Featured Recipe: 'Mostly' Raw Vegetable and Chic Peas Wrap
Avacados

10/21/2009

Avacadoes

I LOVE avocados.

Mix it up into a guacamole dip, throw in a salad or burrito, or shake it up in your morning smoothie, and this green delight will give you the energy and stamina you need to stay at the top of your game.

I've heard dirty little rumors in the past that avocado's aren't for dieters or anyone watching their weight. Okay, so if you want to shed some lbs., I don't recommend eating three avocados a day, but even the most avid dieter should indulge in about a half of this fruit on most days.

What's so healthy about an avocado?

Avocados are a clean, healthy source of fatty acids. They are rich in cholesterol-lowering phytosterols (which are heart healthy) and high in the powerful anti-oxidant glutathione. Avocados are also a healthy anti-cancer food. Use this creamy delight in place of butter, mash it with bananas for your young children, and use it in lots of avocado-based dressings and dips.

When you buy an avocado, it will likely be very hard. To ripen, place in a paper bag for a few days. It's ready to eat when it's slightly soft to the touch (it should be easy to cut into).

Try out this awesome recipe with avocado in it. It's a great, mostly 'raw' option, and it lasts us for days of happy eating!

'Mostly' Raw Vegetable and Chic Peas Wrap *

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 large tomato, chopped
  • 1 avocado, chopped
  • 1 cucumber, chopped
  • 2 scallions, chopped
  • 4 leaves romaine lettuce, shredded
  • 1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (low or no salt), drained and mashed
  • 2 tablespoons fruit flavored vinegar
  • 4 whole grain tortillas

* Throw a few of your own ingredients in—like lime juice, cilantro, chili pepper, whatever is screaming out to you! Recipes aren't meant to be stringent, just use this as a guide.

Instructions:

Toss vegetables with garbanzo beans and vinegar.

Warm a whole grain tortilla, spread a thin coating of humus on it (if you want), and roll with the vegetable/bean mixture.

One Serving Contains:
CALORIES: 555.8
PROTEIN: 20.7 g
CARBOHYDRATE: 84.8g
FAT: 16.9g
SODIUM: 364.4mg

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Food Focus: Beans

Beans, or legumes, including peas and lentils, are an excellent source of plant-based protein. Beans are found in most traditional cultures as a staple food, offering grounding and strengthening properties that enhance endurance. They offer a highly usable, highly absorbable source of calcium for the body. A very inexpensive source of high nutrition, beans can be rich, delicious and satisfying.

Lack of sexual energy is often due to overtaxed adrenal glands and kidneys. Beans are notorious for strengthening these organs (ever noticed the shape of a bean?) and can help restore vital energy as well as sexual energy.

Beans have a reputation for causing digestive distress, but this is usually because they have been undercooked or improperly prepared. To help reduce gas-forming properties, soak beans overnight prior to cooking, increase cooking time, add spices like bay leaf, oregano or cumin, or add kombu (a sea vegetable) when cooking.

Easy Beans and Greens

Serves: 2-3
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 can black beans (or pinto, red, kidney—your choice)
  • 1 bunch collard greens (or kale, spinach—your choice)
  • your favorite toppings, such as salsa, avocado or guacamole and sour cream

Instructions:

  1. In a medium saucepan, heat drained beans. Add your favorite seasonings, if desired.
  2. Fill a separate medium saucepan with 1-2 inches of water and bring to a boil.
  3. Wash and chop greens (you can use the stems, too) and add to boiling water.
  4. Cook for 2-3 minutes until greens are bright green and tender. Drain off water.
  5. On a plate, arrange a portion of the greens, top with a portion of the beans and finish with toppings of your choice.

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