Dinner Tonight

Dinner Tonight

Healthy Cooking for a Healthy Texas

Tips & Tricks: How to Select the Perfect Melon

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Thumping. Shaking. Lifting. You have probably seen people using these methods to select a watermelon, but do they really work? Following the steps below will help you choose a melon that is perfect!

Use your eyes.
Look the melon over before you select it. The melon should be firm and symmetrical. It should also be free from dents, bruises, or cuts.

Turn it over.
The main indicator of ripeness is found on the underside of the melon. The underside of the melon should have a creamy yellow spot. This indicates it has ripened in the field.

Use your muscles.
Lift the melon up. A great melon is heavy for its size. Avoid melons which are lightweight if they are larger varieties.

Know your melons.
There are over 1200 varieties of watermelons grown in 96 countries!
The most common types are:

  • Seeded: The seeded watermelon is the most traditional watermelon and can weigh between 10 to 25 pounds!
  • Seedless: Seedless watermelons are the result of hybridization.
    • Some claim they have white seeds, but these “seeds” are really empty seed coats and are safe to eat! Personal: These tiny favorites usually weight 1 to 7 pounds and are perfect for those who don’t want to share!
  • Yellow and Orange Meat: Most watermelons have red meat; however, there are yellow and orange meat varieties which are usually sweeter than the red!

Watermelons : Look for a field patch! A large yellow spot which indicates the watermelon was left on the vine to ripen sufficiently! Cantaloupe: The best indicator of the melon being ripe is smell. A sweet and intense smell. Rind should appear golden and not with a green hue. Honeydew: Slightly harder to choose but best indicator is weight and color. A ripe melon should appear pale yellow in color with a smooth rind. Should seem heavy for its size.

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Fruit Clafoutis

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Baking at home is a great way to make healthy modifications to your favorite desserts! Our fruit clafoutis offers just that with a delicious recipe lower in calories, added sugar, and fat. Try our version of fruit clafoutis with our ingredient of the week or with your favorite fruit!


Fruit Clafoutis
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Servings
12
Servings
12
Fruit Clafoutis
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Servings
12
Servings
12
Ingredients
Servings:
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Instructions
  1. In a 9x9 round baking pan, place the pre-made pie crust and press down to mold it to the pan.
  2. Place your fruit of choice evenly around the bottom of the pan. For fruit like blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and cherries just rinse and dry the fruit. For fruit like pears, apples, and plums, you will want to wash, core, and slice the fruit, and peel if you prefer.
  3. In a large bowl mix the milk, eggs, vanilla, sugar, and flour together. Then pour evenly over fruit and crust.
  4. Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until an inserted fork comes out clean.
Recipe Notes

Turkey Tacos and Cranberry Salsa

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Try this turkey and cranberry twist on the classic taco! Either you can brown some ground turkey or use turkey leftovers!

Turkey Tacos and Cranberry Salsa
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Servings
8 1 Taco + 3 Tbsp Salsa
Servings
8 1 Taco + 3 Tbsp Salsa
Turkey Tacos and Cranberry Salsa
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Servings
8 1 Taco + 3 Tbsp Salsa
Servings
8 1 Taco + 3 Tbsp Salsa
Ingredients
Cranberry Salsa
Tacos
Servings: 1 Taco + 3 Tbsp Salsa
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Instructions
  1. Clean your area and wash your hands before you begin.
  2. Add frozen cranberries, apple, jalapeno, sugar, ginger, cilantro, and lemon juice to a skillet on medium heat and allow ingredients to cook together.
  3. Either use an immersion blender to blend salsa together in the pan or transfer the ingredients to a blender and blend until desired consistency.
  4. Next, brown the ground turkey in a skillet until it reaches 165 °F.
  5. Place ground turkey and the taco toppings (cheese, lettuce, and cilantro) in separate bowls for assembly.
  6. On a corn tortilla place the turkey, then lettuce, then cranberry salsa, then cheese.
  7. Top off the tacos with cilantro and enjoy!
Recipe Notes

