A New Year, A New You! - Part 2

Joe McCoppin - Partner, Better Than A Bistro

Joe writes about his personal revelation of the changes he needs to make, and has made, to make this year his very own New Year, New You!

Part 2 of 2.....

Last week I asked, "What can I stop/start doing right now that will be relatively painless, sustainable and manageable to allow for my lifestyle change? And oh yeah, doesn't cost anything!"

First, I stopped drinking soda altogether. I am a man who enjoys a few Cokes every day. When I realized that wasn't healthy I switched to ginger ale. Like an alcoholic who goes from vodka to beer. That's still no the most desirable solution so now I drink lots of water!

At first I drank at least a pot of very strong coffee a day to replace the sodas. I didn't start drinking coffee until my mid 30's. So after drinking that pot of very strong coffee and then shaking and sweating through the day I decided to do some research. That's when I found green tea. I know, yuck! But I actually love it now. I use 3-4 tea bags per cup. I didn't cut out the coffee altogether but I have easily cut my consumption in half and I never have it after 1pm of so. I absolutely feel better and green tea has lots of benefits and some caffeine too.

Herb Crusted Orange Roughy (Featuring BTAB Orange Roughy)

This is an easy, delicious and healthy Orange Roughy recipe. Orange Roughy has a mild, delicate flavor and moist, large-flaked meat that holds together well during cooking.

Ingredients:

(4) BTAB Orange Roughy filets
1/4 cup orange juice
Safflower oil or olive oil
Dash of dried tarragon, crushed
(1) tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
Grated zest (rind) of (2) oranges

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325F. Pour the orange juice into a shallow baking dish that is long enough to hold the fish. Brush the fish lightly with oil and place in the baking dish.

In a bowl, combine tarragon, pepper and grated orange zest. Sprinkle this mixture on top of the fish, patting it lightly to form a thin crust.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove the fish carefully to a serving dish. Serves 4.

Easy Turkey Chili for Chilly Fall Days

As the cool weather sets in and autumn activities commence, there is nothing better on a chilly afternoon than a warm bowl of spicy chili.  So, on Sunday, I made chili for my family. But instead of traditional ground beef, I tried Better Than A Bistro’s ground turkey as a healthier alternative. In addition to being lower fat and protein packed, this recipe is simple, delicious and—especially—perfect for a demanding schedule. As it simmered for four hours in a slow cooker, I spent the day with my family, rather than stuck in the kitchen. 

- Jenna

Prep time: 10 min.

Cook time: 4 hours

Makes 10 servings

Ingredients:

2 lbs. Better Than A Bistro ground turkey

29 oz. pinto beans

29 oz. dark kidney beans

29 oz. tomato sauce

1 yellow onion diced

½ cup diced green chilies (typically one large pepper)

½ cup diced celery (typically two stalks)

29 oz. diced tomatoes

2 Tbsp. chili powder (Add an extra Tbsp. for a zestier taste or one less for children)

3 Tbsp. cumin

2 Tsp. salt

1 Tsp. black pepper

2 cups water

Optional toppings:

Low-fat sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

Chopped scallions

Reduced-fat shredded Cheddar cheese

Cooking Instructions:

1.     Brown meat in a skillet until fully cooked, and drain fat

2.     Add all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours.

3.     Garnish and serve.

Jenna is a mother, publicist and fitness enthusiast living in Providence, Rhode Island. She enjoys following international fashion and taking her two-year-old son on outdoor adventures.

Easy Stir Fry Recipe

Stir-Fried Bok Choy & Lettuce & Shiitake Mushrooms
The lettuce represents growing wealth for the coming year, as the Cantonese word for lettuce is saang choy, which sounds like "increasing fortune"

Servings: 8
Serving Size: 2/3 Cup

Ingredients:

• 1 cup boiling water
• 8 (about 2ozs) dried shitake mushrooms
• 2tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 1 packet equal sweetner
• 1ts canola oil, divided
• 1 tsp ginger, minced and peeled, optional
• 1/2 cup fat free, low sodium, chicken broth
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 8 heads baby bok choy, halved lenthwise
• 1 head (about 8 cups) romaine lettuce, cut crosswise into 1" pieces

Directions

1. Comibine 1 cup boiling water and shitake mushrooms in a bowl, cover and let stand for 20 minutes. Drain mushrooms in a colander bowl; reserving liquid. Rinse mushrooms. Remove and discard stems, cut into quarters and then set aside.

2. Combine soy sauce and equal sweetner in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.

3. Heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 tsp oil and ginger to pan, saute for 30 seconds. Add reserved mushroom liquid and broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

4. Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add remaining 1/2 tsp oil to pan. Add garlic; stir fry 10 seconds. Add bok choy; stir fry 2 minutes or until bok choy begins to soften. Add lettuce; stir fry 2 minutes or until lettuce wilts.  Stir in mushroom mixture and soy sauce mixture; cook for 3 minutes or until bok choy is tender.

*For a meal, add meat of your choice! Scallops go great!*