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Good morning everybody!

We had a request from a UeaTer to share the recipe we used to make those Nutritious (and gorgeous) chicken curry bowls that were served during Nutrition Week at participating locations.

So…here are the recipes!

Note: You may have noticed that the Chicken Curry is served over rice with a poppadom and Cucumber Raita on the side. The Poppadom can be bought ready to eat (or you can make it yourself, like our chefs did), while the Raita and Chicken Curry can be made at home.

 

Chicken Curry Bowl

By Jaco Lokker, University of Toronto

Servings: 4

 

You will need:

16 ounces chicken breast, diced

4 ounces onion, diced

4 ounces red and green bell pepper, diced

6 ounces potato, diced

1 1/2 teaspoons ginger root, julienned

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic

1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder (available at most grocery stores and bulk food stores)

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin powder

1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons canola oil

Steps to follow:

Quickly sauté the peppers and set aside to cool.

Heat oil in a sauce pan and add onions, ginger, garlic, curry powder and cumin powder.

Cook the curry powder till it begins to darken, then add the chicken and continue cooking till the chicken begins to brown.

Add potatoes and barely enough water to cover the chicken and potatoes.

Simmer till the potatoes are tender.

Thicken with cornstarch and add the diced peppers, bring to a boil and simmer till the peppers are heated through.

Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve over rice.

Nutritional Information: Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 285 Calories; 16g Fat (49.9% calories from fat); 21g Protein; 15g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 58mg Cholesterol; 65mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 2 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat.

Copyright: University of Toronto

Cucumber Raita

Jaco Lokker

University of Toronto

Servings: 4

You will need:

1/4 cup cucumber, grated

1 cup plain low fat yogurt

1 1/2 teaspoons mint leaves, chopped

1/4 teaspoon cumin powder

Steps to follow:

Grate the cucumber and combine the remaining ingredients with a whisk or fork. Serve with naan bread, over rice, or on the side of curry dishes.

 

Nutritional Information: Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 40 Calories; 1g Fat (21.9% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 4mg

Cholesterol; 44mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain (Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 0 Fat.

Copyright: University of Toronto

Happy Thanksgiving UeaTers!

There are so many reasons to celebrate this Thanksgiving: the leaves are turning into beautiful auburns and yellows, this is the first long weekend of the term, Nutrition Week is coming up, and….you can make a turkey dinner!!

We found these YouTube videos on how to make a turkey at home. We challenge you to try making a turkey dinner this long weekend…and send us the pictures!

 

Part 1

 

Part 2

 Part 3

 

Not as easy as you thought, huh? If you would rather look at a menu and order a turkey entrée, we have a shortcut to turkey dinner at home for you. Your nearest M&M meat shop has easy to bake turkeys, all set to be put in the oven. Give those a try.

 

  

 

 

And if you feel like turkey is still too difficult to make at home…it’s time you went home for Thanksgiving.

 

We hope you all have a wonderfully delicious Thanksgiving!

In UeaT’s opinion, the best thing about the holidays is the food. And the cookies. Gingerbread. Chocolate chip. Pecan. Shortbread. Caramel. Chocolate. Cookies!! You can buy them. Or make them. We prefer to make ours at home. It takes less than an hour to prepare a warm, buttery batch of cookies, and they make excellent presents. Just wrap them up in cellophane, or put them in a cookie tin. Cheap and yummy. Everybody’s happy!

 

First up, Lemon Shortbread Cookies with Cornmeal. These cookies are awesome because they melt in your mouth, but also provide a gritty texture. And the lemon flavor is subtle, and warm. These crumbling cookies are a delight to make (it takes only 25 minutes from start to finish) and a delight to eat.

(recipe adapted from Poppytalk)

You will need:

1 cup flour

1/3 cup cornmeal, or a bit more if you really like the gritty texture

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/3 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup butter, unsalted

1/2 cup icing sugar (if you don’t have any at home, you can put regular sugar in a grinder until it turns to a powder, or simply use regular sugar)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Lemon zest from one lemon

2 tablespoons lemon juice

What you need to do:

1. Start off by preheating your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
2. In a large bowl, using your electric mixer, blend all the sugar and butter until it is fluffy. It helps to have the butter softened.
3. Gradually, add the vanilla extract and the lemon zest and juice. Keep mixing for a minute.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, cornmeal, salt, cornstarch using a whisk or a fork.
5. Slowly, add your dry mixture to your butter and sugar mixture. You don’t need the electric mixer at this point…it is best to use a form and mix by hand. Mix until they are just combined (you can not see the white flour anymore), but don’t over-mix it.
6. At this point, the mixture should be soft and doughy. Break off a small piece and form a ball with your hands (about two inches in diameter). Lay the dough-ball onto parchment paper (which should be spread over your baking sheet) and slightly flatten the ball with a fork.
7. Keep doing this until you have used up all the dough. Remember to give the cookies a couple of inches space to be able to expand.
8. Bake the cookies for 10-15 minutes…the bottoms should be slightly golden. Take them out and leave them to cool.

And thats it!! 25 minutes and you have awesome cookies ready! Enjoy!

Colder temperatures are slowly making their way into Toronto. This week, our nights will be chilly and our mornings frosty. At times like these, our bodies crave warm, starchy foods with lots of carbs and calories. It is nature’s way of preparing for the winter and keeping you warm.

Now, you could give in to the cravings and snack on warm croissants and cookies. Or you could reach for healthier snacks, and keep that weight off until the holidays. What healthy snack will satisfy your cravings? A handful of almonds!! They are a delicious, warm fruit (yup! Almonds are the seeds of the Almond fruit!) filled with nutrients and goodness, and they keep you warm! Here is a list of some of the wonderful nutrients found in almonds:

• Almonds contain very little carbohydrates. That makes them an excellent choice in gluten free desserts (almond flour cookies, yum!).
• Almonds contain fibre, which keeps your digestive system happy.
• Almonds are high in monounsaturated fats: the good fats that lower your cholesterol and risk of heart disease.
• Almonds are also high in Vitamin E, and its related antioxidants.
• Almonds contain magnesium, which helps channel blood, nutrients and oxygen through your veins and arteries.

 

To summarize, almonds are great for your heart. You may be wondering how you can include almonds in your diet without having to carry around a bag full of them. Here are a few meal ideas using almonds:

 

• Almond butter on toast. This contains less sodium than peanut butter and tastes incredible.
• Almond flour in cakes, cookies and breads. Almonds have a warm, slightly sweet taste which is great in breads.
• Crushed almonds (in a food processor) in your milk or latte.
• Crushed almonds (again, in a food processor) are a great topping for fruit, yogurt or ice cream.
• Toasted almonds sprinkled on your salads, chicken dishes, and even pasta.
• Sliced almonds on iced cakes and cupcakes.
• Or a handful of almonds, plain and simple.

 

What ever way you choose to eat them, they are an excellent healthy snack.

 

Until next time, stay nutritious!