Top 10 Recipe Tips

10 No-Fuss Recipe Strategies

By Carolina Diaz-Bordon eDiets Staff Writer

With all the demands of modern life, our taste buds have been getting the shaft for too long. Fortunately, there is a way to satisfy your desire for good old-fashioned cooking, keep up with your busy lifestyle and stay on top of your health.

eDiets Chief Nutritionist Susan Burke puts it, "Cooking from scratch -- those three words strike terror in the hearts of kitchen novices, but it's not so hard, really!


"Recipes are actually little guidebooks to good eating," Burke said. "Don't be intimidated by professionals on television. Instead, stick to the basics. There is nothing better than freshly prepared food. You control the ingredients. You can count on there not being too much salt or fat in the dish, and you can control your pocketbook a lot better. I encourage you to join the eDiets Recipe Club."

After a long hard day at work the last thing you want to do is slave over a hot stove. The good news is you don't have to with the quick and easy techniques available from eDiets.

In the time it takes you to drive to a drive-thru, wait in line, order your meal, pay and drive back home, you can prepare a tasty nutritious home-cooked meal and save some cash.

Eating freshly made meals saves you time and money, boosts your nutritional intake, satisfies your taste buds, and helps you to look and feel better than ever.

Burke offers 10 tips for quick cooking and healthy eating:

1. Grilled: Grilled food tastes better whether you use gas or charcoal. Grill anything -- meat, fish, chicken, vegetables, potatoes, even tofu. Remove skin from poultry after cooking to get rid of the saturated fat.

2. Broiled: Just like grilling, broiling is a super-fast way to prepare food. Use a broil pan, because it's designed to let the fat drip away from meat and poultry as it cooks. Fish is more delicate than meat, so don't overcook.

3. Baked: Baked fish is so easy to prepare. Place a couple of filets of firm fish in a Pyrex or glass baking dish. Snapper, cod, grouper, halibut or whatever fish is on sale will work. Slice a big white onion, a red and yellow bell pepper each, and chop up some red, seeded tomatoes. Grind some pepper and put some minced garlic on top, cover with aluminum foil, and bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until fish flakes. Easy!

4. Wrapped: Do the same recipe but put it together in advance, say the night before. Assemble fish and your choice of sliced vegetables and spices (see your eDiets Recipe Club for more ideas about pairing fish with spices) in a big square of foil lightly coated with cooking spray, then fold over twice to make a sealed package. Refrigerate. When you get home, all you need to do is bake fish pouches on a baking sheet or pan at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. The least amount of effort for a lot of good eating.

5. Salad: At least two meals weekly are salad meals at my house. What is more convenient than today's pre-washed greens? "If I'm really in a hurry, I also buy a package of pre-washed and cut broccoli, carrots and snap peas," Burke says. "Toss all together with a can of wild salmon or some sardines or even light tuna. Dress with nonfat salad dressing. It takes about five minutes to put together. I usually serve this meal with whole-wheat pita pockets."

6. Pasta: "Boil water, add pasta and cook until almost done," Burke says. "When you have only about two minutes left to cook the pasta, add a package of pre-cut veggies (I usually buy two of that medley of fresh broccoli, carrots and snap peas). Bring back to a boil, let cook one minute more, then drain, add back to pot, and add a nonfat or low-fat pasta sauce. Mix around until just heated, and serve with a grating of fresh, good-quality Parmesan cheese."

7. Eggs: Healthy, tasty and easy too, frittatas don't have to mean potatoes. And if you're watching your weight, remember, two egg whites are good substitutes for one whole egg. "For two people, I use two whole eggs and four egg whites," Burke says. Beat with 1/3 cup of nonfat milk. In a nonstick pan, saute one red onion and one to two cloves of minced garlic (you can use frozen onion and prepared jarred garlic to save time), add a package of pre-sliced mushrooms (white or portabella, your choice) and cook with a grind of black pepper and crushed red pepper (optional). Add the egg mixture, cook over medium heat until set, and then finish under the broiler until just browned.

8. Crock pot: The definition of no-fuss is using a slow cooker. All you do is put the ingredients in the crock pot before you leave home in the morning. It's easy, and you don't even need to add fat if you use a nonstick cooker. Stews, soups, casseroles -- there are unlimited ideas suited for healthy cooking. Leaner, less-expensive cuts of beef are perfect for slow cookers, and you can even cook fish.

