A New Year, A New You! - Part 1

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 1 of 2.....

There are two things we all have in common in this life:

• We all need food and water to live
• Time marches on and now we are all a year older

I find that I procrastinate more often than not with almost every project I undertake. Especially the big ones. Part of the reason is I look at the finish line first. Too often I think once I start "this" project it will take so much time, is it worth it and do I even have the time to invest in it? Then I ask if "this" project is really a priority. It seems like a long road to hoe and clearly I'm very busy....being busy.

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.

Where The Buffalo Roam

Originally, the Native Plains Indians of North America used just about every part of the bison. Their lives revolved the availability of bison whose original range was from Alaska to Mexico to the Florida panhandle. But by the 1890's this all changed as the bison were being eliminated by European settlers. This occurred for 2 reasons.

First, there was the greed factor. For a good part of the 1800's bison were considered to be in limitless supply. For non-native buffalo hunters they were the equivalent of a gold mine on 4 legs. This group hunted bison from trains and horseback for their tongues, hides, bones and little else. The tongue was, and still is, considered a delicacy. Hides were prepared and shipped to the east and Europe for processing into leather. Remaining carcasses were, for the most part, left to rot. By the time nothing but bones remained, they too were gathered and shipped via rail to eastern destinations for processing into industrial carbon and fertilizer. By the 1890's with numbers nearing extinction, the bison "gold rush" was over.

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.

BTAB Chicken and Guacamole Salad

Chicken and Guacamole Salad
(Smoked paprika gives a chicken rich, grill-like flavor-with no cooking. Serve with lime wedges.)

Prep Time:15 minutes
Cooktime: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 ripe peeled avocado
• 1 cup plus 2tbs finely chopped tomato, divided
• 3 tbsp minced fresh onion, divided
• 3 tbsp fresh lime juice, divided
• 1/2 tsp salt, divided
• 1 sm clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp minced seeded jalapeno pepper
• 2 cups shredded, skinless, rotisserie chicken breast
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 8 large lettuce leaves

Directions:

1. Place avocado in a small bowl, mash with a fork. Stir in 2 tbsp, tomato, 1tbsp onion, 1tbsp juice, 1/4 tsp salt and garlic.

2. Combine the remaining 1 cup tomato, 2 tbsp onion, 1 tbsp lime juice, 1/4 tsp salt, cilantro and jalapeno toss well.

3. Combine chicken, remaining 1 tbsp juice and paprika, toss well to combine. Spread about 1 tbsp guacamole over each lettuce leaf; top each with 1/4 cup chicken mixture to 2 tbsp salsa.