Originally Syndicated via RSS from A Weight Lifted
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I don’t know about you, but it drives me crazy when my fruits and veggies spoil before I get a chance to eat them. I spend the majority of my grocery bill in the produce section, so having some strategies for keeping things fresh is important. This week, I was so happy to find the helpful article “Staying Power” in the Natural Awakenings mag that I picked up at Whole Foods (June 2008 issue, p. 31-33). I also looked up some specific tips from Martha Stewart because she’s cool like that.
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I arranged the tips by specific foods so it would be easy to reference when I get home from the grocery store. I hope it helps you out too!
Some other general tips are to avoid storing any produce in closed plastic bags. Always punch holes in the bags or leave them open. Also, wait to wash or cut up your produce until you’re ready to eat or cook it. It will stay fresher, maintain the most nutrients, and keep the best flavor.
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Random note: Ever wondered what the saying “fresh to death” means or where it came from? You can find the definition at urban dictionary. Also, I read on a sneaker trivia website that “members of the Heaven’s Gate cult, which conducted a mass suicide in 1997, died rocking fresh black leather Nike sneakers with a white swoosh, giving new meaning to the term “fresh to death.” Crazy huh?!
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Originally Syndicated via RSS from Laurel on Health Food
]]>Originally Syndicated via RSS from A Weight Lifted
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Legumes are essentially the seeds of plants. They are a category of vegetables that include long beans, kidney beans, soybeans, chickpeas, black-eyed pes, green peas, and lenthils.
As legumes are relatively affordable and easily available as well as contain a substantial amount of protein as meat does, they are a good and cheaper alternative to meat.
They contain many important nutrients and phytochemical. Studies have also shown that diets rich in legumes help to lower cholestrol levels, control diabetics’ blood glucose, and reduce the risk of many types of cancer,
Nutritional Benefits of Legumes
* Body-Building Food
Legumes are a good source of protein, which our body needs for growth and repair. Hence for adults and children who do not eat meat or fish or risk suffering deficiency in protein, legumes are an important substitute for meat.
In fact, legumes are lower in fat than meat, and contain no cholesterol. It is no wonder that, these days, legumes are better known as “Healthy people’s meat”.
* Good source of Vitamins
Legumes are excellent sources of the B-complex group of vitamins(except Riboflavin), which helps to protect the body from diseases and releases the energy from food, so the body can be strong and healthy.
Vitamin C can also be obtained from legumes by sprouting or germinating the seeds. Vitamin C keeps the body tissues strong, helps in healing of wounds and in the body’s proper use of iron.
* Good sources of Minerals
Legumes are also high in minerals such as folate, potassium, iron, zinc, calcium and magnesium, all of which serve different but important health functions.
But all that Gas … A Minor downside.
The only problem that legumes can create for the body is increased intestinal flatulence or gas. This is caused by the compounds known as oligosaccharide found in legumes.
The amount of oligosaccharide in legumes varies. Navy and lima beans contain relatively higher amounts of these compounds, which also means that they generate the most offensive odours.
However, the amount of flattence or oligosaccharide in legumes can be largely reduced through proper cooking and sprouting. One way to reduce flatulence is to add digestive aids such as Beano to the dishes you prepare.
Cooking Legumes Right
Dried legumes need to be soak before they are ready for cooking. Soaking them six to eight hours or overnight in water (and preferably in the refrigerator to prevent fermentation) will rehydrate them, thereby reducing cooking time dramatically, and resulting in an ideal texture and a tender creamy bite.
If time is running short and soaking long is not possible, another way to reduce cooking time is to place the legumes in water and bring to boil for two minutes. Then cover and let soak for one hour, after which the legumes are ready to cook.
Do not add, any salt or acidic seasoning such as vinegar or citrus fruits before the legumes are cooked as it will increase cooking times and result in a tough texture.
Remember though that the soaking water must be discarded as the flatulence - causing compounds would have been absorbed in it. Cook soaked legumes in a new round of water.
