Lesson: The Most Effective Way To Build Up Contrast In Portraits

The most effective way to build up contrast in portraits is to gradually darken the tone in shadow areas by ...

• layering pencil strokes
• blending to smooth
• repeating until the darks are sufficiently dark.

The problem is that every time you blend, you lift up tone and lighten the appearance, which means that the process can feel like taking two steps forward and one step back. 

To alleviate this frustration, the portrait artist must learn different ways of darkening tone which hide pencil strokes and lessen the need to blend.

There are different methods to use depending on the texture you want to achieve.

If you are darkening areas of non-smooth skin such as the lips, skip the pencil over the surface in broken lines that follow the shape's contour. 

Don't "color" the skin as though you were filling in a coloring book. Not only will you waste time by covering all of your previous work, you'll also produce a flat and artificial final product.

If you need to darken the smooth skin of the face, use small circles that disguise the pencil strokes. Circling is especially effective in small areas, such as the eyes or nose. 

Cover the area to be darkened in a clockwise circle, spiraling out from the center. This allows you to cover your strokes twice, once in the initial circling and a second time as you overlap each pass.

If you're working up a large area, lay down even strokes with the side of the pencil.

Work in one direction (left to right, pick up pencil, left to right again), not back and forth.

Every stop and change in direction tends to darken the tone, which will result in a final product that is stripy instead of even.

When you have covered the area with an even pass, tip the paper on the side and go over the strokes in the same way, but from a different angle. 

Repeat from a third or fourth angle if needed. If you're careful and take your time, you should be able to develop a smooth, gradual shift in tone without blending.

It is also helpful when you're covering a large area to use something larger than a pencil.

Experiment with willow charcoal, charcoal sticks, and graphite sticks on a spare piece of your drawing paper using the same methods described above and see what results you can attain.

Want To Learn More...

Learn how to draw portraits like a master with our latest portrait mastery drawing course.

It's just like having your own drawing teacher guide you step-by-step along the way without the expensive price tag.

No more smudgy mess with black and white that looks like a first grader whipped up in art class.

"Portrait Mastery" is generously illustrated showing you step-by-step just how to create a real life portrait.

Click here to learn more

Warm Regards

Chris Elmore
Drawing Made Easy

Tarragon Chicken Linguine Recipe

Tarragon Chicken Linguine

Photo by Karen Elizabeth

1/3 Photos of Tarragon Chicken Linguine

more photos

Total Time:

Prep Time:
Cook Time:

25 mins

10 mins

15 mins

Ingredients:

Servings:  4

Units: US | Metric

• 6 ounces dried linguine or 6 ounces fettuccine
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning or 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (12 ounces total)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil or 2 teaspoons cooking oil
• 1 tablespoon snipped fresh tarragon or 1 tablespoon dill or 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon or 1/2 teaspoon dill, crushed

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to directions, adding broccoli the last 4 minutes. Drain; keep warm.

2. Combine broth, cornstarch, and seasoning; set aside.

3. Cut the chicken into 1 inch chunks .In a large nonstick skillet, cook chicken in hot oil 4 minutes or until no longer pink, stirring often.

4. Stir cornstarch mixture; add to skillet. Cook and stir until thickened. Stir in tarragon; cook for 2 minutes.

 

Serve over pasta.

Healthy Sautéed Seafood with Asparagus

healthy food tip and recipe

Today's Recipe If you don't know what to serve for dinner tonight ...
This easy-to-prepare recipe adds a combination of flavors that is both complex and delicious to your Healthiest Way of Eating. And you get a full meal for only 254 calories! Enjoy!
Healthy Sautéed Seafood with Asparagus
Prep and Cook Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, cut in half and sliced medium thick
• 1 TBS chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 TBS minced fresh ginger
• 3 medium cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 cups fresh sliced shiitake mushrooms
• 1 bunch thin asparagus, cut in 2" lengths (discard bottom fourth)
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 TBS soy sauce)
• 2 TBS mirin wine
• pinch red pepper flakes
• 3/4 lb cod fillet cut into 1 inch pieces
• 8 large scallops
• 8 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in quarters
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• salt and white pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Slice onion and chop garlic and let sit for 5-10 minutes to enhance its health-promoting benefits.
2. Heat 1 TBS broth in a stainless steel wok or 12 inch skillet. Healthy Sauté onion in broth over medium high heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add ginger, garlic, mushrooms and asparagus. Continue to stir-fry for another 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Add lemon juice, soy sauce, mirin, red pepper flakes, cod, scallops, and shrimp and stir to mix well. Cover and simmer for just about 5 minutes stirring occasionally on medium heat.
4. Toss in tomatoes, cilantro, salt and pepper. Serve.

