Happy New Year! We made it through 2020! I hope you're looking forward to more fun in 2021 and more fun in the kitchen as you cook up recipes your family will love!

Mona Dolgov is the author of Satisfy, a brand-new cookbook packed with 120 easy and delicious, gluten-free recipes made with real ingredients, real portions, and lots of vegetables. Every recipe is nutrient-dense, clocks in at 500 calories or less, and will leave you feeling full and satisfied. On today's show, you'll learn about Mona's career in nutrition and food, along with her unique brand of recipe inspiration. You'll hear about Chocolate Avocado Cookies, Pecan-Crusted Chicken, and Salmon Scampi Salad. Mona also has a delicious hummus recipe that has half the calories of the usual version. We're also discussing simple ways to cut added sugar from your family's diet and why Mona believes 65% of your plate should be filled with fruits and vegetables. Mona also tells us how to join her cooking classes on Zoom and Facebook. Join us to learn more about adding new inspiration to your family dinner fare!

Show Highlights:

• Get to know Mona: she lives in the Boston area with her husband, loves when her two children make it home for a visit, and wants to make a difference in people's lives with food and nutrition
• Why Mona identifies portion control as an important element of the healthy and delicious recipes in Satisfy
• The value of "plant-forward" meals that are 65% vegetables
• Some of Mona's favorite recipes in her book are Chicken Marsala, Egg Roll in a Bowl, and Smoked Salmon Salsa
• The secret to Mona's Peanut Sauce, made with peanut butter (or almond butter or sunflower seed butter), fresh ginger, coconut aminos, honey, crushed red pepper, rice vinegar, and sesame oil
• Why gluten-free alternatives bring SO many choices to the table
• Mona's Grilled Salmon Scampi Salad is a pleasing combination of warm and cool food; it's assembled with grilled fresh veggies, grilled salmon, and a light sauce of extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic-- then placed atop a bed of fresh greens and tomatoes
• How Satisfy is divided into chapters and categories
• How Mona's hummus recipe checks in with half the calories of the usual version because it doesn't include olive oil
• Mona's tips for reducing the added sugar in the typical American diet:
• • Make desserts in pieces and small portions
  • Use pie alternatives without a heavy crust
  • Watch out for hidden sugar in processed sauces and foods
  • Use flavor enhancers like vanilla and cinnamon
• Mona's delicious Chocolate Avocado Cookies are made in the food processor with an egg, avocado, unsweetened cocoa powder, sugar (only ¼ cup!), baking soda, dark chocolate chips, and a pinch of salt (it's a dairy-free and gluten-free recipe!)
• Mona's Pecan-Crusted Chicken with Butternut Squash is a delicious sheet pan meal made with gluten-free bread crumbs, chopped pecans, dijon mustard, and honey; the key is to pound your chicken breasts to a uniform thickness and uniformly cube the butternut squash and brussels sprouts
• Mona's community, which includes Facebook, Instagram, and weekly Zoom cooking classes

Resources:

Giveaway:

Enter for a chance to win SATISFY: Real Ingredients; Real Portions; Real Simple. Post a comment in the Comments section below and tell me what you and your family are doing to eat a healthier diet in 2021. What changes are you planning to make to your everyday diets, and/or are there any new habits you're planning to adopt in the new year? I'll pick one lucky U.S. winner on January 20th.

Mona's website:

www.monadolgov.com

Instagram @MonaDolgov

Facebook

Buy the cookbook:

https://www.monadolgov.com/satisfy-cookbook

SATISFY Zoom cooking classes: https://www.monadolgov.com/january-event

Liz's regular links:

Liz Weiss, MS, RDN

Food & Nutrition Blogger, Podcast Host, Author, Speaker, Spokesperson

Author, Color, Cook, Eat! coloring book series

Website: Liz's Healthy Table

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Media Excellence Award winner - Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics