Meatless Monday Put some pizzazz in your potatoes!

Endless Options
For Baked PotatoesLooking for some Meatless Monday ideas to start the week off right? Think baked potatoes are boring? Not if you pick the right toppings!

Baked potatoes are easy to fix, inexpensive and good for you (provided you don't add scale-tipping toppings)! You can make potatoes part of a great meal served with a side of fresh vegetables or a salad. Cutting back on meat, even one day a week, can have a positive impact on your health and the health of the planet. Visit Meatless Monday to learn more.

The folks at Meatless Monday posted this interestng feature from Time magazine: A Look at Food and American Identity at the National Archives. The history includes reflections on Meatless Monday during World Wars I & II.

Baked potatoes aren't paltry! Check out the USDA's nutritional facts assigned to one medium potato baked with its skin on:

Calories: 170Total fat: 0Cholesterol: 0Sodium: 25 mgTotal carbohydrate: 37 g (12% of the Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet)Sugars: 2 gDietary fiber: 4 g (16% of the Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet)Protein: 5 gVitamin C: 35%Calcium: 4%Iron: 10%Consider the following toppings to choose from the next time you ponder what to put on a baked potato:Bell peppersBlack beansBroccoliButterCornLow-fat cheese, including cottage cheeseLow-fat sour creamLow-fat ranch dressingLow-fat blue cheese dressingMushroomsSalsaSpinachOnionsPeasVegetarian chiliThese two options make an easy, fun and filling meal!It's all Greek loaded baked potatoesIngredients: 4 large baking potatoes1/4 cup of low-fat milk1/4 cup of low-fat sour cream2 tablespoons of butter1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese1/4 teaspoon of pepper1/2 cucumber, peeled and diced1/4 cup of green onions, diced1/4 cup of Greek olives, pitted and coarsely chopped1 cup of prepared tzatiki sauceSalt and pepperDirections:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Ensure your potatoes are washed and dry. Pierce each potato with a fork and lightly brush the skins with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.Bake them on a baking sheet until tender (about an hour).After the potatoes are slightly cooled, cut each in half lengthwise and scoop out the insides of the potatoes into a medium-sized bowl. Your potato shell should be about 1/4-inch thick.Mash the potato pulp and add the milk, sour cream, butter and pepper and stir together with a whisk. Carefully add 1/4 cup of the crumbled feta cheese.Spoon the mixture back into the potato shells. Put the potatoes on a baking sheet and cook until they are heated through (about 15 minutes).Sprinkle each warm potato evenly with the remaining 1/4 cup of crumbled feta cheese, cucumber, green onions and olives, and serve with tzatiki sauce on the side.

Basic twice baked potato

This is an easy dish to make that will have everyone asking for seconds!

Ingredients:4 baked potatoes4 tablespoons butter1/4 to 1/2 cup milk1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese, plus about 1/4 cup more for sprinkling on top1 egg, beatenSalt and pepper to tasteDirections:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Ensure your potatoes are washed and dry. Pierce each potato with a fork and lightly brush the skins with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.When the oven is ready, bake the potatoes on a baking sheet for about 50-60 minutes or until soft.Once baked, slice about one inch off the top of the potatoes, horizontally. Carefully scoop out the inside of the potatoes into a medium-sized bowl, leaving the shell intact.Mash the potato pulp with the butter, the 1/2 cup of cheese and the egg. Gradually add the milk to the mixture (start with 1/4 cup and add more if you think it needs to be smoother).Scoop the mixture back into the potato shells and sprinkle with the cheese for garnishing.Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Potatoes don't have to be served plain, fried or mashed. Put some pizzazz in your potatoes by making them more of a meal stuffed with terrific options!More baked potato recipes

Baked potato casserole
Tuna-stuffed potato
Baked potato with eggs (omit the sausage to keep it meat-free or use veggie sausage instead)
Baked sweet potatoes

More Meatless Monday ideas

Meatless Monday Mediterranean style
Meatless Monday: Don't be troubled by tofu
Start the week with a pizza party
Meatless Monday: What's in the news?
Meatless Monday: Make it fun

Food recall Kellogg's Mini-Wheats

food recallMillions of cereal boxes contaminated

Cereal eaters beware: Millions of boxes of Kellogg's Mini-Wheats may contain fragments of metal mesh.

On Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration stated that Kellogg's has issued a voluntary recall of 3 million boxes of Frosted Mini-Wheats Bite Size Original and Mini-Wheats Unfrosted Bite Size cereals.

What to look for

Contaminated boxes of Frosted Mini-Wheats Bite Size Original and Mini-Wheats Unfrosted Bite Size cereals were sold to stores nationwide with the letters KB, AP or FK before or after the "Best If Used Before" date. The boxes have "use by" dates between April 1 and Sept. 21 of next year. Check here for a list of exact products to watch out for.

