Sun Basket’s Staff Nutritionist, Kaley Todd, Prepares for a Healthy 2017

Posted December 19, 2016 by Anu Sanghvi & filed under People.

The past year brought many big, happy changes for me personally. I got married, started dividing my time between San Francisco and Nashville where my husband works, and in a few weeks I’ll be giving birth to our son. Just writing that sentence makes me catch my breath. I can’t believe I did all that in just 12 months!

Now that 2017 is fast approaching, I’ve resolved to cook more often, and to make time to connect with family and friends. If you’d like to do the same, join me for the month of January in committing to 30 days of Sun Basket and to trying our new Lean & Clean recipes.

As a registered dietitian, I know how important it is to eat well. As a new mom, it will be even more important for me to remain energized, to get enough sleep (HA!), and to stay healthy. Beginning January 9th, Sun Basket will be offering three different Lean & Clean recipes every week for four weeks. The meals emphasize fresh fruits and vegetables, smart carbs, and lean proteins, and are free of added refined sugar. I worked closely with our test kitchen to develop them specifically to make you feel good and to nourish your body while staying true to the Sun Basket mantra that delicious matters most.

Along with the other members of the Sun Basket team, I’ll be posting inspirations on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for starting 2017 right. Join me and together we can make the new year our best yet.

Here’s to good health and wellness in 2017.

Be Well,

Kaley

Kaley Todd, MS, RDN

As a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) with a Masters Degree in Nutrition Science, Kaley is a food and nutrition expert who has met academic and professional requirements set by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and has passed a national examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration, while continuing to complete professional educational requirements to maintain registration.

Our Favorite Party Game

Posted December 15, 2016 by Anu Sanghvi & filed under Tips And Techniques.

Sometimes the festivities need a little nudge, especially when you’re bringing together folks who’ve never met.

Get things rolling with Sun Basket’s conversation grid. Each guest needs to find another who fits the descriptor in the box. The first one to fill their card wins. Use our game board, or ask your friends to send you one or two little-known facts about them and incorporate those instead.

Click the image above to open the downloadable pdf

Chef Justine’s Favorite Holiday Appetizers

Posted December 13, 2016 by Anu Sanghvi & filed under Recipe.

Smoked Trout Spread

“This is my go-to appetizer,” says Chef Justine. “I set it out with some pita chips at cocktail parties and serve it on bagels at my holiday brunch. Just be sure that all the dairy products are at room temperature so that they blend easily and be generous with the black pepper. It makes the dish.”

Makes about 3 cups
Serves 12

Ingredients
½ pound smoked trout fillets
1 small bunch fresh chives
1 small bunch fresh dill
1 lemon
¼ pound cream cheese
¼ pound mascarpone
¼ pound crème fraîche or sour cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Tools
2 medium bowls

1 Prep the herbs and the trout

Pull the skin off the trout and discard. Working over a medium bowl, using your hands, flake the trout into 1-inch pieces.
Finely chop enough chives to measure ¼ cup.
Finely chop enough dill to measure ¼ cup.
Zest and juice the lemon, keeping the zest and juice separate.

To the bowl with the trout, add the chopped chives and dill and the lemon zest and gently toss together.

2 Prep the cream cheese base; finish the dip
In another medium bowl using a wooden spoon, or in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle, blend together the cream cheese, mascarpone, crème fraîche, and the lemon juice. Gently fold the trout mixture into the cream cheese mixture. Season generously with salt and pepper.

3 Serve
Serve at once with crackers or thinly sliced toast on the side. Or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Return to room temperature before serving.

Nutrition per serving: 150 Calories, Protein: 7g (14% DV), Fiber: 0g (0% DV), Total Fat: 12g (18% DV), Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g, Saturated Fat: 8g (40% DV), Cholesterol: 60mg (20% DV), Sodium: 80mg (3% DV), Carbohydrates: 2g (1% DV), Total Sugars: 1g, Added Sugars: 0g (0% DV). Not a significant source of trans fat.

Justine’s Onion-Apple Tartlets

“Only the most hardcore bakers make their own puff pastry,” says Chef Justine. “For the rest of us, there’s no shame in buying the frozen stuff. The unusual combination of onions and apples is surprisingly delicious, especially when paired with Gruyère cheese and fresh thyme.”

Makes 32 2-inch tartlets
Serves 16

Ingredients
3 yellow onions
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 Granny Smith apples
½ pound Gruyère
6 sprigs fresh thyme
Small bunch fresh chives
1 egg
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed (such as Dufour)

Tools
Peeler, box grater, whisk, optional, pastry brush, large bowl, large frying pan, 2 sheet pans

1 Prep and cook the onions
Position 2 oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat to 400°F. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.

Peel and thinly slice the onions.

