Food, Recipe and Activity of the Week - January 11, 2009
This week's features include:
Food - Bell pepper
Recipe - Roasted turkey breast with balsamic glaze & bell pepper-onion sauté
Activity -Aerobics
Originating in South America, sweet bell peppers have been grown on earth since 5000 BC. Spanish and Portuguese sailors, who traveled through South America, commonly ate this popular vegetable. Today bell peppers are primarily grown in China, Turkey, Spain, Romania, Nigeria, and Mexico, but are also found in California, Florida, and New Jersey.
Bell pepper can be found in a variety of colors including, green, red, yellow, orange, purple, gold, and white. The yellow, orange, and red peppers are simply ripe versions of the green bell pepper. Bell peppers can be 3 inches wide and 4 inches long and have 3 to 4 lobes and blocky appearance. The vegetable grows in warm climates with day temperatures of 75 ° F to 85 ° F and night temperatures of 15 ° F to 20 ° F. However, bell peppers are sensitive to extreme temperatures such as 100 ° F and have a rapid decrease in germination at 68 ° F . The bell pepper is harvested green before maturing to a different color. However, some fresh markets sell bell peppers that have been ripened red before harvest.
Red peppers have higher amounts of beta-carotene, thus are more nutrient dense than their green counterparts. In addition, red peppers are high in vitamin C and have a fair amount of vitamin E. These vitamins and other nutrients have been shown to prevent heart disease, stroke, some cancers and cataracts.
Nutrition
Nutrition information per 1 large yellow pepper: calories: 50, carbohydrates: 12 g, proteins: 2 g, fat: 0 g, cholesterol: 0 mg, fiber: 2 g, sodium: 4 mg, potassium: 394 mg, vitamin A: 45 RE, vitamin C: 341 mg
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 1/2 turkey breast, bone in, approximately 2 lbs
- Olive oil
- Four bell peppers (combination of red, yellow or orange, seeded and cut into narrow strips)
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
- 5 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 3 Tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
- Salt and pepper
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 400°. It is important to brown the turkey breast well without overcooking it internally. Rub it with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in a roasting pan and roast until the internal temperature is 170° in the thickest part. This takes about 45 minutes. After removing the turkey, the internal temperature will rise another 5° bringing it to perfection. The juices will run clear when pierced with a fork.
- Heat a little oil in a large non-stick skillet. Sauté the bell peppers and onion over medium-high heat until brown at the edges, about 10 minutes. Add thyme and stir a couple of minutes. Add 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar and capers. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Remove the turkey from the roasting pan. Slice it, arrange it on a platter, and keep warmed.
- Heat the pan over two burners. Add the remaining 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar and bring it to a boil scraping up those little brown bits.
- Pour glaze over the turkey, arrange the bell pepper sauté around the turkey and serve.
Nutrition Information: 278 calories, 6 grams total fat, 6 grams carbohydrate, 32 gram protein, 2 grams fiber, 331 milligrams sodium, 92 milligrams cholesterol.
Courtesy of Kaiser Permanente, Dr. Maring’s Farmer’s Market and Recipe Update. For more recipes and access to the recipe’s full nutritional profile, www.recipe.kaiser-permanente.org.
Has your New Year's resolution of eating healthy and staying active been thrown by the wayside yet this year? Well now is the time to get your motivation back! Just get up and move by doing aerobic exercise. You can do aerobics right in your own home using a home video aerobics tape. However, some individuals prefer the extra motivation of an aerobics trainer. Check out your local gym to see when classes are offered if you need that extra boost.
If you are not already in a regular aerobics routine, it is important to start with a beginners tape or class. Remember to follow the instruction of the trainer as to avoid injury to your knees and ankles. You will find that an aerobic work out can be fun because of the music and the upbeat attitude of the trainer. You will also find that after a good work out you will feel more confident, more alert, and more energetic. An aerobic workout lasting one hour can burn approximately 400 calories. If you maintain a regular aerobics routine, your heart and lung function will improve and you will feel great both mentally and physically.
Adapted from Discovery Health Channel