Home Care Assistance of San Diego Celebrates Health Literacy Month
Online, October 5, 2009 (Newswire.com) - SAN DIEGO - October 05, 2009 - October, a month largely recognized for costumes and candy, is, ironically enough, Health Literacy month and Home Care Assistance of San Diego (HCA-SD) is celebrating. As the premiere provider of live-in care for seniors, HCA-SD recognizes the role of nutritious meals in overall health and has launched a Culinary School for caregivers. Partnering with Culinary Instructor and Personal Chef Dorothy DiTomaso of Sur La Table in Carlsbad, Home Care Assistance provides hands-on cooking classes to educate caregivers on how to prepare healthy and delicious meals for Home Care Assistance clients.
HCA-SD President Ron Kinder cultivated this original program from the belief that good food is one of the enjoyments of life. Dedicated to enabling older adults to maintain the enjoyable lifestyle and freedom they deserve in the comfort of their own homes, Home Care Assistance implements the Balanced Care Method based on the studies of extraordinarily long-lived elders in the Okinawa region of Japan. A critical piece of the Balanced Care Method, the Home Care Assistance Culinary School meets monthly and instructs caregivers on meal preparation, menu planning, and best practices of grocery shopping and food storage. Caregivers also receive the "Recipes for Life" cookbook by Chef DiTomaso.
"Because caregivers and clients come from such diverse backgrounds, their knowledge and experience of cooking quick, nutritious, balanced meals may be limited," said Kinder. "Our Culinary School provides an opportunity to learn how to prepare a broad range of dishes, from starters to desserts, that are tasty, nutritious and easy to prepare. Good, nourishing food is one of the joys of life that is crucial for individuals of all ages."
A taste of Health Literacy:
Grilled Apple and Brie (Cheese) Quesadilla with Strawberry Apple Dipping Sauce
Recipe courtesy of Sandra Lee, 2008
Prep Time: 10 min
Inactive Prep Time: 2 min
Cook Time: 6 min
Serves: 4
• ¼ cup cream cheese
• 8 soft taco size four tortillas
• ½ pound brie, cut into thin strips
• 1 apple sliced thin
Strawberry Apple Dipping Sauce:
• 1 (8 oz.) jar strawberry jam
• ¼ cup applesauce
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon
Directions:
Preheat grill pan over medium heat. Spray pan with nonstick spray when ready to start cooking.
Spread the cream cheese evenly over four of the tortillas. Evenly divide Brie strips on top of the cream cheese. Divide apple slices on top of Brie. Place remaining tortillas on top to make four quesadillas. Place each quesadilla on grill pan and grill three minutes per side or until tortilla is browned with grill marks. Use spatula to flip tortilla. Once grilled, remove from heat and let cool for two minutes before slicing. Cut each quesadilla on grill pan and grill three minutes per side or until tortilla is browned with grill marks. Use spatula to flip tortilla. Once grilled, remove from heat and let cool for about two minutes before slicing. Cut each quesadilla into six pieces and serve warm. Serve with dipping sauce.
For Sauce:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and microwave for 1 to 2 minutes until hot.
For more information about Home Care Assistance of San Diego or its Culinary School, visit http://www.sandiegohomecareassistance.com
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