While no injuries have been reported yet, Kellogg's is working with stores to remove the boxes from shelves. If you have questions or believe you may have purchased one of these boxes, Kellogg's welcomes you to call their customer service hotline at 800-962-1413.

Contamination

The cause of the recall is the possibility that metal pieces could have been placed within packaging due to a "faulty manufacturing part." It's been known that Kellogg's has undergone deep budgetary cuts, leaving numerous manufacturing facilities overworked and understaffed.

This is Kellogg's second national recall in two years. The cereal recall will cost them between $20 million and $30 million.

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Space shuttle food is better than you think

History Of
Space FoodThe last thing you’d imagine space food to be is gourmet, but over the years through food technology space shuttle food has gone from food-in-a-tube meals to astronaut-designed multi-course meals that actually taste good.

The beginnings of space food

According to NASA.org, John Glenn (America's first man to eat anything in the near-weightless environment of Earth orbit) found the space food options very limited. He and the other astronauts in the Mercury space program had to choke down bite-sized cubes, freeze-dried powders, and semi-liquids stuffed in aluminum tubes. They faced other challenges like freeze-dried foods that were hard to rehydrate and preventing crumbs from fouling instruments.

Astronaut complaints led to improvement

The astronauts on the Gemini missions enjoyed a slightly improved space food menu. There were no more squeeze tubes of food, bite-sized food cubes were coated with gelatin to prevent crumbling, and freeze-dried foods were packaged better to make reconstituting easier. Even better, the Gemini astronauts were able to choose from "real" food options, such as chicken and vegetables, shrimp cocktail, applesauce and pudding.

Eating in space became more enjoyable

It's hard to imagine trying to eat a meal in an anti-gravity setting and NASA solved many of the gravitational food issues in the Skylab. Astronauts on board Skylab actually had a large dining area with a table and footholds that allowed them to "sit" around the table and eat. They also got an extensive 72-item menu, freezer, and refrigerator, which no other space vehicle offered.

Space shuttle food now

Astronauts today eat fairly normal foods, many commercially available on grocery store shelves, and they even design – with the help of a dietician – their own menus. Menus are based on a 7-day mission and consist of three balanced meals plus snacks each day. The astronauts' caloric requirements are determined by the National Research Council formula for basal energy expenditure. Each astronaut's food is identified by a colored dot affixed to each package. Reconstituting and heating food takes 20 to 30 minutes and astronauts eat with conventional utensils on a meal tray that attaches to their lap or to the wall. Space Shuttle crews have reported that the space food menus in place are actually appetizing and the dining system function wells.

Types of foods on the space shuttle

Weight and volume of foods for astronauts is carefully calculated and limited to 3.8 pounds per person per day. The foods are individually packaged and stowed for easy handling and nearly all food is precooked or processed so it requires no refrigeration and is simply to prepare. The shuttle has a fresh food locker containing fresh produce, tortillas, fresh bread, and breakfast rolls, which must be eaten within the first two days of flight. Here are the types of food you'll find on the space shuttle.

Rehydratable foods

These include food and drink. Rehydrated foods weigh less and take up less space, and astronauts only need to add water to prepare. Rehydratable foods include cereals packaged with nonfat dry milk and sugar, scrambled eggs, chicken consommé, casseroles, and shrimp cocktail.

Thermostabilized foods

These are canned and pouched foods that have been heat processed to destroy microorganisms and enzymes that could lead to food spoilage or food poisoning. These include fruit, tuna, puddings, beef tips, chicken a la king, and ham.

Intermediate moisture foods

These foods are preserved by removing just enough water to protect the food from microbial growth, are semisoft in texture and can be eaten without further preparation. Foods in this category include dried peaches, pears, apricots, and dried beef.

Natural form foods

Nuts, granola bars, and cookies are considered natural form foods and are packaged in flexible pouches. Astronauts can simply open the pouch and dig in, no further preparation required.

Irradiated meat

Astronauts don't miss their meat when in flight. Ready-to-eat cooked beef steak is available in flexible, foil-laminated pouches and sterilized by exposure to ionizing radiation so it requires no refrigeration.

Click here for a full list of space shuttle food items >>

There's no question that the astronauts on Atlantis will be thrilled to be back on Earth where food doesn't float and doesn't require hot water to rehydrate, but at least their space food menu is much improved since the days of the Mercury space program.

Gourmet space food

It turns out the food that astronauts eat in space is not that bad. N.A.S.A. has worked hard to make it's space food tastier than ever.

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Adventure food clubs and culinary tours
The essential Harry Potter cooking guide

Photo credit: Wikipedia

Diet-friendly summer party survival guide

Healthy Cookout
Tips And RecipesWith so many cookouts, barbecues and outdoor parties to attend, it’s challenging to stick to our healthy eating habits during the salad days of summer. So SheKnows enlisted the advice of several nutrition experts to give us tips on how to skip calorie-packed temptations and make tasty and wise food choices.

