Category Archives: Veggies

Recipe: Spicy Black Bean Dip

Posted on August 16, 2012 | Leave a comment

This recipe is inspired by a great dip that Chef Melissa Saunders has made a few times. Her version changed my mind about black bean dip, as I’m not the biggest fan of black bean dip. Her dip was so tasty that I became open to making black bean dip myself sometime. I used this dip for raw veggies and even more fun, a black bean and cheese quesadilla made with corn tortillas.

2 cups or 1 can of black beans

1 clove of garlic, slivered

1/2 jalapeno pepper minced (remove seeds if you prefer a milder dip)

Juice of 1-2 limes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor, pulse black beans, garlic, olive oil, lime juice, and jalapeno on high until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste, add cilantro and pulse again until well blended. Enjoy with fresh veggies, chips or in a quesadilla.

 

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Posted in Healthy food, healthy recipe, Healthy snack, plant food, Recipe, Vegan, Veggies

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Recipe: Sauteed Callaloo

Posted on August 13, 2012 | Leave a comment

I developed a love for callaloo while I was in Jamaica. It has to be one of the tastiest green veggies around and it is so easy to eat a good volume of it. I have found it here in Toronto at Caribbean Corner in Kensington Market, so look for it at a Caribbean grocer near you.

There is some technique to handling this plant once you have it in your hands. Separate the leaves and the stems throughout. Use a paring knife to remove the fibrous outer coating from the stems.

Sauteed Callalloo

1 bunch of callaloo, stems and leaves separated

1 clove garlic, slivered

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to your taste

Cut the stems and leaves of callaloo into small pieces. See below for a visual:

In a large pan, heat olive oil and garlic over medium heat. Add cut callaloo, saute for 2-3 minutes or until leaves start to wilt. Cover pan and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper or any other seasoning to your taste. Enjoy!

 

 

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Posted in antioxidant, Greens, Healthy food, healthy recipe, plant food, Recipe, Recommendation, Vegan, Veggies, Vivian Law

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Recipe: White Bean and Feta Dip

Posted on July 8, 2012 | Leave a comment

I received a recipe for a black bean and feta dip from a client yesterday. She had tried the dip at a party and loved the flavours of feta and mint. I happened to have only cooked white beans on hand, as I prefer not to use canned beans, so I adapted the recipe. I really enjoyed these flavours as well. This dip is a great way to eat some raw veggies.

2 cups or 1 can of cooked white beans (black beans if you prefer)

1 shallot finely minced

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (greek, sheep’s milk is good)

1/2 cup chopped fresh mint

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Salt and black pepper to taste

In a food processor, pulse beans and shallot until pureed. Add feta, mint and lemon juice, pulse until well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

 

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Posted in Healthy food, healthy recipe, Veggies, Vivian Law

Veggie Inspiration: Callaloo

Posted on May 16, 2012 | 1 comment

Callaloo was a most delicious green veggie I tried while I was in Jamaica in March. I was told it was like spinach, but a bit milder. I first had it in a mixed vegetable curry, which I quite enjoyed. I had it again for breakfast in a dish of poached eggs and steamed callaloo.

Callaloo provides vitamin C, folic acid, iron and calcium. I found it to be delicious just steamed, so I highly recommend it as a green veggie to have regularly-it tastes good! Having more greens is a tried and true strategy for better health and fat loss. This concept gets much easier when there is a green that is this tasty.

A Jakes employee showed me callaloo growing wild by the side of the road. This is unlikely here in Canada, but be sure to try callaloo if you have the opportunity to do so in the Caribbean. Or at a West Indian restaurant in Toronto. Or try to buy some at a specialty market-I will do so and report back.

June 16, 2012

I got my hands on some callaloo at a Caribbean store in Kensington market. It was imported from Jamaica, but it was definitely a fresh cut plant. I cooked it with the help of a good friend yesterday and it was delicious!

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Posted in antioxidant, Greens, Healthy food, plant food, Recommendation, Vegan, Veggies

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Veggie Inspiration: Sea Asparagus and Endive, approved by Dr. Oz

Posted on January 28, 2012 | Leave a comment

Sea asparagus and endive are two veggies that I consumed this week, and coincidentally, both have a Dr. Oz connection. I first tasted sea asparagus at the Tate Modern restaurant last May in a light curry sauce that accompanied cod. The crunchy texture and salty taste was delicious and intriguing, definitely a taste highlight of 2011. I started buying it for $14.99 a pound from Fiesta Farm last summer and steamed it lightly to accompany various barbecue dishes as a veggie (it is technically a succulent herb). After a few months of no sea asparagus, I found little jars of pesto and salsa verde made from sea asparagus at a farmer’s market on Oahu. I bought the little jars and brought them all the way home! The sea asparagus is grown close to the North Shore of Oahu in salty water. I was told by the farmer that Dr Oz had declared it to be an anti-aging food, how interesting, I just fell for the taste and texture! Sea asparagus is grown in Canada as well, in British Columbia. Try it next summer, it is tasty!

On another veggie note, I came across some organic endive at the local Loblaws and figured it would be a good veggie for the avocado, white bean and cilantro spread chef Melissa Saunders made this week. It sure was a great combination. Then, I was told by a client that endive had been featured on Dr. Oz as a food that helps to fight ovarian cancer. Eating 7-9 servings of veggies and fruit a day is helpful in cancer prevention. Having a variety of veggies and fruit is key as they all have different nutritional properties. Endive contains kaempferol, a powerful antioxidant which has been found to slow growth of cancer. Endive is also very low calorie. Try having it with dip or in salads.

 

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Posted in antioxidant, Greens, Healthy food, plant food, Veggies

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