FitSugar

Food Review: Amy's Country Vegetable Pie

FitSugar — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 08:45:00 -0700

Craving some comfort food, are you? I grew up on my grandmother's tasty and comforting pot pies. I've passed by Amy's Kitchen pot pies at the store, but yesterday I picked one up and decided to give it a try.

So what'd I think? To find out read more

Of course, this pot pie didn't compare to the homemade ones my gram makes, but I have to say for a quick meal made with organic vegetables, this was better than alright. On my first bite, my reaction was "yum." The filling was creamy, sweet, and very cheesy. I loved the great variety of veggies - potatoes, carrots, green beans, corn, red peppers, broccoli, shitake mushrooms, and lentils for added fiber and protein. The crust was a little dry and chewy (not flaky like I was expecting), but still good. I was surprised that this pie was really filling even though it looked small.

I didn't like that the fat content was a little too high, and I was expecting there to be more fiber and protein. It was made with all natural ingredients though, so that made me feel good. If I were in need of a quick meal, I'd definitely eat this again.

Have you tried this pot pie? Let me know what you think in the comments section below.

Go Shopping With Alicia Silverstone

FitSugar — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:00:23 -0800

On yesterday's Oprah Show, actress Alicia Silverstone took cameras grocery shopping with her. I have to say that I was surprised at how many processed foods Alicia picked out. Although I know a lot of vegans who rely on synthetic meat and processed foods as the backbone of their diet, I expected Alicia to be different.

In her book, The Kind Diet, the actress really touts the benefits of grains, vegetables, and fruits over convenience food. Because of that, I'm thinking this list might not be reflective of Alicia's normal dietary habits, but her way of showing a mass audience that you can still eat well and indulge if you're vegan.

While shopping, Alicia raved about brown rice ("If you add whole grain rice to your diet, it will change you") and leafy greens ("They're loaded with calcium and make your skin glow"). She also couldn't wait to bite into a mint-flavored ice cream alternative, a Rice Dream mud pie. Alicia said that the mud pies still make her feel "naughty" in the same way that ice cream can.

To check out some of the other items on her list, read more.

Follow Your Heart cheese
Vegenaise
Organic olive oil
Maple syrup (an alternative to sugar)
Gardein Chick'n Scallopini
Newman O's

Check out the rest of Alicia's list at The Oprah Show.

Know Your Ingredients: Shortening

YumSugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:50:13 -0800

While baking apple pie, I enlisted the help of my boyfriend, who took notice of the substantial amount of Crisco that was going into the pie dough. What exactly is shortening? he wanted to know. When I couldn't give him a solid answer (no pun intended), I decided it was time to find out.

The term shortening generically refers to any baking fat that's solid at room temperature, like butter and margarine. But more often, it describes a semi-solid fat made from hydrogenated vegetable oil that's used in baking to achieve a "short," or flaky, texture.

By adding hydrogen gas to vegetable oil at a high pressure and temperature, the flavorless substance goes from being a liquid to a solid at room temperature.

Although shortening has fallen out of favor in recent years because it contains trans fat, the ingredient remains a staple around the world for many reasons. It has a higher smoke point than butter or margarine, meaning it won't burn in a sauté pan. It also requires no refrigeration, and can lengthen the shelf life of baked goods. What do you use shortening for?

Source: Flickr User VirtualErn

Thanksgiving Tip: Calculate How Much Food You'll Need

YumSugar — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:42:21 -0800

For an elaborate meal like Thanksgiving, it's crucial to consider how much food you'll serve. Too little, and you'll leave guests wishing they could gobble up more; too much, and you'll wind up with Thanksgiving leftovers for weeks. To make sure your food doesn't go to waste, take time to do some adequate planning. A few pointers, when you read more.

Let's Dish: What's the Star of Your Thanksgiving Meal?

YumSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:50:57 -0800

A fellow Sugar staffer and I were discussing the subject of stuffing versus dressing when the conversation got a little sidetracked. When I mentioned that it (whatever you want to call it!) was the star of last year's Thanksgiving meal, we started sharing the dishes we're most anticipating this holiday. For TrèsSugar, it's mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce; for PetSugar, it's apple pie. To CasaSugar, the answer's obvious: the bird!

The star of my supper always seems to alternate between sourdough bread stuffing and a vegetable side, like these beloved brussels sprouts with bacon. What dish do you consider to be the star of your Thanksgiving feast?
Do you have an standout Thanksgiving recipe? Please participate in our Thanksgiving recipe challenge. All you have to do is upload your recipe, an image, and a brief description to the Kitchen Goddess group. If you're lucky, we might just feature your recipe here on YumSugar!

Source: Flickr User CarbonNYC

Your Healthy Food Swaps

FitSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:00:27 -0800

Since decadent foods like ice cream, baked treats, and fried foods tend to be high in the calorie department, it's good to have a few healthy food swap ideas up your sleeve. Here are some shared by fellow FitSugar readers.

"Avocado instead of mayo . . . sure it may have fat in it but it's healthy fat and tastes delicious. Hummus instead of cream in sauces and soups . . . adds a ton of flavor and protein." - mamasitamalita
"I use balsamic vinegar (not vinaigrette) on my salads without any oil. It gives the same powerful flavor kick but for a lot less calories." - laellavita
"Replace ranch dressing on my salad with cottage cheese." - genipher85

For more great ideas, keep reading

In Season: Rhubarb

partysugar — Tue, 12 May 2009 10:15:59 -0700

Asparagus isn't the only stalk in season: rhubarb is also having a moment. Rhubarb resembles celery but has a vibrant pink color. Although many people mistake it for being a fruit, rhubarb is actually a vegetable. It's a member of the buckwheat family, can grow to be two feet long, and is at its peak from April to June. While rhubarb's leaves are poisonous, the stalks are highly edible. To learn more about rhubarb and check out some serving suggestions, read more.