5 Healthy diet tips for summer 5 Summer eating tips from Weight Watchers Online

Jennifer Hudson's dramatic weight loss is proof that Weight Watchers PointsPlus program works. Stephanie Rost, M.S., R.D., corporate program development director for Weight Watchers International Inc., offers these smart swap-out tips for picnics and cookouts:

For a nutritious dip, skip the ranch dressing and opt for carrot and celery sticks with hummus.Swap out sugary, nutrient-void juice drinks for no-calorie flavored waters. Make your own by adding fresh lemon slices to water.Pack a cup of air-popped popcorn so you won't be tempted to reach for fatty potato chips. Popcorn is a nutritious, whole grain snack that's fun to munch.When you're hosting a cookout, try throwing skewered shrimp and pineapple chunks on the grill for a low-fat treat.

Want more ideas? Subscribe to Weight Watchers Online and access the PointsPlus program from your phone to easily look-up the PointsPlus value of any food anytime.

Pile on the veggies

"I know people don't normally gear up for a barbecue to eat the salads and sides, but those are the most nutrient-dense, fibrous foods," explains Latham Thomas, founder of Tender Shoots Wellness. The New York-based fitness and nutrition consultant adds that we should pile our plates with green beans, corn on the cob and salads, and allot only 10 to 20 percent of our cookout meal for heavier foods like steak and chicken.

Stay well-hydrated

Thomas recommends you show up to the barbecue with 1-1.5 liters of water to sip on throughout the gathering. "If you aren't starving," she says, "you will be less likely to make poor choices about what to eat." When we haven't had enough water, she adds, we often confuse thirst for hunger and eat more than necessary. Foods naturally packed with water like cucumbers, celery and watermelon also keep us cool and hydrated while we're hanging outside (wearing protective sunscreen SPF 30 or higher, sunglasses, and a hat of course).

Small plates are great

If you have a choice between a large plate or a salad plate, Thomas says pick the small plate. "We tend to super-size at every meal in this country, and in this instance less is certainly more," explains the certified holistic health counselor. Eating a smaller portion will allow you to determine if you really want that second helping of potato salad or if you'd rather leave room for dessert.

Drink responsibly

Yvonne Quinones Syto, MA, RD, CDE, IBCLC, advises to avoid alcoholic drinks with excessive sugars and syrups. "[For fewer calories] stick with beer or a small glass of wine or liquor mixed with seltzer or tonic and lime wedges," says the registered dietitian.

Bring a healthy dish

To guarantee you'll have something healthy to nosh on, says Syto, author of Nutrition Map: Your Guide to Eating Healthy in the Real World, bring a vegetable side dish or fruit salad to share.

Up next: Healthy cookout recipes >>

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Tonight's Dinner Brisket

Meat And Potatoes Hanukkah-StyleIt's the holidays and that means brisket and latkes. But this dish isn't just for December; it's delicious on any chilly fall or winter night.

Sometimes there's nothing better than meat and potatoes on a cold, rainy night. And while this dish takes a little longer to cook, the result is well worth the wait. The meat is fork tender and the dijon/onion rub not only gives the meat a great zing, it makes for a wonderful gravy that you or your guests can then drizzle over the brisket and potatoes.

Brisket1 3 lb brisket2 Tbsp flour1 tsp Kosher salt1 tsp ground black pepper1 packet of Lipton's Onion Soup3 Tbsp Dijon mustard2 cups chicken stock1 cup dry Marsala wine6 - 10 fingerling potatoes12 baby carrots

Trim the fat off the brisket. Pour the flour, salt and pepper into a zip-lock bag. Add the brisket, seal the bag and shake, covering the brisket with the flour, salt and pepper. Remove the brisket from the bag and sear both sides of the brisket in a saute pan over med-high heat, about a minute per side. Mix together the Lipton's Onion Soup and Dijon mustard in a dish and rub it all over the brisket. Pour the chicken stock and Marsala wine into the saute pan and give it a little stir to mix. Place the brisket in the stock mixture, cover and cook for 3 hours over medium-low heat. After two hours add the fingerling potatoes and baby carrots to the pan and continue cooking. Slice the brisket and serve hot, drizzling some of the sauce from the pan over the meat.

Halloween party food Tray-passed desserts

Delicious Halloween DessertsThrowing a Halloween party? If you are looking for some festive food ideas, try these yummy pumpkin pie bites, candy corn spoons and other passed desserts.Pumpkin pie bites

We consulted caterer and event planner Andrea Correale of Elegant Affairs, who provided us with a variety of Halloween recipes.

Pumpkin pie bites

Premade pie crusts make these Halloween desserts a breeze.

