Authentic Ragu` Italian Sauce

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Old Bari w Homemade Oricchette Pasta

RAGU` is a common dish served in southern Italy for Sunday lunch after morning church services.  Very easy to prepare!

Prep. time 5 minutes!  Cooking time 3-4 hours on low heat.Can be made the day before.

 Serves 4-6 people.

  • 1-2 pounds Roast (1 kilo)
  • 1 medium onion peeled and coarsely chopped
  • ¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • ½ cup red wine
  • Two 28 oz cans tomato sauce (1 ½ L)
  • 1 cup of water.
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • Add salt to taste. 2 tsp. salt
  • 10 leaves fresh  Basil (add ONLY in the last 10 minutes of cooking sauce.) Reserve 6 leaves for presentation of dish.
  • Parmesan Cheese (freshly grated)   

With a sharp knife cut and quarter the roast to accommodate number of people being served and place in a large pan. Add coarsely chopped onion and olive oil. Cover pan and allow to cook for 15 minutes on MEDIUM heat, turning the meat twice with the onions, as to not to burn. 

Add ½ -3/4 cup of red wine, cover the pan and allow to simmer for 5 minutes on LOW heat. 

Add tomato sauce,1 cup of water and milk. Prop lid of pan with wooden spoon and allow to simmer on LOW or Warm heat for 3-4 hours turning sauce occasionally (every 20 minutes) as to not to burn the Ragu. 

After 3-4 hours of cooking Ragu, Add 10 chopped basil leaves to sauce and remove the Ragu from the heat.  In a separate pan boil water and add your favorite pasta. The Orecchiette (little ears) pasta or Tortellini is commonly used with the Ragu ` Sauce.  This delicious married combination  originated from the city of Bari the beautiful southern region of Puglia, on the breathtaking Adriatic Sea. 

Drain pasta of all water and return pasta to pan.  Add 2-3 ladles full of sauce to pasta and turn in pan .  Spoon out pasta onto dish,  pass with 1 tbsp parmesan cheese, add one ladle of sauce on top of cheese.  Add 1 tsp of cheese to top of sauce and place a fresh basil leave for a beautiful presentation. 

Serve with meat on side.  Click on Waldorf Salad to complete this dinner!

By Kimberly Crocker

Old City of Bari and Homemade Pasta

Read Your Palm, Determine Your Diet

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Open hand, read your palm to know your serving size of meat.

Read your own palm and know your personal dietary needs. An open flat palm (don’t include the fingers) shows the size of meat, poultry or fish that YOU should consume. The thickness and the length of the palm perfectly identifies your personal protein needs. While an individual’s fist size (closed hand) can give you your own serving size for fruit and vegetables.

Your fist size determines your own single serving.

 

Clear the confusion over serving size, don’t let it upset your apple cart and ruin your diet! By better understanding what a serving size may look like, consider these unique tips to trigger your memory the next time your prepare a meal, or go out to eat a restaurant. Ones body can tell an individual how they must eat to meet their own individual needs. Remember, in order to not over eat, drink (245 ml) 1 glass of water before your meal and another during the meal.

Serving Sizes: Use the list below to measure foods and serving sizes. A serving size means the size of food after it is cooked or prepared.

  • 1 teaspoon (tsp) is about the size of the tip of your little finger (from the last crease)
  • 1 tablespoon (Tbsp) is about the size of the tip of your thumb (from the last crease).
  • 2 tablespoons (Tbsp) is about the size of a large walnut.
  • One ounce of hard cheese is about a 1 inch cube.
  • 3 ounces of cooked meat, fish, or poultry is about the size of a deck of cards.
  • 1 ounce of cooked meat, fish, or poultry is about 1/4 cup (c).
  • 1/2 cup of fruit or vegetables is about half of a fist (A serving of cooked vegetables is 1/2 cup (1/2 handful) or 1 cup (1 handful) raw.)
  • 1 cup of food is the size of a fist, or 8 fluid ounces of liquid.
  • 1-1/2 cup (12 fluid ounces) of liquid is the size of 1 soda-pop can.
  • 1 pint or 2 cups (16 fluid ounces) of liquid is the size of 1-1/3 soda-pop cans.

