Almost 10 years ago, for my graduation party, my Mother made what had to be at least 10 pounds of black bean salad. Now as good as the salad was, it apparently wasn’t very popular with high school kids as after everyone had left, we had about 8.5 pounds leftover. That, or my Mom greatly over estimated the number of friends I had. My Aunts each went home with a few pounds of that salad and to this day we still tease my poor Mom about the over abundance of that salad.

But here we are, 10 years later and I’m ready for that black bean salad again. It can be the perfect afternoon snack with tortilla chips, a delicious topping for salads, grilled chicken or fish, or just as a side dish as my Mom served it that exciting day, a long time ago. Only this time I’m certain there won’t be any leftovers.

Black Bean & Corn Relish - makes about 4 cups

• 1 can black beans
• 1 can corn (organic corn if possible)
• 1/2 red pepper, chopped
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• juice of one lime
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 Tbsp orange juice
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• salt & pepper

Rinse black beans and corn. Add to medium sized bowl.

Chop red pepper, green pepper and red onion into small pieces..

Prepare vinaigrette. Whisk together garlic, lime juice, cumin, orange juice, olive oil and salt & pepper until combined.

Toss bean mixture with vinaigrette. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

Serve with tortilla chips, grilled chicken or fish or as side dish.

I can’t think of another fruit that pairs as well with feta as watermelon does. Ultra sweet and ultra salty combined in a healthy little treat. Does it get any better than that?

The credit for this however does not belong to me – we had something similar at my cousins wedding in Boston. I knew that at some point this summer I would need to make use of the quintessential summer fruit – so long as I had some feta cream to go along with it.

Watermelon Cubes & Feta Cream

Process the cream cheese and feta cheese until smooth. This recipe will make about 2 cups worth of feta cream.

Cut watermelon into cubes.

For easy assembly, place 1 cup of the feta cream into a ziploc bag. Snip the corner (small snip) and squeeze directly onto watermelon cube.

Come to think of it, it would be the perfect addition to those Labor Day Celebrations this weekend!

Enjoy your weekend!

]]> http://anutritionisteats.com/entertaining-watermelon-cubes-feta-cream/feed/ 10 http://anutritionisteats.com/baked-beans-a-southern-style-feast/ http://anutritionisteats.com/baked-beans-a-southern-style-feast/#comments Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:00:35 +0000 Emily http://anutritionisteats.com/?p=4544

The September issue of Food & Wine is dedicated to the food and restaurants from our beloved Southern states. I quickly decided that a Southern feast was in order: pulled pork, baked beans (home-made) and coleslaw. The taster much prefers these simple meat and (you fill in the blank) meals over sweets, tofu, vegetables essentially anything. Needless to say, he was very happy with dinner.

The pork was simple. A trip to the farmers market for organic fed pork, a crock pot and a bottle of Creamy Dark was all it took. Topped with a traditional South Carolina BBQ Sauce, a mustard-based sauce, and I swear we were transported straight to the South.

The baked beans though, oh those baked beans. I’ve never made baked beans before, but I won’t be going back to canned ones now. I can’t. Sweet red onion, smoky bacon, creamy beans and tangy BBQ flavor. Dare I say they are the best beans I’ve had to date? They certainly were the star of the meal in my opinion.

Baked Beans - 4 servings

• 2 Tbsp BBQ sauce
• 2Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
• 2 slices bacon
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups beans (I used a mix of kidney and navy beans)

Preheat oven to 400°.

Prepare sauce: combine BBQ sauce, vinegar, sugar and mustard. Stir until mixture is smooth.

Cook bacon until crispy and set aside.

Add chopped onion and minced garlic to pan and heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.

Add beans and sauce, stir and remove from heat.

Pour bean mixture into baking dish. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp water into dish. Crumble bacon pieces over top and bake for about 15 minutes.

Make them as a decadent yet nutritious side dish to some BBQ meat, or BBQ tofu, depending on your household preferences.

I received a question regarding MSG and I thought it would be a great topic for ask the nutritionist series. We always hear that MSG is the worst thing for us and we should avoid it at all costs. But what about my beloved pho? And the other dishes that are most commonly thought to use MSG as a flavor enhancer? Should we stop eating them?

What is MSG? MSG, or Monosodium Glutamate is the sodium salt of glutamate. Glutamate is an amino acid that is produced in the body and essential for many bodily functions. Glutamate is found in fish, meat, poultry, milk and some vegetables.

Is it harmful? The glutamate in MSG is metabolized just as natural glutamate is in our bodies. There have been no definitive studies between MSG and adverse side affects, although, like any foods, some may experience reactions to MSG. MSG actually contains a third of the sodium of salt, so for those looking to add flavor without as much sodium, it can actually be a good savory flavor enhancer.

The Verdict? Like everything, moderation is key. Since MSG was shunned upon, many restaurants and food products do not use it anymore but don’t panic if it is in some of the packaged foods you buy (like soup) or used at a restaurant. Just keep it in moderation and make sure to enjoy that bowl of Pho, I know I will!