Serves 4 Serving Suggestions:

• Serve with Brown Rice

Printer Friendly Version of Healthy Sautéed Seafood with Asparagus
In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Healthy Sautéed Seafood with Asparagus
Healthy Food Tip

Should your foods be colorful?

In the world of processed food, you cannot judge the quality of a food by the way it looks. Artificial colors, mechanical processing techniques, and genetic engineering can create foods that look fantastic but have very little nutritional value. Don't judge your processed foods-or even in many cases, non-organic unprocessed foods-by their color; for example, it's sometimes the two parts per million of citrus red dye number 2 that gives the peel of conventionally grown oranges their rich color. (This artificial dye cannot be legally used on organic oranges.)
When eating the World's Healthiest Foods that have been organically grown, the situation is exactly the opposite. The more colorful your meal, the greater likelihood you will receive a rich diversity of nutrients. The World's Healthiest Foods are NATURALLY colorful. They are rich in phytonutrients that provide them with a rainbow of colors. The numerous phytonutrients in colorful fruits and vegetables have a variety of actions: they act as powerful antioxidants, have anti-inflammatory effects, help the way neurons communicate in the brain, and help reduce the effects of aging.
These phytonutrients give carrots and winter squash their rich orange-red color, make beets a brilliant red, and provide green leafy vegetables such as kale with their deep green hue. In fact, if you eat leafy greens like kale or mustard greens or chard, it's interesting to think about what happens to leaves in the fall to get a deeper appreciation for all of the phytonutrients included in these foods. During the fall, leaves change in color from green to yellow or orange or red; these colors are actually in the leaves year-round, but just get overshadowed by the green. Therefore, when you eat a green leafy vegetable, you're actually eating a variety of colors-and the phytonutrients that are reflected in those hues! Enjoy the World's Healthiest Foods for their colors and you will be also be enjoying them for their unique nutritional richness.

Friday Story: Not About A Dog by Bob Perks

This message is not a story about a dog. It's about you and I.

If you read this and feel the urge to write and tell me about your dog, then you missed the point. My dog Ricky is old. He can't do what he used to do. Not that he has forgotten, he just doesn't have the interest.
I carry him down the stairs now. It's easier that way because he stands at the top of the stairs and looks down. Sometimes he takes one step and with my urging, another.

It's not that he's forgotten how to walk down the steps. He just doesn't think he can now. Stairs that were once a quick and easy exit to the yard now appear to be an impossible dream.

He walks up the stairs. He does it with great hesitation. I watch him from behind because sometimes he stops in the middle and can't get started again.

Sometimes, before he takes the first step up, he rocks back and forth making the motion of forward progress over and over.

Now, stop thinking that this is a message about my dog.

Go back and read the first part again and substitute your name for Ricky's.
If you're feeling old, stop it.

If you think you can't do what you used to do, you are wrong. You might not do certain things because of physical limitations but you can do other things or variations of those things.

Do you have friends and family urging you to take the next step but you hesitate?
Are there people babying you because they think that helps? Perhaps what you need is to begin on your own again instead of having someone carry you through this challenging point in life.

Do you see the path ahead as a way to get out of this situation or as a barrier? Have you started in the right direction and then part way hesitated and couldn't get started again?

Do you find yourself at the beginning simply going through the motions but afraid to take that step?
Ricky knows all of the things he needs to do this. He's done it all of his life. Suddenly his vision of what's ahead isn't clear and he is afraid.

He's a helpless animal.
I am his owner.

I will do what I have to do to make his life easier. But you and I are NOT helpless. We know what we need to do. No matter what your age there is a level of success and plenty of happiness waiting for you.
Stop standing at the bottom looking up.

Take one step and another.

As humans, we have the ability to overcome our circumstances and become more than we ever thought possible.

We have the ability to make the very best out of the situation or to quit.
You are not a dog and your owner isn't coming to carry you.
He does, however, have very high expectations that you can do anything you put your mind to.
Now, isn't it time you start living your life again?
Good girl!
Good boy!

