The Red Hook Initiative’s mission is to work to “confront and affect the consequences of intergenerational poverty through an approach that offers support in education, employment, health and community development. RHI believes that social change comes from within individuals. ”The Biggest Weight Loss Challenge” is a call to action for Red Hook residents to take ownership of their health & wellness.

Women & Men ages 18 and up, who live in the Red Hook Houses, signed up for the challenge! These participants were divided up into two teams & will be weighed biweekly to access team progress. Over the course of the “Saturday Kick-Off”, a dedicated staff of doctors, led by Svetlana Ten, MD, Director of Pediatric Endocrine Fellowship Program & Pediatric Endocrine Divisions of Infants & Children’s Hospital of Brooklyn at Maimonides & SUNY Downstate/ Assistant Professor of Pediatrics SUNY Downstate, along with volunteers, collected height, weight & BMI data. The health assessments were thorough & immediately shared with the participants. All of the news was not good news. Several cases of diabetes that had been previously undetected were diagnosed. Coming to terms with the diagnosis of diabetes, along with the lifestyle changes that need to be made as a result, is a tall order. These health assessments proved just how imperative this program is to the health & wellbeing of the residents of Red Hook.

Over the next 12 weeks, I will be teaching cooking classes featuring a new healthy recipe each week. In addition to nutrition counseling & cooking classes, challenge members will be participating in exercise activities such as Zumba classes, walking and dancing groups, & aerobics. This is truly a unique challenge to make a direct impact on the lives of our neighbors, & hopefully will extend for future generations.

Join me each week as I share my own healthy lifestyle tips & recipes with the Biggest Weight Loss Challenge participants for the next 12 weeks! I’m thrilled to be a part of this worthwhile cause. Our first, of twelve, healthy cooking classes was held last night. We made healthy Baja Fish Tacos with a Cabbage Slaw, which knocked everybody’s socks off! We are off to a great start…….

What I’ve found along my quest for health & wellness, is that the support of other people on the same journey, makes all of the difference. Whether your sharing weight loss tips, tricks, healthy food options, or going to Zumba together, it’s that collective voice, that keeps you going, when the hankering for Chinese take-out, becomes all too much to bear! I witnessed a great deal of that comradore last night & it inspired me inside & out.

Baja Fish Tacos

Marinade

1. 1/4 cup canola oil
2. 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
3. 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4. 2 teaspoons lime zest
5. 2 cloves garlic, minced
6. 1/2 teaspoon cumin
7. 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
8. 1 teaspoon seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay™
9. 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
10. 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste
11. 1 pound tilapia or mahi mahi fillets, cut into strips

Dressing

1. 1 (8 ounce) container light sour cream
2. 1/2 cup adobo sauce from chipotle peppers
3. 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4. 2 teaspoons lime zest
5. 1/4 teaspoon cumin
6. 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
7. 1/2 teaspoon seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay™
8. salt and pepper

Toppings

1. 1 package of whole wheat wraps(Damascus Bakery Brand) 7 grams of fiber
2. 3 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
3. 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
4. 1 small head cabbage, cored and shredded
5. 2 limes, cut in wedges

1. To make the marinade, whisk together the canola oil, vinegar, lime juice, lime zest, garlic, cumin, chili powder, seafood seasoning, black pepper, and hot sauce in a bowl until blended. Place the tilapia or mahi mahi in a shallow dish, and pour the marinade over the fish. Cover, and refrigerate while preparing the dressing.
2. To make the dressing, combine the light sour cream and adobo sauce in a bowl. Stir in the lime juice, lime zest, cumin, chili powder, seafood seasoning. Add salt, and pepper in desired amounts. Cover, and refrigerate until needed.
3. Preheat oven 350 degrees, remove fish from the marinade and bake fish for 12 minutes on a cookie sheet sprayed with pam or cook on the stove top in a skillet spayed w/pam
4. Assemble tacos by placing fish pieces in the center of tortillas with desired amounts of tomatoes, cilantro, and cabbage; drizzle with dressing. To serve, roll up wraps around fillings, and garnish with lime wedges

It’s often difficult to buy a unique gift for someone with a discerning palate. Pestos With Panache By Lauren will leave your foodie friends intrigued, and upon tasting, wanting more!

