Recipes for Brain Health

Recipes for Brain Health California Avocado Super Summer Wrap 1 ripe avocado, seeded, peeled, and cubed ½ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt 1 teaspoon lime juice ½ cup blueberries ½ cup carrots, grated ¼ cup red onion, chopped 2 cups fresh arugula 12 oz. cooked chicken breast, cubed 4 (8-inch) whole wheat tortillas Using a fork or potato masher, mash half the avocado cubes with yogurt and lime juice in a medium bowl. Add the rest of the avocado cubes, blueberries, carrots, and cooked chicken cubes; mix gently. Top each tortilla with ¼ of filling mixture and ¼ of arugula. Roll and tuck in ends. Slice in half diagonally, securing with toothpicks, if needed. Yield: 4 servings Nutrition Facts (per serving): 389 calories, 13 grams fat, 370 milligrams sodium, 32 grams carbohydrate, 7 grams fiber, 35 grams protein Source: What s Cooking? USDA Mixing Bowl 1

Black-eyed Peas Salad 2 cans (15 oz.) black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed ½ cup red onion, chopped ½ cup green pepper, chopped ½ cup celery, chopped ¼ cup nonfat Italian dressing Combine all ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl and mix well. Cover and chill before serving. Yield: 8 servings Nutrition Facts (per serving): 90 calories, 0.5 grams fat, 390 milligrams sodium, 16 grams carbohydrate, 4 grams fiber, 5 grams protein Kale Salad with Apples 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice ⅛ teaspoon salt 1 garlic clove, minced 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard ¼ cup olive oil 4 cups finely chopped kale, ribs removed 2 Tablespoons toasted sliced almonds 1 sweet apple, cored and sliced thin 2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese Combine lemon juice, salt, garlic, mustard and oil in a large bowl; whisk well. Add kale. Using clean hands, massage dressing into kale. Toss with almonds and apples. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Refrigerate and serve. Yield: 4 servings Nutrition Facts (per serving): 180 calories, 17 grams fat, 150 milligrams sodium, 8 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams fiber, 2 grams protein 2

Roasted Chicken and White Bean Salad 2 cups boneless, skinless, no salt added, cooked chicken, shredded 2 (16-oz.) cans unsalted cannellini beans, rinsed and drained ½ cup celery, diced 1 cup tomato, seeded and chopped ½ cup red onion, thinly sliced ¼ cup red wine vinegar 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 2 garlic cloves, minced ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning blend ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 6 romaine leaves, rinsed and dried Place first 5 ingredients (chicken through onion) in mixing bowl, and gently toss to combine. Whisk vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper in a mixing bowl. Pour olive oil into the bowl in a thin but steady stream while whisking the dressing to create a rich consistency. Drizzle over the chicken and bean mixture and gently toss to combine. Serve over lettuce. Yield: 6 (2 cup) servings Nutrition Facts per 2 cup serving: 250 calories, 8 grams fat, 115 milligrams sodium, 23 grams carbohydrate, 7 grams dietary fiber, 20 grams protein Ceviche Salad with Precooked Shrimp 1 lb. jumbo pre-cooked peeled shrimp 2 limes, juiced 1 teaspoon olive oil ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper 1 medium tomato, cored and chopped 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced ¼ cup chopped red onion 1 Tablespoon chopped cilantro Remove tails from shrimp and discard; chop shrimp in bite-size pieces. In a large bowl, whisk juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Add shrimp and let marinate for 10 minutes. Stir in tomato, avocado, jalapeno pepper, onion and cilantro. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Yield: 4 servings Nutrition Facts (per serving): 230 calories, 10 grams fat, 470 milligrams sodium, 7 grams carbohydrate, 4 grams fiber, 30 grams protein 3

Easy Homemade Granola Bars 2 ½ cups old fashioned rolled oats ½ cup unsalted whole almonds, roughly chopped ¼ cup honey 2 Tablespoons trans-fat free margarine ¼ cup brown sugar ¼ cup peanut butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 Tablespoons chia seeds or flaxseeds ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ cup mini chocolate chips Heat oven to 350 F. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper. Combine the oats and roughly chopped almonds on a small baking sheet; bake 7-10 minutes until lightly toasted. Transfer to a large bowl. While the oats are toasting, combine the margarine, honey, brown sugar, peanut butter, vanilla extract, chia or flax seeds and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until margarine melts and the sugar completely dissolves, making sure to stir occasionally. Pour the butter mixture over the toasted oats and almonds. Mix well. Let cool for 15 minutes then add the mini chocolate chips. Stir to combine. Transfer the oat mixture to prepared pan. Using a rubber spatula firmly press the mixture into the pan until the mixture is in a uniform layer. Transfer the entire pan to the refrigerator and chill for 2 hours. After the granola has cooled completely, gently lift it out of the pan using the parchment paper as handles and cut it into 10 bars. Wrap each portion in plastic wrap and store in fridge until ready to eat. Yield: 10 servings Nutrition Facts (per serving): 240 calories, 11 grams fat, 110 milligrams sodium, 32 grams carbohydrate, 4 gram fiber, 6 grams protein 4

Raspberry Lemon Angel Food Cake 1 box (16 oz.) angel food cake mix 1 ¼ cup water 6 oz. raspberries, reserve 6 Raspberry Lemon Glaze 1 cup powdered sugar 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice 6 raspberries 1 Tablespoon grated lemon zest Preheat oven 350 F. In a large bowl, beat cake mix and water on low speed for 30 seconds; beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Pour half the batter into an ungreased angel food tube pan or bundt cake pan. Drop raspberries, reserving 6 for the glaze, evenly over batter. Pour the remaining batter over raspberries. Bake for 40-45 minutes or as directed on package directions. While cake cools, prepare glaze. In a medium bowl, beat powdered sugar, lemon juice, raspberries and lemon zest until smooth. Pour over cooled cake. May serve with whipped topping and garnish with berries. Yield: 12 servings Nutrition Facts (per serving): 190 calories, 0 grams fat, 320 milligrams sodium, 44 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram fiber, 3 grams protein Strawberries with Banana Cream ⅓ cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt ½ banana 1 Tablespoon fruit juice (such as orange) 2 cups sliced strawberries 1 teaspoon honey 2 dashes cinnamon Combine yogurt, banana, and juice and mash with a fork until most chunks are gone. Divide berries into two separate dishes. Top the berries with the yogurt banana mixture. Top with honey and cinnamon. Yield: 2 servings Nutrition Facts (per serving): 120 calories, 1 gram fat, 15 milligrams sodium, 25 grams carbohydrate, 4 grams fiber, 5 grams protein Source: Adapted from What s Cooking? USDA Mixing Bowl 5

Berry Cheesecake Whip 3 cups non-fat strawberry yogurt 2 oz. (½-4 oz. box) sugar-free instant cheesecake pudding 8 oz. fat-free frozen whipped topping; thawed 3 cups frozen mixed berries Let frozen berries slightly thaw in the refrigerator (about 4 hours). In a large bowl, stir yogurt and pudding mix until well-combined. Fold in whipped topping. Stir in partially frozen berries and serve. Yield: 10 servings, ½ cup each Nutrition Facts (per serving): 110 calories, 0 grams fat, 270 milligrams sodium, 16 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams fiber, 3 grams protein Jenna Smith, MPH, RD. Nutrition & Wellness Educator. (309) 663-8306. Jesmith6@illinois.edu University of Illinois United States Department of Agriculture Local Extension Councils Cooperating University of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment. 6