiled, steamed, or fried. Boiling and steaming were best at preserving carotenoids [antioxidants] or even boosting them, while frying caused the greatest losses, though results varied among the vegetables. For broccoli, steaming increased a variety of potentially anti-cancer phytochemicals. Cooking helps soften fiber, making certain compounds more extractable, and it also converts some of them to more active forms. Cooking does reduce some vitamins and phytochemicals, however, so do not overcook.

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