Broad Bean Feta Salad

If you cannot find low-fat feta, you may be able to find something called ‘low fat salad cheese’ instead, which tastes very similar.

Ingredients:

• 450g shelled fresh broad beans
• 225g cherry tomatoes
• 200g low-fat feta cheese
• 12 black olives, stoned
• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• Small handful freshly chopped parsley
• Salt and pepper

Method of Preparation:

1. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Put the broad beans into boiling salted water, and cook for two minutes before draining. Place into a bowl.
2. Crumble the feta into the bowl with the broad beans and add the tomatoes. Chop the olives in half and sprinkle in the feta.
3. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk the olive oil and lemon juice together then pour over the ingredients in the bowl. Stir well to combine.

You could heat all of the ingredients in a frying pan until just warm so that this is a warm salad; although it is just as delicious cold. Recipe serves two.

Calories per serve – 262

Source: http://www.losebabyweight.com.au/recipes/lunch-ideas/

Vegan Recipe For Spicy Sugar Free Three Bean Salad Made With Stevia And Dragons Tongue Beans

Enjoy this spicy three bean salad without all the sugar!

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Beans Rock!
What is there not to like about beans? OK, theres that. But nutritionally, they rock. They are a great source of protein (without the saturated fat and cholesterol) and very high in fiber. Plus, they are inexpensive! 
Because of their fiber, they make you feel full so they can really help control your appetite. Their fiber also helps lower cholesterol and stabilizes your blood sugar. All around, they are great for your diet. And about that gas issue, draining and rinsing the canned beans will help. 


Dragon Tongue Beans
Its fun to have a vegetable garden. You get to plant unusual veggies that you dont normally find in the grocery store. This year I planted Dragon Tongue bush beans. They grew quickly and they are really beautiful. Im using them in todays recipe but of course, you can use any fresh green bean. 

Dragon Tongue Beans

Three Bean Salad
I love three bean salad. Its so colorful and I enjoy the contrast of the sugar and vinegar. But who needs all that sugar? So I thought Id try making it with stevia. To provide even more contrast, I threw in a fresh jalapeno to spice it up!
I get feedback occasionally from some of you who dont like stevia. For me, its the only calorie and fructose free sweetener that I feel is safe. If you use it sparingly, it doesnt give you the bitter after taste that some complain about. For example, A typical three bean salad recipe calls for 1/3 cup of sugar or more. It only took 1/2 teaspoon of Sweetleaf stevia extract (which is equivalent to only 4 teaspoons of sugar) to give me the sweetness I liked in this recipe. If I had dumped in the equivalent of 1/3 cup of sugar before tasting it, I would have been very disappointed. So go very lightly with stevia and you will find that its a very good sugar substitute.

Dragon tongue beans before and after steaming. Unfortunately, they lose their unusual markings but thankfully, not their wonderful flavor!

Not all Jalapenos are Created Equal!
If you decide to spice up this recipe with a jalapeno, please remember that not all jalapenos have the same amount of heat. Yesterday, I made this recipe with a huge pepper and I removed the seeds. It wasnt very spicy at all. Other times, I have just added a few slices and it burned my mouth off! So be careful and try to gauge the heat of your jalapeno. Generally the smaller the pepper, the hotter it can be. And adding the seeds, of course, adds significantly to the heat too.

The "heat" of jalapenos can vary widely!

Sugar Free Three Bean Salad
Vegan, Gluten Free
Makes 6 - 8 servings
1/2 cup raw, unfiltered, apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sweetleaf powdered stevia (equivalent to 4 teaspoons sugar)
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)
3/4 cups red onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
1 fresh jalapeno, finely minced (with or without seeds depending on heat desired - also optional)
2 cups fresh green beans, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
15 ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
15 ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

In a large bowl, whisk together apple cider vinegar, olive oil, stevia, salt and pepper. 

Stir in the red onion. Set aside for 15 minutes to partially marinate the onion.

Steam the green beans until fork tender - dont overcook. Drain and rinse in cold water.

Add jalapeno, green beans, kidney beans and garbanzo beans to the bowl and gently mix with the vinegar dressing.

Refrigerate for several hours, stirring occasionally, to allow the flavors to blend together. You can even make it the night before.

