Livin' Lean Topic Tuesday: Fast Fat Facts

Fat is bad for you. Fat is good for you. Eat this fat, don't eat that fat. Saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated fats...oh, my! There is so much information out there about bad fats vs. healthy fats that it can become quite confusing at times. In the past, low-fat foods were the way to go. But what is all this stuff about heart-healthy fats, like the kind found in salmon and olive oil? If it is recommended that we eat this "good" fat, then how much? Help!

Well, here are some "Fast Fat Facts" to help you get a handle on all this blubber you are hearing about fat.

Good Fats                                              Found In...

Monounsaturated fat --- Olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil, avocados, nuts and seeds



Polyunsaturated fat ----Vegetable oils (such as safflower, corn, sunflower, soy and cottonseed oils), nuts and seeds


Omega-3 fatty ----acids Fatty, cold-water fish (such as salmon, mackerel and herring), flaxseeds, flax oil and walnuts

Not So Good Fats                                     Found In...

Saturated fat ----Animal products (such as meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy products, lard and butter), and coconut, palm and other tropical oils



Trans fat ----Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, commercial baked goods (such as crackers, cookies and cakes), fried foods (such as doughnuts and french fries), shortening and margarine


Dietary cholesterol ---Animal products (such as meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy products, lard and butter


Fat should be limited in our diets, but not cut out completely. The USDA and HHS recommend that our daily intake of fat does not exceed 35 % of our daily caloric intake (less than 10% for saturated fats). For example, if you take in 1800 calories a day, you should not have more than 70 grams of fat per day (To figure: Multiply 1,800 by 0.35 to get 630 calories, and divide that number by 9, the number of calories per gram of fat, to get 70 grams of total fat.) Remember, this is a maximum limit and that the majority of your fat intake should come from "good" sources.

Remember, there are positive benefits to adding healthy fats to your diet...as long as in moderation; which seems to be the case with almost everything in our lives.

I hope this has helped. Have a great Tuesday!



**For more information on fat, visit www.mayoclinic.com.
***Information for this article was found here; part of www.mayoclinic.com.



 

Cooking Light with Rachael Ray: Pumpkin Ravioli

Ever wish you could customize your own ravioli filling, yet the thought of making your own pasta just intimidates the heck out of you? Well, I am about to share with you how even a rookie could make the most amazing ravioli! With it being fall and Thanksgiving just around the corner, it felt fitting to try out Rachael Ray's Pumpkin Ravioli with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds. Doesn't that just sound wonderful?!?! It was! My version is missing the pumpkin seeds, but I have added something else you are likely to enjoy as well. Here is how to do it...

PUMPKIN RAVIOLI WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree (not the pie filling)

4 ounces FAT FREE Philadelphia cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus shaved Parmesan for serving


1 large egg; egg white


Salt and pepper


32 wonton wrappers


1/2 butternut squash; cut into cubes


3 tablespoons "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" Light


1/4 cup vegetable stock


1 tablespoon dried sage


1/2 teaspoon nutmeg



DIRECTIONS:

In a medium bowl, mash together the pumpkin, fat free cream cheese, Parmesan, egg white and 2 pinches each salt and pepper.


Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Spoon a tablespoon of the pumpkin-cream cheese filling into the center of 16 wonton wrappers, brush the edges with water, top with the remaining 16 wrappers and press to seal, gently squeezing out the air. Arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.


Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over low-medium heat, melt the ICBINB.  Add veggie stock, sage and nutmeg. Also add cubed squash; giving a quick stir ever so often. Keep an eye on while working with ravioli. (To make sure the butter-broth doesn't burn, keep on a low heat.)


Working in 3 batches, cook the ravioli in the boiling water until they float to the surface, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, add the ravioli to the butter-broth and squash in the skillet. Turn gently to coat.


Divide the ravioli among 4 plates; season with a tiny bit of salt and pepper. Spoon the squash over top and sprinkle with shredded parm.