This was NOT about a dog.
Bob Perks

Bob Perks is an inspirational author/speaker.
You can receive his messages sent 2-3 times each week by visiting his website: http://go.proctorgallagher.com/e/45802/2014-10-31/21tyj/89247735
"I Wish You enough!"

© 2001 Bob Perks

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough "Hello's" to get you through the final "Goodbye."

Insight for the Day 10/30/14

How To Paint A Beautiful Seascape Scene

We've got ourselves a new Facebook page and to kick start it ... we're giving away a free video on 'How To Paint a Beautiful Seascape Scene Quickly and Easily'.

If you've always wanted to learn to paint, we'll show you how to create a beautiful seascape scene with this easy step by step video tutorial.

It's now online and you can watch it by going to:

http://www.drawing-made-easy.com/facebook

Enjoy : )

Chris Elmore
Drawing Made Easy

How to Meditate Daily

The habit of meditation is one of the most powerful things I've ever learned.

Amazingly, it's also one of the most simple habits to do - you can do it anywhere, any time, and it will always have immediate benefits.

How many habits can you say that about?

While many people think of meditation as something you might do with a teacher, it can be as simple as paying attention to your breath while sitting in your car or on the train, or while sitting at the coffee shop or in your office, or while walking or showering.

It can take just one or two minutes if you're busy. There's no excuse for not doing it, when you simplify the meditation habit.

Why Meditate?

Why create a small daily meditation practice? There are countless reasons, but here are some of my favorite:

• It relieves stress and helps you to relax.
• When you practice mindfulness, you can carry it out to everyday life.
• ​Mindfulness helps you to savour life, change habits, live simply and slowly, be present in everything you do.
• Meditation has been shown to have mental benefits, such as improved focus, happiness, memory, self-control, academic performance and more.
• Some research on meditation has indicated that it may have other health benefits, including improved metabolism, heart rate, respiration, blood pressure and more.

Actually, some of the best benefits of meditation are hard to define - you being to understand yourself better, for example, and form a self-awareness level you've never had before.

Most simply, sitting for just a few minutes of meditation is an oasis of calm and relaxation that we rarely find in our lives these days. And that, in itself, is enough.

How to Do It Daily

There are lots and lots of ways to meditate. But our concern is not to find a perfect form of meditation - it's to form the daily habit of meditation. And so our method will be as simple as possible.

1. Commit to just 2 minutes a day. Start simply if you want the habit to stick. You can do it for 5 minutes if you feel good about it, but all you're committing to is 2 minutes each day.

2. Pick a time and trigger. Not an exact time of day, but a general time, like morning when you wake up, or during your lunch hour. The trigger should be something you already do regularly, like drink your first cup of coffee, brush your teeth, have lunch, or arrive home from work.

3. Find a quiet spot. Sometimes early morning is best, before others in your house might be awake and making lots of noise. Others might find a spot in a park or on the beach or some other soothing setting. It really doesn't matter where - as long as you can sit without being bothered for a few minutes. A few people walking by your park bench is fine.

4. Sit comfortably. Don't fuss too much about how you sit, what you wear, what you sit on, etc. I personally like to sit on a pillow on the floor, with my back leaning against a wall, because I'm very inflexible. Others who can sit cross-legged comfortably might do that instead. Still others can sit on a chair or couch if sitting on the floor is uncomfortable. 

​5. Start with just 2 minutes. This is really important. Most people will think they can meditate for 15-30 minutes, and they can. But this is not a test of how strong you are at staying in meditation - we are trying to form a longer-lasting habit. And to do that, we want to start with just a two minutes. You'll find it much easier to start this way, and forming a habit with a small start like this is a method much more likely to succeed. You can expand to 5-7 minutes if you can do it for 7 straight days, then 10 minutes if you can do it for 14 straight days, then 15 minutes if you can stick to it for 21 straight days, and 20 if you can do a full month.

6. Focus on your breath. As you breathe in, follow you breath in through your nostrils, then into your throat, then into your lungs and belly. Sit straight, keep your eyes open but looking at the ground and with a soft focus. If you want to close your eyes, that's fine. As you breathe out, follow your breath out back into the world. If it helps, count... one breath in, two breath out, three breath in, four breath out... when you get to 10, start over. If you lose track, start over. If you find your mind wandering (and you will), just pay attention to your mind wandering, then bring it gently back to your breath. Repeat this process for the few minutes you meditate. You won't be very good at it at first, most likely, but you'll get better with practice.

