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 Once
again we've rung in the New Year and along with those
wonderful frosty nights we've stumbled right into the
heart of cold and flu season. Now don't get me wrong,
there's plenty to enjoy about winter-skiing, cuddling
under a warm blanket, filling the house with the cozy
smells of home cooking... These are things I adore,
just not when I'm under the weather.
Aside from
bundling up and avoiding contact with anyone that remotely
sounds "all stuved ubp", there are a few things
we can do to make it through this troublesome time without
a sniffle to our names. Most importantly, exercising
moderately and eating right. That means boosting our
immune systems by cooking with foods loaded with vitamins
like C, E, beta carotene and selenium and polyunsaturated
fats that include omega 6 and omega 3 oils. And, of
course, don't forget those monounsaturated fats from
olives, nuts and canola oil, which always make our meals
healthier and more delicious. All of these numbers and
letters making you feel ill? Don't let them...It's as
simple as mama used to say, "Eat your fruits, veggies,
grains and fish" and you'll skate right through
'til spring. (For a bigger dose of information, check
out what nutritionists
and dietitians are reading.)
THE
POWER OF PREVENTION-
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The
best thing I've learned about eating for immunity
is that the good stuff is in foods that most of us
love already like citrus, peppers, asparagus, squash,
spinach and cold water fish to name a few. Besides
tasting great on their own and having the vitamin-packed
power that we can all use at this time of the year,
they couple up fantastically with, you betcha... California
Ripe Olives. My point? Fending off the flu with food
isn't going to be much of a sacrifice after all!
 Simply
toss together this winter salad, spiked with vitamin
C from oranges, vitamin E from sunflower seeds and
beta carotene from spinach and you'll see what I mean.
By itself or served with pasta or soup, this one's
a no brainer for us folks who would prefer to get
outside and enjoy, rather than watching the winter
pass by from inside.
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California
Power Salad-
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- 6
cups (10 ounces) Spinach, trimmed and washed
- 2
cups (12 ounces) Cooked, peeled and diced
beets
- 2
Oranges, peeled and segmented
- 1
(2 1/4 ounce) can Sliced California Ripe Olives
- 1
cup (4 ounces) Crumbled feta cheese
- 1/2
cup Toasted sunflower seeds
- 1/3-1/2
cup Balsamic vinaigrette
Directions:
Layer spinach, beets, California ripe olives
and oranges in a bowl. Top with feta cheese
and sunflower seeds. Toss with vinaigrette just
before serving. Serves 4.
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For
another quick fix, here's a hot meal that you
can have on your dinner table in no time. Once again,
packed with C and E, this ain't just any old bird.
Immunity Kick-In Chicken with red bell peppers, asparagus
and California Ripe Olives, will have your family
scarfing down those vitamins faster than you can say,
"Gazoontite".
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Immunity
Kick-in Chicken-
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- 2
Tablespoons Olive oil
- 4
(4-5 ounce) Chicken breasts
- Salt
and pepper to taste
- 1
bunch Asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch
strips
- 1
Yellow onion, cut into 1-inch strips
- 1
Red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch strips
- 1
cup California Ripe Olives, halved
- 1/2
cup Chicken broth
- 2
Tablespoons Butter
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Heat
1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a non-stick pan
over medium-high. Season chicken breasts with
salt and pepper and brown in pan on each side
for 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a high-sided baking
sheet and place in oven for 10 minutes or until
fully cooked.
Wipe
out sauté pan, pour in remaining oil
and heat over medium. Add asparagus and cook
for 4 minutes. Stir in onions and red bell peppers,
season with salt and pepper and cook for 4 more
minutes until tender. Mix in California Ripe
Olives, chicken broth and butter and cook for
one more minute.
Remove
chicken from oven and plate with vegetables.
Serves 4.
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GO
NUTS OVER OLIVES
RECIPE CONTEST WINNER
RECIPE
CONTEST-
[top]
Swimming
with the Big Fish
There’s
more than one fish in the sea…And, lucky for us,
lots of them go perfectly with our little darlings,
California Ripe Olives. Come up with your own catch
of the day, pairing California Ripe Olives with your
favorite seafood,
then send it in. We’ll pull in our line
and see what you’ve come up with–test ‘em,
taste ‘em and pick one winner to receive a free
California Ripe Olive apron. Plus, the champion
recipe will be posted
on our website. Now what’s stopping you, time
to start fishing for those fabulous California Ripe
Olive and seafood recipe ideas.
Interested
in more winning recipes and California Ripe Olive
meal ideas? Here's
what professional chefs are stirring up this year.
SOOTHING
WITH SOUP -
[top]
Finally, if you ARE bitten by the bug (and let's
hope that doesn't happen!), there's simply nothing
tastier than a bowl of soup. The feel of that warm
broth coating your throat, while the steam wafts
through your sinuses, it's perfect for the snowiest
and sniffliest of days. (Even better when it's spiked
with monounsaturated fats, omega 3 oils and vitamins
to help your body fight those infections from the
inside out.) So stir up a bowl, slurp away and warn
those germs, "You're outta here fellas!"
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Super
Boosting Salmon Stew -
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- 2
Tablespoons Olive oil
- 1
Tablespoon Minced garlic
- 3
ribs Celery, chopped
- 1
cups (5 ounces) Chopped Yukon Gold potatoes
- 1
(14 1/2 ounce) can Chopped tomatoes
- 3
cups Fish or chicken stock
- 1
1/2 pounds Salmon, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 3/4
cup California Ripe Olives
- 3
Tablespoons Lemon juice
- 3
Tablespoons Chopped dill
- Salt
and pepper to taste
Directions:
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Add celery and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in
garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Drop in potatoes,
tomatoes, and stock and bring to a simmer. Cover
and cook for 10 minutes. Uncover, stir in fish,
California Ripe Olives, lemon juice and dill.
Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 more
minutes until potatoes and celery are tender
and fish is cooked through. Serves 4.
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