Since there are six unique freshfrozen pestos to choose from, our website contains flavor profiles and recipe suggestions for each flavor. So Go For It! No greater gift than providing your “foodie friends” with the opportunity to heighten their culinary creativity in their own kitchens!! You may get invited over for dinner……

Pestos with Panache Holiday Gift Box!

Pestos with Panache By Lauren is a line of six Gourmet Freshfrozen Pestos, made from all natural & local ingredients and are unlike anything you’ve ever imagined! With flavors varying from Fabulous Fig & Gorgonzola Pesto, Pumpkin Chilpotle Pesto, Bangin’ Blueberry Pesto, Decadent Dark Chocolate & Ancho Chile Pesto, Succulent Strawberry Pesto & Prosciutto & Smoked Almond Pesto, allow your culinary creativity to soar! These pestos are always a sure thing, simply tossed on pasta, but we encourage you, to think outside of the box, or the tin rather, for the purposes of this contest.  Visit our website for some recipe inspiration:

http://www.pestoswithpanachebylauren.com. Show us what you can create by simply adding a “Dash of Panache”!

Rules:

Start by going to Pestos with Panache Facebook page and join the Pesto Revolution http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pestos-With-Panache/209919738966 –learn about our product, consider inventive ways to utilize our pestos as part of an old family recipe favorite or a new culinary creation.

Then, email lauren@pestoswithpanachebylauren.com with your mailing address, phone number and pesto flavor of choice.  (Note: Your personal information will never be shared with outside sources or third parties)

Once you receive the pesto, start cooking! All recipes must be original and of course include one of our six pesto varieties: Fabulous Fig & Gorgonzola Pesto, Pumpkin Chilpotle Pesto, Bangin’ Blueberry Pesto, Decadent Dark Chocolate & Ancho Chile Pesto, Succulent Strawberry Pesto & Smoked Almond and Prosciutto.

Then, upload a photo of your dish, along with the recipe, onto our Facebook page. Note, uploading your recipe onto a personal blog or twitter are encouraged. It is the season of sharing!

Judges will choose one first place contest winner who will be awarded the grand prize of 12 months worth (2 tins of pesto per month, 24 pestos total) of Pestos with Panache by Lauren, and 2 runners up who will each receive $50 in Pestos with Panache by Lauren Bucks, for use online at www.pestoswithpanachebylauren.com.

For more information about the Pestos with Panache by Lauren New Spin on the Holidays Recipe contest, visit us on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pestos-With-Panache/209919738966

Updated Extended Deadline:

The deadline for submissions is Saturday December 31^st at Midnight. The winner will be notified by January 3rd 2011. All decisions are final.

Happy Cooking!

I know now though, that it has everything to do with, not only utterly despising humidity, but utterly loving the feeling of a chill in the air, along with the scent of those wood burning fireplaces. My senses have always led me down the right path in life and in the kitchen, which is how I created Pumpkin Chilpotle Pesto, along with this recipe. It combines all of the things I love most about fall; the smokiness of the chilpotle makes me feel the way I did, when I smelled that first hint of a wood burning fireplace in the air, warm and cozy. The cilantro, the leaves beneath my feet, because I actually just started developing a taste for it , and the pumpkin, well need I say more, rich, hearty and warm, roasted in the oven to perfection. The goat cheese added for good measure…….

 Invite family and friends over to partake in this utterly irresistible and unique taste of the fall, prepared in mere moments, but savored all evening long, paired with a Pinot Noir and an arugula salad dressed with fresh lemon and olive oil, garnished with asiago cheese…..time for dinner, or lunch, or brunch for that matter. It’s 5:00pm somewhere

Enjoy!

