potluck – Move Well with Amy Rizzotto

June 15, 2015

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie (Gluten-Free)

This summer, why not wow dinner and BBQ guests with a healthier than average dessert featuring fresh, seasonal ingredients? Strawberry Rhubarb Pie is a summer classic, perfect for any party.

I bet you can’t guess my favorite aspect of this sweet treat: it’s loaded with a nutrient-dense vegetable! Okay, so maybe you could have guessed I would like that part.

Rhubarb is a surprising source of calcium–just one cup has 10% of your RDA–and beauty-boosting nutrients like lutein, vitamin K, and antioxidants. Who doesn’t need a little extra help with healthy skin in the summer? All that heat, humidity, and sunshine can do a number on our most exposed organ.

Ok, first, please drool over this picture then scroll down for the recipe…

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Ingredients

1 Gluten-Free Pie Crust
1 pint strawberries
4-5 stalks rhubarb
1/2 cup raw cane sugar
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
Splash of sweet vinegar (white balsamic or fruit-flavored of choice)
1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions:

Prepare one Gluten-Free Pie Crust (or cheat a little and get one pre-made).
Pre-heat oven to 425 F.
Wash and cut strawberries and rhubarb into bite-sized pieces. Place in a large bowl and mix with sugar, arrowroot (or cornstarch if you aren’t gluten-free), vinegar, and salt. Mix thoroughly and let sit for 15 minutes.
Press pie crust into your favorite nonstick tart or pie dish. Fill crust with fruit and vegetable mixture, spreading evenly.
Bake at 425 F for 30 min then reduce to 350 F and bake another 20-25 minutes or until crust edges are golden brown.

Top with a scoop of your favorite ice cream. I went with Moorenko‘s creamy, delicious Vanilla Bean variety. YUM-E.

January 26, 2015

Cucumber Feta Salad with Lemony-Dill Dressing

Sometimes I like to play this game in winter where I turn on my space heater, put on reggae music and pretend it’s not frigid and frightening outside. If I were an animal, I might be a bear considering I have a innate desire to hibernate when temperatures drop, sidewalks turn into ice skating rinks, and my legs start to look like alligator tails. During one of these recent exercises in wistful imagination, I decided that creating a summery salad in the dead of winter would make me feel just a little bit brighter on what was an otherwise gloomy day.

Cucumber met feta. Feta met dill. Dill danced with yogurt, lemon and garlic. What resulted was an easy, tasty and refreshing January-denial salad. Dill does have its winter merits as it’s loaded with immune system-boosting vitamins A and C. I hope this recipe transports you to a sunny beach somewhere and leaves you feeling nourished, both body and soul.

Cucumber Feta Salad with Lemony-Dill Dressing

[makes approx. 6 side-dish servings]

Ingredients:

1 cup of feta cubes
5 small Persian cucumbers (or 2 regular)
¼ cup plain yogurt (I used nonfat)
2 small cloves of garlic (or 1 big)
Juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbs olive oil
¼ cup fresh dill
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Cut cucumbers into half rounds (or however you like your bite-size pieces to look). Toss together in a large bowl with feta cubes*.
In a separate small bowl, whisk together yogurt, lemon juice, minced garlic, chopped dill, olive oil and black pepper to taste. Resist any temptation to add salt as feta is quite salty already.
Add dressing to feta and cucumber and toss to combine.
Top with fresh dill and a few cherry or grape tomatoes if you have them on hand. Bon apetit!

*Note: I used block feta, which is cheaper and holds its shape better than pre-cut or crumbled feta. The block I cut up was about 3 cubic inches.

April 5, 2013

Turmeric and Thyme Baked Potato Chips

If you follow health news, you’ve probably been inundated by now with revived exuberance for the Mediterranean diet [exhibit A, B and C]. Last month the New York Times reported, “About 30 percent of heart attacks, strokes and deaths from heart disease can be prevented in people at high risk if they switch to a Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil, nuts, beans, fish, fruits and vegetables, and even drink wine with meals.” The study yielding these impressive results was even cut short because the results were so decisive that researchers found it unethical to continue.

To me, this diet just plain makes sense. Why? Because it’s not really a diet, it’s a lifestyle, and one that is pretty easy to maintain. Unlike other diets, the Mediterranean diet is not very restrictive and has a vast array of menu options to keep you interested and satisfied for the long haul. I would, however, add whole grains into the mix as they’re an important part of a well-balanced diet. Additionally, I encourage anyone without a lactose allergy to fit in some low-to-no fat dairy products. This is especially important for women as we need anywhere from 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams of calcium each day.

The bottom line for a healthy heart and happy stomach: pick up some good olive oil, lay off the red meat (for the most part), enjoy some delicious salmon with a side of asparagus, and grab yourself a glass of wine. I think I could get used to this kind of lifestyle.

And finally, in the spirit of the Mediterranean diet, here is a great snack and/or appetizer recipe for you to try. Buon appetito!

Turmeric & Thyme Baked Potato Chips

What You’ll Need:

2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/2 – 1 tsp sea salt
1/4 – 1/2 tsp ground cayenne
6-8 organic red-skinned potatoes (each about the size of two golf balls)

How to Make Them:

Pre-heat oven to 400°F
Slice potatoes 1/8″ or slightly thinner on a mandoline.
Toss potatoes with all other ingredients in a large bowl.
Arrange slices in a single layer on a cooling rack set atop a baking sheet (this allows air to crisp the chips 360°)
Bake for 20 min, flip, then bake another 20 min.

[Serves 6-8 as an appetizer; approx 160 cal per person]

I like to pair them with Trader Joe’s Cowboy Caviar or a nice mixed olive tapenade. These would make a great app for any dinner party, potluck or tailgate.