And that's it. It's a very simple practice, but you want to do it for 2 minutes, everyday, after the same trigger each day. Do this for a month and you'll have a daily meditation habit.

Meditation is simple right? If you do this for a month, I guarantee you that you will see breakthrough results in your life.

To Your Dreams and Success,

Carter Lane

Founder, Law of Attraction (LOA) System

Insight for the Day 10/29/14

Insight for the Day 10/28/14

Lesson: How To Become An Excellent Painter

You can't expect to throw some paint on a piece of paper and expect it to turn out well, but painting a good picture doesn't have to be an impossible task, either. Becoming an excellent painter is the fruit of years of labor and practice, experimentation and failure.

 

Becoming a good painter is much simpler and only relies on a few broad principles that can be learned (though not perfected) quickly.

The secret is to get them down until they're second nature to you, and then begin to work on other issues, while always staying in the bounds that they define. 

Simplify ...

In a way, this is the only rule. Don't copy nature, redefine it in your own brushstrokes.

That means bringing in only that which is essential to telling your story, and nothing else. This is a moment, a glimpse, that you have chosen to take the time to express the reason why should be clear, and that means no extra brushstrokes, no unnecessary colors, no unneeded lines.

No matter what style you choose to work in, whether impressionistic or realistic, you must simplify.

See Tone as Shapes of Light and Dark ...

To help you to simplify, practice this exercise. Draw the outline of a form, and choose one color to define the shadow pattern.

You will see that in this way, you can define all of the necessary elements without getting bogged down in unnecessary details. Every form is defined by light an dark, and those contrasts make shapes. See the shapes instead of seeing the individual plains, and you will be ahead of the game. 

Don't Pick ...

It's best to lay it down and let it be. Tempting though it is to go back in and "just fix this one last thing," that practice often leads to fl at, "picked at" work that looks uncertain and hesitant.

This is especially true in watercolor, where adding water and rubbing out whites so easily leads to unwanted blooms and bleeds that break up a smooth wash. 

Begin painting with as large a fl at brush as you can, and gradually downgrade to smaller flats as you move into more detailed areas.

Save the rounds for the very last details that you absolutely have to have. Vary the Color.

Almost nothing you see is one color, even if it seems to be. More importantly, even if it is one fl at color, it would be better painted as two. Begin with a wash of local color and then splash in an accent here and there.

Whenever you can, develop your colors by mixing them on the paper instead of applying them premixed. Your paintings will be more vivid and exciting.

Want To Learn More...

We have created Water Color Mastery.

With these simple step by step watercolor drawing lessons ...

... you'll be able to master water color paintings in record time.

This is regardless of your previous experience.

With high definition videos and detailed PDF material on water color, you will have all the information you need to bring your water color paintings to life.

Click here to learn more

Warm Regards

Chris Elmore
Drawing Made Easy

Insight for the Day 10/27/14

Your Insight of the Day 10/23/2014

Lesson: The 'wipe out' method for Oil Painting

We've uploaded a quick video which shows you how to use the Wipe Out Method for oil painting.

Check it out now at ...
http://www.drawing-made-easy.com/oil-painting-mastery-sample.html
You can apply this to your current skills instantly.
Enjoy : )

Chris Elmore
Drawing Made Easy

Mental Cleanse Call Recordings - Chapter 6

The recorded audio for the 3 PM ET call:
http://mffaudios.com/audios/2014-10-22-3PM.htm

The recorded audio for the 8 PM ET call:
http://mffaudios.com/audios/2014-10-22-8PM.htm

Now we move onto Chapter 7.

NOTE: We will be purging our member database this weekend 
to cut down on our server mailing resources.

If You have NEVER posted a Lesson AND have not logged into 
the Forum in the past 60 days, then Your account will be removed.

To stop receiving these notices, click on the Profile tab 
after You log into the Forum, and Delete Your Account.
You can always read everything as a Guest.

To unsubscribe from these announcements, login to the forum and uncheck "Receive 
forum announcements and important notifications by email." in your profile.

You can view the full announcement by following this link:

http://30daymentalcleanse.info/index.php?topic=12722.0

Regards,
The 30-Day Mental Cleanse Team.

Your Insight of the Day 10/22/2014

How To Paint Realistic Skin Tones And Textures Using Water Color Paints

How To Paint Realistic Skin Tones And Textures Using Water Color Paints

Painting skin can quickly become frustrating if one goes about it without abiding by the principles
discussed earlier.

