Quick Vegetable Saute Recipe

 

Add a little shallot and dried dill or tarragon to any mixture of frozen vegetables and have a delicious side dish on the table fast. If you’d like to make this recipe with fresh vegetables instead, cut them into bite-size pieces and add a tablespoon or two of water to the skillet when you add the vegetables; adjust the cooking time as needed.

Ingredients

·         1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

·         1 small shallot, minced

·         4 cups mixed frozen vegetables, such as corn, carrots and green beans

·         1/2 teaspoon dried dill, or tarragon                  

·         1/4 teaspoon salt

·         1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preparation

1.    Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring, until softened, about 1 minute. Stir in frozen vegetables. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in dill (or tarragon), salt and pepper.

Recipe by EatingWell.com
© Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

Be Food Safe: 10 tips to reduce the risk of foodborne illness

A critical part of healthy eating is keeping foods safe. Individuals in their own homes can reduce contaminants and keep food safe to eat by following safe food handling practices. Four basic food safety principles work together to reduce the risk of foodborne illness — Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill. These four principles are the cornerstones of Fight BAC!®, a national public education campaign to promote food safety to consumers and educate them on how to handle and prepare food safely.




CLEAN 

1. Wash hands with soap and water 
   Wet hands with clean running water and apply soap. Use warm water if it is available. Rub hands together to make a lather and scrub all parts of the hand for 20 seconds. Rinse hands thoroughly and dry using a clean paper towel. If possible, use a paper towel to turn off the faucet.
    
2. Sanitize surfaces 
   Surfaces should be washed with hot, soapy water. A solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water can be used to sanitize surfaces.
    
3. Clean sweep refrigerated foods once a week 
   At least once a week, throw out refrigerated foods that should no longer be eaten. Cooked leftovers should be discarded after 4 days; raw poultry and ground meats, 1 to 2 days.
    
4. Keep appliances clean 
   Clean the inside and the outside of appliances. Pay particular attention to buttons and handles where cross-contamination to hands can occur.
    
5. Rinse produce 
   Rinse fresh vegetables and fruits under running water just before eating, cutting, or cooking. Even if you plan to peel or cut the produce before eating, it is important to thoroughly rinse it first to prevent microbes from transferring from the outside to the inside of the produce.
    
   SEPARATE
    
6. Separate foods when shopping 
   Place raw seafood, meat, and poultry in plastic bags. Store them below ready-to-eat foods in your refrigerator.
    
7. Separate foods when preparing and serving 
   Always use a clean cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw seafood, meat, and poultry. Never place cooked food back on the same plate or cutting board that previously held raw food.
    
   COOK AND CHILL 
    
8. Use a food thermometer when cooking 
   A food thermometer should be used to ensure that food is safely cooked and that cooked food is held at safe temperatures until eaten.
    
9. Cook food to safe internal temperatures 
   One effective way to prevent illness is to check the internal temperature of seafood, meat, poultry, and egg dishes. Cook all raw beef, pork, lamb, and veal steaks, chops, and roasts to a safe minimum internal temperature of 145 °F. For safety and quality, allow meat to rest for at least 3 minutes before carving or eating. Cook all raw ground beef, pork, lamb, and veal to an internal temperature of 160 °F. Cook all poultry, including ground turkey and chicken, to an internal temperature of 165 °F.
    
10. Keep foods at safe temperatures 
    Hold cold foods at 40 °F or below. Keep hot foods at 140 °F or above. Foods are no longer safe to eat when they have been in the danger zone between 40-140 °F for more than 2 hours (1 hour if the temperature was above 90 °F).

 See more at: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/ten-tips-be-food-safe#sthash.7oWyepeS.dpuf

Intuitive Eating Principle #10

Honor Your Health--Gentle Nutrition

Make food choices that honor your health and taste buds while making you feel well. Remember that you don't have to eat a perfect diet to be healthy. You will not suddenly get a nutrient deficiency or gain weight from one snack, one meal, or one day of eating. It's what you eat consistently over time that matters, progress not perfection is what counts.

Intuitive Eating Principle #9

Exercise--Feel the Difference

Forget militant exercise. Just get active and feel the difference. Shift your focus to how it feels to move your body, rather than the calorie burning effect of exercise. If you focus on how you feel from working out, such as energized, it can make the difference between rolling out of bed for a brisk morning walk or hitting the snooze alarm. If your only goal is to lose weight, it's usually not a motivating factor in that moment of time.

Intuitive Eating Principle #8

Respect Your Body

Accept your genetic blueprint. Just as a person with a shoe size of eight would not expect to realistically squeeze into a size six, it is equally as futile (and uncomfortable) to have the same expectation with body size. But mostly, respect your body, so you can feel better about who you are. It's hard to reject the diet mentality if you are unrealistic and overly critical about your body shape.