Flavor of the Week: Okra!

                                                          

This weeks “Flavor of the Week” is Okra. Okra, also known as gumbo or lady finger, is a flowering plant valued for its green seeded pods. This vegetable is commonly used in southern cuisine often fried or used in stews and soups. Okra is packed full of nutrients containing both soluble and insoluble fiber as well as vitamin B6, folic acid, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium. A 1/2 cup serving of okra is only 25 calories and contains about 2 grams of fiber.

  Like many of you, this was my first time cooking with okra. So, I decided to make something fairly easy that uses many familiar ingredients.  I also wanted go make something that was high in fiber to help you with your fiber challenge! So here is the recipe I chose....

OKRA AND CHICKPEA TAGINE

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh or frozen okra, stem ends trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 10 sprigs fresh cilantro, plus more leaves for garnish
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 3 plum tomatoes, diced, or 1 cup drained canned diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth, or reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• hot sauce to taste

Preparation

1. Place a large bowl of ice water next to the stove. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add okra and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer the okra with a slotted spoon to the ice water. Drain.
2. Tie cilantro sprigs together with kitchen string.
3. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper. Cook, stirring, until soft, 2 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
4. Add onion, garlic, ginger and pepper to the pan. Cook, stirring, until the onion is soft, 3 to 6 minutes. Mix in tomatoes, broth, cumin, the okra, cilantro sprigs and half the bell pepper. Reduce heat to medium; partially cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the okra is soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in chickpeas and salt; cook for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat; discard the cilantro sprigs. Stir in hot sauce. Serve sprinkled with the remaining bell pepper and cilantro leaves, if desired.

To add in more fiber I suggest serving this dish with brown rice. Brown rice is also a great source of carbohydrate and protein and is gluten free!

Here is the final product!

Overall this recipe is both nutritious, and delicious! One serving (about a 1 and 1/2 cups) plus 2/3 cup of brown rice contains about 300 calories, 13 grams of protein, 7 grams of fat, 10 grams of fiber, and 450mg sodium. 

Now it's your turn, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

**I want to know what you are interested in learning more about so please let me know if you have any suggestions for future posts.

Week 1 Challenge : Increase your fiber intake!

We all know that fiber is important in our diet. We hear about it in commercials and ads promoting foods for its fiber content and its health benefits. And now a days it seems like everything has fiber in it even splenda!  But what is so special about fiber anyways, what is it and why do we need it? Dietary fiber is whats left over after everything else (carbohydrates,protein and fat) is digested. It is naturally found in plant foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds. It comes in two forms insoluble and soluble both of which do their work in the gut. Soluble fiber helps absorb nutrients in the gut like cholesterol and glucose helping to decrease cholesterol levels and regulate blood sugar. While, insoluble fiber works to keep things moving in the gut, helping prevent diverticulosis and even colon cancer. Fiber doesn’t discriminate we all need it! The recommended amount of fiber per day is 25 grams for females and 38 grams for males. For many this may be a stretch seeing as the average fiber intake is only 10-14 grams a day. Soo here are some helpful tips to add those extra 10,20, or 30 grams of fiber into your diet!

• Make at least half your grains whole!
• Choose breads and cereals that contain 5 or more grams of fiber
• Choose whole grain pastas and brown rice
• Have at least 3-5 fruit and/or vegetables a day
• Raw vegetables are higher in fiber than cooked
• Eat the skin, this is where most of the fiber found in the skin
• Add dried fruit, nuts and seed to cereals, trail mix, and salads
• Include beans and lentils into your diet (e.g. black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, etc.) by adding them into salads or using them in recipes instead of chicken or beef.

**Warning: As they say too much of a good thing can be bad thing. And this definitely goes for fiber! If your not used to a diet high in fiber gradually increase your daily intake. Also make sure you drink plenty of fluids to prevent constipation and cramping.**

Good Luck!!! Comments, and questions welcome!


Tomorrow the “Flavor of the Week” ...OKRA . I will show you an easy high fiber recipe using Okra!

Welcome!

So here starts my nutrition blog! I hope you are as excited as I am :)  I've decided to start this blog to inspire others to eat more healthy. I believe to want to eat healthy you first have to understand why and then how. And that's where I come in, your very own food and nutrition expert! Each week I'll help you better understand the what, why and how of healthy eating by featuring a different food or ingredient.
Stay tuned tomorrow for the first " Flavor of the Week"!...