Meals in Minutes

About Marilyn

*For more than 30 years, Marilyn Wadum has taught us how to live healthier lives.

*Wadum is a registered dietitian with Methodist Hospital in Omaha.

*The Nebraska native grew up on her family's farm. She loves to go back and chop wood.

*But her favorite pastime is enjoying her three grandchildren.

*Marilyn constantly answers her daughters' questions about what to make for dinner.

*She'll tackle the same topic for us with Meals in Minutes.

In The Kitchen

1. Always wash fresh food to remove dirt and other residues, both organic and conventional. All produce is at risk for some contamination, regardless of growing method.

2. Read labels carefully. Just because it says organic, it may still be high in fat, salt, etc.

3. Do not confuse 'natural foods' with 'organic foods'.

4. If you are concerned about pesticides, peel your fruits and vegetables and trim the outer leaves. Remove excess fat and skin from meat and poultry, which is where some pesticide residue collects.

October 2008

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A Fare of the Heart

Banana Pudding Squares

Makes: 24 servings

35 Reduced-Fat Vanilla Wafers, finely crushed

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) regular margarine, melted

1 pkg. (8 oz.) 1/3 Less Fat Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tub (8 oz.) Sugar Free Whipped Topping, thawed, divided

3 bananas

3 cups cold fat-free milk

2 pkg. Vanilla Flavor Fat Free/Sugar Free Instant Pudding (4-serving size)

1/2 square Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate Squares, grated

Combine wafer crumbs and margarine; press onto bottom of 13x9-inch dish. Refrigerate while preparing filling.

Mix cream cheese and sugar in medium bowl until well blended. Stir in 1-1/2 cups of the whipped topping; spread carefully onto crust. Set aside. Cut bananas crosswise in half, then cut each piece lengthwise in half. Arrange over cream cheese mixture.

Pour milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. Spoon over bananas. Spread with remaining whipped topping; sprinkle with chocolate. Refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Kitchens Tips:
How to Evenly Spread Whipped Topping over Dessert
Stir remaining whipped topping gently in tub to soften. Place small dollops of topping evenly over top of dessert, then use a small metal spatula to spread whipped topping in an even layer.

How to Easily Remove Dessert from Dish
Line dish with foil before using, with ends of foil extending over sides of dish. Prepare recipe as directed. When ready to serve, remove dessert from dish using foil handles. Cut into pieces to serve.

Nutrition Analysis Per Serving: Calories 130, Total fat 6 g, Cholesterol 5 mg, Sodium 200 mg, Carbohydrate 17 g, Dietary fiber 1 g, Protein 2 g.

9/08 Marilyn Wadum

Butternut Bowl of Soup Ingredients

1 butternut squash (about 2 pounds), halved and seeded add to shopping list

1 vidalia onion (or sweet), quartered

1 sweet potato, peeled and quartered

hot sauce (as desired)

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg powder

2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

¼ teaspoon salt

ground black pepper, as desired

1/2 cup fat-free half-and-half

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 300°F.

2. Coat a 13" x 9" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place the squash cut-side down on the baking dish, and arrange the onion and potato sections around it.

3. Bake for 60 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. When the squash is cool enough to handle, remove the skin.

4. In a food processor (or blender), blend together the squash, onion, potato, hot sauce, curry, and nutmeg. Add the chicken broth as needed to thin the mixture.

5. Transfer the squash mixture to a large saucepot over medium heat, and stir in the remaining chicken broth.

6. Cook for 5 minutes, or until warm.

7. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

8. Stir in the half-and-half just before serving.

Serves 6

Nutritional Facts per serving: Calories 118, Fat 1gm, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 90mg, Carbohydrates 25gm, Dietary Fiber 4gm, Protein 4 gm.

Source: Prevention.com

Marilyn Wadum, 8/08

Autumn Turkey Salad1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise

1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 pound cooked skinless turkey breasts, cut into 1/2" cubes

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 apple, cut into 1/2" cubes

1/3 cup dried apricots, sliced

1/4 cup toasted coarsely chopped walnuts

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, sour cream, thyme, lemon juice, and lemon peel until smooth.

2. Add the turkey, celery, apple, and raisins. Toss gently to coat.

3. Sprinkle with the walnuts.

Serves 4

Nutritional Facts per serving: Calories 263, Fat 7gm, Cholesterol 48mg, Sodium 288mg, Carbohydrates 20gm, Dietary fiber 3gm, Protein 31 gm.

Source: Prevention.com

Marilyn Wadum, 19/08

Sweet Potato Fries Ingredients

4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4"-thick sticks add to shopping list

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons jerk seasoning (or any preference seasoning mix)

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.

2. Place the sweet potatoes on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the jerk seasoning (or any preference of seasoning mix) and salt.

3. Bake for 30 minutes, turning once, or until golden and tender. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Facts per serving: Calories 114, Fat 2gm, Cholesterol 0, Carbohydrates 21 gm, Dietary Fiber 3gm, Protein 1gm.

Source: Prevention.com

Marilyn Wadum, 9/08

Fun With Food
With children back to school, time is at a premium. Most of us have just minutes to pack a lunch. Our food expert offers tasty advice with September's meals in minutes.

Environmental Working Group's Guide to Pesticides in Produce "The Dirty Dozen"
Peaches	Apples	Sweet Bell Peppers
Celery	Nectarines	Strawberries
Cherries	Lettuce	Grapes (imported)
Pears	Spinach	Potatoes
"The Cleanest 12"
Onions	Avocado	Sweet Corn (frozen)
Pineapples	Mango	Sweet Peas (frozen)
Asparagus	Kiwi	Bananas
Cabbage	Broccoli	Eggplant