Try to also use the liquid in which the legumes are cooked, as nutrients such as B vitamins and folic acid would have leach into if after the legumes are cooked for more than an hour.
You can also sprout or germinate legumes as a nutritious alternatives for consumption. Soak the seeds in a shallow container and cover with a thin cloth to keep out flies and other insects. Most sprouts will grow to about one inch long. They can be eaten raw or lightly fried in oil with meat or other vegetables.
It might be healthier and more economical to cook legumes yourself, than consuming those precooked and canned. Thus, use canned beans only if time is lacking, but remember to rinse the beans to drain off salt or other additives.
How Not to “Spill the Beans” to Fussy Eaters
Legumes are generally bland in taste to be of any fancy to some of our little ones. But fortunately, they are versatile ingredients for cooking, across different cultures.
Pureed beans can be the basis for dips and spreads. Mashed beans can be hidden in meals and your kid will have no ideas he is eating them.
Add legumes to salads, or cook them in curries, stews and soups. You can also grind them into flour, them mix the flour with water to make a paste that you can cook with vegetables.
Legumes when combined with legumes will form a complete or good quality protein that is equal to that found in meat or fish. Hence, you may want to combine baked beans with bread for your kids.
Chili Bean Casserole
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 carrot, shredded
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 can (14.5 ounces) stewed tomatoes, broken up
1 can (16 ounces) red kidney beans, drained
1 can (16 ounces) pinto beans, drained
1 package (10 ounces) frozen cut green beans, or about 1 1/2 to 2 cups
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon liquid red pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons chili powder, to taste
Preparation:
Heat oil in large skillet; saute onion, shredded carrot, and garlic until tender but not brown. Add remaining ingredients; simmer over low heat for 25 minutes. Taste and add a little more salt, chili powder, and pepper, if desired. This bean casserole serves 6.
Black Bean Salad
Ingredients:
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (12 to 16 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained or about 1 1/2 cups thawed frozen corn
2 small to medium red bell peppers, chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped sweet onion
2 to 3 green onions, sliced
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
dash garlic powder
dash ground cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/2 cup light or fat-free Italian salad dressing (Ken’s Steakhouse Lite North Italian Salad Dressing is excellent)
Preparation:
Combine beans, vegetables, and seasonings. Pour dressing over bean mixture; toss well. Serves 6.
A nice salad to make for a potluck. This salad can be easily doubled.
Texas Black-Eyed Pea Caviar Dip
Ingredients:
3 cans drained black eye peas with chopped jalapeno peppers
1 purple onion, chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 avocados, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped
Zesty Italian Salad Dressing
Preparation:
After you chop all this up, add enough Zesty Italian dressing to get the consistency that you want for a dip. Add salt and pepper and refrigerate overnight. Serve with tortilla chips.
Beans, Baked w/Pineapple
4 16-ounce cans vegetarian baked beans
1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup molasses
1 cup barbecue sauce
2 tbsp. mustard
1/2 cup soy “bacon” bits
1 16-ounce can french-fried onions, crushed
Salt
Pepper
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9″x13″ casserole dish.
In large bowl, mix together beans, pineapple, molasses, barbecue sauce, mustard, “bacon” bits, and 1/3 of the onions. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour into prepared dish and sprinkle remaining crushed onions on top.
Cook in oven for 1 hour or until beans are brown and bubbly.
Curry, South Indian Chickpea 
2 tbsp. packaged shredded coconut, unsweetened if available
1 tsp. coriander seeds
1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded, coarsely chopped or use 1 hot green chile
1 tsp. table salt
2 tbsp. water
1 medium carrot, diced
2 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
1 19-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzos), rinsed and drained
1/2 tsp. cinnamon, ground
1/2 tsp. cumin, ground
3 tbsp. plain fat free yogurt
1 tbsp. cilantro, fresh, chopped
Place coconut, coriander seeds, jalapeno, salt and water in a blender; grind to a paste and set aside.
Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set over medium heat. Add carrot, tomatoes, and chickpeas (garbanzo beans); cook until carrots are tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
Stir in coconut mixture, cinnamon, cumin and yogurt; reduce heat to low and cook 5 minutes.
Casserole, Lentil
2 tbsp. oil
1 onion chopped
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. coriander seeds, crushed
350g carrots, cut into chunks
1 tsp. paprika, plus a little extra for dusting
100g red lentils, washed
420g can baked beans
600ml vegetable stock
400g small new potatoes, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Heat 1 tbsp. of the oil in a pan and saute the onion for 4 to 5 minutes until golden. Add all but one tsp. of the spices and cook for 1 minute.
Stir in the carrots, paprika, lentils, baked beans, stock, and seasoning. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are soft and the sauce is thick.
Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in lightly salted boiling water for 5 minutes, then drain. (I microwaved a few sliced potatoes instead of the cooking the potatoes in a pot.)
Spoon the lentil mixture into a shallow, 2-liter oven-proof dish. Arrange the potatoes on top. Brush with the remaining oil, then sprinkle over the reserved spices and extra paprika.
Bake for 25 minutes in a medium oven until browned.
Chickpea Pita Pockets
INGREDIENTS
1 x 16 oz / 450 g can chick peas, rinsed, drained and mashed
1/3 cup chopped celery
1 t minced onion
2 t pickle relish (or piccalilly)
2 t egg-free mayonnaise
1 t mustard
Dash of garlic powder
4 whole wheat pitas
Lettuce, tomato slices, grated carrot, etc for toppings
METHOD
Place the chickpeas, celery, onion, relish, mayonnaise, mustard and garlic powder in a bowl and mix well.
Cut the pitas in half and open up into pockets. Fill each pita pocket with 1/4 of the chickpea spread, top with lettuce, tomato or other veggies and serve immediately.
Lentil Mushroom Bake
INGREDIENTS
8 oz / 225 g red lentils
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Mushrooms, chopped or slivered
Margarine
Thyme, coriander, oregano, basil, pepper
1 T tomato paste
1 cube vegetable stock
1/2 cup bread crumbs
METHOD
Heat the oven to 375F/190C. Grease a bread pan with the margarine.
Put the lentils and stock cube in a pan, add some water and boil it all. Skim off the froth. Cover and simmer for twenty minutes. Drain the water.
Melt some margarine and saute the onions, garlic and mushrooms until soft. Add the lentils, then add the spices to taste and the tomato paste. Add half of the bread crumbs and mix it all up.
Put it in the bread pan and sprinkle the rest of the bread crumbs on top. Bake for thirty minutes and eat it hot or cold.
Curried Bean Medley
INGREDIENTS
3 oz / 85 g shallots, peeled and finely chopped
1 T vegetable oil
3 T garam masala
1 t grated ginger root
1 x 14 oz / 395 g can chopped tomatoes
12 oz / 340 g cooked mixed beans (or a can of your favourite beans)
Sea salt
Freshly milled black pepper
METHOD
Combine the shallots and oil in a casserole. Cover and cook in the microwave on full power for 3-4 minutes until soft, stirring once during cooking. Stir in garam masala and grated ginger. Cover and cook on full power for 1 minute. Stir in the chopped tomatoes. Cook uncovered on full power for 5 minutes or until mixture is thicker. Stir occasionally during cooking. Add the beans and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on full power for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally until the beans are hot.
Moroccan Style Tagine
INGREDIENTS
1 onion, finely chopped
3 or 4 small carrots, chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
Smallish handful of dates, chopped
2 pickled lemons, chopped
1 tin chick peas
1/2 carton sieved tomatoes (or use a 400 g / 14 oz tin of chopped tomatoes)
Approx. 1 T soy sauce
Dash of tabasco/chilli sauce to taste
Pinch of pepper
METHOD
1. Gently fry the onion on a low heat in as little oil as possible in a large pan with the lid on for about 10 mins.
2. Meanwhile gently simmer dates and pickled lemons in a little water for 10 mins. Add to onions, along with carrots, sweet potato, chick peas and tomatoes.
