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| Photo: Stock photograph of Zucchini displayed in a burlap bag |
WBRC's Matter of Balance group was honored this week when the VAPAHCS 'Healthy Teaching Kitchen' provided a private cooking demonstration to the group at the center. The Healthy Teaching Kitchen is a program run through the Palo Alto VA by the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Coordinator and provides live healthy cooking demonstration events to promote healthy nutrition.
During the demonstration WBRC Matter of Balance students observed the preparation and cooking of two healthy Zucchini recipes. They asked questions and tasted samples of the completed recipes. The Healthy Teaching Kitchen staff also educated participates about some helpful kitchen gadgets, a vegetable spiralizer and a grate and slice set, that promote safe preparation of the needed ingredients.
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| Photo: A sample of a Vegetable Spiralizer |
The vegetable spiralizer comes in many styles, and turns firm vegetables such as zucchini, carrots, cucumbers, etc. into vegetable noodles which can be used instead of pasta in many recipes. CLICK HERE to learn more.
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| Photo: A sample of the grate and slice set |
The grate and slice set is composed of a non-slip container with 4 'lids' or cutting surfaces with a coarse grater, a medium grater, a straight slicer, and a julienne slicer. A hand guard prevents injury. CLICK HERE to learn more.
Please see below for the two Zucchini Recipes demonstrated by the Healthy Teaching Kitchen:
Zucchini Mint Salad
Servings per Recipe: 6-8
Ingredients
4 small or 3 medium
zucchinis
3 to 4 sprigs of mint
1 lemon
About 2 Tablespoons of
extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to
taste
*Optional 1 container
of plain Greek yogurt
Directions
Clean zucchinis and pat them dry. Trim
and slice thinly and evenly as possible.
Layer zucchini slices onto a serving platter.
Take mint leaves off their stems and
stack in a layer. Roll leaves lengthwise
into a cigarette shape and cut into thin ribbons. Set aside.
Use a zester to zest the lemon over the
zucchini. Once you have most of the zest
off the lemon, cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice over the zucchini.
Drizzle zucchini with olive oil and
sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
Top the entire salad with the mint.
Nutritional
Information
*Nutrition information
does not include Greek Yogurt
Calories : 63
Carbohydrates: 7
Fat: 3
Protein: 3
Sodium: 106 mg
Sugar: 4
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Zucchini
Pasta Primavera
Servings per Recipe: 4
Ingredient
4 large zucchini
1 cup cherry
tomatoes
¼ cup basil
1 cup spinach
2 cloves of
garlic
¼ cup parmesan
cheese, shredded
¼ cup
mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 ½ TBSP Olive
Oil
Directions
Using a
shredder or a vegetable noodle maker cut up the zucchini into long noodle like
strands and set aside, then slice cherry tomatoes in half, set to the
side. Now gather basil and spinach and
coarsely chop and set to the side. Finally chop or crush garlic and leave on
the cutting board.Next heat olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat, once warm add garlic and tomatoes until fragrant. Next add the zucchini noodles and toss items together for 2-3 minutes. Once noodles are tender, remove from heat and place in a serving bowl. Toss with spinach, basil, and cheeses and then serve.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 149
Carbohydrates:
13
Fat: 8g
Protein: 9g
Sodium: 158mg
Sugar: 6
Tips for Eating More Fruits and Vegetables
#1: Choose a day of the week to have only vegetables like a
Meatless Monday, choose beans, edamame, or other legumes for the protein.
#2: Vegetables are pretty versatile, they really can be
cooked in many ways, try grilling next.
#3: Add more
vegetables and fruits to dishes to fill them up and make the dish look large
without increasing the calories. You can also be sneaky by adding vegetables to
dishes like burgers and pastas
#4: Add
protein and flavor with items such as plain, non-fat yogurt to fruits and
vegetables.
