Author Archives: jenmi

How to Make Iced Tea

21 Friday Sep 2012

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Posted by Jennifer (the RD) on September 21, 2012

Have you ever tried to make iced tea at home that ended up tasting too bitter?  It may be because you steeped the tea too long.  If you steep for too long, high levels of tannin and caffeine end up in your final product, resulting in bitterness.  So, here are some guidelines for making a gallon of iced tea:

  • Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil.
  • Add 8 tea bags or ½ cup loose tea leaves to the 2 quarts of water
  • Steep 2- 4 minutes, NO LONGER
  • When the tea is cool, add 2 quarts of cold water and/or ice and enjoy

♥ ♥

Back Up Exercise Plans

17 Monday Sep 2012

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Posted by Jennifer (the RD) on September 17, 2012

In my years of working with patients that struggle to get on a regular exercise routine, the most common excuse I hear is, “I’ll start exercising when it gets……(insert “colder,” or “warmer”). ”  Well, if we all waited for perfect weather to exercise, most of us would not get much in at all.  It would be nice if we all lived somewhere where the weather was good every day, but that’s not in the cards for most of us.  So, I always tell people that if they enjoy exerising outdoors, that’s just fine, but that they should always have a back up plan.  Here are some ideas for exercising indoors when the weather does not cooperate:

  • get on the treadmill or other piece of exercise equipment if you have any
  • see if you can get your hands on a free pass to the gym;  lots of gyms give these out, thinking you’ll commit to a membership
  • pop in your favorite exercise DVD…there are so many fun ones out there!
  • invest in a jump rope
  • buy some warm clothes if the weather is a little too chilly
  • exercise early in the morning or in the later evening if it’s too warm during the day

Any other suggestions from anyone else?…..

♥ ♥

Plantation Iced Tea

12 Wednesday Sep 2012

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Posted by Jennifer (the RD) on September 12, 2012

Here is the recipe for Plantation Iced Tea that was printed in the Honolulu Star Advertiser.  It is the recipe used at the Diamond Head market and Grill on Oahu.

INGREDIENTS:

1 gallon freshly prepared tea (I used Tazo brand black tea)

½ cup pineapple juice

½ cup sugar

½ tsp. cinnamon

1 stalk crushed lemongrass

Pineapple wedges and mint leaves for garnish (optional)

 

Combine ingredients while tea is still warm.  Chill, remove lemongrass, and pour over ice.

 

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What is Plantation Iced Tea?

08 Saturday Sep 2012

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Picture of the Plantation Iced Tea I had in Wailea, Maui in August

Posted by Jennifer (the RD) on September 8, 2012

Whenever my family goes to Hawaii, we always look forward to having Plantation Iced Tea. It s a perfect blend of pineapple and iced tea.  It is NEVER too sweet, really tasty, and is the most refreshing thirst quencher. For some reason, I only find it served in Hawaii.  But, of course you can make it at home.  I found a good recipe that I will be sharing next week…stay tuned!

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A New Reason to Take a Walk on Your Lunch Break!

03 Monday Sep 2012

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Posted by Jennifer (the RD) on September 3, 2012

Just the other day, I went shoe shopping and came across an interesting find.  I bought a pair of Cole Haan shoes that had Nike Air technology in them…so comfortable!  In my opinion, you don’t have to change in to your sneakers to take that afternoon walk at the office.  They are a little pricey, but I was able to find a pair at DSW for about $50.  I believe they retail for over $100.  You can now exercise in style on your lunch break!

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Chicken Tequila

29 Wednesday Aug 2012

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Posted by Jennifer (the RD) on August 29, 2023

When I was working at a local hospital, their cafeteria was known for their chicken tequila recipe.  It  was delicious!  I don’t have the recipe, and can’t quite remember the ingredients either.  However, I tried to re-invent a healthier version than the one I remembered.

2 skinless chicken breasts, chopped into bite size pieces

1 TB plus 1 tsp. olive oil

¼ cup diced onions

¼ cup diced celery

1 clove garlic, minced

2 cups diced roma tomatoes

½ cup tequila

1 tsp. chicken or vegetable “Better than Bouillon” soup base

½ tsp. salt

2 tsp. dried oregano

Shaved or grated parmesan cheese

 

Heat a large saucepan and add 1 TB olive oil.  Sprinkle with ¼ tsp. salt and heat until the chicken is lightly browned.  Remove it from the pan.

