what's in the cake stand - why the dietitian eats dessert, too

Since launching this blog I've struggled to find a way to properly portray the place that sweet, yummy, calorie-rich eats have in a healthy diet. It's not that I struggle personally with where they fit. It's that I struggle with where they fit in this blog format, which ultimately gives equal weight to every post. It's difficult to illustrate that a recipe about a caramel sauce isn't equivalent to grilled chicken with fruit salsa, in judging which one is a better choice for overall health.

Many people who visit a blog hosted by an R.D. expect to find nothing that even resembles a calorie-rich indulgence.

Mine is not that blog.

After more than a decade of working in the field of nutrition I have learned this - for the most part, the people who are most successful in achieving an overall healthy diet are the ones who learn to approach healthy eating as a lifestyle, NOT a quick-fix diet. For me, that lifestyle includes dessert. Beautiful desserts. Yummy desserts. Real desserts... on occasion. 

Don't misunderstand. I don't eat dessert after every meal. I don't even eat dessert every day. But I do believe in really savoring, enjoying and celebrating sweet confections when the time for dessert is right.

That's where my "cake stand" comes in. The name says it all. It's a very unassuming, display dome that's a fixture around my house... and has been for years. When I first married, my boss (and dear friend) would ask nearly every Monday morning, "What's in the cake stand?" It was almost a joke. I like to bake sweet yummies that much... she knew then, and it still applies, that there's almost always something in our cake stand.

And here's what's in the cake stand right now - Strawberry-Fig Bars.

These are based loosely off the Apricot Bars* in Very Merry Cookie Party. The main difference was my filling- I cooked down a cup or so of fresh strawberries with sugar until thick, added dried figs and let re-hydrate, then pureed with hand blender (rather than re-hydrating dried apricots).

They are buttery rich and look beautiful in the cake stand (although admittedly, I'm questioning now why I didn't photograph them that way. But I'm a sucker for a white plate). I hope shortly to post a picture of this old family friend... with something new behind the glass. I may not visit the cake stand every day. But when I do, it's always a tasty treat.

What about you? Do you eat a "healthy" dessert daily or save calories now to savor something decadent later? Any suggestions for something delicious to bake next?

~Regan

 *Out of respect for cookbook copyrights, I avoid publishing recipes from cookbooks that aren't reproduced online. I would suggest these as a good substitute for those wanting to try their hand at this type of bar cookie.

pinching seams & cutting corners

I have taken up bread baking. 

Wait... scratch that... I want to take up bread baking. 

At this point, I'm starting slowly. It's not that I'm a newbie to yeast and all things doughy, but I haven't in recent years spent much time on the high risen arts. I've been mostly a pancake and muffin kinda gal. 

But my boys love, love, love any kind of cinnamony bready type toast in the morning. And I love the idea of making it for them. I'll never achieve weekly sandwich loaf status for this crew. Even at their young age, they could keep a full-time baker in business. But I do think a slice or two of fresh baked every now and again might be an attainable goal. 

This is my first loaf. It turned out okay. There's only one problem...

...I cheated. 

I was given a yummy looking Honey-Wheat bread machine bread mix from Williams-Sonoma at Easter. 

I don't own a bread machine. 

I sincerely appreciated the gesture and didn't want it to go to waste. So I improvised and turned it into a cinnamon swirl loaf. I guess really... that's less cheating than if I had used it in a bread machine, right?

What about you? Do you bake your own bread? What's your favorite recipe? 

song of the south

The South is a unique place.

We celebrate the end of football season by counting down the days 'til fall kickoff. I joked with one of my oldest and dearest friends the other day that while most "girls" were glued to the TV for the Royal Wedding, we were following the draft.

We really only have three full seasons - summer, fall and winter. I joked with my mom today that we go from winter to summer with about two weeks of something-like-spring wedged in between. It's only long enough for pollen to become really, really overwhelmingly annoying. Then the heat sets in. 

Somehow, though, in that brief period of springlike weather* (calling it spring, when it is so short-lived, is by itself a joke), we managed to experience the fragrant blooming of gardenias in my backyard and play host to an overwhelming symphony of the male cicada courtship along the riverbanks near my home. This is my first cicada invasion. Honestly, I'm sorta glad it doesn't roll around every year. Some Southern experiences are best enjoyed in small doses.

And I guess the same could be said for this:

It's a Bourbon-Pecan Pie.**

Bourbon? Yep... we love it down here.

Pecans? Yep again... we love it AND we insist we say it correctly (which, yes, does imply that if you do not say it the same way we do, then you are saying it incorrectly. Southern politeness is always trumped by southern pride.) 

Really, you can say it however you like. It's still an every-once-in-a-while kinda dish.

Oh, don't get me wrong... there's nothing offensive about it. Look at it? Does it not scream pull up a chair, grab a fork and sit a spell?

But when you are a registered dietitian, trying your darndest to help people eat their way to a healthier lifestyle, you owe it to yourself as a professional to warn people: this is the kind of thing you eat on occasion, not a daily dessert.

So consider yourself warned. 

I definitely won't be making this an everyday dish, but knowing a little something special sweet-to-eat awaits every once in a while is like music to my ears. 

Artfully eating well,

~Regan

*I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge, especially in the context of a blog post about the South, the overwhelming devastation this part of the country is experiencing in the wake of recent storms. My heart and prayers go out to all of those affected.  

