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I have spent the last 2 hours reading your newsletter and wonderful recipes. I have already printed a whole bunch I want to try. I love them because they are using ingredients one has on hand. I love that and just wanted you to know how much we appreciate all your hard work in putting together this newsletter. Thank you very much.

Anna


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       Volume I - July 17, 2009

Curb the Munchies with This Water-Filled Food
by Alice Osborne & Patty Liston

Alice does OK with her eating routine during the day (breakfast and at work). But when she gets home, the munchies have a strangle-hold on her. We went looking for help on the Internet and found some great advice on the REAL AGE website: Choose water-filled fruit like slices of juicy ripe cantaloupe.

According to Dr. Jonny Bowden, author of The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, eating foods with high water content tends to be even more filling than chugging water with meals and can chase away that desire for stupid stuff like Cheetos!

Cantaloupe is an orange oasis, and its flesh is 90% water — which means it’s a wonderful paradox for the calorie conscious. It makes you feel really full when it’s in your stomach, but it’s really low in calories: An entire large cantaloupe has only 277 calories. What’s in that other 10%, you ask? Loads of good stuff, like blood-pressure-friendly potassium (427 milligrams per cup of cubed cantaloupe) and cancer-fighting beta carotene (3,000 micrograms).

Fresh cantaloupe at the peak of ripeness is pretty hard to beat and doesn’t necessarily need much accompaniment. But if you’re feeling creative, try some of these summer-inspired recipes from EatingWell:

Melon Panzanella
An Italian-style lunch salad; serves 6 at 1 C ea.

Traditional panzanella, Italian bread salad, was the inspiration for this dish. This variation uses sweet, ripe melon instead of tomatoes, plus peppery arugula and a touch of sizzled prosciutto to complement the taste of the melon. Try firm-textured orange- or green-fleshed melons, such as honeydew, casaba, cantaloupe or Galia. We even like it with watermelon.

4 ounces whole-grain bread, torn into bite-size pieces (about 2 1/2 cups)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 ounce thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into thin strips (about 1/3 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 cups torn arugula leaves
2 cups cubed firm ripe melon
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Preheat oven to 250°F. Spread bread pieces on a baking sheet. Bake until lightly toasted, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add prosciutto and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 30 seconds more. Remove from the heat and stir in vinegar, salt and pepper. Place arugula, melon, basil and the toasted bread in a large bowl. Add the prosciutto mixture and toss to combine. Let the salad stand for about 20 minutes before serving so the bread can absorb some of the dressing.

Nutrition Information: Per serving: 130 calories; 8 g fat (1 g sat, 5 g mono); 4 mg cholesterol; 13 g carbohydrate; 3 g protein; 3 g fiber; 277 mg sodium; 149 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (16% daily value).1 Carbohydrate Serving. Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 1/2 fat

        
  Download this recipe.


Chilled Melon Soup
Serves 6 at ¾ C each

This refreshing summer soup is a great starter for dinner on the patio on a summer evening. Try any variety of melon in this recipe. Serve leftover soup with salad for lunch the next day.

6 cups cubed ripe melon
1/2 cup diced seedless cucumber
6 tablespoons lime juice, divided, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon thinly sliced scallion green, plus 1 whole scallion, divided
1 jalapeño pepper, plus more to taste
1 cup cold water
1 2-by-1/2-inch strip orange zest
1/2 cup orange juice, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro or mint for garnish
6 teaspoons plain yogurt or crème fraîche for garnish

Dice enough melon to measure 1 cup and combine in a small bowl with cucumber, 2 tablespoons lime juice and scallion green. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve the soup. Place the remaining melon and 4 tablespoons lime juice in a blender. Chop the whole scallion and seed and chop jalapeño; add to the blender along with water, orange zest, orange juice, ginger and salt. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and add more lime juice, jalapeño and/or orange juice, if desired.
Refrigerate the soup until chilled, 2 hours. Stir the reserved diced melon mixture and divide among 4 soup bowls. Pour the soup into the bowls. Garnish each serving with cilantro (or mint) and yogurt (or crème fraîche), if using.

Nutrition Information: Per serving: 63 calories; 0 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 16 g carbohydrate; 1 g protein; 1 g fiber; 97 mg sodium; 262 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (50% daily value), Vitamin A (20% dv).1 Carbohydrate Serving.
Exchanges: 1 fruit
Make Ahead Tip: Refrigerate the melon mixture (Step 1) and soup (Step 2) in separate containers for up to 1 day. Finish with Step 4 just before serving.

        
  Download this recipe.


Melon Ice Pops
Makes 2 pops

Finely slivered mint frozen inside these melon ice pops adds a delightfully pretty flair.


1 small cantaloupe, casaba, honeydew, Crenshaw, watermelon
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar (or 2 Tbsp agave—or go sugar-free like Alice does)
1 tablespoon finely slivered fresh mint leaves
1/4-1/3 cup lemon juice, depending on the sweetness of the melon

Cut cantaloupe in half; remove and discard the seeds. Scoop out the flesh and transfer to a food processor. Puree until smooth; measure 1 1/3 cups puree and transfer to a small bowl. (Reserve any remaining puree for another use, such as a smoothie.)
Pour water into a small saucepan, add sugar and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in mint and immediately remove from the heat. Let stand for 1 minute. Stir the mint syrup and lemon juice into the cantaloupe puree. Pour the mixture into 8 individual popsicle molds or small (2-ounce) paper cups. Freeze until beginning to set, about 1 hour. Insert frozen-treat sticks and freeze until completely firm. Dip the molds briefly in hot water before unmolding.

Nutrition Information: Per serving: 45 calories; 0 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 12 g carbohydrate; 1 g protein; 1 g fiber; 10 mg sodium; 160 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (40% daily value), Vitamin A (35% dv).1 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1 other carbohydrate
Equipment: 8 popsicle molds or small (2-ounce) paper cups

        
  Download this recipe.


Here are other foods HIGH in potassium:

Potato, baked, with skin (1 medium) 1,082 mg
Sweet potato, baked, with skin (1 medium) 694 mg
White beans, canned (1/2 cup) 595 mg
Yogurt, low fat (8 ounces) 531 mg
Beets, cooked (1 cup) 519 mg
Halibut, cooked (3 ounces) 490 mg
Banana (1 medium) 422 mg
Kidney beans, canned (1/2 cup) 328 mg
Raisins (1.5-ounce box) 322 mg
Salmon, cooked (3 ounces) 319 mg
Blackberries (1 cup) 233 mg

Here are other foods HIGH in beta carotene:

Carrots
Pumpkin and butternut squash
Sweet potatoes
Spinach
Kale
Cantaloupe
Apricots
Mango
Nectarines






(If YOU have a smart idea, won't you share it? Life is so much easier and we accomplish so much more when we pool our resources. And after all, we're all in this together. So email patty@dvo.com or alice@dvo.com with YOUR Smart Ideas!)


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