You Have To Make Time for Healthy Foods,
Claire Criscuolo, RN

 Winter Smoothie
Chocolate Chip and Almond Stuffed Dates
Porcini Tortelloni with Butternut Squash and Broccoli Sauce

The holiday season can be a huge challenge when you are trying to stick to a healthy diet. It’s easy to forgo even the basic 5- a day of fresh vegetables and fruits when there is a list of presents to buy, and a house to decorate, on top of an already busy schedule. But with all the added stresses of the holiday, our bodies need more rather than less healthy foods. This is exactly when our bodies most need those powerful compounds, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals found in vegetables and fruits to protect us from illness and disease. Please make the time for yourself and your family to eat well before you hit those stores.

Here are three recipes for quick and healthy meals that will feed you well and get you back to your shopping in a flash.

Start your day with a Winter Smoothie made with organic low fat milk and yogurt, a little natural peanut butter, pears, and banana, oats, and honey. It’s tasty and rich in protein, calcium, Vitamin C, and fiber. You can prepare a blender full and refrigerate any leftovers for later in the day, something that is useful for families who are different schedules. Re-blend the smoothie before serving.

Porcini Tortelloni with Butternut Squash and Broccoli Sauce is a perfect supper dish for this busy and stressful time of year. You can make this delicious supper in less than an hour, and a 3 ½ ounce serving of butternut squash has enough beta carotene to supply more than 100% of the recommended daily allowance for vitamin A, and of course, broccoli is a powerhouse of goodness, with high levels of vitamin C, and special enzymes that help protect us against cancer. Prepare it with lots of heart healthy onions, and extra virgin olive oil, and finish the dish with a drizzle of organic flax oil for those healthy omega-3's that support our brains and our hearts. Tortelloni are bigger versions of tortellini, and you can buy these filled pastas in the pasta section of any supermarket. Barilla makes an 8.9 ounce bag that claims to serve 2-3 on the front of the package but the nutritional facts on the side panel are based on 4.5 servings per small package, so I am pairing a bag of tortelloni with lots of butternut squash and broccoli which is enough to feed four.

The Chocolate and Almond Stuffed Dates make a splendid fiber and antioxidant rich dessert. And, they are festive enough for holiday company.

Enjoy the season in good health.

Winter Smoothie

Makes about 6 Cups

• 3 Cups organic low fat milk
• 1 Cup organic plain or vanilla fat free yogurt
• 4 Ice cubes
• 1/3 Cup natural peanut butter
• 2 Large Bartlett pears, cored and coarsely chopped
• 1 Medium banana, broken into three pieces
• 1/4 Cup rolled oats
• 1/4 Teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 Tablespoons honey

Combine the ingredients into a blender cup. Cover and blend on high smooth for about 45 seconds until smooth and creamy.

Porcini Tortelloni with Butternut Squash and Broccoli Sauce

Serves 4

• 1/4 Cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 Large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 2 Large sweet onions, cut into thick ribs
• 1 Large butternut squash, about 3 pounds, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/4 Cup fresh basil leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried basil
• ½ Cup coarsely chopped Italian flat leaf parsley salt and pepper to taste
• 1 8.9 ounce bag dried Porcini Tortelloni
• 1/8 Teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 Large broccoli crowns, coarsely chopped
• 1 Tablespoon organic flax oil, optional
• 2 Tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano cheese, optional

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, onions, squash, basil, and parsley, salt and pepper. Stir to coat with the oil. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 25 minutes, or until the squash is just tender and has released some of its moisture.

Meanwhile, bring a 4 quart pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat and cook the tortelloni according to package directions. Before draining the tortelloni, reserve 2 cups of the cooking water. When the squash is just tender, add the reserved pasta cooking liquid, the nutmeg, and the chopped broccoli. Stir well to mix. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the broccoli is crisp tender. Taste for seasonings. Add the cooked tortelloni and toss well to combine. Remove from the heat and stir in the flax oil. Taste for seasonings. Turn into a serving platter or ladle each serving into a bowl. Sprinkle with grated cheese and a little black pepper if desired.

Chocolate Chip and Almond Stuffed Dates

Serves 6-8

• 8 Large pitted dates
• 1/4 Cup chocolate chips
• 8 Whole almonds
• 3/4 Cup orange juice, preferably fresh

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut a 1 inch long slit into each date, about 2/3 through. Stuff a few chocolate chips and one almond into the slit of each date. Spray a glass baking dish with canola oil spray. Arrange the stuffed dates, single layer into the prepared dish. Pour the juice evenly over the dates. Cover the dish tightly with foil. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes until the chocolate chips are melted. To serve, spoon the dates into a dish and spoon a little juice evenly over the top.