Marissa's Awesome Lentils

I'm lucky to have a sister who loves cooking even more than I do. She's currently attending the French Culinary Institute and has sent over some seriously inspired, health-conscious recipes. I just got the below lentil recipe from her and cannot wait to try it out! While lentils are higher on the caloric scale if you eat a lot of them, 1/2 a cup is only about 115 calories- a great side to a simple chicken dish or the perfect pairing with some broccoli. Try the below and I promise you'll be left feeling super satisfied!

Lentils: Lentils are a powerhouse when it comes to nutrients & vitamins. First off they're an excellent source of fiber which, as I mentioned in my Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe, is great for lowering overall cholesterol & also in aiding in the process of elimination.

Lentils also offer almost 90% of your RDA of folate. Why is folate important? Folate is a B Vitamin and is necessary for the formation of red blood cells as well as for the metabolism of proteins. It is especially important for pregnant women because of it's role in the formulation of genetic material in every cell in the body and it's role in the prevention of neural tube defects.

Because folate is a water soluble vitamin (Meaning it is not stored in your body it is used as needed then eliminated), it is important to make sure you continually incorporate it into your diet.

Marissa's Awesome Lentil's

1) cook and drain lentils (enough to serve 2 people)
2) put lentils back in pan and add about 1/4-1/3 cup chicken stock and 1 tbs Olive Oil
3) reduce till almost no liquid left
4) once chicken stock is reduced add 1/2 cup red wine and reduce that until no liquid is left
5) add 1 tbs plain yogurt and chopped fresh mint leaves

Season to taste with Salt & Pepper and enjoy a super satisfying side dish!

Scallion Sweet Potatoes

Clearly sweet potatoes are one of my favorite foods and one of my favorite things to post about, but another one of my favorites is Scallions. Put these mild, bright onions on anything and I'll eat it. So, you can imagine how excited I was to discover the below recipe that really showcases Scallions! And even better the whole thing is only 5 ingredients w/ super easy cleanup!

Sweet Potato: Check out my in-depth comparison of Sweet Potatos vs. Yams to see all the amazing health benefits that come from this truly awesome root vegetable

Scallions: I was kind of shocked to see how nutritious this mild onion actually is. The green parts of the scallion contain Vitamin A & the white parts contain Vitamins B & C! Scallions are an onion and therefore belong to the allium family. Alliums have been shown to stimulate immune responses, battle cancer cells & viruses, as well as act as antioxidants in the body which protect cells from free-radical damage.
And, on top of all this, scallions also contain certain phytonutrients (allicin & quercetin) which help maintain a healthy heart & lower cholesterol levels- That's awesome!

With all these amazing health benefits and the fact that a medium sweet potato only contains about 115 calories, you can feel good about indulging in this hearty side dish :)


Scallion Sweet Potatoes
Preheat oven to 425 F. Combine 1 1/2 lbs chopped, peeled Sweet Potatoes, 1 bunch Scallions (cut into 2'' pieces), 6 crushed Garlic Cloves, & 1 tbsp fresh Thyme in a bowl. Drizzle with 1/4 c Olive Oil, and season w/ Salt & Pepper to taste. Toss. Place on a sheet of foil on top of a baking sheet and fold sides up. Bake in oven for 20-25 mins(Until Potatos are tender). Stir the Sweet Potatoes around mid-way through baking.


http://dietblurbs.com/leeks-and-scallions-green-onions-health-benefits-sources-of-vitamin-a-c-quercetin-and-allium/
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=45

Kale: I'm Kind of in Awe

I've been seeing Kale recipes popping up all over the place recently. This is no surprise. Kale really is somewhat of a superfood. And the below Kale & Green Bean recipe is a yummy way to incorporate it into your diet!

