Berries are in season, and it’s the month that celebrates all things red white and blue! Tara Rochford, registered dietitian nutritionist and healthy living blogger joined us today with some of her favorite antioxidant-rich red, white and blue recipes.
Berry Greek Yogurt Popsicles
Ingredients:
- 1 banana
- ½ cup unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 cup blueberries, sliced strawberries or any other fruit you like
Directions:
- In a blender, combine the banana, coconut milk, Greek yogurt, chia seeds and maple syrup.
- Add about 1 tablespoon of the blueberries and sliced strawberries to each popsicle mold.
- Distribute the banana yogurt mixture into the molds.
- Add popsicle sticks to the molds and freeze for at least 4 hours.
Berry Nutrition Fun Facts:
- Raspberries contain the most fiber out of any berry at 8g of fiber per cup.
- Berries are some of the richest sources of antioxidants in our diet.
- Antioxidants may reduce inflammation and the risk of chronic diseases.
- Strawberries contain a high amount of vitamin C.
Red and Blue Berry Fruit Salsa
Ingredients:
- ⅓ cup fresh strawberries, cut in quarters
- ⅓ cup fresh raspberries
- ⅓ cup fresh blueberries
- ¼ cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 jalapeno, deseeded and chopped (you can add more or less depending on how much spice you like)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine.
- Serve right away or store in the fridge before serving
You can find these recipes and more from Tara at:
Tararochfordnutrition.com, Tara Rochford Nutrition on Facebook, @TaraRochford on Instagram and Tara Rochford Nutrition on Pintererst.
Summer smoothies with just the right amount of sweet berries!
On today’s show, Tara Rochford, RDN, food blogger and cookbook author joined us to share some of her favorite smoothie recipes that are perfect to enjoy during the hot summer months. Both smoothies include probiotic-rich ingredients making them great for gut health!
Strawberry Lemonade Smoothie (Yields: 2 smoothies)
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups lemonade
- ¾ cup plain Green yogurt
- 2 cups frozen strawberries
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup (optional)
Directions:
Blend lemonade, Greek yogurt and strawberries (and maple syrup if using) until smooth and creamy. Serve in two glasses with a straw and enjoy!
Mixed Berry Smoothie with Kefir (Yields: 1 smoothie)
Kefir is one of Tara’s favorite smoothie additions because of the high amount of probiotics it contains. Blended with mixed berries and frozen banana, this smoothie is a sweet creamy and nutritious treat!
Ingredients:
- ½ cup almond milk
- ½ frozen banana
- ⅕ cup frozen mixed berries
- 4 oz or half cup of plain kefir
- 1 teaspoon chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Serve immediately.
You can find these recipes and more from Tara at:
Instagram: @tararochford
Facebook: Tara Rochford Nutrition
Pinterest: Tara Rochford Nutrition
Tara Rochford, RDN, food blogger and cookbook author joined us today to talk about adding seafood to our weekly meals, how we can make it delicious and nutritious!
Fish Tacos
Recently the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans were released and they shared some exciting updates, including nutrition recommendations for children under 2 and pregnant and lactating women. Seafood is highlighted as a food to help boost nutrients that are great for our little one’s developing brains.
Some delicious ways to add it in during the week are these Fish Tacos and Lemon Caper Fish and Veggies en Papillote.
Fish Tacos
Yields: About 5 servings
Ingredients:
For the Seasoning
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon freeze dried chives
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the Sauce
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 lime, juiced
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon dried dill
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- Pinch salt, to taste
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
For the tacos
- 1 lb white fish (like cod)
- Olive oil cooking spray
- Corn tortillas
- Shredded cabbage
- Diced tomato
Instructions:
For the seasoning and fish
- Mix all ingredients together, rub on fish.
- Preheat skillet to medium-high heat and spray liberally with nonstick spray.
- Pan fry the fish in the skillet until flaky and crisp on the outside (internal temperature should be 145 degrees Fahrenheit.)
For the sauce
- Whisk the Greek yogurt and mayonnaise together. Add juice of ½ lime until the consistency of a creamy dressing. Add the spices and mix thoroughly. Stir ini the jalapeno. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
To serve
- Serve each taco in a corn tortilla with shredded cabbage, diced tomatoes, and top with the sauce.
