Tip Two: Boost Nutrition with Food Pairings - Apple with Peanut Butter

What is your favorite type of Apple?
Empire, Mutsu Crispin, Gala, Red Delicious, Cortland, or Jonagold? 

There is a saying that...

🍎🍏 AN APPLE A DAY, KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY! 🍏 🍎

How many of us really believe that?

 

My husband and I went apple picking two weeks ago and picked about half a bushel bag of apples. And since then, we've been eating 2-3 apples a day. 

I will tell you this...an apple actually has plenty of nutrients in it that helps us keep many health conditions at bay. Below are some nutritional facts about Apples:

• A medium-sized apple has 25 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, potassium, magnesium, Vit K, as well as other B-Vitamins. It also has 95 calories. 

• An apple contains fiber and water, two qualities that make them filling and aids in weight loss. Half of the fiber is in the skin so eat it with the skin as it also contains some polyphenols.
• However, make sure to wash it thoroughly before eating. 

• The high soluble fiber in apples helps lower cholesterol and heart health and the polyphenols help with blood pressure, stroke risk, and Type-2 Diabetes. 

• The antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds in apples help preserve bone mass as we age.

You've heard about...

However, did you know about Peanut Butter Apple time? 🍎 Apples are often eaten as a snack. Its nutrition can be boosted further by pairing it with protein-rich peanut butter to make a wholesome sustenance snack that fuels our body. This snack can even appeal to muscle-building 💪 men. 🍏

Peanut butter contains protein, essential vitamins, and minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and zinc. Below are some health facts about peanut butter.  In every 2 tablespoons of the butter, there is:

• Protein: 7.02 grams. The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for average women is 46 grams and for men is 56 grams. 

• Magnesium: Contains 57 milligrams; RDA of 310-320 milligrams, for women and 400-420 milligrams, for men. It plays a key role in many chemical processes of the body. 

• Phosphorous: 107 milligrams, providing 15.3% of the RDA. Phosphorous helps build healthy cells and bones. 

• Zinc, Niacin, and Vitamin B6 that are helpful for various body functions like immunity, digestion, enzyme reactions, and protein synthesis. 

Here are more fun facts for the Health Nuts

By bringing these two nutrient-filled food items together, we are boosting their health benefits. The ratio of unsaturated fats to saturated fats in peanut butter is similar to Olive oil which is considered a Heart-healthy option. However, its consumption should be limited to a moderate level as each serving also has 3.05 grams or 23.5% of RDA of saturated fats (to aim for less than 13 grams per day). 

So, next time instead of thinking...peanut butter jelly time, think of Peanut Butter 🍎Apple time and enjoy its benefits!  

Spice Up Your Bean Salad!

Another one of India's popular street foods that I love is Bhel Puri. It has everything under the sun like spices, vegetables, lentils, nuts and puffed rice. Alas we're not in India and the only time I really enjoy eating this savory snack is whenever we got out to eat. I would love to make it at home, but we don't always have the ingredients. At a recent family party, my mom tasted this yummy bhel puri that was made with bean salad. Hm, there's a thought! When my mom got home, she told me all about the snack and we got busy in the kitchen. I love the way her mind works! We found this delicious bean salad called Cowboy Caviar at Costco which was perfect for our version. It added a lot of flavor and color to the dish.

Heehaw!! I'm ready for seconds!

 Ingredients: 
- 1 Medium Onion, chopped finely
- 2 Plum Tomatoes, chopped finely
- 15 oz of Cowboy Caviar*
- 7 oz of Spicy Mamra (Unflavored Puffed Rice)

Although Cowboy Caviar has tomatoes and onions already in it, we added more for flavor and texture. 

Procedure:
In a big bowl, toss together the chopped onion, tomatoes and Cowboy Caviar. Then add the spicy mamra and mix well. The bhel puri is ready to be served and it's enough for 5 to 6 people, depending on the size of the bowl.