Namely, by picking at the washes and describing the skin as one color.

When painting a large surface in watercolor, the washes easily become mottled or blotchy if the color is laid on too slowly, on dry paper, or with too small of a brush.

And even if the tone remains even, if the color isn't lifelike, the painting will still appear fl at and dull.

To alleviate these problems you should do things: first of all, make sure you're using the correct application method. In order for skin to appear smooth, you need to get the paint on the surface quickly and in large, even strokes.

So begin by drawing the face on your paper in pencil, then washing over the skin with clean water, avoiding areas that are to remain white such as eyes or teeth. 

It may be a good idea to protect those areas with masking fluid before you wet the paper if you're worried.

When the paper is wet but not dripping, apply the colors for the skin tone with a large fl at brush loaded with color, working in horizontal strokes from the top down.

You want to cover the area in as few strokes as possible. If the paper is at a slight incline, the paint will blend together even faster, but have a paper towel nearby to catch any drips. 

The second thing you need to do to avoid problems is to paint with bright, vibrant color. Practicing the granulation technique is the best way to achieve this.

Granulation is the process of layering one wet wash on top of another and letting the colors mix themselves into something new.

The outcome is a color with many levels, which is especially good when painting skin, which is no one particular color, but many colors mixed together.

Look at different skin colors and you will notice that some have yellow undertones, or blue, or green, or red. This doesn't mean that the skin is any of those colors, but rather, that you can see them in the tone. 

As an example, mix up a flesh tone in your palette and paint a square of in your paper (as in A). Beside it, paint a granulated flesh tone. Begin with (as one option), a wash of cerulean blue.

While it's still wet, layer over the top of it cobalt violet, then cadmium red, then aureolin yellow. The last color you layer will be dominant, and you'll come up with something complex enough to capture living flesh in a painting (see B). 

Make many swatches of different combinations and write the colors that you used beside each. It will be a valuable reference and time saver for your paintings.

Want To Learn More...

We have created Water Color Mastery.

With these simple step by step watercolor drawing lessons ...

... you'll be able to master water color paintings in record time.

This is regardless of your previous experience.

With high definition videos and detailed PDF material on water color, you will have all the information you need to bring your water color paintings to life.

Click here to learn more

Warm Regards

Chris Elmore
Drawing Made Easy

Make a healthy meatless meal with our best vegetarian recipes for dinner

See the Recipes »

Watch More Healthy Vegetarian Recipes

Make a healthy meatless meal with our best vegetarian recipes for dinner.

Join the Meatless Monday movement and try one of our best vegetarian recipes! These easy meatless meals are delicious and hearty recipes; we promise you won’t miss the meat. Our best vegetarian recipes feature fiber-rich vegetables, proteins like tofu and tempeh and flavor-packed sauces. Whether you’re vegetarian or just trying to cut back on meat, our best vegetarian recipes are satisfying, healthy recipes for a delicious dinner. Download a FREE Cookbook with Healthy Vegetarian Recipes!
Begin »

Best Vegetarian Recipes

See the Recipes »

Check out EatingWell's 10 best vegetarian recipes for a delicious meatless meal.

In celebration of EatingWell's 10th anniversary we picked our 100 favorite recipes of the decade. These are EatingWell's 10 best vegetarian recipes for a delicious meatless meal. Our best vegetarian recipes come from food writers, famous chefs and the pros in the EatingWell Test Kitchen. And of course each one meets our high nutrition standards. Check out EatingWell's best vegetarian recipes for a satisfying recipe where you won't miss the meat!
Begin »

"You don't ever have to feel guilty about removing toxic people from your life.

What to Eat for Dinner to Lose Weight

 

Wondering what to eat to lose weight? Learn four ways to enjoy a satisfying low-calorie dinner. Start dinner with a simple salad, include a protein-rich food and whole grains in your dinner and enjoy dessert. Get low-calorie dinner recipes and ideas to lose weight.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO!

 

Skinny Crock Pot Dinners

Low-Calorie Slow Cooker Recipes

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See our how-to tips for a crockpot

Slim down with these satisfying slow-cooker recipes.

