Fresh Ingredients Combined to Create Tasty, Nutritious Fare  

Autumn Oatmeal Hug

I love making this oatmeal on a Sunday and freezing the extra for a quick, warm & filling breakfast during the work week!  It's like a warm hug on a cold morning!

Ingredients:

2 cups of water

2 cups of skim milk (substitute whole milk if you are trying to add extra calories)

1 cup Steel Cut Oats

1 teaspoon butter or substitute (optional)

1/8 teaspoon of salt

2 tablespoons of dried cranberries

2-3 dried apricots (diced into tiny pieces)

½ apple (diced in tiny pieces)

½ pear (diced into tiny pieces)

1 teaspoon of brown sugar

1 teaspoon of maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

Bring water and milk to a boil.  Slowly add oats, 1/4 cup at a time.  Once all oats have been added, stir continuously for approximately 5 minutes.  Lower flame to a simmer and stir in salt and butter.  Let oatmeal cook 15-25 minutes depending on desired consistency.  Stir occasionally while oatmeal cooks.  During the last  3 - 5 minutes of cooking, add cranberries, apricots, apple, maple syrup and cinnamon.  Once oatmeal is done, transfer to ice cube trays to cool, cover with saran wrap and freeze (*Hint:  Spray ice cube tray with a small amount of non-stick spray to make it easier when trying to remove frozen oatmeal).  Once oatmeal is frozen solid, transfer to a large baggie and put it back in the freezer.  Whenever you are ready to enjoy a bowl of oatmeal, take 2-3 cubes out of the refrigerator and microwave 1-2 minutes, stirring halfway between heating.  Enjoy! 

Compliments of: Maria C. Romano, MS RD CDN

Autumn Colors Salad

The colors in this salad make it just as beautiful to look at as it is delicious to eat!  Packed with antioxidants, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, fiber, and protein, it's a great nutritional choice!

Ingredients:

½ cup of sweet potato, diced into bite-sized cubes

½ Tablespoon of olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 cups of baby greens (for example, baby spinach), washed and dried

1 Tablespoon of gorgonzola cheese

1 Barlett pear, washed and sliced into thin pieces

2 Tablespoons of dried cranberries

1 Tablespoon of candied pecans, crushed

8-10 red seedless grapes, cut in quarters

2 Tablespoons of raspberry vinaigrette dressing

*Optional:  Add 3 ounces of roasted turkey breast, sliced or chopped

                 Serve with toasted corn bread

DIRECTIONS:

Turn toaster oven or oven on to 375 degrees.  On a small baking sheet, spread sweet potato cubes and brush lightly with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper (to taste) and bake for 15-20 minutes. While potatoes are roasting, prepare the rest of your ingredients.  (*Hint, slice pears last to prevent them from becoming brown).  Once all ingredients are prepped, add them to a large mixing bowl and toss lightly.  Top with roasted sweet potato pieces and toss one last time.  Serve immediately with a side of toasted corn bread.  *Optional:  Add leftover roasted turkey breast when adding roasted sweet potato to this recipe.

Compliments of: Maria C. Romano, MS RD CDN

Quick Quesadillas

This easy-to-make main dish provides the equivalent of 1/2 cup of vegetables per serving, and is an excellent source of vitamin C as well as fiber.

Ingredients:

2 sprays of cooking oil spray
2 (6 inch) whole wheat tortillas
¼ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/3 cup fresh tomatoes, finely chopped
1/3 cup onions, finely chopped
1/3 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/3 cup green bell peppers, chopped

3 slices of turkey or ham (optional)

Sour cream (optional)

Salsa (optional)

Spray frying pan with cooking oil and heat for 1 minute on MEDIUM. Set aside 2 tablespoons of cheese. Place 1 tortilla in frying pan and spread the remaining cheese on tortilla. Then sprinkle with tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, green peppers, turkey or hamd, and the remaining cheese.  Top with second tortilla. Press down with spatula to help cheese melt. Carefully turn over and allow to cook for 1 minute. Cut into 4 pieces.  Serve with sour cream & salsa if desired.

Banana Bread

Instead of throwing out over-ripe bananas, use them to make banana bread!  Banana bread is a great afternoon snack or a light breakfast.  Adding butter or peanut butter to a slice of banana bread can help increase the amount of calories and protein provided, making it an even healthier choice for patients undergoing cancer treatment. 

Ingredients:

1/3 cup of canola oil                          1 teaspoon of vanilla extract                       

1 cup dark brown sugar                    2 cups of all-purpose flour

2 large eggs                                      1 teaspoon baking soda

3 medium bananas                           1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a mixing bowl, beat together the oil and brown sugar.  Add eggs, banana, and vanilla.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and cinnamon.  Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until lightly mixed.  Pour batter into a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan coated with a nonstick cooking spray.  Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Makes 16 slices

Calories: 180 calories per slice      Protein: 3 grams of protein per slice

*Optional:  To make this recipe more of a dessert, add chocolate chips or butterscotch chips to the batter right before pouring into the baking pan!

Tip:  Bananas are a good food to consume if diarrhea is a problem.  Each banana has about 450mg of potassium.

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