Makes 24 pies

Ingredients:2 refrigerated ready-to-roll pie crusts8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature1/2 cup sugar1 cup canned pumpkin3 eggs1 teaspoon vanilla1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (mix cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice)Pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter1/2 cup chocolate morselsVegetable oilResealable plastic bagsDirections:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Use cookie cutter to cut 12 pumpkin shapes from each pie crust. You will need to roll the dough thinner than it comes out of the box.Press dough shapes into a 24 cup mini muffin tray. (Make 12 at a time, alternating cups to make sure pie crusts don't overlap each other.)Apply egg whites from one egg to the top edges of each pie. Mix cream cheese, sugar, canned pumpkin, remaining 2 eggs, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice together until thoroughly combined.Spoon mixture into each pumpkin-shaped pie crust.Bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove pies to cool and repeat with second pie crust. Place the muffin tray in the freezer to cool it quickly for reuse.Keep refrigerated.

Note: The pumpkin cookie cutter used here was 3-3/4 inches wide, but if you don't have one, don't worry. Just use a round cutter around that size or slightly smaller to cut circle shapes out of the dough. Then make stems with the scraps. Press each stem over the edge and down the side of the dough before filling.Decorations:

You can add whipped cream to the top of the mini pies or decorate them with a chocolate happy face instead.

To decorate, melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl in the microwave on medium.Heat in 30 second intervals, stirring in between until melted. Add a little vegetable oil to make the chocolate more fluid.Transfer to a resealable plastic bag and cut the corner off. Drizzle or draw faces on pies.

Black and orange spook cupsCandy corn spoons

Black and orange spook cupsIngredients:1 quart cold milk, divided1 package (4 serving size) Jell-O chocolate fudge flavor instant pudding mix10 glasses or plastic cups (7 ounce size)1 package (4 serving size) Jell-O vanilla flavor instant pudding mixRed food coloringYellow food coloring10 Oreo cookies, crushed1/4 cup Halloween sprinklesDirections:

Add two cups of the milk and the dry chocolate pudding mix to a large bowl.Beat with a whisk for two to three minutes. Spoon evenly into glasses, filling each half full.In a separate bowl, mix remaining two cups of milk and the dry vanilla pudding mix.Beat with a whisk for two to three minutes. Stir in drops of food coloring until pudding is the desired shade of orange.Spoon evenly over chocolate pudding layers and top with crushed cookies.Chill for at least an hour or until ready to serve. Top with sprinkles.

Candy corn spoons

If you are in a rush and want something that looks good and tastes good, grab some spoons! These candy corn spoons are perfect for a last-minute get-together or if you run out of desserts and your Halloween guests are craving something more.

With these tray-passed desserts, you can simply add a little bit of yogurt or pudding, a mandarin orange and a bit of drained crushed pineapple onto each spoon for a easy, sweet Halloween treat.

Bonus: Halloween cocktails

Spooky screwdriverBlack cherry ghoul

Spooky screwdriverIngredients:6 ounces orange juice4 ounces black vodkaDirections:

Pour in orange juice. Gently layer black vodka over juice. Serve.

Black cherry ghoulIngredients:3 1/2 ounces black vodka1/2 ounce blackberry brandy or Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur or cherry juiceBerries or cherries for garnishDirections:

Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake well. Pour over ice and serve.

More Halloween recipes

DIY pumpkin keg and harvest sangria recipe
Top 10 scary snacks for Halloween parties
Halloween candy cookies

Images courtesy of Andrea Correale, Elegant Affairs

Buffalo chicken cups

Easy Appetizer!Just take simple wonton wrappers and fill them up with Buffalo chicken dip and top with a little blue cheese. This in one appetizer your whole family will love!

A perfect go-to appetizer recipe is something that everyone needs. This easy to put together dish is a twist on the ever popular Buffalo chicken dip. Stuffed into crispy wonton shells and sprinkled with a little blue cheese. Forget the chips and go straight for the one bite treat!

Buffalo chicken cups recipe

Yields 24 appetizers

Ingredients4 ounces cream cheese4 ounces blue cheese1/4 cup blue cheese dressing (or ranch dressing)12 ounces shredded chicken (fresh or canned)1/4 cup Frank's red hot sauce24 wonton wrappersDirections:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.In a small pan, add cream cheese and cook over low heat until the cream cheese is melted. Add in blue cheese, blue cheese dressing, shredded chicken and Frank's red hot. Stir together until combined. Take off the heat.Gently push one wonton wrapper into each space of a 24 count mini-muffin tin. Fill each wonton cup with about 1 tablespoon of filling. You should have enough filling to fill all 24 wontons.Bake for about 10-15 minutes until the wonton shells are crispy and brown.Sprinkle with a little more blue cheese if desired and serve hot.

More Buffalo chicken recipes

Buffalo chicken tacos recipe
Buffalo chicken soup with orzo recipe
Buffalo chicken cauliflower pizza recipe