Place cubed onions, carrots, potatoes and cauliflower, sliced mushrooms, chunks of chicken breast, a couple of cans of low-fat chicken broth and thyme, garlic, pepper and celery seed in the pot, cover and turn on low, and in 8 hours you have dinner.

9. Stir Fry: "My favorite cooking pan is my nonstick wok with a domed lid. It makes a meal in minutes," she said. Start by heating a little sesame oil and sauteing a little garlic (a time-saver is jarred minced garlic). Add pre-sliced mushrooms and some frozen onion and sliced red and green peppers; cooking until soft and the liquid is almost evaporated. Add diced chicken breast (or shrimp or tofu... or an ounce each!) and some light soy sauce, and cook for five minutes, or until done, tossing the food so that it heats evenly. Serve over brown rice. "I buy the quick-cooking boil-in-bag for convenience," she said.

10. Casseroles: "A traditional recipe made healthier is my favorite salmon loaf," she said. Flake a large can of salmon (wild salmon is healthiest. Remove bones and skin) and in a mixing bowl, combine with two egg whites then mix in 1/2 cup of fine, whole-wheat bread crumbs mixed with some seasonings. "I like Italian herbs and pepper." Form into a nonstick loaf pan sprayed with cooking spray, and pour over one small can of tomato sauce. Cover with foil and bake, at 350 degrees until done, about 1 hour. Slice and serve with salad.

To get on the road to lasting weight loss, visit eDiets and fill out a free diet profile

Top 10 New Year Resolutions

10 Proven Fitness Resolutions For 2007

By Raphael Calzadilla, BA, CPT, ACE
eDiets Contributor

Get your own personalized Atkins program powered by eDiets or choose from 22 other plans. To get started on shedding those extra pounds, click here.

Here we go! We're ready to storm into 2007 with great fitness resolutions!

Is your resolution to get fit? Lose weight? Feel more energetic?

In my 14-plus years of personal training experience, nothing sets a person up for failure as much as an open-ended, generic fitness resolution.

Resolving to lose weight is sort of like asking yourself what your career aspirations are and answering, "to become famous" or "to do well on my job." There isn't a specific action plan or any real goal you can sink your teeth into.

I'm not a big fan of lots of resolutions and goals. If you have one to three resolutions, you're on the right track. Focusing on a few fitness goals will bring greater results. A long list will only make you feel overwhelmed.

Limiting the resolutions, being focused and maintaining consistency is the key.

I'm going to help you by providing 10 resolutions. All you have to do is fill in the blanks where necessary or modify the resolution based on your fitness experience.

Remember, don't choose all of them. Just one to three resolutions is all it takes.

Let's start with a contract. Yes, that's right. You have to make a written commitment.

I (place your name here) hereby resolve to implement the following fitness resolutions:

1. I will lose 4 pounds per month for a total of ______ pounds by (place the date here).

2. I will workout three times per week for a minimum of 30 minutes during the months of January through March. If my schedule allows, I will add a fourth day in April. (If twice per week is more realistic, then go with that. The key is consistency and being realistic based on your lifestyle).

3. I will increase my endurance by 2 minutes per week so that I can power walk an additional 16 minutes per workout session by March 1, 2007. (You can choose any form of cardio, but there must be a realistic time increase and a time frame goal).

4. I will perform resistance exercises twice a week for 20 minutes using a whole-body workout routine.

5. I will find a video tape that I find fun and will do it twice per week during January and February. (This resolution is for those who dislike working out. It provides a fun element and a short-term goal. I'm positive you'll want to continue after February, but the short term goal takes some pressure off).

6. I will find a group exercise class such as spinning, aerobic dance, jazzercise, etc. Sign up for the class and commit to two days per week for 30 days.

7. I will increase my flexibility by stretching three days per week for 7 to 10 minutes (Flexibility is important and it doesn't take all that much to improve upon it).

8. I will go for two 15-minute walks per day from Monday thru Friday. One walk will be at lunch time and one walk will be after dinner. (This fitness resolution is for those who are so busy they can't make it to the gym).

9. On January 2, 2007, I will hire a personal trainer for two sessions per week for a total of 20 sessions. (This resolution is for those who need a good push -- and some teaching and motivation to go along with it).

10. On Monday, January 1, I will join eDiets and sign up for the fitness and exercise program (then choose two additional goals above).

