Healthy Tailgates article on Philly.com

Here is the link to my latest article for Philly.com speaking to how you can maintain a healthy lifestyle even if football tailgates are a regular part of your life during the fall:

Don't let a tailgate derail your diet

Kelly's Farro and Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers

This recipe appeared originally in the September Issue of Wayne Living Magazine.

As the weather gets cooler, most people want warmer "comfort" foods and chili is often a staple. Chili can be a great way to get in some veggies and beans, and if you follow recipes like my Healthy Pumpkin Turkey Chili, you are in for a nutritious meal. However, sometimes you need some more variety, so this is my take on stuff peppers, but I have "healthified" them with lean ground turkey, healthy whole grains, and oats. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

·        7 bell peppers

·        ½ lb ground lean turkey

·        1 clove garlic, minced

·        1 ½ c chicken broth

·        ½ c uncooked farro [can sub quinoa, barley, bulgur, freekeh]

·        2 c raw kale, chopped

·        1 large zucchini, chopped

·        1 onion, diced

·        2 tsp oil (olive or avocado)

·        ½ c oatmeal or oat bran, dry

·        ½ c shredded part skim mozzarella

·        Cilantro or parsley

DIRECTIONS:

1.       Preheat oven to 400°F.  Cut off the tops and seeds of the peppers, and dice up any leftover edible top (keeping the bottoms whole to stuff).  Place the pepper bottoms in a large baking dish.

2.       Heat the oil and 1-2 tbsp of the chicken broth in a large skillet with high rims.  Add all the vegetables except for kale [zucchini, onion, pepper tops], garlic, and ground turkey. Cook about five minutes while stirring often.

3.       Add the rest of the broth and farro to the skillet, increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook covered for about 10 minutes.

4.       Add the kale to the mix, then cook for about 10 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed.  Stir in the oats and cheese. Remove from heat.

5.       Spoon the farro, cheese, and vegetable mixture into the pepper bottoms.  Cover the baking dish with foil (not too tight).

6.       Bake peppers for about 45 minutes or until the peppers are tender. Top with herbs.

Nutrition info per serving [1/7 recipe]: 225 calories, 7 g fat, 29 g carb (6 g fiber), 15 g protein. Excellent source of Vitamins A & C [Nutrition info determined by Diet Master Pro]

Picture Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7a/Stuffed_orange_pepper.jpg

Kelly’s “better than bagged” Kale Salad

Kale salads are all the rage now- I know many of my clients and friends have been buying the bagged mixes from places like Costco, Giant, and Trader Joe's and think they are absolutely delicious. Delicious they might be, but though they are made up of mostly kale, the dressing and cranberries make for a high sugar and calorie dense meal or side dish.

Since I personally do enjoy a creamy and sweet kale salad, I decided re-vamp the bagged version and make it quite a bit healthier. I've decreased the amount of dried fruit and made the salad dressing recipe much much healthier by using yogurt and reducing the amount of added sugar. This recipe appeared in last month's issue of "Wayne Living Magazine."

SALAD INGREDIENTS [4 servings]

· 1 bunch kale, leaves chopped fine (bottom part of stem removed)
· 2 tbsp dried cranberries
· 1 diced apple
· 2 cups shredded Brussels sprouts or broccoli slaw blend
· ¼ c unsalted pumpkin seeds (find in bulk at Whole Foods or Wegman’s)


POPPY SEED DRESSING INGREDIENTS [makes about 12 servings (2 tbsp each)]

· ½ onion, very finely diced
· 1 c nonfat plain Greek yogurt
· ½ c light canola or olive oil mayonnaise
· 1 ½ tbsp sweet vinegar (e.g: raspberry white balsamic, apple cider vinegar, well-aged balsamic)
· 2 tbsp honey or agave
· 1 pinch salt
· ½ tsp mustard powder
· 1 tbsp poppy seeds


DIRECTIONS

1. Combine all of dressing ingredients in bowl and mix well (or mix in blender).

2. Mix all of the salad ingredients in large bowl and add dressing to this. Toss and enjoy! Serve ¼ of salad ingredients with 2 tbsp Poppy Seed Dressing. For a complete meal, add quinoa or farro and a protein such as chicken breast or grilled shrimp.
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Nutrition info (1/4 salad mix using broccoli slaw blend + 2 tbsp dressing): 190 calories, 7 g fat, 26 g carb (5 g fiber), 8 g protein