The American Dietetic Association counsels that individuals maintain a healthy lifestyle by
including the following into their dietary intake:

  • 4 Serving Fruits
  • 5 Servings Vegetables
  • 2 Servings of Milk
  • 2 Servings of Protein
  • 2 Servings of Healthy Fat (2 Tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive or Canola Oil)
  • 6-11 Servings of Bread (Determined by body size; men eat more bread servings, while women eat less.)
Be smart and plan each meal! When choosing foods, aim for a daily total of 25-38 grams of fiber that will come from Vegetable, Fruit and Multi-Grains.
By: Kimberly Crocker- Scardicchio

References

  • “The Hand Method”  http://www.heb.com/template/printer-contentTemplateB.jsp?ccid=cc30360035
  • http://www.drugs.com/cg/diabetic-exchange-diet.html
  • http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/food/pyramid.html#

Satisfying 1200 Calorie Diet

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Successful Meal Planning

A 3 Step Plan to Achieving a 1200 Calorie Diet Can Work for You!  By loading the calories on the earlier part of the day, then gradually reducing intake, energy is used into the evening.  The suggested plan is for:

  • reducing dietary intake
  • promoting weight loss
  • for the individual who is not physically inclined to move as often.
  • slow metabolism (i.e. hypothyroidism)

Reducing and controlling the intake of energy by cautiously planning meals is easy to do by simply following 3 Steps.

Step 1: Move the higher caloric dinner-time to a lunch menu, allowing energy to be expended over the day instead of packing the calories at night when they can turn to fat quicker, because of less movement and exercise on an individual’s part.

Step 2:  Promote effective digestion by adding: the juice of  a 1/2 lemon freshly squeezed to 1 glass of water and drink the special “lemonade” twice throughout the day.  After meals chew on 6-12 fennel seeds to add: fiber, reduce gas, natural phyto-estrogens and freshens breath.

Step 3: Plan Each Meal, pick and choose your food, aiming for the total suggested calories per snack or meal.

BREAKFAST is important to fueling your day with energy and focus throughout the morning.  Begin your day by drinking 2 glasses of water then choose your menu, aim for 300 calories for breakfast, try to include 1 fruit.

  • 1 egg  (211 calories)
  • Yogurt 1% milk fat 8 ounces (218 calories)
  • Slice multi grain bread (69 calories)
  • 1 tsp Jelly (40 calories)
  • 1 tsp honey (49 calories)
  • Slow cook unflavored oatmeal made with water (14 calories)
  • Glass 1 % Milk 8 ounces (110 calories)
  • Orange Juice 6 ounce (71 calories)
  • 1 Cup coffee (5 calories)
  • 1 fruit (70 calories)
A.M. SNACK time is a way to pick up and recharge allow for 100 calories
  • 1 fruit  is one serving size (tennis ball size), on average varies in 70-85 calories
  • 1/2 ounce of nuts (80 calories)
  • 1/2 ounce sunflower seeds (82 calories)
  • 1 glass water
LUNCH anytime between Noon and 2:00 pm provides a boost to get throughout the day. A larger lunch provides a feeling of satiety that will last to light dinner.  Begin with 1 glass of water then opt for: 1 protein, 1 bread, 2 vegetables, 1 fruit. Aim for 500 Calories.
3 ounces of any protein:
  • Fish (138 calories)
  • Chicken (245 calories)
  • Red Meat (213 calories)
  • Pork (207 calories)
  • 1 cup beans (215 calories)
  • 1 cup lentils (226 calories)
Bread
  • White Rice 1/2 cup cooked (85 calories)
  • Long Grain Brown Rice 1/2 cup cooked (108 calories)
  • Pasta cooked (140 calories)
Vegetables
  • Green Salad (60 calories)
  • 1/4 cup: sliced Carrots or snow peas or beans (25 calories each)
  • 1 tsp olive oil / vinegar dressing (45 calories)
Fruits
  • 1 fruit (70-80 calories)
  • 1/4 cup berries (16 calories)
  • 4 prunes (80 calories)
P.M. SNACK for  a total of 70 Calories
  • 1 fruit (70 calories)
  • 1 glass of water
DINNER time keeps it light. Best time for dinner is when hunger hits. Begin with a glass of water and have dinner between 6:00-8:00 pm allowing for digestion and a full nights sleep. Suggestion: Soup and salad or 2 vegetable and a fruit serving.  Goal is 230 calories, include 1 glass of water before or with dinner.
  • sweet potato baked (115 calorie)
  • 1 cup salad (60 calories)
  • 1 cup vegetable soup (110 calories)
  • roasted pepper and mushrooms with minced garlic and 1/2 tsp olive oil (80 calories)
  • 1 sliced whole red, green, yellow peppers  (37 calories)
  • 1 cup sliced zucchini (20 calories) saute` with 1/2 Tbsp olive oil (80 calories) and minced garlic
  • Saute` or grilled portobello mushroom (80 calories)
  • 1 glass milk (110 calories)

Before bedtime have a glass of water. Allow eight hours of rest to promote additional calorie loss and waking up refreshed and ready to begin a new day!