In a large frying pan over medium heat, warm 2 tablespoons butter until hot but not smoking. Add the onions and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a sheet pan, spread in an even layer, and let cool to room temperature. Do not clean the pan.

While the onions cook and cool, prepare the remaining ingredients.

2 Prep the remaining filling ingredients

Peel the apples. Cut them into quarters lengthwise and cut away the cores. Thinly slice the fruit.
Using the large holes of a box grater, coarsely grate the cheese.
Strip the thyme leaves from the stems.
Finely chop enough chives to measure 3 tablespoons.

3 Cook the apples
In the same pan used to cook the onions, warm the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add the apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are softened and just starting to caramelize, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the apples to a large bowl. Stir in the onions, cheese, thyme, and chives, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

4 Assemble the tarts

Crack the egg into a small bowl. Using a whisk or fork, lightly beat until just blended.

Cut the puff pastry sheet into 2-inch squares. Arrange the squares on the prepared sheet pans about 1 inch apart. Lightly brush the squares with the egg. Place a heaping tablespoon of the onion-apple filling in the center of each square. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

5 Bake the tarts
Bake, rotating the sheet pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until the pastry is crisp on the bottom and golden brown on top, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the sheet pans to wire racks and let the tarts cool to room temperature on the pans.

6 Serve
Transfer the tartlets to a platter and serve.

Nutrition per serving: 130 calories, Protein: 5g (10% DV), Fiber: 1g (4% DV), Total Fat: 9g (14% DV), Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g, Saturated Fat: 5g (25% DV), Cholesterol: 35mg (12% DV), Sodium: 140mg (6% DV), Carbohydrates: 7g (2% DV), Total Sugars: 4g, Added Sugars: 0g (0% DV). Not a significant source of trans fat.

Bonus recipes—ingredients not included in box.

Behind the Casserole

Posted December 13, 2016 by Anu Sanghvi & filed under Q and A.

It’s potluck season, and we need party-friendly recipes more than ever. Happily, there’s a book for that. Food writer Kristen Donnelly’s Modern Potluck is filled with simple-to-make recipes that are ideal for taking to a holiday party. In Donnelly’s own words, the recipes are “crowd pleasing with just a hint of edge.”

Sun Basket’s Emily Thelin sat down with Donnelly to learn what makes a dish potluck-worthy.

What is it about potlucks that inspired you to write a book?

Potlucks are as popular as ever, but as a genre of food, it needed an update. Not only because it’s gotten more complicated to feed people, whether they follow a vegan or gluten-free diet or something else, but also because we have much more access to good ingredients—to farmer’s market vegetables and international foods—than ever. People want to eat more vegetables and lighter, brighter flavors.

What’s the anatomy of the ideal potluck-friendly dish? What are some basic rules to follow?

It needs to be easy to transport.
It can be served at room temperature.
It’s crowd-pleasing. Unless your friends are super-adventurous, a potluck is not the time to show off your favorite tripe recipe.

How do you handle dietary restrictions when organizing a potluck?

Sometimes I’ll have potlucks where more than half my guests are vegetarians, in which case I’ll often keep the whole meal meat-free, since a lot of my omnivore friends are happy to eat that way. If there’s a really serious allergy, like nuts or shellfish, I like to make everyone aware of that as well; if people are bringing their preschool-aged kids, that’s always a risk.

What about picky eaters, do you cater to things like “I don’t like mushrooms” or “no spicy foods”?

If I drew a venn diagram of what my friends eat, I would be down to black beans as the only dinner option. The beauty of the potluck is that the truly picky can bring something they know they’ll eat.

You’ve now had almost a year of promoting the book; any surprises you’ve learned about our national potluck culture?

I hadn’t realized how important potlucks are to groups who either need support or feel marginalized or underserved. There are a lot of vegan potlucks, but then there are also potlucks for addicts in recovery, and as the election drew nearer, more political gatherings, and a lot of potlucks for peace. I knew potlucks brought people together, but I didn’t know just how useful they are as a tool for community organizing. That’s what inspired me to start Potluck Nation. In the coming year, I’ll be traveling throughout the U.S. hosting and attending community potlucks, sharing recipes and points of view. To join me, sign up here.

What are some of your favorite ‘updated’ classic potluck recipes?

I have a recipe for potato chip-crusted magic bars, I make those a lot. They don’t fall under the “eat healthier” category, but they’re updated in that they’re sweet and salty.

Any favorite dishes from childhood potlucks that you still make?

I have a weakness for any cheesy potato dish with a crisp topping, whether it’s corn flakes or onions or whatever.

Any tools, tips, or tricks that make attending a potluck easier?

Have to-go containers on hand, so that you can bag leftovers to keep for yourself, but also to give to other people, and allow guests to take home clean dishes. Pyrex casserole dishes and mixing bowls with lids are a really smart idea. They make it really simple to carry food to parties.