**This particular pie was made from a recipe out of my husband's copy of The Big Green Egg Cookbook. The dough was lovely (any of you who work with pie dough understand how dough can be lovely.)

If you don't have a copy of that cookbook (and doubt most of you do), give this one from My Recipes a try. It is very, very similar... and I seldom find a recipe on there that disappoints.  

Mother’s Day with Ease

I mentioned a while back my husband’s new found affinity for his grill - his Big Green Egg (BGE) grill, to be exact. I’m not sure how widepread this cooking phenom is, but down in our neck of the woods, it’s become like the grit - omnipresent. It seems everyone we know is either the new owner of a BGE or wants one. And I’ll admit... it’s definitely changed, for the better, our experience of backyard burgers and associated eats. 

But this weekend, my husband decided to put the BGE’s accompanying Big Green Egg Cookbook to the test - Grilled Chicken with Mango Salsa. I think a lot of families spend Mother’s Day weekend treating mom to a day out of the kitchen. Honestly, as long as I have someone to do the grocery shopping, gather the ingredients and read me the recipe (while watching my kids), I’d just as soon (and really rather) spend the day in my own kitchen.  

Basically, the marinade for the chicken was a combination of coconut milk, cilantro, fresh jalapeno and a few other seasonings. The salsa - mango, tomatoes, red onion, chili powder and lime juice. There’s nothing shocking about the recipe or particularly difficult to execute. But on a day when all eyes are on what mom does for the family, it’s nice to remember that some of the easiest things we do can also be the most delicious. 

Happy Mother’s Day. 

~Regan

my royal shower strategy

I don't have time to watch the Royal Wedding.

Or at least I'm not going to make time.

I'm sorry... I'm just not that into princes and princesses. I want to be... it seems all my friends are (peer pressure works at 30+, too). But honestly, I'd be more likely to hang out in Hogsmead with Harry & Hermoine, than at Buckingham with Kate & William. However, I do truly wish them the best, as I wish every couple who walks down the aisle the best. 

That said, I'm thrilled that on the day so many people are tuning in to celebrate one of the most memorable weddings of recent memory, my Make Ahead Shower Strategy is appearing on MyRecipes.com. If you, like me, love a good celebration, but are strapped for time, check out the tips I share.

And if you are watching your DVR'd ceremony and dreaming of prince and princesses, I wish you the very fondest of fairy tale dreams. I, on the other hand, will be wishing for a delivery of butterbeer and pumpkin pasties.

We all can dream, right?  

wordless wednesday: white chocolate-fruit tart

<click on image for recipe>

roasted yellow pepper hummus

is there a science to good chicken salad?

Baking is a science. Chicken salad is not. 

Let me explain. I don't find good chicken salad to be dictated by a set of weights and measures. There is room for improvisation and customization. That said, there are still some general rules that must be followed if you want to please the chicken salad tasters at my house:

-Use only oven roasted, bone-in chicken OR poached chicken. Anything else tends to be dry. My favorite version, pictured above, is made with Rosemary Poached Chicken... which simply requires a few chicken breasts, a little bit of water and white wine and a sprig of fresh rosemary. Poach until done throughout.

-Once cooked, breasts should be pulled, not cubed. (This is truly a matter of personal preference, and well, that's our preference.) 

-Chicken salad should contain halved grapes and pecans. This is my husband's requirement. It's a throwback from the chicken salad his grandmother made when he was a child.

-Chicken salad must contain at least a touch of mustard. Dijon is divine, but yellow will do. A lot of novice chicken salad chefs skip this step. I think that's a shame. 

-High quality mayonnaise is a must. "Which" mayo is the highest quality is a debate that I'm sure has divided bridge circles throughout small southern towns for miles around. I think I'll leave any more personal mayo preference musings alone for fear of offending those who don't agree with me. Mayo is serious business. 

The rest of the recipe is really up to the chef. You can opt for roasted breasts and then add fresh thyme, rather than using the rosemary poached. Or maybe you prefer to use celery, rather than sweet pickle and add a little dill. There are lots of variations, all worth trying. As I said, this is not an exact science. But there's definitely a recipe for success.

Question: what makes your chicken salad special? 

an egg in every basket. an egg on every plate.

Tomorrow marks the first of many egg hunts my boys will participate in, in the days leading up to Easter. Clearly, egg season is upon us. 

And while the boiling and dying are fun in their own right, I appreciate egg season for all the delicious dishes it provides. Having just popped off of an #EggChat hosted by my friend and colleague Serena Ball, along with the folks from The Incredible Edible Egg, I am reminded of all the many reasons I love eggs:

-versatile

-nutritious

-delicious

I could go on, but seriously... aren't those reason enough? If you need another, how about Mini Quiche:

Or, if you need even more reasons to love eggs or additional inspiration on how to move beyond just a good dye job, be sure to check out this website: http://www.incredibleegg.org/. 

Question: what are your favorite egg dishes to make at the Holidays?

Food Rules for Families

Rule No. 1 - Don't let your kids play in your cabinets. I refer you to the struggles of this weekend's rescue-bake: Strawberry Chocochip Shortcake. 

Rule No. 2 - Go watch what the Kids Eat Right campaign and Meal Makeover Mom, Liz Weiss, have to say about the real food rules parents should establish at home. Every mom should hear this, seriously.