By: Kimberly Crocker-Scardicchio

  • Lemon Juice:  http://eatknowhow.com/2008/01/28/gas-pains-drink-lemon-water
  • Fennel Seeds: http://eatknowhow.com/2011/12/05/fennel-seeds-to-restore-health

Attention to Reducing your Cholesterol

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Reduce Cholesterol and Blood Pressure

New Years with a fresh new start to keep you on your toes and modeling ideal habits for those you love.  Follow these basic steps to reduce your cholesterol and blood pressure, impacting and leading to a stronger lifestyle.

In brief, it’s important to know very basic facts.

  1. The body’s liver makes its own cholesterol everyday.  Cholesterol is a key factor the functionability of our hormones and to the elasticity of our veins and arteries.
  2. HDL is a healthy cholesterol needed to keep our hormones, organs, muscles, veins and arteries operating properly.
  3. LDL is an unhealthy cholesterol when it becomes oxidized.

Knowledge to influence better habits

Oxidation of LDL is due to free radicals floating around in our body which are  O+ broken off from degenerating protein called homocysteine. The positively charged oxygen then attaches itself to LDL cholesterol and plaque begins to form in your arteries and veins. Hence forth, why anti-oxidants from fruit and vegetables need to be a part of ones daily intake, to clean up the free radicals.

Check the grocery cart before before bringing home the bacon! LDL cholesterol is established through nutrition and found in hydrogenated fats and animal fat.    Hydrogenated fats can be found in margarine, shortening, cookies, and oil-frying. By switching grocery purchases of high caloric fats for fresh seasonal fruits, you are already stepping up!

It’s easy to do!  Reduce consumption of animal fats, or saturated fats; found in milk, butter, cheese, ice cream, meats and pork.  Although we need a certain amount of meats and fats  they should be consumed in small amounts.  A meat serving is 3-4 ounce (84-112 g) servings consumed once or twice a day, while a fat serving is 2 Tbsp of oil per day

3 Effective Steps to Increase HDL

  1. Walk 30-60 minutes five times a week for a total of 2 1/2-5 hours per week.  Walking twice a day for 20-30 minutes each time will increase your metabolism, strengthen bones, muscles and keep your heart pumping…increasing the HDL cholesterol, which removes LDL cholesterol from your arteries.
  2. Consume foods that increase HDL levels:  Omega-3 rish foods: Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Canola, Walnuts, Almonds, Fish and Fiber.  Fruit and Vegetables , total of 9 1/2 cup servings a day.  Please refer to:  Daily Serving Guidelines.
  3. Beverages that assist in increasing HDL levels: Cleanse your body with lemon water or green/black/white tea throughout the day.  Wine and alcohol in moderation; 1 glass for a woman, 2 glasses for a man.
    Reducing cholesterol levels puts into place the first step to reducing blood pressure. It is important to note that attention to reducing salt levels and increasing potassium intake will impact a decreased blood pressure as well. By establishing a plan to  healthier eating and daily exercise, you will feel stronger sooner than expected!

By: K. Crocker-Scardicchio

References

  • Plant Sterols and Stanols important for reduction of LDL cholesterol http://www.clevelandclinic.org/health/health-info/docs/3000/3085.asp?index=10841
  • Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/nonalcoholic-fatty-liver-disease/DS00577
  • Fast Food, Fatty Liver  http://eatknowhow.com/2011/10/28/fast-food-slow-liver
  • Dash Diet: http://dashdiet.org
  • http://eatknowhow.com/2011/11/10/ls-dash-diet-reduce-sodium-intake

Vegetable Couscous

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Easy to make vegetable couscous. Serve with Lemon Leaf Chicken Wrap . Serves 4.      20 minutes preparation.

  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 tsp salt for boiling water 1/2 tsp salt for vegetables
  • 1  cup Couscous
  • 1/4 c. olive oil
  • 1 pat butter
  • 1/4 onion peeled and diced
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 1/2 cup each; diced eggplant, zucchini, carrot, red pepper or tomato
  • 1 Tbsp chopped parsley
  • Basil leaves to garnish

Couscous alle verdure

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Fill a  large pan with 270 ml (2 cups) water.  When water boils add 1/2 tsp of salt.  Add 1 cup (200 grams) of couscous. .
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Stir couscous, reduce heat to medium low and cover,  allow to simmer for 2 minutes.   Place 2 tsp of butter into pan along with 1 Tbsp of olive oil.  Allow to simmer another 2 minutes.  Remove lid from pan, turn off heat and fluff couscous with fork.
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Wash, dry and dice: eggplant, zucchini, carrot, onion and red pepper or tomato.
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In a skillet on medium heat add 2 T olive oil, garlic and vegetables. Season with 1/2 tsp salt. Saute for 10 minutes. couscous_verd_6_ric.jpg
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Combine vegetables and parsley leaves with couscous. Present with leaves of basil on side of dish.