Monthly Archives: March 2019

Romaine Lettuce

Romaine Lettuce 101 – The Basics

Romaine lettuce is enjoyed by many. It’s considered to be the most nutritious lettuce variety available. I’ve compiled a lot of information about this beloved lettuce from historical tidbits to nutritional information, how to select and store it, and also ways to include it in your meals…some of which you probably never thought of!

Below is a video where I discuss this information. Following the video are my discussion notes for you. Enjoy!

I hope this helps!
Judi

Romaine Lettuce 101 – The Basics

About Romaine Lettuce
Romaine lettuce, also known as “Cos,” has sturdy, long, crispy green leaves. It is native to the eastern Mediterranean and western Asian area. Christopher Columbus introduced lettuce to America in 1493 on his second trip here. In America, it is largely grown in California and is sold as whole heads or “hearts” with the outer leaves removed.

Nutrition Tidbits
Romaine is considered to be the most nutritious variety of lettuce. Romaine has the most vitamins, minerals and antioxidants per serving, when compared to green leaf, Boston bib, red leaf, and iceberg lettuces.

Romaine lettuce is an excellent source of Vitamins A (beta-carotene) and K, folate, and the mineral molybdenum. It is a very good source of fiber, manganese, potassium, copper, iron, biotin, thiamine (Vitamin B1), and vitamin C.

The vitamin C in Romaine helps in the absorption of its iron content. Also, the combination of nutrients in Romaine makes it a heart-healthy food by retarding the buildup of plaque in arterial walls. So…eat more Romaine!

How to Select
Choose leaves that look crisp and fresh, with no sign of wilting or brown spots (which indicates age). The heads should be compact with stem ends not too brown.

How to Store
Remove and discard any bruised or damaged outer leaves from your lettuce when you bring it home from the store. Wrap the lettuce in paper towels and store it in the crisper drawer. Or, wrap it in paper towels or a cloth kitchen towel and place the bundle in a grocery store plastic bag. Place it in the refrigerator somewhere where it won’t get crushed or banged around. The crisper drawer or plastic bag will maintain a humid environment, while the paper or cloth towel will absorb any extra moisture that forms, keeping the lettuce from getting wet. Save the washing until you are ready to use the lettuce.

Also, keep stored lettuce away from high-ethylene gas producing fruits like pears, apples, avocados, tomatoes, kiwi, and cantaloupe. The gas released by these foods as they ripen can cause other produce items to age faster. Keeping these foods away from your lettuce will help to keep it fresh and crisp.

When stored properly, lettuce should keep for 7 to 10 days in the refrigerator.

Do not freeze lettuce unless you plan to use it for cooking thereafter.

How to Prepare
If your lettuce has started to wilt a little in the refrigerator, place it in a bowl of cold water for a few minutes to revive it. If something looks REALLY bad, toss it out (when in doubt, throw it out)!

Wash your lettuce with cold water and spin it dry, if you have a salad spinner. Otherwise, you could blot it dry with a paper or cloth towel.

How to Use
Romaine lettuce makes a nutritious and crispy addition to any fresh salad where leafy greens are used.

The shape of Romaine lettuce makes it an easy replacement for tortilla or taco shells, or breads in just about any type of wrap you choose. If the leaves don’t seem quite strong enough, simply double them up before adding the filling.

You could top a bed of Romaine pieces with your favorite grilled meat or vegetables. Sprinkle with cheese.

Romaine lettuce can also be braised and served with bread and cheese, as in this recipe for Braised Romaine Lettuce Crostinis https://www.thekitchn.com/weekend-snack-braised-lettuce-115059

Romaine lettuce leaves can also be topped with your favorite cracker toppings for a simple snack, as in this recipe for Ladybugs on a Leaf (no, there are no “bugs” in this recipe) https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-ladybugs-on-a-leaf-snack-recipes-from-the-kitchn-219272

Try adding Romaine to salad rolls as in Shrimp and Avocado Summer Salad Rolls https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-shrimp-and-avocado-summer-salad-rolls-recipes-from-the-kitchn-192186

Here’s a link to 10 ways to enjoy lettuce https://www.thekitchn.com/lettuce-is-so-much-more-than-salad-here-are-10-more-ways-to-eat-it-tips-from-the-kitchn-220136

38 recipes using lettuce at Bon Appetite Magazine https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/ingredients/slideshow/lettuce-recipes

Here’s an interesting recipe for Lettuce Soup (imagine that)! https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/lettuce-soup-231995

40 Lettuce Recipes You Can Get Excited About https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/lettuce-recipes/view-all/

Resources

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=61#descr

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/ask-a-health-expert/whats-the-most-nutritious-lettuce/article1360246/

https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/tips-tricks-keep-lettuce-fresh/

Apple Mango Salad

Apple Mango Salad

If you’re looking for a delicious yet very flexible fruit salad that you could easily adjust to fit your preferences, this is it! The recipe calls for mango, but if that’s not available, peaches or nectarines could easily be used if they are in season. However you go with this recipe, it’s truly delicious and would work as a meal accompaniment or a healthy dessert or snack. Give it a try! Below is a video showing how to make the salad. The recipe is below the video. Enjoy!

I hope this helps!
Judi

Apple Mango Salad
Makes about 4 Servings

Main salad ingredients:
2 apples of choice, washed, cored and cut into bite-size pieces (peeling the apples is optional)
1 ripe mango, peeled and cubed*
1/2 cup orange juice
Honey or other sweetener to taste (optional)

Below are additional ingredients to embellish your fruit salad. Amounts are only suggestions. Add as much of whatever you prefer:

2 Tbsp dried fruit of choice (sweetened dried cranberries or cherries, raisins, currents, or chopped dried figs would all work well)
¼ cup coarsely chopped walnuts, unsalted (or other unsalted nut of choice)
1-2 Tbsp dried coconut flakes (unsweetened or sweetened)

If adding honey (or some other sweetener) to the orange juice, stir it into the juice and allow it to sit for 5 to 10 minutes because it will take a little time for the sweetener to dissolve in the cool juice. Meanwhile, cut the apples and mango and place the pieces into a bowl.

When the orange juice mixture is ready, stir it then add it to the cut fruit and toss to combine. Be sure the apple pieces are well coated with the juice to prevent them from turning brown.

Now add in whatever dried fruit, nuts, and coconut flakes you want. Stir to combine well. Cover and chill for an hour or two before serving to allow the flavors to blend and the fruit mixture to soak up the juice. Stir and serve.

* If you can’t find mangoes or aren’t fond of them, you could use fresh peaches or nectarines as a substitute. They would be best if used when in season.

Butternut Squash

Comparison of No Oil Methods for Roasting Butternut Squash

More and more people are opting out of oil these days. Whether it’s for salad dressings, sauteing, roasting vegetables, or adding to baked goods, people are looking for alternatives. I’ve looked around the web for ways to roast vegetables without oil and found an array of methods, some actually without oil, whereas others simply substituted nonstick cooking spray or even butter for the “omitted” oil. Those weren’t what I was looking for. I decided to experiment.

To conclude which method might be best for me (and hopefully others), I did a comparison of three different methods of roasting butternut squash, all without oil. Whichever method you find to be right for you, rest assured, that NO fat of any type was used in the roasting experiment. Below are two videos showing the methods I tried. Two methods were used simultaneously in the first video and one method was used in the second. All in all, I found the method for me through this endeavor. I hope you do too! Enjoy!

I really hope this helps!
Judi