Lemon-Caper Fish and Veggies en Papillote
Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 lb green beans
- 4 (6-ounce) white fish fillets about ½ inch thick
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 teaspoons unsalted butter
- 4 teaspoons capers
- 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 lemons thinly sliced
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prepare four large pieces of parchment paper that are each large enough to fold over your fish fillet, with a couple of inches of a border.
- To assemble one packet, place one-quarter of the green beans in a single layer on the lower half of each piece of parchment paper. Place each fish fillet on top of each layer of green beans. Season each with ⅛ teaspoon of salt, pepper and garlic powder. Top the fish with a pat of butter (about 1 teaspoon), 1 teaspoon of capers, ¼ cup of parsley and 3-4 lemon slices.
- Fold the parchment paper over the fish and fold down the edges, sealing the fish and veggies in a packet. Place on a sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to create four packets.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes, until the fish is cooked through and flakes with a fork. Cooking time varies with the thickness of the fish.
- Remove from the oven and let sit for a couple of minutes, or until cool to the touch.
- Carefully open the parchment packets and allow the steam to escape.
For more information visit, TaraRochfordNutrition.com, Facebook: Tara Rochford Nutrition and Instagram: @TaraRochford.
Tara Rochford is registered dietitian nutritionist and healthy living blogger at Tara Rochford Nutrition
It’s the new year, and Tara is focusing on ways to set herself up for success in 2021. As a new mom, she is realizing how precious time really is, so doing simple things like planning meals ahead of time for the week and prepping a few ingredients or meal components helps save time so she has delicious and nutritious meals for her family all the time!
Egg Roll Bowl
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon garlic infused extra virgin olive oil, or 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil + 1 clove minced garlic
- 1 inch of fresh ginger, grated (about 1 tablespoon)
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 lb ground chicken or turkey
- 3 ½ cups shredded cabbage (green or purple)
- 3 carrots, grated/shredded
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- ½ cup chopped green onions, garnish
Directions:
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ginger, sauteeing for about a minute. Add the cayenne, salt and ground chicken or turkey. Cook and break apart the meat until it is browned.
- Add the shredded cabbage and carrots. Gently toss for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are crisp yet tender.
- Serve over cooked rice and garnish with green onions.
Tips:
Start with one meal: Focus mainly on dinner when planning and rely on leftovers for lunch or other things you typically have around the house.
Plan 4 meals for 7 days: This allows for real life to happen. You can support local and order takeout one night, you can have a “clean out the fridge night”, etc.
Consider what you have going on in your weekly schedule: When she plans their meals, she first starts by writing down what they have going on each day. If Brian has a meeting one night, she’ll probably just have leftovers for Marie and herself, if they have a doctor’s appointment or something else in the evening she will put dinner in the slow cooker.
Plan only one new/elaborate/fancy meal a week: This will help you feel successful! Meal planning is supposed to make your life easier, and if you plan more than one new or fancy recipe each week, it will not feel easy.
Rochford has more tips for meal planning and prepping to set you up for success on her blog as well as a meal schedule template.
Chicken and Chickpea Tikka Masala
Ingredients:
- 1 cup brown rice
- 1 ½ tablespoons garlic infused extra virgin olive oil or extra virgin olive oil + 1 clove minced garlic
- 1 lb chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ¼ cup freeze-dried chives
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoons garam masala
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- ½ cup canned coconut milk
- 1 15 oz can garbanzo beans, low sodium, drained and rinsed
- ½ lemon, juiced
Directions:
- In a medium saucepan, cook rice according to package directions.
- Heat garlic infused olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chicken and chives to the pot and cook until golden on the outside for about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste, ginger, garam masala, smoked paprika, ground cumin, turmeric, coriander, cayenne, salt, and pepper for about a minute or until fragrant.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes and broth. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer until it is slightly thickened. About 10 minutes.
- Stir in the coconut milk and garbanzo beans until heated through. Squeeze the lemon over the top of the mixture and stir.
- Serve with rice.
You can find these recipes and more from her on her website, Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.