Healthy Friday

Weather Alert: It's all about the East Coast weather on the TV stations here in Arizona the past 24 hours. The threat of a huge winter storm seems to be prompting panic and preparations since the head of the National Weather Service declared tens of millions of people could be effected. 
I though I'd share a poem about peaceful snowfall…the kind one wants to have on a January weekend. Let's hope this massive predicted snowfall does not happen.

Snow Fall
by May Sarton

With no wind blowing
It sifts gently down,
Enclosing my world in
A cool white down,
A tenderness of snowing.

It falls and falls like sleep
Till wakeful eyes can close
On all the waste and loss
As peace comes in and flows,
Snow-dreaming what I keep.

Silence assumes the air
And the five senses all
Are wafted on the fall
To somewhere magical
Beyond hope and despair.

There is nothing to do
But drift now, more or less
On some great lovingness,
On something that does bless,
The silent, tender snow.

May Sarton (May 3, 1912-July 16, 1995) is the pen name of Eleanore Marie Sarton, an American poet, novelist and memorist.


Yogurt Chicken Salad
Recipe from yummy.com

Ingredients:

• 4 cups chicken or turkey breast, cooked and diced
• 1/2 cup celery
• 1/2 cup cranberries, dried
• 1 1/2 TB. tarragon, fresh or 1 tsp.dried tarragon
• 1 tsp.dried parsley flakes
• 1 TB. honey
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise, light, Miracle Whip, light or 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper, ground
• 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup Pecans, toasted

Directions:

• Mix salad ingredients and refrigerate several hours. 
• Serve on toasted whole grain bread.

Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps

Cook's notes: A healthy dinner crowd pleaser for game day snacking and a meal the kids will love.  There has been an ongoing debate the last few years over ground turkey being a healthier option than lean ground beef. Check out these enlightening links.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/496340-which-is-better-for-you-ground-turkey-or-beef/
http://www.theothersideoffood.com/ground-turkey-vs-ground-beef/
Ingredients:

• 1 Tb. olive oil
• 3/4 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 lb. 95% lean ground turkey or 95% lean ground beef.
• 2 cloves garlic
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 TB. chili powder (preferably 2 tsp regular chili powder and 1 tsp ancho chili powder)
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• Romaine or butter leaf  leaves, doubled up, for serving
• Shredded Mexican cheese, diced Roma tomatoes, diced red onion, diced avocado, chopped cilantro, light sour cream, for serving

Directions:

• Heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute 2 minutes. Add turkey and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook, tossing and breaking up turkey occasionally, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. 
• Add chili powder, cumin, paprika, tomato sauce and chicken broth. Reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered about 5 minutes until sauce has reduced. Serve mixture over lettuce leaves with desired toppings.

Recipe source: filling loosely adapted from Cooks Illustrated and ClassyCooking.com