When doing your holiday meal planning, don’t forget to keep it healthy by adding lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Remember the goal is to make at least half of your plate fruits and vegetables.  Preparing your own food (as opposed to prepackaged, or processed foods) and being able to control what is in them will help keep your meals healthier. We understand the importance that a nutritious diet plays in maintaining a healthy weight which in turn can decrease stress on joints and ultimately reduce the frequency of bleeds. Here are a couple of recipes to help get you started!
Flank Steak Roll with Spinach & Garlic
Serves: 4
Hands-on time: 25 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
- Olive oil cooking spray
- 1/4 cup whole-wheat panko (bread crumbs)
- 1 tbsp. pine nuts, toasted
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes
- 1 flank steak (1 lb.), trimmed of visible fat
- 3 oz. spinach leaves (about 6 cups)
EQUIPMENT:
- Kitchen string
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange a rack in a baking pan and coat with cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, combine panko, nuts, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper flakes. Set aside.
- Place steak on a work surface. Holding a sharp knife (ideally a carving knife with a thinner blade than a chef’s knife) parallel to the work surface and positioned along 1 of the longer sides, cut steak almost in half horizontally, so it opens like a book. Spread steak open with “spine of book” parallel to you.
- Sprinkle panko mixture evenly over steak, leaving a 1-inch border along the farthest edge. Arrange spinach on top of panko mixture. Beginning with the closest edge, roll steak up, gently pressing down on spinach. Rotate steak roll so it’s vertical to you and tie crosswise at 1-inch intervals with kitchen string. Place steak on rack in prepared baking pan and bake until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of steak registers 150°F for medium doneness, about 35 minutes, or 130 F for medium rare, about 30 minutes. Transfer steak roll to a cutting board, loosely cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes (internal temperature will continue to rise to about 160°F for medium and 140°F for medium rare).
- Remove foil and string and carefully cut steak crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. Serve drizzled with any juices accumulated on cutting board.
Nutrients per 4 oz flank steak roll: Calories: 230, Total Fat: 11 g, Sat. Fat: 3.5 g, Carbs: 8 g, Fiber: 2 g, Sugars: 0 g, Protein: 26 g, Sodium: 220 mg, Cholesterol: 40 mg
Nutritional Bonus: Flank steak is, of course, an excellent source of protein, but it’s also loaded with selenium – with just 5 ounces providing over 50% of your daily recommended intake. Selenium is essential for healthy immune functioning, has been found to stimulate white blood cell activity and activates thyroid hormones.
By Jill Silverman Hough   Photo: Jodi Pudge
www.cleaneatingmag.com/
Creamy Garlic Mashed Cauliflower and Potatoes
This is a great way to introduce cauliflower to a non-cauliflower eater. The potatoes add creaminess to the cauliflower. Once your eaters have “graduated,” you can try using 100% cauliflower.
Prep time: 10 min.     
Cook time: 20 min.
Total time: 30 min.
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
- 1 small head cauliflower, trimmed, florets only
- 4-5 medium potatoes (roughly the same amount as cauliflower florets), peeled, cut into 1″ pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- â…“ cup chicken stock
- â…“ cup non-fat Greek yogurt
- salt and pepper, to taste
- a few drizzles of extra virgin olive oil
- minced chives, for garnish
Directions
- Add enough water to a large pot to just cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil. Add potatoes. Place steamer basket over potatoes; place cauliflower on top. Cover and steam cauliflower for 10 minutes (it should be tender); remove. Cover pot and continue to cook potatoes until tender, about another 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place cauliflower in food processor and process until smooth, scraping down the sides with a spatula.
- When potatoes are tender, drain and place in a mixing bowl. Add minced garlic, and beat until smooth. Add processed cauliflower, chicken stock and yogurt. Beat until blended. Season with salt and pepper. Add a few drizzles of extra virgin olive oil.
- Sprinkle with minced chives before serving.
Notes
Depending on the size of the cauliflower head and the potatoes, you may need more or less chicken stock to achieve the desired consistency.
Recipe and photo: http://jeanetteshealthyliving.com/