If you’re trying to lose weight, consider your slow cooker your new best friend. Our low-calorie slow-cooker recipes and crock-pot recipes make it easy to cook healthy, affordable meals without having to spend hours in the kitchen. Try one of our soup, stew or chili recipes for a delicious and filling dinner. Download a Free Healthy Slow Cooker Cookbook!
Begin »

 

Your Insight of the Day October 21, 2014

Lesson: How To Get Started With Watercolor

How To Get Started With Watercolor

The only absolute necessities for watercolor painting are paper, paint and water.

But there are better and worse choices to make when you are selecting materials.

If you are a beginner, you can use a cheaper watercolor paper because you'll be throwing most of your work away.

Once you become more comfortable, however, you should upgrade to a higher quality cotton rag paper.

There are three texture surfaces available; hot pressed is smooth, cold pressed is a medium texture, and rough is highly textured. You can use a block or individual sheets.

If you use the latter, you'll need to soak the paper for about ten minutes and then staple or tape it to a stiff backing such as 1/4 inch plywood or gator board.

For brushes, get a selection of three sizes of rounds and three flats. They should be listed as watercolor brushes, which are designed specially to perform well with water-based paint.

Never use your watercolor brushes for other mediums such as acrylic or oils. You should also invest in some stiffer brushes that can be used for lifting and blending color. 

A small angled shader craft brush is a good choice, as are scrubber brushes (available at art stores).

Start with about ten or twelve colors of watercolor paint. Student grade is fine to begin with. There is no right or wrong, but don't try painting with all of them at once. Begin with a few colors and build up gradually, or you'll easily make mud. 

Generally, it's better to mix the colors you need than to use straight tube colors, so start with the primaries. To hold the paint, use a butcher's tray or a palette with wells.

You paint with water just as much as with paint itself, so invest in a selection of water sprayers, both pump and trigger-style.

You'll also need a bucket for holding water, tissues for blotting, and some tools for making textures.

Palette knives are good to have on hand, as are credit cards and needle tools (which are usually used for pottery). 

Finally, it's good to have some masking fluid for preserving small areas that need to be kept white.

A small pot or bottle should be enough to last for a long time. When working with masking fluid, make sure to only apply it to dry paper, otherwise it will fuse into the fiber and be impossible to remove

Remove it when dry by rubbing it off with your (clean) finger.

Want To Learn More...

We have created Water Color Mastery.

With these simple step by step watercolor drawing lessons ...

... you'll be able to master water color paintings in record time.

This is regardless of your previous experience.

With high definition videos and detailed PDF material on water color, you will have all the information you need to bring your water color paintings to life.

Click here to learn more

Warm Regards

Chris Elmore
Drawing Made Easy

Southwestern Cod Sautee; - Healthy Food Tip and Recipe

healthy food tip and recipe

Today's Recipe If you don't know what to serve for dinner tonight ...
This is a great meal-in-one dish that can be prepared in just 25 minutes using our Healthy Sauté method of cooking, which uses no heated oils. Enjoy!
Southwestern Cod Sauté
Prep and Cook Time: 15 minutes, Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, cut in half and sliced medium thick
• 6 medium cloves garlic, pressed
• 1-2 tsp minced jalapeno pepper*, seeds removed
• 1 TBS chicken broth
• 2 cups diced zucchini into 1/2-inch cubes)
• 1 lb cod filets, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 15 oz can diced tomatoes
• 3 TBS fresh lemon juice
• 2 TBS chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 TBS chopped fresh oregano
• 1 ripe but firm medium avocado, diced into 1-inch pieces
• salt and black pepper to taste
• *if you like your food less spicy, consider using less jalapeno pepper

Directions:

1. Cut onion and press garlic and let sit for at least 5 minutes to bring out their health-promoting properties:.
2. Prepare all other ingredients before starting the sauté.
3. Heat 1 TBS broth in a 10-12 inch stainless steel skillet. Healthy Sauté onion in broth over medium heat, stirring frequently for 5 minutes.
4. Add garlic, zucchini, jalapeno, and cod and continue to sauté for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
5. Add rest of ingredients, except avocado, and cook for another 2 minutes. Add avocado, season with salt, pepper and serve.

Serves 4 Serving Suggestion: Serve with

• Rice

Printer Friendly Version of Southwestern Cod Sauté
In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Southwestern Cod Sauté
Healthy Food Tip

Which seeds and nuts help digestion?