As always, please check with your doctor before beginning any exercise program.

A drug-free competitive bodybuilder and 2005 winner of the prestigious WNBF (World Natural Bodybuilding Federation) Pro Card, Raphael Calzadilla is a veteran of the health-and-fitness industry. He specializes in a holistic approach to body transformation, nutrition programs and personal training. He earned his B.A. in communications from Southern Connecticut State University and is certified as a personal trainer with ACE and APEX. In addition, he successfully completed the RTS1 program based on biomechanics

Drink to Happier Holidays

By Shawn McKee
eDiets
Staff Writer

The holiday season is a time to be spent with family and friends, being thankful for times past and planning resolutions for the upcoming year. But it's also a time when holiday festivities, pressures and loneliness lead to a spike in drinking and driving. Don't spoil the spirit by winding up in jail -- or worse -- this winter.

Find the plan that's right for you from among 23 super diets, including low carb, low fat, vegetarian and more. Visit eDiets to fill out a free profile.

From Thanksgiving to New Year's Day of 2004, there were more than 3,500 traffic fatalities and 37.5 percent (1,316) were alcohol related, according to data reported by Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

According to reports from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), almost 1 in 3 Americans will be involved in an accident involving an impaired person at some point in there life.

Addiction expert and author of Alcoholism: Myths and Realities, Doug Thorburn, explains that all you have to do to see the increase in DUIs in the holiday party season is to check the court dockets at the beginning of each year. The numbers are staggering and the government has taken note of this disturbing trend.

The NHTSA's traditional message during the holiday season is Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk -- Designate a Sober Driver. However, in recent years, many states and local communities are increasing enforcement of impaired driving laws through sobriety checkpoints or saturation patrols, and are adopting the cautionary message: You Drink & Drive. You Lose.

Why do people drink more during the holidays?

A recent survey of 1,000 people around the country for New Seasons Behavioral Health Care Systems may reveal some answers.

Half of Americans agree that loneliness and depression play a part in the alcohol-holiday connection. More interestingly, 7 of 10 blame holiday parties, according to the survey.

The respondents were asked to select all of the reasons that may contribute to that kind of excessive behavior from the following list: "the prevalence of holiday parties, stress associated with spending, more encounters with family, the expectation that the holidays must be happy times, the heartache associated with holidays past, increased feelings of loneliness and isolation, or none of the above."

While the alco-holiday fiestas were far and away the No. 1 reason respondents believed people drank too much during the holidays, loneliness and isolation emerged as the second top reason, according to one-in-two of the Americans surveyed.

"The abundance of parties during the holiday season clearly presents more opportunities for overdrinking, but that's not the full story. The holiday season compounds issues of family tension, financial stress, feelings of isolation -- and problems arise when people stop regulating behaviors like drinking, eating and spending," according to Steven M. Orenstein, MA, LMFT, and CEO of New Seasons. "People like to wait and make recovery a New Year's resolution, but that's a mistake."

Often when drinking in excess common sense goes out the car window, so the National Commission Against Drunk Driving (NCADD) supplies a list of tips for staying safe when celebrating this holiday season.

"People have choices, to drink, to drink to impairment and whether or not to drive," says John Moulden, president of NCADD. "Drunk driving deaths, injuries and crashes are totally preventable if people make responsible choices."

Here are the NCADD's tips if you are going out to drink:

° Designate a driver ahead of time. A designated driver is a non-drinking driver.

° Take a cab or public transportation.

° Make a reservation and spend the night.

° Sip your drinks, consume food and alternate with non-alcoholic beverages.

° Ask your server about a ride home if you have been drinking to the point of impairment.

'Tis the season for giving, so give yourself and those around you the chance for another year of resolutions, family gatherings and fun by making sure you don't get behind the wheel if you've had too much to drink. Happy holidays.

eDiets:
... lets you customize your diet with foods you enjoy eating. With a choice of 23 super diets, we can help you shed those unwanted pounds and take back control of your life.

Shawn McKee graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a BA in Journalism and has written for The Broward and Miami New Times.

Top 10 Holiday Tips on Healthy Recipes

By Susan Burke MS, RD, LD/N, CDE
eDiets Chief Nutritionist

Every year about this time, I hear the same holiday songs. I hear people sing the old refrain of overindulgence -- I have to have it. Whether it's for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza or other seasonal celebrations, people have a hard time with holidays and overeating. Some throw up their hands and give in to temptation; others rationalize the holidays as a time in which they are destined to put on pounds.