Recipe  adapted from Bon Appétit, October 2009

Yield: Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

3 cups 1 1/2-inch cubes peeled seeded sugar pumpkin or butternut squash (from about half a 2-pound whole pumpkin)

1 finely chopped seeded jalapeño (about 2 tablespoons)

12 8-inch-diameter flour tortillas

1 Tin of Pumpkin Chilpotle Pesto

10 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

2 limes, each cut into 6 wedges

Preparation: Roast a whole pumpkin, at 400 for anywhere from 60-90 minutes, depending on size. (Read more about roasting pumpkins). While pumpkin is still warm, transfer to processor; puree until smooth. Stir in jalapeño; season with salt and pepper.

Divide pumpkin mixture equally among 6 tortillas (about 1/4 cup per tortilla) and spread evenly on half of the tortilla. On opposite half, spread 1-2 tablespoons of Pumpkin Chilpotle Pesto. Sprinkle goat cheese over top of Pumpkin-Jalepeno mixure. Top each with 1/4 cup cilantro and sprinkle with black pepper. Fold in half to cook.

Heat heavy large skillet over medium high heat. Cook quesadillas until golden and dark char marks appear, about 1 minute per side. Serve with lime wedges. To add an extra kick to the quesedillas, mix 2 tablespoons with one cup of sour cream or cream cheese.

Without further a’do, here are some photos from SoWa, please check out http://www.facebook.com/pestos-with-panache for more photos.

Team Pesto - Boston Edition! Kate & Kim

Lara, from goodcookdoris.com, with her husband and Succulent Strawberry Pesto!

Me explaining how I started PWP at the SoWa market in July

Thanks so much to dear friend Linda for coming out and supporting Pestos!

So while Bostonian’s couldn’t stop talking about my pesto, I was able to secure space in a another local shop in New York City, to further expand my reach in NYC. Pestos with Panache is now being carried in the freezer section at Commodities Market in the East Village of New York, very exciting! Commodities is located at 165 First Ave in New York. I couldn’t help but snap a few pictures when I went to drop off a delivery a few weeks ago:

Pestos with Panache in the Freezer at Commodities

Now this summer wasn’t all work and no play! I have been able to spend some time in the city with my Husband Phillip, here is a picture from my favorite restaurant, Supper.

A little flavor for the inside of Supper!

Phillip and I at Supper!

On top of being able to take advantage of all that the city has to offer, we were also able to go to wine country in California for a few days….

Charlie Palmer's Dry Creek Kitchen Antipasto

Absolutely Devine!

How adorable is this?!

Phillip and I at Merry Edwards Winery in Sonoma. Just wonderful!

It’s been an extremely busy summer for me as well at Pestos and  I am looking forward to an equally successful and exciting Fall and Winter for Pestos with Panache! Thanks so much for checking out the update!

Supper’s menu has an array of menu selections, even for the most discerning of palates! My favorite dish is the Spaghetti al Limone with grilled chicken. This dish is complemented with fresh lemon and finished with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, absolutely, delectable! At $12.95, this dish is not only delicious, but it is by far, the best bang for your buck, in the extremely expensive New York City restaurant scene. An appetizer not to be missed is The Zucchine Taglietelle, which features wafer thin mandolin sliced zucchini; this dish explodes with garlic, toasted almonds and olive oil! I would love to give a review of their dessert offerings, but I must admit, I have never had the opportunity to partake, as I am always quite full, at meals end!!

Be sure to check out Supper (and take a look at http://www.supperrestaurant.com) for yourself and tweet me to let me know how you like it: @pestoswpanache!

Here are some links to the recipes (located in our recipes section), each with ingredient lists and preparation instructions:

• Fabulous Fig & Gorgonzola Pesto Stuffed Acorn Squash
• Decadent Dark Chocolate & Ancho Chile Tofu Brownies
• Pumpkin Chilpotle Pesto Barley Salad
• Bangin’ Blueberry Chicken Pesto Patties
• Succulent Strawberry Pesto Fennel Salad

Amie Valpone, HHC, AADP is a Manhattan based Culinary Nutritionist with a passion for cooking, baking, and healthy living in the Big Apple of NYC, she strives to find the right balance for her clients using whole, natural, unprocessed foods.

