Trading Up Downtown

Did you ever think that a regular old dishtowel could spruce up a table? Me either!

One day, however, it occurred to me that my favorite dishtowels don’t get enough use in our house. So, I thought about where and how I could include them in the decor. Check out what I did! Doesn’t it look nice?

Placing a colorful dishtowel in the center of my table instantly brightened up the space. This little dishtowel trick is great, especially when entertaining guests. It makes the table look much more special. Plus, you get a pretty centerpiece from a staple already in your home.

This week’s Trade Up Recipe is from Carly at So I Married A Chef. She used a recipe from Recipezaar called My Big Fat Greek Stuffed Peppers to “trade-up” her own original recipe as seen below.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup NearEast whole-wheat couscous prepared according to directions (NuVal Score: 82)
• 2 green bell peppers (NuVal Score: 94), halved lengthwise and seeded
• 1 link of Jennie-O spicy turkey sausage (NuVal Score: 11), casing removed
• 2 cloves garlic (NuVal Score: 96)
• 1/4 of a large onion (NuVal Score: 93)
• 4 large mushrooms (NuVal Score: 96)
• 1 vine-ripened tomato (NuVal Score: 96), diced
• 1 large handful of spinach (NuVal Score: 100)
• 1/4 cup sliced black olives (NuVal Score: 6)
• lemon juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp. pine nuts, toasted
• 1/3 cup Athenos reduced-fat feta (NuVal Score: 24)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Place pepper halves cut side down on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes.

3. While the peppers are baking, in a saute pan sprayed with cooking spray, brown the turkey sausage, break up the link while sauteing.

4. Add the garlic, onions, and mushrooms to the saute pan. Cook until onions are translucent. Stir in the tomatoes, spinach, black olives, and seasonings. Saute until the tomato and spinach are softened. Add the feta, couscous, and pinenuts – stir until combined.

5. When peppers are baked, fill halves evenly with the couscous/turkey/vegetable mixture. Return the peppers to the oven and bake for about 15 minutes more.

Trading Up Downtown Giveaway

Thanks to everyone who entered the Trading Up Downtown giveaway last Friday. Here’s your winner: 40

40. Lauren @ eater not a runner, on April 23rd, 2010 at 10:53 am Said:

I was very surprised at some of the low cereal scores, especially the kashi ones I would just assume were healthy!!

Congrats, Lauren!! Please email me at thaupert@nuval.com with your full name and mailing address to claim your prize.

Some people consider granola a health food, but many store-bought brands can be deceptively high in calories and fat and, in general, not very nutritious for you. Check out the granola that scores at the bottom of the NuVal scale:

• Cascadian Farm Maple Brown Sugar Granola: 16
• Cascadian Farm Granola Oats and Honey: 18
• Quaker 100% Natural Oats & Honey Granola: 22

Not what you call nutritious.  The high sugar content and saturated fat in these brands of granola bring down the scores. However, not all granola is created equally! Check out these top-scoring varieties:

• Nature’s Path Organic Hemp Granola: 45
• Bear Naked Fit Triple Berry Crunch Granola: 91
• Bear Naked Fit Vanilla Almond Crunch Granola: 91

Much more nutritious, right?

Trading Up Downtown Giveaway

Giveaway time!

Here’s your chance to win some Bear Naked Fit Triple Berry Crunch Granola, Bear Naked Fit Vanilla Almond Crunch Granola, and a NuVal t-shirt.

To Enter: Visit the NuVal website or one of the NuVal blogs and leave a comment about a score that surprised you. I will randomly pick a winner on Monday morning.

Good luck!