Editorial
Front Page - Friday, July 30, 2010
Kay's Cooking Corner
Kay Bona
My son, Bobby, and his fiancé, Jessica, are in the middle of planning their October wedding. Jessica lives in Indiana, and so it is a long-distance affair. To make matters a bit more complicated, Jessica’s parents live in Jackson, Miss.
Jessica is moving here to Little Rock after the wedding, so not only is she and her mom, and Bobby, trying to put the wedding together, they are also trying to help Jessica in getting her house sold, and her life packed-up. Did I mention everyone works?
This family, however, is not much different from every other family nowadays. Life is fast-paced and families are spread out everywhere.
Bobby came over to the house last night to visit for a while and to tell me about his new personal trainer he has retained. He is hoping to learn a better style of working out, and a healthier way of eating. He (the trainer) had sat down with Bobby and taught him a few of the basics of nutrition.
Bobby’s visit caused me to pause and think about how Don and I had gotten so healthy with our eating habits during the fall of last year after his surgery, and how so determined I was to make that healthy eating a way of life instead of just a recuperation plan. I have disappointed myself, though, because the fast pace of our lives has caught back up with me, and pushed me back into the “let’s get what’s quick and be done with it” mode. Not good. And definitely not healthy.
So it’s back to the drawing board! After all, this is something that can be fixed real easy, and I have been re-motivated, and here are two healthy ideas…
One of the things that Don ate while in the hospital in Utah (and surprisingly, he liked), was quinoa, which is an extremely healthy, gluten-free, grain.
Quinoa, pronounced “keen-wah,” may not be such a novel idea for the health conscious, but for some of us, it is one of those things that usually you stop and browse over at the supermarket, pick-up, read a little about, and then put it back down thinking, “Well, maybe just some brown rice.”
One of the drawbacks of quinoa is the cooking time involved, but, actually, by the time you peel potatoes, cut them up, cook, and drain them, quinoa can be done, so time should not be a factor – it is more of just having a grain brain instead of a potato head! Make sure it is the first thing you put on to cook when you are serving it, and everything should be fine.
Another healthy and nutritious dinner would be this quick (yes, I said quick) turkey quesadilla. However, you have to forget the chips and salsa! Instead, serve with a field salad and some fresh strawberries and peaches…yum.
Turkey and Balsamic Onion Quesadillas Recipe
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
4 medium whole-wheat,
flour tortillas
1 cup shredded Sharp
cheddar cheese
8 slices deli-style turkey
(steer clear of processed
deli turkey)
Combine onion and vinegar in a bowl; marinate about five minutes. Drain.
Place two tortillas in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, warm for about 45 seconds, then flip. Working on one half of each tortilla, sprinkle one-fourth of the cheese, cover with two slices of turkey, and top with one-fourth of the onion. Fold the tortillas in half, press gently with a spatula to flatten and cook until the cheese starts to melt, about two minutes. Flip and continue cooking until the second side is golden, one to two minutes more. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Make two more quesadillas with the remaining ingredients. Serve warm, with a side salad and fresh fruit.
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