When shopping for rhubarb at the farmers market, look for crisp stalks that are brightly hued. The leaves should be free of blemishes. Rhubarb is incredibly perishable; tightly wrap in a plastic bag and store in the refrigerator for up to three days. Remove the leaves and wash just before using. Since the flavor of rhubarb is very tart, it's often combined with sugar. Classic pairings for rhubarb are strawberries and ginger, but it goes with a number of other ingredients including apples, pears, fresh cheeses, vanilla, almonds, ham, duck, and salmon.

One can prepare rhubarb in both sweet and savory applications:

For a more sophisticated take on classic strawberry shortcake, layer sautéed rhubarb with crumbly cake and whipped cream.
Stir into a delicious streusel cake.
Simmer until the vegetable breaks down into a chutney and serve with ham.
Puree and mix into custard to make ice cream.
Bake in a pie or tart.
For a scrumptious salad, toss with greens and goat cheese.

Do you enjoy the flavor of rhubarb? What's your favorite way to serve it?

Source

What's Cooking at Slashfood

YumSugar — Thu, 14 May 2009 06:50:21 -0700

We love Slashfood so much that every Thursday we round up their most delicious stories. Here are this week's finds:

Four tips for turning out succulent chicken, cooked to perfection.
A primer on selecting distinctive, affordable South African wines.
Take the time to make pernil, or Puerto Rican-style pork shoulder.
Rhubarb isn't only for pies; it's also perfect for Summer imbibing.
Employ a basic dressing technique to highlight the flavor of Spring vegetables.
Somer Perez, mixologist for Manhattan's Elizabeth, shares her secrets for incorporating agave into cocktails.

Source

Reader's Recipe: Hearty "Cleaned Up" Chicken Pot Pie

YumSugar — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 07:58:13 -0800

For some reason, I have been craving chicken pot pie for the past few weeks. I'm not sure where the craving came from, or why, but I do know that I need to make one sooner than later. I've got a few recipes in my repertoire, but I decided to see if there were any great recipes online. Lucky for me, I didn't have to look too hard. My first stop was TeamSugar and reader suzanne has provided a great looking chicken pot pie that's she's altered from The Best Light Recipes cookbook. To check out what suzanne has come up with, read more

Recipe submitted by suzanne

This recipe (from "The Best Light Recipes Cookbook") started out at 380 calaories and 9g fat (instead of the usual 510 calories and 28 g of fat...) The changes I made did not alter the taste or texture at all... just brought the fat and calories even lower. Serves 8

It's delicious and satisfying. give it a try!

Light Chicken Pot Pie

- 6 medium carrots peeled and sliced
- 3 celery stalks sliced 1/4 in. thick
- I medium onion chopped fine
- 2 garlic cloved, minced
- 2 tsp. fresh Thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 medium skinless boneless chicken breasts trimmed of all fat
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup frozen green beans
- 1 cup skim milk
- 2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley leaves
- pinch salt and ground black pepper
- 1 Kroger frozen pie crust (4gm per serving) taken out of the shell, moistened, a bit formed into a ball and rerolled into a thin round circle.

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Combine carrots, celery, onion, garlic, thyme and 1/2 tsp. salt in a cooking pot. Cook in 4 cups chicken stock until vegetables are soft and tender. Stir in white wine and bay leaves and bring to a simmer.
3. Place the whole chicken breasts into the vegatable/sauce mixture and cook until the chicken is not pink in the center - about 12 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and allow to cool.
4. While the chicken cools, whisk the cornstarch into the milk and add to the simmering pot. Simmer until thick, then turn off heat.
5. Take out the bay leaf, stir in the peas, green beans and parsley and season with salt and pepper
6. When the chicken is cool enought to handle, shred it and then cut into bits sized pieces. Stir the chicken into the sauce/veg mixture.
7. Use a turned over ramekin as a cookie cutter and make 8 pie crust circles for topping the pot pies.
8. Evenly divide the mixture into individual ramekins and top each with a pie crust round. Brush each pie crust round with egg white or milk.
9. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the sauce is bubbly... 20-25 minutes.

Serve on a dinner plate alongside a fresh salad. Mmmmmmmmm!!!

Frozen Pizza Breakdown

FitSugar — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 05:30:00 -0800

I'll admit that when I need a quick meal, a frozen pizza sure comes in handy. It's easy, the kids love it, and many are made with wholesome ingredients, so they're not as bad for you as ordering a pie from your local pizzeria. If you ever wanted to know how all the frozen pizzas at the health-food store compare then check out this chart organized by brand that I made.

To see the others how other brands compare, just read more.

As you can see, for the most part, these pizzas are fairly healthy. They contain a good amount of protein, and the Kashi pizzas are also high in fiber. It's the sodium content you have to watch out for, especially because most people eat half the pizza rather than the suggested one-third serving. I'd aim for choosing the ones that contain 700 mg of sodium or less, and five or less grams of saturated fat. Of course, the ones loaded with veggies are probably your best option.