The Power of Protein

Series host David Jackson prepares two exemplary recipes in the studio kitchen. First, a low fat open-face burger and then grilled ahi tuna steak with herbaceous olive oil sauce, both illustrating how easy it is to cut saturated fats, emphasize healthier mono-unsaturated fats and not lose a speck of flavor in the process. David visits Thom Curry, owner of Temecula Olive Oil Company. Thom is on the board of the California Olive Oil Council and a member of the C.O.O.C. Certification Tasting Panel.

Potatoes, pasta and rice are just a few examples of our daily intake of carbohydrates, and each is on the menu in this episode. But as we age, we should unload some of these excess starches and sugars in favor of better choices and more modest portions. That's why David and Elizabeth have chosen three excellent recipes to illustrate how unloading carbs doesn't mean eliminating them altogether. From the studio kitchen in Palm Springs, David prepares classic parsley potatoes with the skin-on, for added nutrition, and sauteed in healthful and flavorful olive oil.

There are no spectacles or hearing aids for our taste buds, but there are two important things we can do to maintain the enjoyment of our meals. One is to pack more flavors into our food without grabbing the saltshaker. The other is maintaining excellent oral health. Host David Jackson has chosen two spectacular recipes that exemplify the first. Fortified Marsala wine is a highly distinctive flavor and he uses it in his pork tenderloin Marsala, rife with garlic, shallots and mushrooms, accompanied by whole wheat spaghetti with spinach, to prepare a memorable meal.

Chef/host David Jackson and resident dietician Elizabeth Kelsey show viewers that healthy calories from whole foods are nothing to stress over and not worth tabulating. But empty calories, from highly refined, over-processed foods, are what we need to scrutinize. David's trio of good calorie - not just low calorie - recipes reflect this fresh and tasty approach with Italian insalata di cavolo, plus stick-to-your-ribs southern-style beans and greens, both whipped up in the studio kitchen. Then it's off to Scotland for another outdoor culinary adventure.