Fitness, Wellness & Health

Fruity Salsa

My sister made a delicious fruity salsa for our Labor Day picnic. This recipe is loaded with antioxidant like vitamin A, beta carotene, vitamin C and lycopene. Easy to make.

• 1 large mango or papaya, peeled, seeded, and diced
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 small (4 oz.) can chopped green chilies
• Fresh lime juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and chill well. Good served with chicken, fish and baked corn chips.

Cold Broccoli Salad Recipe

I love cold salads in the summer time. There are plenty of fruit and vegetables to make salads other than lettuce and tomatoes. This cold broccoli salad recipe is one of my favorites. It take only 20 minutes to make.

Marinated broccoli and tomato salad

For 4 servings:

• 1 bunch of fresh broccoli (1 lb.)
• Boiling salted water
• 1/4 lb. fresh mushrooms
• 3/4 cup drained, pitted olives
• 1 cup cheery tomatoes

Dressing:

• 1/3 cup olive oil or salad oil
• 1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
• 1 green onion, minced
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Preparation:

1. Trim flowerets from broccoli, you should have about 1 quart. Reserve stems for another use.
2. Drop broccoli flowerets into boiling salted water for 1 min. or just until they turn bright green; drain.
3. Trim mushroom stems to 1/2 inch.
4. Combine broccoli, mushrooms, olives and cherry tomatoes in bowl.
5. Measure oil, vinegar, lemon juice, parsley, onion garlic, salt and pepper into small bowl. Whisk until blended.
6. Pour dressing over vegetable mixture.
7. Turn gently to coat vegetables.
8. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours or more until ready to serve.

Good serve with any roasted or barbecued meat or poultry; or serve with cheese souffle’ for a luncheon. This colorful salad looks very pretty served in a clear glass bowl. Use the stems for soup, or cut them up to serve along with carrots and celery sticks as a relish. If you prefer, buy just the broccoli crowds.

Curried Vegetables

This one is also very easy to prepare, in like 10 minutes or so.  Ingredients listed here for single serving, just multiply the portions accordingly.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup each broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, cut in bit-size pieces
• 1/3 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
• 1 tsp. curry powder, or to taste

Cooking instructions:

• In a small pot, cook vegetables in 1/2 cup water until tender-crisp.
• Meanwhile, mix ricotta cheese with spices
• Drain Vegetables and place in serving dish; stir in ricotta cheese/spice mix

There you have one healthy, low-fat vegie dish.

Cucumber and Onion Salad

This is a very simple vegie dish that my family loves.  Very easy to make and tasty to enjoy. This time of year, cucumbers are very cheap, I can get 8 for $1 at the local market.

When cucumbers are garden fresh, you can prepare this salad without peeling them.  Later in the year, when they have a waxy coating, peel the cucumbers.  This salad looks pretty served as individual serving on a bed of tender leaf letter.  For crisp cucumber marinated only 1 hour or less.

For 4 servings you will need:

• 3 cucumber, 6 inches long or 2 European type cucumbers about 10 inches long each.
• 1 bunch green onions

Marinade:

• 1/2 cup while wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp. dill weed
• 1 tbsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. white pepper
• Butter or leaf lettuce
• Fresh tomato wedges for garnish

Preparation:

1. Slice cucumbers thin; use thinnest blade of food processor if available.  Turn into bowl
2. Slice green onions diagonally as thinly as possible.  Add to the cucumbers.
3. In small bowl, mix vinegar, sugar, dill weed, salt and pepper.  Whisk with fork until blended.  Pour over onions and cucumbers.  Turn with spatula to coat all pieces.  Marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes or more.
4. Lift cucumbers from marinade.  Serve on lettuce leaves or by itself.  To serve buffet style, drain off some of the marinade and put cucumbers into a pretty bowl.  Garnish with tomato wedges if desired.

Good serving with: poached, baked or barbecued fish; barbecued chicken, roast turkey, meat balls, meat loaf.

Save the marinade and use to flavor a second batch of salad.  Cut ingredients in half for 2 servings or double for 8 servings.  I make plenty and keep in a glass jar for any time and it should keep for a couple of weeks.  Very convenient.