Turkey Tacos and Cranberry Salsa Nutrition Facts Serving size 1 Taco + 3 Tbsp Salsa (147g) servings per container 8 Amount per serving Calories 190 % Daily Value Total Fat 7 g 9 % Saturated Fat 2 g 10 % Trans Fat 0 g Cholesterol 45 mg 15 % Sodium 100 mg 4 % Total Carbohydrate 18 g 7 % Dietary Fiber 1 g 4 % Total Sugars 5 g Added Sugars 2 g 4 % Protein 14 g Vitamin D 0 mcg 0 % Calcium 68 mg 6 % Iron 1 mg 6 % Potassium 196 mg 4 %

Roasted Cauliflower and Grapes

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This unexpected combination of a fruit and a vegetable makes for a delicious side dish! The grapes in this dish are a great way to get antioxidants and fiber in your diet.

 

Grape Resource

Roasted Cauliflower and Grapes
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Servings
4 1 cup servings
Servings
4 1 cup servings
Roasted Cauliflower and Grapes
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Rating: 4
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Servings
4 1 cup servings
Servings
4 1 cup servings
Ingredients
Servings: 1 cup servings
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Instructions
  1. Cut cauliflower into florets and place in large bowl.
  2. Slice grapes and place them in the bowl with the cauliflower.
  3. Mince garlic and chop rosemary and add to bowl with the grapes and cauliflower.
  4. Pour olive oil over cauliflower mixture.
  5. Toss well. Spread cauliflower mixture onto a foil lined baking sheet and place in the oven at 425 degrees for 25 minutes. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, sprinkle chopped pecans across the sheet pan and continue to bake for remaining 5 minutes.
Recipe Notes

Roasted Cauliflower and Grapes Nutrition Facts Serving size 1 cup (302g) 4 Amount per serving Calories 220 % Daily Value Total Fat 14 g 18 % Saturated Fat 2 g 10 % Trans Fat 0 g Cholesterol 0 mg 0 % Sodium 70 mg 3 % Total Carbohydrate 24 g 9 % Dietary Fiber 6 g 21 % Total Sugars 13 g Added Sugars 0 g 0 % Protein 6 g Vitamin D 0 mcg 0 % Calcium 74 mg 6 % Iron 2 mg 10 % Potassium 838 mg 20 %

Banana Chia Bread

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This banana chia bread is an easy recipe to make at the beginning of the week to have on hand for breakfasts or snacks! The chia seeds provide lots of extra fiber!

Banana Chia Bread
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Chia seeds are an excellent source of Omega 3s and fiber which gives the bread a nutritional boost.
Servings
12 slices
Servings
12 slices
Banana Chia Bread
Votes: 15
Rating: 3.53
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Chia seeds are an excellent source of Omega 3s and fiber which gives the bread a nutritional boost.
Servings
12 slices
Servings
12 slices
Ingredients
Servings: slices
Units:
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a medium loaf pan and set aside. In a large bowl mix oil, egg, banana and sugar.
  2. In a medium bowl add flour, salt, baking powder and mix until combine
  3. Slowly add flour mixture and milk to wet ingredients, alternating until incorporated. Fold in chia seeds.
  4. Place batter in loaf pan and place in the oven for 60 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Recipe Notes

Banana Chia Bread Nutrition Facts Serving size (66g) servings per container 12 Amount per serving Calories 150 % Daily Value Total Fat 4.5 g 6 % Saturated Fat 1.5 g 8 % Trans Fat 0 g Cholesterol 20 mg 7 % Sodium 140 mg 6 % Total Carbohydrate 26 g 9 % Dietary Fiber 4 g 14 % Total Sugars 11 g Added Sugars 8 g 16 % Protein 4 g Vitamin D 0 mcg 0 % Calcium 105 mg 8 % Iron 1 mg 6 % Potassium 158 mg 4 %