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F O R H E A L T H S T U D I E S®
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TO COLLABORATORS AND CONTRIBUTORS
Nutritionist | Christina Badaracco, MPH Producer | Meeno Peluce Dietitian | Suzanne Hollander, MS, RD, CSP
Christina Badaracco seeks to improve Meeno Peluce began his adventure in Suzanne Hollander is a Los Angeles-
access to healthy and sustainable food Amsterdam, Kathmandu, and southern based Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
and educate Americans about the India. After living on the road with his working in both clinical and private
connections between food and health. nomadic parents in his early years, practice. As a clinical dietitian at UCLA,
She is a dietetic intern at Massachusetts he came to Hollywood for a period Suzanne works with multidisciplinary
General Hospital. Christina recently as a successful actor. As an adult, medical teams focused on the
graduated with her Master of Public he’s gravitated to the other side of treatment of pediatric and adult
Health from the University of California, the lens and has been a professional clients with complex nutritional needs.
Berkeley, and previously earned a photographer and filmmaker for the Suzanne is a Board Certified Specialist
degree in Ecology and Evolutionary past 25 years. Meeno’s wife, Ilse, is his in Pediatric Nutrition. In private practice,
Biology from Princeton University. She production designer and all-around Suzanne enjoys working with children,
has done clinical nutrition research at aesthetic partner in crime. Their families, and adults who are seeking
the National Institutes of Health, menu children are their full time muses, and motivation and education that will solidify
planning and nutrition education at the they do shoots all around the world sustainable, healthy lifestyle change.
Oakland Unified School District, and disguised as family adventures, always Suzanne attended the University of
communications at the Environmental returning to their urban homestead Virginia as an undergraduate and
Protection Agency. She has also in the hills above East LA that they call completed her Master of Science in
enjoyed contributing to children’s Skyfarm. He has shot album covers Clinical Nutrition and dietetic internship
gardens, farmers’ markets, and a for top artists and done advertising at New York University.
number of organic farms. campaigns for major products.
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F O R H E A L T H S T U D I E S®
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Table of Contents
4. CORNBREAD
5. CORNBREAD DRESSING
6. FRIED CABBAGE
7. COLLARD GREENS
12 8. OVEN “ FRIED” OKRA
9. DIRTY RICE
12. GUMBO
1 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, beaten
DIRECTIONS
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Cornbread
Dressing
2 hours Serves 12
INGREDIENTS
1 large egg
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread cornbread cubes in single layer on large baking sheet. Bake
until dry and lightly browned, ~20 minutes. Let cool.
2. In heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, and bell pepper.
Sauté until onion is golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Place vegetables in large bowl. Add cornbread, herbs,
salt, and pepper. Mix gently. In separate bowl, whisk 2 cups of broth and egg. Add broth mixture to
cornbread and toss.
3. Transfer mixture to 13x9x2-inch (or similar) glass baking dish. Bake dressing uncovered until crisp
on top, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.
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Fried Cabbage 30 minutes Serves 6
½ teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS
NUTRITION FACTS
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Collard Greens 1 hour Serves 8
INGREDIENTS
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
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Look for this zesty vegetable in markets
and stores during the summer (in season).
Find frozen okra during the winter. This
baked version of a fried classic makes for
crispy, satisfying okra without as much
added fat.
DIRECTIONS
INGREDIENTS 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking
sheets with parchment paper.
1½ cup whole grain cornmeal
2. In medium bowl, combine cornmeal, salt, pepper,
1 teaspoon salt garlic powder, and cayenne pepper (optional).
¼ teaspoon black pepper In separate small bowl, beat the eggs with 2
tablespoons of water.
½ teaspoon garlic powder
3. Coat okra pieces in egg and drench in cornmeal
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper mixture. Spread on baking sheets in single layer
(optional) and spray lightly with cooking spray.
2 eggs 4. Bake until crisp, 30-40 minutes, tossing once or
2 pounds (about 4 cups) fresh okra, twice during baking.
ends trimmed, cut in ¼-inch pieces
Cooking spray
NUTRITION FACTS
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Dirty Rice
1½ hours Serves 8
INGREDIENTS
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Red beans have a lot of fiber, which
promotes heart and gut health. We added
even more fiber, vitamins, and minerals to
this recipe by using whole grain brown rice
in place of traditional white rice.
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Red Beans & Rice
2¼ hours Serves 12
INGREDIENTS
5. Remove bay leaves from beans and mix with rice. 360 calories, 6g fat, 1.2g saturated fat,
Beans can be made ahead of time, cooled, stored 374mg sodium, 65g carbohydrate, 27g
in airtight container in refrigerator and reheated just fiber, 3g sugar, 21g protein
before serving.