3. Simmer for about 20 mins. Season with chilli, pepper and soy sauce.
Serve with rice or couscous.
Olan
INGREDIENTS
1 x 15 oz / 425 g can black-eyed beans, drained and rinsed
1 potato, cubed
400 g / 14 oz white or yellow pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cubed
2 green chillies slit lengthwise
200 ml / 7 fl oz fresh or canned coconut milk
A few curry leaves
Salt
METHOD
In a large saucepan, bring 450 ml / 16 fl oz of water to the boil. Add the potato and a little salt and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the pumpkin and green chillies. Cover and cook for 10 minutes until all the vegetables are tender. Lower the heat under the pan and add the coconut milk, stirring gently. Add the beans and curry leaves, mix well and allow the beans to heat through. Serve warm.
No Quesa Quesadillas
INGREDIENTS
2 x 16 oz / 450 g cans pinto and/or black beans (drained)
1/2 lb / 225 g tofu, extra firm
1 cup salsa
Basil or oregano (2 T dry or more — this stuff makes the eating healthy recipe)
1/4 t salt
1/8 t black pepper
10 large tortillas
1-2 small chiles, to taste
1 clove garlic
Olive oil
METHOD
Cube the tofu into 1/4 inch / 6 mm chunks and mix it with the beans & salsa in a large mixing bowl.
Dice the garlic and chiles and saute in olive oil, then add to the bowl along with basil, salt, and black pepper. Stir the mixture well, then let it sit for 20 minutes so that the tofu absorbs some flavor.
Over low heat, place each tortilla in a frying pan (no oil needed) and cover half the tortilla with the stuff in the bowl (leave 1/2 inch / 19 mm or more around the edges so the filling doesn’t fall out). Fold the rest of the tortilla over, and remove from the pan after a few minutes. You can attempt to flip the thing over if you’re really brave, in which case you can crank up the heat a bit more. The tortillas should range from slightly crispy to golden brown when you’re done.
Cutting each filled, finished, folded-over tortilla in half will make them easier to eat, though I’m pretty well convinced that there’s no non-messy way to eat these things. Leftover filling makes a nice bean salad, in case you run out of tortillas or are feeling extra lazy.. . . . . . . . . .
Originally Syndicated via RSS from Healthy Yet Yummy Food - For Healthy, Delicious And Quick Meal Recipes
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I’d like to share an article written
by David Uri LeBaron,
pioneer and innovator of live, whole food-based nutrition.
“After more than 30 years of ‘hands-on’ organic farming
and continuous nutritional research, let me explain why…
We ended Part II by describing the unhealthy energy drinks
and all that is put into them that is not good for you.
Then I introduced my best creation called, “The FEAST,”
and today I’d like to share with you the origin of the Feast.
Introducing the Breakthrough Technology That Locks in the REAL NUTRITION Value of Fresh Organic Fruits and Vegetables - Guaranteed!
The origin of the Feast begins back in the late 1970s when my family began a small herb harvesting business in the southwestern desert regions of the United States.
When I was seven years old, I began helping in the family business by harvesting wild herbs…and at that time, my lifelong interest in nutrition was sparked. The business flourished, and soon we were providing wildcrafted herb powders to some of the biggest nutritional companies in America.
In the mid 1980s, we began looking for a superior way to preserve the nutritional integrity of whole foods in order to provide a much higher form of quality nutrients than found in typical nutritional supplements. During this time, we began developing a proprietary process for drying live whole foods and fresh raw juices into powder. We began with cereal grasses and herbs.