Top Tips for making your holiday recipes healthy ones.

1. Low-fat cooking techniques should be used. Bake, broil, grill, poach and saute foods in a very little bit of fat in a non-stick pan.
2. Use nonstick pans for baking, grilling, for breads and cookies, for sauteing and even for soup. Nonstick is one of life's little pleasures -- you need to just lightly spray with cooking oil.
3. Reduce the fat in the recipes. One of the simplest methods of making all your recipes healthier is reducing the amount of fat in a recipe. If the recipe calls for 1/2 cup of oil, use 1/4 cup, plus 1/4-cup fruit puree or unsweetened applesauce. This is good for any quick bread, cookie or cake. Yeast breads and piecrusts need a precise balance of ingredients, but experiment to see if you get acceptable results.
4. Don't add fat to your food,especially unhealthy, saturated fats. Most stores carry margarines without trans fat if you want to put a spread on the table. Instead of basting the turkey with butter, try flavorful vegetable broth, white wine or orange juice (my personal favorite).
5. Buy low-fat and nonfat varieties of milk, sour cream, yogurt and cheese. You'll lower the fat and calories effortlessly. I use low-fat buttermilk in baking -- substitute for milk in any recipe.
6. Substitute 3 tablespoons of cocoa plus 1 tablespoon of canola oil for 1 ounce of baking chocolate, and lower the saturated fat.
7. Two egg whites can substitute one whole egg, depending on the size. All the fat, cholesterol and most of the calories from eggs are in the yolk.
8. Substitute crunchy cereal for bread crumbs. I like to use crushed corn flakes or nuggets like Grape Nuts.
9. Cut servings smaller! Make that cake serve 12 instead of eight.
10. Buy the leanest cuts of meat, and substitute 1/3 ground turkey breast. Don't buy ground turkey because it also contains skin and dark meat, making it just as caloric as ground meat or more.

Don't forget; the holidays are not an excuse for cheating on your meal plan. Going out or staying in, you get to choose what you will eat, how much you'll eat, and when you will eat. Don't skip meals, keep exercising (in fact, make it your business to get the whole crowd out for a walk after your big meal), and remember that there are no good or bad foods. Think of food as fuel; it may be good for your engine, or it may clog the fuel line. Foods may be fatty and full of sugar, but that's often what makes them taste so good.

If you want some dessert, either share with our tablemates or opt for a small piece. Balance with an otherwise healthy meal, and stay active.

Quinoa: Great Vegetable Source Of Protein

Quin-what?

From Sonoma Diet

While following The Sonoma Diet, you'll most likely be exposed to new and wonderful foods you may have never before thought of trying. One of the more unsual foods we recommend often is hearty and delicious quinoa.

Although quinoa looks like a grain, it's actually the seed of a green leafy plant. It's packed with protein, making it a filling substitute for rice or couscous. Its abundance of amino acids, combined with its generous amounts of iron, potassium, and B vitamins, makes it an excellent choice for vegetarians.

Quinoa has a delicate, nutty flavor, and because the shell of the grain separates from the creamy center during cooking, it provides a smooth and crunchy texture. Quinoa cooks up in about 15 minutes and can be prepared on the stovetop, in the microwave, or in a rice cooker. Be sure to combine two parts water or low-sodium broth with every one part quinoa, and to boost flavor, add your favorite veggies to the water or broth as well.

For a sweet and savory treat, try adding chopped mango and scallion to the quinoa once it's cooked. Or try our Southwestern Grain Medley.

Sonoma Diet presents: Dr. Guttersen's Tip of the Day

More Volume, Better Value

At first glance, quinoa appears to be more expensive than most other rice and grains in the grocery store. Once cooked, however, it fluffs up to 3 to 4 times its dry volume. One cup of dry quinoa makes 4 servings, so a little goes a long way.

More About Quinoa

Toasted Quinoa Pilaf
Quinoa: a "supergrain" with as much quality protein as milk!