***Quick Tips:

Cowboy Caviar is a bean salad made by Meninno Brothers Gourmet Foods and is available at Costco. It's "Sweet with a Texas Twist"! It's made with black and white beans, vegetables, herbs and spices.

Udupi's Frozen Mendu Vadas

Dahi Vada is an Indian chaat that is prepared with vada (donut-like shaped crispy lentil fritters) and yogurt. The vadas are made from urad dal and some spices for added flavor. Making vadas from scratch is a laborious process:
1) Soak the dal in water for at least 5 hours and blend it to a smooth consistency.
2) Mix in salt and other spices, press small portions of the dough into donut like shapes on your palm and fry them to golden brown color.
3) Soak the fried vadas in seasoned yogurt for couple of hours until they are ready to be served.

Although I was able to describe the process in a few steps, it typically takes about half a day to make this snack from scratch. And if you are pressed for time but still want to enjoy this delicious snack, then there is a solution. 

The solution is Udupi's Frozen Mendu Vadas. Udupi is another brand under the Deep Foods' Company.

On the Upside
- The vadas are fried and packaged, so there's no need to re-fry them.
- The vadas were moist and not oily. They were very flavorful and light.
- They also do not contain onion or garlic as it is noted on the package.
- The packet contains 8 pieces and costs about 2 USD; so it's reasonably priced. 

Downside
Currently available at Indian Grocers.


Below is how we prepared the Dahi Vada from the Frozen vada packet:
- 1 box Udupi Frozen Mendu Vada packet
- 16-20 oz of Yogurt
For seasoning:

- ½ tsp Whole Cumin seeds (jeera)

- ½ tsp Mustard seeds

- 2 Green chilies, finely chopped

- ½ inch piece of Ginger, grated

- 1tbsp Vegetable oil

- 2 tbsp Coriander leaves, finely chopped

- ¼ tsp Salt or as needed

Tamarind & Date Chutney for garnish

Procedure:

1) Whisk the yogurt and set aside. Heat oil in a small seasoning pan and add mustard and cumin seeds. When they start spluttering, add chilies and ginger along with a pinch of salt. Transfer the seasoning into the yogurt and mix well. 

2) Transfer the vadas from the packet into a microwaveable dish. Microwave them for 2-3 minutes with closed lid. Immerse each vada one at a time into a bowl of water. Remove it immediately from the water and squeeze the water out by pressing it between your palms. Then add each one into the seasoned yogurt. (Please Note: Make sure all vadas are in the yogurt and allow them to soak for at least 30 min. - 1 hour. 

3) Garnish them with chopped coriander. Serve each vada along with some yogurt in a small bowl and top it with a tbsp of chutney. 

Enjoy the coolness with tangy sweet taste!

***Quick Tip: If you prefer a less spicy taste, skip seasoning the yogurt.

Our conclusion: We would definitely recommend this product. The pros out way the cons. It's the perfect size for your family or get together. It saves time and lets you enjoy the rest of your day.

Veggie Boats

Click on Image for larger view

After movies like Super Size Me were released, there seems a lot of chatter on the Internet and news about the increase in junk food consumption and obesity. There is also an increase in healthy eating food shows and the importance of educating the public about this matter like Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. Well, we wanted to add our ideas to the pot too and introduce some healthy snacks that are flavorful and help maintain a healthy diet. Veggie boats to the rescue! These are the perfect snack that will excite both kids and adults. They are fun to make and eat. The filling combinations in this snack are not only tasty but also comprised of the major food groups: vegetables, protein (lentils and beans) and carbohydrates. The boats are mini pita pockets cut in half and the fillings consist of carrots and moong dal, chickpeas, spinach and garlic. Here are a few more suggestions to help you get started: leftover vegetables and/or scrambled eggs, and diced and sliced up vegetables used in salad like carrots, lettuce, cucumber topped with feta cheese. These are great for backyard parties, cookouts, picnics or even for an afternoon snack.