We discovered that the best way to preserve the nutritional integrity of these grasses and herbs was to dry them using LOW heat and QUICKLY turn them into powder in seconds at very low temperatures. As our processing technology evolved and continually improved, we then turned to processing organic and naturally grown fruits and vegetables.
I knew that if I could make this drying process work for fresh, organic produce, I would be onto something big. The quality of the nutrient dense products resulting from our proprietary process was far superior to anything produced by other nutritional supplement processing techniques. We realized that our proprietary process could revolutionize how we take, absorb, and benefit from vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients naturally found abundantly in organic produce.
It took years for me to perfect it, but now I’m excited to tell you all about…the PROPRIETARY INSTAFRESH DRYING PROCESS.
In PART IV, I’ll share with you the NEW secret behind REAL whole food-based nutrition.
Until then, keep checking back for the next part…
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Originally Syndicated via RSS from Keys to Good Nutrition and Tips to Eating Healthy Feast on Organic Whole Food
Originally Syndicated via RSS from A Weight Lifted
]]>Chicken Soup w/ Homemade Stock
My buddy Rose is just too fabulous for words, and when she told me she makes some seriously tasty, homemade chicken stock, I knew I had to feature her eating healthy recipe as a guest blog. Not only does it taste good, it’s healthy and eco-friendly too. Read on and let us know what you think when you try Rose’s eating healthy recipe for yourself. The following blog is a guest post from Rosalie Petralia and her WeAreSureYouEnjoyIt blog.
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Now that winter’s over and everyone’s eating salads and fruit, I find myself making tons of soup. I may not be the most climatically aware person, but I can certainly account for taste, and let’s face it, homemade stock’s where it’s at. Making soup from scratch keeps environmental impacts lower - no cans or boxes to glut up the recycling bin - tastes delicious, and makes the whole house smell great while it’s cooking.
Though I sometimes make chicken soup my mom’s way with bay leaves, carrots, and celery, I am digging the Vietnamese influence of my new version. I like to keep it easy, so you won’t need more than a big pot and a slotted spoon to get going.
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Rose’s Pho Chicken Soup:
If you’re just making stock to have on hand for other eating healthy recipes, you can use other parts of the chicken, like wings, backs, and necks, and strain the whole thing before cooling and freezing (I use my leftover plastic Chinese takeout containers).
2 TBSP olive oil
1 1/2 lbs chicken thighs with skin and bones
water to fill a pot
2 carrots, unpeeled, cut in big chunks
one big yellow onion, quartered
one 2″ cinnamon stick
4 star anise pods
4 green cardamom pods
1 1/2 tsp salt black pepper to taste
6 green onions, sliced big
2 tomatoes, chopped
3 cloves garlic, smooshed and chopped
1/4 to 1/2 cup fabulous olive oil s&p to taste
1 cup orzo or other small pasta
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In a big pot over med-hi heat, sauté the chicken in the olive oil for a minute or two to sear the skins. Add the water, leaving space in the pot for some boiling action. Add the rest of the stock ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cover, keeping lid ajar to release steam. Let simmer for about 40 minutes, skimming the gunk off the top of the broth from time to time.
While the stock’s cooking, prepare the toppings. Slice up the green onion tops and bottoms into big pieces and set aside. Chop the tomatoes and garlic, and mix in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, and pepper.
When chicken’s cooked and falling apart a bit, scoop it and the veggies out of the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. Return the stock to a boil and add the orzo. Cook about 9 minutes and check the seasonings, adding salt if necessary.
Remove the chicken from the bones and add back to the pot. You can discard the spices and eat what’s left of the veggies (you won’t be able to resist - this soup smells divine).
Add the green onions just before serving - they should stay fresh. Ladle into bowls and top with tomato mixture.
Serves about 4.
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Rose’s Pho Chicken Soup by Rose Petralia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
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Originally Syndicated via RSS from Laurel on Health Food
]]>Originally Syndicated via RSS from A Weight Lifted
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