It would not be correct to say that seeds and nuts "help digestion." Seeds and nuts are very high in fat, and fat is the most difficult to digest of all macronutrients. When thinking about seeds and nuts, it's important to make a distinction between "regularity" of bowel movements and ease of digestion (the process of breaking a food down into its nutritional components).
With respect to digestion, keeping food portions small to moderate in size, and consuming foods in a relaxed and enjoyable way (with plenty of time for chewing) are essential factors in supporting our nourishment. In the case of nuts and seeds, oil roasted versions would be more difficult to digest than dry roasted or raw versions due to the added fat content.
One of the key dietary constituents for staying "regular" is dietary fiber, a nutrient in which most nuts and seeds are fairly concentrated. On an ounce-for-ounce basis, the very small seeds, like flaxseeds or chia seeds, contain more fiber than the larger seeds like sunflower or pumpkin seeds. However, all of these seeds would be considered rich sources of dietary fiber. Flaxseeds, for example, can contain up to 3 grams of fiber per tablespoon. Nuts fall into the same general category as seeds. However, because they are larger, they will contain less fiber on an ounce-for-ounce basis. (On a weight basis, it takes about 1-1/2 to 2 times as many almonds to provide us with the same amount of fiber as flaxseeds) -- 1/4 cup contains 4.37 grams. All nuts and seeds, however, would be considered beneficial for bowel regularity, provided that they are well-chewed and eaten in small to moderate amounts.
When consuming seeds, it's important to think about size and chewing. If you are unable to grind the seeds up with your teeth when you are chewing them, it's possible for the seeds to make it all the way through your digestive tract fairly intact, and you will see them looking much the same when they come out as when they went in. Under these circumstances, you are not getting optimal benefits from the seeds you consumed. Larger seeds, like pumpkin and sunflower seeds, are usually easier to chew and can be digested more completely for this reason. Some people like to grind seeds up in a coffee grinder and create a seed butter (or seed paste). Others like to combine small seeds together with nuts in the grinder and grind up both together. These ground nut/seed butters can be used in the same way as peanut butter. They should be kept in the refrigerator, however, and should be used within a day or two.
For more information on this topic see:

• Dietary fiber
• Where does the digestion of food occur?
• Flaxseeds
• Sesame seeds
• Pumpkin seeds
• Almonds
• Cashews
• Walnuts

Ravioli & Vegetable Soup

Fresh or frozen ravioli cook in minutes and turn this light vegetable soup into a main course. Look for whole-wheat or whole-grain ravioli in the refrigerated or frozen section of the supermarket. Tortellini can be used instead of ravioli as well.

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READER'S COMMENT:

"This one of our absolute favorites. It's so quick and easy! I also tend to toss in extra veggies. Either the stuff sitting in the fridge that needs to be used or whatever soup/gumbo mix I've got waiting in the freezer. "

Makes: 4 servings, about 2 cups each
Active Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Low cholesterol | High fiber | High potassium | High calcium | Low calorie | Healthy weight |
View Our Nutrition Guidelines »

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups frozen bell pepper and onion mix, thawed and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste (optional)
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted
• 1 15-ounce can vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups hot water
• 1 teaspoon dried basil or marjoram
• 1 6- to 9-ounce package fresh or frozen cheese (or meat) ravioli, preferably whole-wheat
• 2 cups diced zucchini, (about 2 medium)
• Freshly ground pepper to taste

More Healthy Recipe Ideas

• Vegetarian Pasta Recipes
• Fresh Ideas for Zucchini Recipes and Summer Squash Recipes
• Healthy Italian Vegetarian Recipes
• Cheap Healthy Pasta Recipes
• Low-Calorie Pasta Recipes

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• Florentine Ravioli
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• Spinach Ravioli with Zucchini Ribbons

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add pepper-onion mix, garlic and crushed red pepper (if using) and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, broth, water and basil (or marjoram); bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Add ravioli and cook for 3 minutes less than the package directions. Add zucchini; return to a boil. Cook until the zucchini is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Season with pepper.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Thin with broth before reheating, if desired.

Nutrition

Per serving: 264 calories; 9 g fat (3 g sat, 3 g mono); 28 mg cholesterol; 38 g carbohydrates; 11 g protein; 8 g fiber; 763 mg sodium; 762 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (60% daily value), Vitamin A (40% dv), Iron (21% dv), Calcium (16% dv).
Carbohydrate Servings: 2
Exchanges: 1 starch, 2 vegetable, 1 fat