Per serving (6): 224.6 calories, 10.6 g fat, 1.3 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 7.2 g protein, 28.5 g carbohydrates and 8.0 g dietary fiber. 

Per serving (8): 168.4 calories, 7.9 g fat, 1.0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 5.4 g protein, 21.3 g carbohydrates and 6.0 g dietary fiber.

These nutrient calculations include all of the dressing. As you know, some of it stays on the bottom of the bowl, especially if you serve it with a slotted spoon. So you are probably consuming less calories than stated here.

Mango And Black Bean Salsa With Honey Lime Baked Salmon Fish And Pregnancy

Makes a great vegetarian salsa or salad all by itself.

Fish and Pregnancy

There is a misconception that pregnant women shouldnt eat fish. The facts are that the EPA and especially the DHA omega 3 fatty acids in fish is critical for the development of the babys brain, eyes and central nervous system. EPA and DHA make up almost three quarters of a newborns brain, retina and nervous system and must get these nutrients from the pregnant mom. Studies have shown that mothers who supplement with fish oil during pregnancy have children with higher intelligence, better eyesight and fewer behavioral problems after birth. Moms enjoy a lower risk of postpartum depression, reduced breast cancer risk, and less chance of a cesarean and pre-term labor.

Other studies have shown that absorption of this omega 3 fatty acid is better when you eat salmon than when you take a cod liver oil supplement. Salmon is one of the very best sources of these important omega 3s and is very low in mercury and can safely be enjoyed frequently. Unfortunately some doctors are still misinformed about the safety of fish and pregnancy. At a medical conference I recently attended, they were all in agreement that pregnant and lactating women should eat low mercury fish like salmon. Vegans should supplement with DHA supplements derived from Algae however these do not contain EPA. Unfortunately plant based omega 3 (from foods like flax seed) does not convert efficiently enough to provide sufficient amounts. A significant number of people cannot do this conversion at all.

Many Health Benefits

You need not be pregnant to enjoy the many health benefits of salmon. Besides EPA and DHA omega 3 fatty acids, salmon is an excellent source of selenium, protein, niacin and vitamin B12. It is excellent for hearth health, lowering triglycerides, controlling high blood pressure, protecting against stroke, heart attacks, colorectal and prostate cancer, reduces the risk of macular degeneration and dry eye and reduces depression. Although my diet is plant centric and I eat large quantities of raw vegan food, I consider salmon to be a true "Food For Long Life" and enjoy it regularly. Heres a recipe that combines this healthy fish with a vegan salsa with mostly raw ingredients. One serving provides over two grams of EPA and DHA omega 3 fatty acids.

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Mango and Black Bean Salsa

[serves 4]

1 cup diced mango

1 cup diced jicama

1 California avocado, diced

1 can organic black beans, rinsed well and drained

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (optional)

3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro plus some for garnish

2 tablespoons minced red onions

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

1/2 to 1 teaspoon fresh minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Black pepper to taste

Place mango, jicama, avocado, black beans, jalapeno, 3 tablespoons of the cilantro, and red onions in a bowl. In a small bowl mix lime juice, salt, garlic, cumin and black pepper. Gently stir the lime dressing into the mango mixture and serve. Top with a serving of Honey Lime Baked Salmon (below), extra cilantro and fresh black pepper.

Per serving (salsa only): 173.6 calories, 5.3 g fat, 0.8 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 5.8 g protein, 28.4 g carbohydrates and 8.3 g of fiber.

Honey Lime Baked Wild Salmon

[serves 4]

1 pound wild salmon cut into 4 slices

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon raw honey

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place salmon in a lightly greased shallow pan just the size of the 4 pieces of salmon.

Mix oil, lime juice and honey in a small bowl and spoon over the salmon. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for 15 minutes. Do not overcook. Serve over Mango and Black Bean Salsa.

Per serving (salmon only): 208 calories, 10.2 g fat, 1.8 g saturated fat, 62.7 mg cholesterol, 22.7 g protein, 4.6 g carbohydrates, 0 g fiber, 2.3 g omega 3 fatty acids, (2.1 g EPA and DHA omega 3 fatty acids).