Kale: First and foremost, Kale offers only 36 calories for a full cup. Combine that with the fact that it contains about 10% of your recommended daily Fiber content, and you've got an awesome side dish that will fill you up on fewer calories.
On top of that Kale is a excellent source of Vitamin A & Vitamin K (which maintain eye health and heart health respectively.) Vitamin K is great, too, because it aids in the absorption of Calcium. Now, Kale has about 10% of your recommended daily intake of Calcium, because it's inherently consumed with Vit K in Kale, that means the calcium is actually absorbale and won't get flushed out of your system! Hello healthy, strong bones :)

Another thing that's so cool about Kale is it contains some surprise nutrients you don't normally associate with greens (on top of the calcium mentioned above). Normally you don't think of greens as being high in Protein or Vitamin C, but 1 cup of Kale contains about 5% of your Daily Value of Protein, and over 80% of your Daily Value of Vitamin C. That protein will help repair damaged tissues and the Vitamin C will help protect your heart and keep your immune system healthy.

After reading all that how could you not want to incorporate this nutrient dense green into your diet!

Spicy Green Beans & Kale
(Recipe from Giada de Laurentiis)

3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced
1 1/2 lbs green beans trimmed and sliced into 1'' pieces
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 c. white wine
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 bunch kale (1/2 lb) rinsed, stemmed, and roughly chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp grated parmesan

Warm the olive oil in a large, heavy saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the green beans, salt, and pepper and cook for 2 mins. Add the wine and continue cooking until the green beans are almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and the kale and continue cooking until the kale has wilted, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice and the Parmesan cheese. Toss to coat and serve immediately.

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=38
http://health.learninginfo.org/benefits-of-vitamin-k.htm

It's Pomegranate Season!!

The holiday season brings some stellar ingredients to the table. Pomegranates just happen to be one of my favorites. They have great flavor, are filled with antioxidants, and let's face it- even if they make your fingers red they are still super fun to eat :)

Pomegranates (like MANY of the foods i discuss in this blog) are rich in antioxidants. These help keep LDL Cholesterol (the bad kind!) from building up in your arteries. On top of that More recent research has found that eight ounces of pomegranate juice daily for three months improved the amount of oxygen getting to the heart muscle of patients with coronary heart disease (American Journal of the College of Cardiology, Sept. 2005).- Who knew eating heart healthy foods was so easy!
Researchers are also exploring the possibility that pomegranate compounds might prevent prostate cancer or slow its growth. In mice, treatment with pomegranate extract delayed the development of tumors and improved survival (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Sept. 26, 2005).

Try adding Pomegranate to your diet with the below super easy, absolutely delicious Salad recipe!

Pomegranate & Arugula Salad:

nocoupons

• 1/4 cup pomegranate molasses
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 cups lightly packed arugula, leafy hydroponic - if available
• 1 pomegranate, seeds only
• 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings
• 1/4 cup toasted walnuts

Directions

To make vinaigrette, combine molasses, lemon juice, honey and vinegar in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while you whisk to emulsify. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Toss salad ingredients together and dress with the vinaigrette .

Healthy Indulgence: Sweet Potato Fries

Nothing is more fun to make than comfort-food that's secretly loaded with health benefits: that's why i love making home-made sweet potato fries!
A medium sized sweet potato is about 100 calories and has over 700% of your RDA of Vitamin A. Vitamin A contains antioxidant properties that help eliminate tissue-damaging free radicals in your body. Sweet potatoes also contain about 65% of your RDA of Vitamin C! [source:www.nutrition data.com]
Sweet potatoes also contain high levels of potassium & maganese which reduce the risk of high blood pressure and maintain bone health.
Not only are the health benefits of sweet potatoes numerous, but their flavor can be both sweet and savory! These fries are quick and easy to make and so delicious any picky eater(kids included) will find themselves happy to consume this vegetable!


Sweet Potato Fries

1 med sweet potato, peeled & cut into 1/4'' strips
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp cinnamon
Pinch cayenne pepper (Add more to increase heat)
Sea Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 420°F; Pour EVOO over sweet pot strips and toss to coat; sprinkle w cinnamon & cayanne pepper; Bake 12 minutes on each side; Take out of oven and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper to taste. Let cool and serve.