Add 1 tsp. olive oil and add in the onions, celery, and garlic clove.  Sprinkle with ¼ tsp. salt. Cook until the onions are translucent.

Add diced tomatoes, tequila, soup base, oregano, and your browned chicken.  Heat for approximately 5 minutes, or a little longer to make sure the tomatoes are broken up.

Lower to heat to simmer, and cover for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve over your favorite pasta.

 ♥ ♥

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Elements of a Good Salad

23 Thursday Aug 2012

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Posted by Jennifer (the RD) on August 23, 2012

I don’t know about all of you, but I find it harder and harder to find a good salad at a restaurant.  Most are either really boring and not aesthetically pleasing, or not as fresh as I would like.  The last good salad I had was the grilled chicken salad at the Tommy Bahama restaurant ( www.tommybahama.com ) on Maui which was topped with roma tomatoes, maytag bleu cheese, apples, macadamia nuts, Nueske’s bacon, corn, and a honey lime vinaigrette.  It was heavenly.  The dressing was light and refreshing, the sweet and savory were balanced perfectly, the ingredients were premium and super fresh, and it was beautiful to look at! Here are some elements I think are essential for a good salad:

  • Freshness
  • Premium ingredients
  • Aesthetic appeal
  • Good balance of texture
  • Good flavor balance…with all the different combinations of veggies, salad dressings, etc.,

 

Please feel free to share where you’ve eaten your favorite salad!

♥ ♥

Reasons to Take a Cooking Class

21 Tuesday Aug 2012

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Pictures from my cooking class

Posted by Jennifer (the RD) on August 20, 2012

My good friend Soo invited me to attend a cooking class with her and it was so much fun that I feel like I have to share my experience with you.  Going to a cooking class was much more fun than anything I’ve done in a long time.  I had a blast.  I’ve been thinking of some of the reasons I had such a good time.   Here they are:

  • It motivated all of us to try something new.  The seasoned cooks were in love with the new recipes and techniques learned and the beginning cooks were inspired to learn more!
  • It was a great chance to socialize.  I met so many nice people and had a chance to bond while creating our wonderful meal.  We even noticed that one of the guys at our table got a phone number out of it!
  • It was a great way to experience healthy food that tastes good too.  If you pick the right class, you can walk out of it feeling like you are not only prepared to try out some new recipes for your friends of families, but can also be assured that they are healthy also!
  • It was fun to sample the fruits of our labor.  After the completion of the hands on portion of the class, we were all able to sample our creations…such fun!

Would anyone else like to share their cooking class experiences?

 ♥ ♥

Chicken Chile Verde

15 Wednesday Aug 2012

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Posted by Jennifer (the RD) on August 15, 2012

This is a recipe that my mom used to make us when she was strapped for time. It is both quick, low fat, and super easy! She said she got from the back of a Las Palmas can years ago when my sister and I were kids.

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups cubed cooked chicken

1 28 oz. can Las Palmas Green Chile Enchilada sauce

1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 ¼ cups frozen corn (I like the roasted corn from Trader Joe’s)

1 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

Combine all ingredients in a dutch oven or a large saucepan, bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered 30-40 minutes.

Makes 10 one cup servings.   I think this can be served with rice or tortillas.

 ♥ ♥

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Book Review – “Please Feed Me”

12 Sunday Aug 2012

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Posted by Jennifer (the RD) on August 12, 2012

This very unique vegan cookbook was written by a vegan punk rocker who spent years “…surviving on potato chips….”   The author not only includes recipes in his book, but also chronicles his punk lifestyle…gigs, influences, touring, etc…pretty interesting stuff!  I bought this book at Hot Topic more than 5 years ago.  It must be out of print now, because I saw that it is selling for over $70 on amazon.com and it’s not even a hard cover book!  The used version is also available for MUCH LESS!

My thoughts on the book…?  Some of the recipes are a little too simple and might be a little boring for some.  However, some of the recipes are actually very good and tasty, and really speak to the home cook.  There’s a recipe I like entitled Mixed Veg noodles that lists one of the ingredients as 2 handfuls of mushrooms (shiitakes, or whatever you can afford).  This is a good cookbook for “everyday” food and also for starving students or those watching their budgets.  Overall, I think it’s a great book to have on your cookbook shelf.

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