Without further ado, I present you with a recipe for the ages:

Decadent Dark Chocolate & Ancho Chile Pesto Sizzling HOT DIP:

Prep: 15 minutes

Time: 20 Minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 30 ounce can of refried beans
• Salt
• Hot Sauce (Red Hot)
• 2 Avocado’s
• Lemon juice
• Garlic salt
• 1 tin of Decadent Dark Chocolate & Ancho Chile Pesto fully thawed
• 1 cup of reduced fat sour cream
• ½ cup of reduced fat mayo
• 4 small chopped tomatoes or 2 large chopped tomatoes
• 1 small bottle of green olives chopped
• 1 cup of shredded Monterrey Jack or Manchego Cheese

Layer like so:

Spread in an ungreased pan, 30 ounce can of refried beans mixed with dash of hot sauce and dash of salt.

Avocados, ripe and mashed with 2 tablespoons lemon juice and a dash of garlic salt

4 small chopped tomatoes or two large chopped tomatoes

One can of Decadent Dark Chocolate & Ancho Chile Pesto (completely thawed)

Combine 1 cup of reduced fat sour cream and ½ cup of reduced fat mayo

2 small cans green olives, chopped

1 cup grated Monterrey Jack and or Manchego Cheese

Heat 20 minutes at 350 in the oven, until cheese melts (not browned). Serve with dippers of your choice.

Ok…so truth be told, this dip is decadent with Scoops……yes, made by Frito-Lay!!! I hope you Enjoy, please be sure to share your pictures of your game time treats and let me know if you try out my FUN and quirky recipes.

These wings are not for the faint of heart, they are an explosion of flavor and a delicious exciting festival of flavors. Intrigued? Check out the recipe below:

Wings with a Dash of Panache

Prep: 10 minutes

Bake: 55 minutes

Serves: 24

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of  your very favorite Pestos With Panache brand pesto; Pumpkin Chilpotle Pesto, Fabulous Fig & Gorgonzola Pesto, Succulent Strawberry Pesto, Bangin’ Blueberry Pesto, Decadent Dark Chocolate & Ancho Chile Pesto and or Prosciutto & Smoked Almond Pesto
• 12 chicken wings (tips removed) or 24 chicken drumettes. Feel free to use to frozen bagged wings available at your local grocery store or sold in bulk at a warehouse food club like Costco.

Cut the wings in half at the joints to make 24 pieces. Pad wings dry with a paper towel. Toss the wings with your choice of flavored Pestos with Panache. Place them in a foil-lined shallow baking pan.Bake at 400°F. for 55 minutes or until they’re glazed and cooked through, turning and brushing often with the pesto sauce during the last 30 minutes of baking time. Discard any remaining sauce. If you would like to skip the brushing step……toss the wings that are fully cooked through, in a bowl with a half a cup of the pesto, that you initially tossed them with toss!!

To compliment and enhance the wings, I’ve also included my favorite wing dipping sauce! It’s a quick and easy way to really bring the wings to the next level.

Dipping Sauce with a Dash of Panache:

From: Pestos With Panache

Prep: 10 minutes

Serves: 24

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup of your very favorite Pestos with Panache brand pesto
• ¼ cup of reduced fat cream cheese or ¼ cup of goat cheese or ¼ cup of reduced fat sour cream

In a mixing bowl, or magic bullet, if you have one, combine your choice of Pestos With Panache pesto with your choice of cream cheese, goat cheese, and or sour cream.

Place the sauce in a ramekin at the center of your Wings with Panache platter….such a surprisingly nice twist on ordinary wings, looks super fancy, but so easy and tasty!!!

I decided to take the wings on a test run this past Saturday night and they were a huge hit! People kept responding with the critique of, “wow, these are so moist, delicious and different!” The double encrusted wings really packed the flavor punch and kept people asking for more, making these delicious appetizers the perfect surprise MVA (Most Valuable Appetizer, hehe) for all of your Super Bowl Party Guests.

Enjoy & let me know how they turn out!

So cruise around and check out the new website.

Thanks for stopping by!