The Three Pronged Meal

It's always challenging to come up with a good dinner and/or supper seven days a week. What do you make as the main dish?What would make good sides?Will they go with whatever meat you cook? The best way to create a tasty balanced meal is to take the three pronged approach.This is a great way for novice home  chefs to learn about putting together a meal.

What is the three pronged approach? Pick out a main.It could be meat or tofu.Then choose  veggie and grain side dishes  to go with it.It's the classic dinner ,some kind of roast surrounded by sides.  The main dish .doesn't have to be a grand roast - chicken or turkey breasts will do just fine, especially after  a busy , tiring work day.Even hamburgers or  hot dogs work.For a fancier or special meal, think filet mignon or a juicy T-bone steak.Of course you could also pan fry skirt steaks, with some chimichurri or salsa verde  - green sauce .Fish and seafood are another choice. Both tilapia and shrimp are amenable to spices and herbs and you can create a filling yet low calorie meal with both. For a Sunday dinner at home, think a nice roasted chicken with rosemary and lemon or even Cornish game hens. The star of the dinner table doesn't have to be a roast It can also be a tangine -rich with lamb. What's good about it is that it includes the second and third prongs veggies and grains. This Moroccan and Algerian classic is rife with fruits, olives, carrots and rice.Another choice is good old fashioned stew, full of potatoes , carrots and onions. Vegans and vegetarians also have some good main dish choices.Morningstar Farms and Gardein have excellent meat substitutes. Try Gardein's beef tips in a stew or just with rice or veggies as a hearty supper.Morningstar Farms has chicken strips that are tasty in fajitas, and tacos.

Now that the main prong has been chosen, it's onto the sides.Rice or noodles are always good and they're  popular with kids. Zatarain and Goya have delicious rice dishes that can be combined with any meat or seafood.Zatarian's red beans and rice are great with beef, the real deal or Gardein's beef tips.It's spicy and full, with an extra kick of protein thanks to the beans. They also have a Caribbean rice mix along with rice mixes that will go well with chicken and shrimp.Goya also has excellent sides such as yellow rice and rice primavera. Buy their paella Valenciana , add some shrimp and create a fun Saturday night or Sunday supper.Noodles are always a great foil to poultry and pork. Make them from scratch or buy a package of that kitchen classic - Mueller's. What about the third prong? The veggies. Sometimes just plain steamed ones are the best.. A fresh ,bright flavor is like a palate cleanser, especially if the main or grain is heavily spiced or sauced. Since the stove top or oven will be used  for the meat or seafood and rice or noodles., use the microwave for the veggies. Stop and Shop's in house steamers are great for this. Their peas are perfect with a just from the garden taste. The same goes for their green beans, and broccoli. In the summer replace these with fresh picked tomatoes and/or corn.

The three pronged meal is the best way to plan a satisfying and nutritious dinner. Use it for a week night. Try a fun one for the weekend. It will help tremendously in planning a week - a month - even a year of meals.

Know Your Probiotics

Probiotics are important to a healthy body  and keeping well. Yet many have no clue as to hat they are or hat they can do for us. Most think that yogurt is the only food that has these "little bugs". They're sort of right but not quite.There are other foods too, tasty ones that can be easily incorporated in any diet.

What are probiotics exactly? They can b e defined as microorganisms that provide health benefits when consumed. The term itself came into existence around 1980 however  the study of it reaches back to the early 1900's thanks to Nobel Prize recipient,Elie Metchnikoff. Dr. Metchnikoff was a Russian zoologist who suggested that the dependence of intestinal microbes on food makes it possible to adopt measures to modify the flora in our bodies  and to replace the harmful microbes with useful ones. The idea has been around since Roman and ancient Greek times when early healers noticed the benefits of such fermented foods as cheese and pickled vegetables. Centuries later
scientists analyzed the eating habits of  the  long living Bulgarians and inhabitants of the Russian steppes . They ate  yogurt daily, filling their guts with fermented lactose. Modern day eaters can benefit from probiotics as well.It's instrumental in calming down IBS  - irritable bowel disease along with treating diarrhea in adults and children.They can also stave off the flu and cold as well as being beneficial to oral health. Do these clusters of microorganisms have any risks? They will cause bloating and gas in some people along with causing some discomfort  for those with bowel problems.

Probiotics are an easy add in to any diet. You may want to start with Activia Yogurt, long known for their probiotics.The company offers regular and Greek along with fiber filled yogurts and yogurt drinks in fruit flavors like strawberry , cherry and blueberry. There are other like Fage that also help. Yogurt can be subbed in for sour cream as well so even dips and tacos can be made a tad more healthier. It's not just yogurt that's beneficial. Fermented foods such as sauerkraut and kimchi are loaded with it. Both can easily be made at home too.You can not only eat healthier but also more vegan thanks to another probiotic  food, tempeh, This meat substitute was originally from southeast Asia has a nutty  taste when cooked.It can be made as a burger or diced and mixed with brown rice.Of of the most famous probiotic foods is the Japanese miso.It's basically fermented soy along with barley and brown rice. Other grains can be used too.It's fermented down into  a red,  dark brown  or white  paste with a buttery texture Like other probiotic foods miso should be added to the broth right before taking it off the range otherwise the microbes get cooked and killed.You could wash all this down with kefir,a microbe rich drink made from milk and kefir grains.It's just mixing the two which leaves you with a rich creamy drink with a slightly alcoholic taste. A water kefir can also be made using sugar, water, coconut milk and grains.

Probiotics are important to good gut and body health. You can go the yogurt route and get these important microbes that way.You can also discover the rich world of other probiotic foods by cooking miso soup or by making a nice glass of milk kefir.It'll expand your palate as well as helping your body.

Unsalted

Salt makes up most of our diets, surprisingly enough.We use it in everything from caramels to fries. However as we all know the white stuff can be bad for us , we can change our habits.We can wean ourselves off NaCl by using other spices and even a form of salt itself. It may take willpower but the end result is worth it. Flavor can come in a variety of ways.There are spices, herbs and even veggies that will enhance any dish. Try using onions or onion juice when making burgers or meat loaf.Lime or lemon juice can be used for chicken.Even orange juice can be used in making dressings for slaws and salads more delicious. Spices are a must . Try cumin or chili for livening up everything from eggs to stews. Also giving everything a little dash of pepper creates a burst of flavor as well.Think herbs too ,from the tried and true oregano to mint for rubs or marinades. Even though salt should be taboo adding a small amount of it can bring some liveliness to bland dishes. Be judicious and add only a few flakes. These are more intense in taste than regular grains so only a small amount will do.Get into the habit of buying sea salt over regular salt. There are many different varieties from lavender infused to the famed black tinted one.Also using sea salt will get you into the good habit of using less regular salt in restaurants and fast food joints. Going salt free may seem easier than what foodies may think. All it takes is creativity and willpower. it's the first step for a healthier diet and healthier life.