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F O R H E A L T H S T U D I E S®
Gumbo INGREDIENTS
remaining salt and pepper, cayenne, and paprika. 2 cups okra, chopped
Cook 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Add sausage and ¾ pound medium shrimp, peeled
and deveined
cook, stirring frequently, until browned, about 5
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
minutes.
* Safflower oil is a type of vegetable oil
3. Stir in broth and tomatoes, scraping bottom of pan made from the seeds of the safflower
for any brown bits. Simmer over medium heat for plant and can be found in grocery stores
about 25 minutes, until soup is thickened.
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F O R H E A L T H S T U D I E S®
Gumbo represents Louisiana’s melting pot of cuisine
and culture, especially African, French, and Native
American. Variations of the dish represent the
combination of food traditions passed down across
generations, mirroring the blending of many flavors
in each bite of gumbo.
Source: Owens, M. (2000). Louisiana’s Food Traditions:
An Insider’s Guide. Folk Life in Louisiana.
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Black-Eyed Peas
1½ hours (excluding soaking)
Serves 10
INGREDIENTS
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Jambalaya INGREDIENTS
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
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Pan-Fried Catfish
30 minutes
Serves 4
¼ cup cornmeal
DIRECTIONS 1 teaspoon seafood seasoning
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Skipping the batter-fried pork and
choosing a lean chop makes for a lighter
version of this Southern classic.
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Smothered Pork Chops
2½ hours Serves 4
INGREDIENTS DIRECTIONS
2 tablespoons whole wheat or oat flour 3. Reduce skillet heat to medium-low. Add
onions, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
pepper, and stir often until onions are
* Safflower oil is a type of vegetable soft, about 15 minutes. Onions should
oil made from the seeds of the caramelize but not brown. Add flour to
safflower plant and can be found the onions and stir constantly, about 2-3
in grocery stores minutes. Slowly add chicken broth while
stirring and scraping the pan. Turn heat
to high, bring to a boil, and then reduce
heat and simmer about 5 minutes, until
NUTRITION FACTS slightly thickened.
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F O R H E A L T H S T U D I E S®
NUTRITION FACTS
1½ hours Serves 8
INGREDIENTS
INGREDIENTS
½ cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups 2% low-fat milk
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 ripe medium bananas,
thinly sliced
about 30 vanilla wafers
NUTRITION FACTS
Bananas are high in
257 calories, 7g fat, 2.7g saturated fat,
potassium, an electrolyte
that is especially important 204mg sodium, 44g carbohydrate,
for healthy muscles and 1.6g fiber, 29g sugar, 6g protein
blood pressure.
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
Whisk in milk. Heat over medium-high heat, whisking continuously,
Sources are inconclusive about until it bubbles. Remove from heat.
how banana pudding came to
be associated with Southern 2. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. Temper the eggs by pouring about
cuisine. It could be due to the ½ cup of the warm mixture slowly into the eggs, whisking vigorously.
increase in banana imports
Pour egg mixture back into the saucepan and continue cooking over
through the port of New
Orleans in the 19th century. medium-high heat, whisking constantly until it thickens and begins to
Banana pudding recipes first bubble and is near pudding consistency.
used sliced sponge cake with
sliced bananas. In the 1920s, 3. Transfer mixture to a bowl and add in vanilla, continuing to whisk until
cooks started swapping out mixture is complete.
the traditional sponge cake
for a more convenient base: 4. Spread a thin layer of the pudding into a 1½ quart casserole dish.
vanilla wafers. Arrange half of the vanilla wafers on top of pudding and then layer
Source: Moss. R. How half of the banana slices over the wafers. Layer half of the remaining
Banana Pudding Became
pudding on top of the bananas, then remaining vanilla wafers, then
a Southern Icon. Serious Eats.
remaining banana slices, and finally top with the remaining pudding.
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F O R H E A L T H S T U D I E S®
Peach Cobbler 1 hour Serves 8
INGREDIENTS
FOR FRUIT
2 tablespoons sugar
Making this recipe outside of peach
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
season? Look for frozen peaches at
the grocery store—they will still be 1 tablespoon cornstarch
packed with flavor and have no added
sugar (unlike the canned variety). FOR TOPPING
This recipe uses half whole wheat flour ½ cup all-purpose flour
to provide more fiber and vitamins
than just refined white flour. ½ cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup sugar
3. While peaches bake, in large mixing bowl, combine both flours, NUTRITION FACTS
sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut small chunks of butter into
201 calories, 9.3g fat, 5.6g saturated
flour mixture. Blend butter by hand and flour until the mixture
fat, 198 mg sodium, 28g carbohydrate,
resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in milk until just combined.
3g fiber, 15g sugar, 3g protein
4. Remove peaches from oven and drop rounded spoonfuls
of topping over them. Bake until topping is golden, about
20-25 minutes.
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F O R H E A L T H S T U D I E S®
HEALTHIER TRADITIONS
Soul Food
COOKBOOK
F O R H E A L T H S T U D I E S®
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