Reference:

Duyff, Roberta Larson (2006). American Dietetic Association Complete Food and Nutrition Guide (3rd ed.). Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

I first had this drink at Espresso Royale and it has been a favorite ever since. I think every coffee shop has a slightly different name/origin for it, but Espresso Royale calls it Spanish so that is what I use. (Thai would be my #2 choice based on the sole fact that I love Thai food) It consists of coffee and sweetened condensed milk – exactly why it is treat. Sweetened condensed milk isn’t exactly good for you, but at 120 calories, it beats a 500 calorie Frappuccino anyday!

Dunn Bros has introduced iced coffee growlers and it sounded like too much fun to pass up. So on a recent 95° day, a mere 135° difference, I knew just what I needed to have.

Only this time it was most certainly iced.

Spanish Coffee - 2 servings

• 2 Tbsp sweetened condensed milk
• 8 oz strong iced coffee

Mix the milk and coffee together until well combined. Add a few ice cubes if desired.

As much as I adore cooking, sometimes I just can’t take the time to prepare an entire meal. Since cooking is such a stress reliever for me, I never want it to actually cause stress.  Enter in these pouches of Indian food.  A little odd, yes, to make dinner out of a pouch, but this variety from Trader Joe’s is amazing. I generally sauté a diced eggplant and add the sauce when it is about finished cooking to let it heat through.

It comes together in minutes and provides a flavorful dish with plenty of veggies. Oh, and it is $1.19.

Cheap, healthy and good? Now that’s a stress reliever I can handle.

Do you ever eat foods from a pouch or does it kind of freak you out?

I’m not quite sure why I don’t cook with couscous more often. I love the shape and nutty flavor, but even more so, I love how quickly it cooks. Can you seriously beat 5 minutes?

This salad was just what I was after – bright, flavorful, packed with veggies and a filling make-ahead lunch. I’m trying to pack in as many summer flavors as I can because I’m already anxiously awaiting fall.  :)

Summer Couscous Salad - 2 large servings

• 2 servings couscous
• 1-2 peppers (I used 1 green, 1/2 red)
• 2 cucumbers
• 1 cup grape tomatoes
• 1/2 cup artichoke hearts
• 1/4 cup kalamata olives
• 1/3 cup feta cheese crumbles
• Dressing: 2 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 Tbsp olive oil, salt & pepper

Prepare couscous as directed. Let cool.

Chop all veggies to desired size. I did small pieces – easier to eat!

Toss all ingredients together and eat out of Tupperware!

Mikaela at Food Should Taste Good recently sent me a few bags of chips to review – have you tried them yet? I had already tried the Olive and Sweet Potato chips and I must say, I think that even after sampling some other flavors, those are still my two favorites! (The cheese flavor was addicting, that is however precisely why I won’t buy it!)

The yellow and blue corn chips were fabulous for the guacamole bar – they are thick enough that they don’t break when scooping and oh-so-crunchy.

Thanks Again Mikaela!

I love quiche, I really do but you see I rarely make real quiche. You know, the kind with a real pie crust. (And by real pie crust by no means do I mean home made. I mean real crust from the store ) I almost always make my quiches crustless, which while it is the healthy choice, isn’t always the right choice.

Friends, let me tell you know that while the crust may add a few more calories, grams of fat and carbs, what it adds in terms of decadence…let’s just say I’m enamored.

Goat Cheese, Leek & Spinach Quiche

• 1 medium-sized leek, thinly sliced
• 2 cups spinach, thinly sliced
• 4 oz goat cheese
• 3 eggs
• 1-12 oz can 2% evaporated milk
• 1 pre-made pie shell (I used Wholly Wholesome Organic)

Pre-heat oven to 350°.

Heat small pan over medium heat and coat with cooking spray. Add leeks to pan and sauté until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add spinach and cook an additional minute. Set aside.

Crumble goat cheese on bottom of pie crust. Top with leeks and spinach mixture.

Whisk together eggs, evaporated milk and salt & pepper. Pour egg mixture over cheese and veggies.

Bake for about 60 minutes, until top is golden brown and eggs are cooked through. *If the top is getting too brown, top with tin foil.

Congratulations Tricia! You’ve won the Ball Canning Discovery Kit! Send me your address and I’ll get it sent out to you.

Parsnips. The less-vibrant (in color, not flavor) cousin of the carrot. Purchased from an incredibly adorable young girl at the Farmer’s Market. I think the taster and I both wanted to bring her home with us more so than the actual parsnips, although he probably won’t admit to that.

Nutrition:

Given their dull color, you may not believe that the parsnip has decent nutrition facts – it even has more vitamins and minerals than the carrot!

1 parsnip – 9” long

114 calories

6.4 g fiber

2.1 g protein

Flavor:

I really enjoyed the parsnips!  I decided to cut them up in fry shapes and roast until golden brown and I was amazed at how juicy they were, even after roasting! They were especially delicious dipped in a sriracha-spiked ketchup. I wasn’t convinced that I would like them, but I’ll be buying them more often, especially if that adorable girl keeps selling them.

Do you like parsnips? How do you eat them?