Quinoa Cooking Tip
Dr. Guttersen's Tip of the Day

Next to Zero Carbs
Whole grains, such as brown rice, quinoa, and oats, are a far better source of energy than the hunks of meat most Americans expect in the center of their plate

Skip refined carbs
Even small children benefit from -- and can become accustomed to -- nutrient-dense whole grains. Start transitioning your family to whole-wheat pasta, brown rice, and less-common grains like quinoa and bulgur

Sonoma Diet Fast food Tips

A Fast-Food Fix

From Sonoma Diet

Fast food is everywhere, and occasionally it's unavoidable. Just because you need to grab something fast, however, doesn't mean that you can't grab wisely. Almost any fast-food menu includes foods that you can eat on The Sonoma Diet you just need to be on the lookout for them. Here are some suggestions to keep in mind when you're at the drive-through window:

Fast-food burger chains (McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King):

• Choose garden side salads with reduced-fat or fat-free salad dressing. Remove the crackers and cheese.
• From the sandwich menu, choose skinless, boneless chicken breast, grilled or charbroiled. Remove the bun and eat the chicken with a salad or use it to top your salad.

Fast-food sandwich chains (Panera, Subway, Bruegger's):

• Go for the simplest sandwich options: Try a low-carb, whole wheat tortilla filled with chicken or turkey breast, lean ham, or lean roast beef. Include spinach, tomato, pepper, onion, cucumber, or any other vegetables that are appropriate for your current diet Wave.
• Topping selections: Add Dijon mustard, a reduced-fat or fat-free Italian salad dressing, or a small amount of oil and vinegar for flavor. Add just a tablespoon of Parmesan or feta cheese.

Sonoma Diet presents Dr. Guttersen's Tip of the Day

Skip the Fries

French fries can seriously derail your weight loss efforts, so it's best to avoid them. If you need something to go with your sandwich, stash some baby carrots or sliced bell peppers in a plastic bag and carry them along so you'll have something extra to munch.

Best Way to Beat Cellulite

By Joyce Vedral
eDiets Guest Columnist

Yes, you can get rid of cellulite, but there's no magic cream to melt it away. The only way to zap it is to work out the right way. How does this work?

Cellulite is bunched up fat that clings to the tissue beneath your skin and gives your skin a crater-like appearance -- something like an orange peel, or the more popularly thought of, cottage cheese.

The fitness pros at eDiets can show you how to combine exercise and nutrition to get the best results.

As you exercise and challenge the muscle in a specific way, you develop a long, sleek muscle under your skin, and the bunched up fat no longer shows through. In effect, the cellulite is gon

Many women have it on their thighs. Though that is the area we will talk about today, you can reduce cellulite anywhere on your body.

I used to have plenty of it myself, but now I don't have any! Take a look at my photos -- I'm not 16! If I can do it, believe me, you can, too. It's a science! If you do the workout, it has to work.

How long does it take to see results? By working out the right way you can eliminate much of your cellulite in 12 weeks. To speed up the process, add more exercises to your routine. Here is a good start:

Front thigh cellulite Be Gone Standing Leg Extension

Position: Stand straight with one hand holding the back of a chair for balance.

Movement: Keeping one leg straight, bend the other by raising your knee as high as possible. (See my start photo). Extend your working leg out as far as possible, flexing your front thigh as you go. Without resting, bend your leg and return to start and repeat until you have done 12 repetitions. Repeat for the other leg. Without resting, move to the next exercise.

Front-back thigh Cellulite Be-Gone Wide Leg Semi-Squat

Position: Stand with your legs a bit more than shoulder-width apart, toes pointed outward, and hold a dumbbell with palms facing your body at the center of your body as you see me doing in my start photo.

Movement: Feeling the stretch in your front and back thigh muscles as you go, lower yourself to a comfortable position -- not quite to a normal squat. Flexing your front and back thigh muscles as hard as possible, return to start. Repeat 12 times.

Go back to the first exercise and repeat both exercises two more times for a total of three times each.

You can eliminate cellulite from your entire body by zoning in on the cellulite areas with carefully formulated exercises. For more cellulite zapping exercises, visit Joyce at joycevedral and get a copy of her Cellulite Be Gone package deal.

To get on the road to lasting weight loss, visit eDiets and fill out a free diet profile.

Ageless Joyce Vedral, a grandmother with the bone density and shape of a woman half her age, has penned the #1 New York Times best-seller Bottoms Up!, as well as Gut Busters, The Fat-Burning Workout, Definition, Weight Training Made Easy and Bone-Building Body-Shaping Workout. Joyce has been a frequent guest on Oprah, Montel Williams and the Today show.