RESULTS:

I am just gonna go ahead and say it. I was so proud of myself with this one! It just turned out so nice AND I could technically say that the ravioli were homemade. How's that for impressing your family and friends?
 
This blog started as an adventure; a way to enter the world of cooking and expand my culinary skills. This means stepping "outside the box" and trying new things. Up until making this recipe, pumpkin puree really only had one place; in a pumpkin pie. Putting it in ravioli would not have crossed my mind. Well Rachael, thank you for the inspiration 'cause it was fantastic!
 
For a nutritional boost, I added the butternut squash. It works. And for a little more spunk (instead of adding more salt), I added the sage and nutmeg; which also work.
 
Give it a try and let me know what you think. Now that I have a way to make simple, "homemade" ravioli, my creative wheels are turning. How about you?

NUTRITION FACTS (per serving of 4 ravioli): 325.5 calories;  6.73g fat;  50.72g carbohydrate;  15.14g protein;  5.72g fiber



**Original recipe can be found on Rachael Ray's website.

Cooking Light with Ina Garten: Apple Crisp

This recipe makeover was inspired by a fellow teacher of mine. Last week, while she was picking her students up from P.E., she asked me if I had a healthy apple cobbler recipe for her. At the time, I didn't. But her asking was all the motivation I needed to go find one and make it over!
Ina Garten, or Barefoot Contessa, has a beautiful recipe for an Apple and Pear Crisp. As are most "cobbleresque" dessert recipes, this one called for a large dose of butter (2 sticks to be exact). Not quite the healthy recipe my colleague was looking for. So, with a few little tricks and the help of the natural sweetness found in fruits, I am thrilled to share with her, as well as with you, my "cookin' lean" take on Apple Crisp.

APPLE CRISP
Serves 6

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 medium apples (Gala or Fuji)



• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest


• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest


• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice


• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice


• 1/4 cup sugar substitute (Splenda or Stevia)


• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour & whole wheat flour (half/half)


• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon


• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg


For the topping:

• ¼ cup all-purpose flour & whole wheat flour (half/half)


• 2 tablespoons sugar substitute (Splenda or Stevia)


• 2 tablespoons cup light brown sugar, lightly packed


• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt


• 1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal


• 3 tablespoons cold “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” , diced


• 2 tablespoons honey



DIRECTIONS:

 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.



Peel, core, and cut the apples into large chunks. Place the apples in a large bowl and add the zests, juices, “sugar”, flours, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch oval baking dish. (I used a pie pan and it worked perfectly!)


For the topping:


Combine the flours, sugars, salt, oatmeal, “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” and honey in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (hand-held mixer also works well). Mix on low speed for 1 minute, until the mixture is in large crumbles. Sprinkle evenly over the apples, covering the apples completely.


Place the baking dish on a sheet pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is brown and the fruit is bubbly. Serve warm; perhaps with a scoop of low-fat vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt?!?!

  RESULTS:

 I am pretty sure you will fall in love with this before it even comes out of the oven! Just the scent it creates to fill your kitchen is enough to get you excited about digging into this dessert. Who needs a Yankee Candle when you have a yummy dessert like this in the over? With a little scoop of light vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt, you are talkin' about an express ticket to Apple Crisp Paradise. I am not kidding.

When it came to making this dessert light, I found answers in the natural sweetness of fruits and honey. With the orange, lemon, apples and honey, there is little need for all that sugar. I haven't tried it yet, but I would guess that if you left out the sugar entirely, even the Splenda, it would still turn out delicious. As for the topping, there is no need for two sticks of butter to create a crispy, yummy crust. Classic case of overkill.With just 3 tablespoons of ICBINB and the sticky honey, the other ingredients were able to form the crumbles we were looking for. That butter ingredient change alone cut 143 grams of fat out of this recipe! It's hard to believe, isn't it?

It's fall, which means it's apple season. The time when you will find the best tasting apples around. An Apple Crisp is the perfect dessert for this time of year. You have the recipe. Now go get some apples!


ENJOY!