lentils with sweet onions

Here's a recipe I remember from an old boyfriend of mine who was czechoslovakian.
Here's how it goes:
You'll need to cut up a large onion and fry it slowly on medium low heat until the onion is caramelized.
It will take a while so be patient.
Once the onions are nice an brown, add a heaping tablespoon of white flour to your frying pan, coat all the onion pieces.
Then add your can of lentils, season heavily with salt and pepper and put a couple tablespoonfuls of white vinegar.
Voila.
Serve wish a side of sausage, or with toasts.
It's so simple but so nutritious too.

roasted red pepper dip

When you have company over, you should always have this dip with some tortilla chips.
Here's how:
cut your red pepper in half and scoop out the insides.
place face down on a baking tray and put in the oven at 400 until the skin turns a little black.
Take out of oven and let it cool down a while before you attenpt to touch it.
Skin the pepper, just by peeling the burned skin off.
put in a blender with a package of cream cheese.
Whiz that up and Voila, here's your healthy homemade dip.

Bean Nutrition Facts

Author: Tim Karlilar

Bean Nutrition... Very low in calories, very low in fat, high in dietary fiber and protein. It would be fair to call beans the near perfect type of food.

Interesting Bean Facts:

• Beans are one of the longest-cultivated plants.

• Brazil, India and China are the biggest producers of dry bean. China, Indonesia and Turkey are the biggest producers of green bean.

• They are inexpensive and delicious, possibly the biggest bargain in the supermarkets, considering their health and longevity benefits.

• Beans contain 22 percent protein. Beef contains only 18 percent and eggs 13 percent protein.

• There are all kinds of beans available for different tastes unless you really dislike them.

• Chinese long beans may be up to 18 inches long.

• Newlyweds are given a bowl of beans for good luck in Nicaragua.

• Boiled beans mixed with zinc phosphide are used as a means of cheap rodenticide-rat poison in Aruba.

Bean Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits:

• Low glycemic index and high fiber content help stabilize blood glucose levels, making them a great choice for diabetes, insulin resistance or hypoglycemia sufferers.

• Low GI value also means beans provide steady and slow-burning energy.

• They can also help increase your energy by replenishing your iron stores. Unlike red meat, beans are low in fat and calories.

• Beans have more fiber and protein than any other vegetable.

• A cup of beans provides almost half of the recommended daily intake for fiber.

• Thiamin- B vitamin in beans is critical for brain cell - cognitive function, skin health, nerves and digestive system.

• Manganese is an essential element in a number of enzymes important in energy production and antioxidant defenses.

• Potassium helps reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke.

• Calcium is essential for strong bones and teeth.

• Weight loss: if you'd like to reduce your calorie "price" by 10%, add an extra 14 grams of fiber. This means that if you eat 2,000 calories per day, and add 28 grams of fiber to your meals, those calories will only "count" as 1600.

• Beans have 2-3% fat content: they raise your leptin-a protein hormone- levels and reduce appetite, while causing your metabolism to work harder and faster.

Bean Glycemic Index:

Low GI foods act as a constant supply of energy. Beans are low in glycemic index value, they provide energy over a longer period of time by releasing sugars into your blood stream slowly and steadily.

High GI simple sugar acts like a drug on the human system and many of us experienced that feeling of being sugar-high. Sugar is addictive, it is even compared to heroin by some scientists. High GI foods cause a spike in your blood glucose levels followed by a crash soon after, causing your appetite to return, making snacks irresistible.

Legumes- beans, lentils and peas are one of the lowest GI foods you can find.

http://www.glycemic-index.org/bean-nutrition.html

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/bean-nutrition-facts-4381527.html

About the Author

Fennel Salad

• Fennel Salad is very popular all over Italy, it makes an excellent and delicious aid for digestion and the end of a meal. Take a few fennel bulbs, cut off their bottoms, slice thinly and dress with olive oil, salt and pepper. this salad goes well with slices of oranges that have been peeled, de-seeded and cored.

• did you know that the seeds of dill and caraway were once a popular form of chewing gum?

Is Green Tea Decaffeinated? Here's an Interesting Fact

Author: Peter Foremski

Nowhere is that choice more prevalent than in what we drink and one beverage that many people consume on a daily basis is tea. The variety that many of us are now drinking for it's health benefiting reasons, is green tea. But, more specifically when you begin to look at that particular market segment, what some of us may be asking themselves is green tea decaffeinated?

Well, maybe the direct answer is no it's not. Just like ordinary tea has a decaffeinated option so has green tea. It's certainly grown in popularity due to a number of reasons. One of which is its use as a dietary supplement for people who follow a weight loss or weight control regimen.

Where it becomes a bit more controversial or perhaps we should call it a bit of a grey area, is in how effective the normal and decaffeinated green teas are at delivering these often stated health benefits. Some respected studies and reports do indicate that there are noticeable differences in the amount of antioxidants between the two.

It's these potent antioxidants that are attributed to many of the claims about green tea being such an effective and protective tool for a myriad of conditions and maladies. So, what they found out was that there is a lower amount of these substances in the decaffeinated green tea varieties. How that actually happens is due to the way that manufacturers treat the tea and remove the caffeine.

But, should that be of any concern to those of us who drink it? Well it's nice to know but no, not really, as any shortfall in these antioxidants can simply be solved by drinking more of the decaffeinated green tea.

About the Author:

Peter Foremski is an avid researcher and consumer of nutritional supplements. He adds his findings and opinions on the latest and best products to his http://www.natural-nutritional-supplement.com" />Natural Nutritional Supplement site.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/tea-articles/is-green-tea-decaffeinated-heres-an-interesting-fact-759610.html

Alfalfa Sprouts

Author: Kathy Kafka

Alfalfa has been grown for many civilizations for over five thousand years. Alfalfa was planted in hot, dry regions of Mesopotamia before recored history. Alfalfa is grown throughout the world under extremely varied climatic conditions. Alfalfa seeds are in the legume family. The name "alfalfa" means "father of all foods. Alfalfa sprouts are full of nutrition. Research shows that sprouts are loaded with antioxidants, and are full of protein, chlorophyll, vitamins and amino acids. Sprouts contain enzymes which digest themselves. Alfalfa is the most famous sprout in the United States. It has a mild flavor, an abundant amout of nutrition, and easy to grow.

Nutritional information - vitamins A, B, C, E, and K. Also calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, carotene, chlorophyll, amino acids. Protein - 35%.

Sprouting Instructions: Yields approximately 2 cups of sprouts. Add 2 tablespoons of seeds to a mason jar with strainer lid. Rinse thoroughly with 60-70 degree water. First day, fill half way with water overnight to soak. Set out of direct sunlight and at room temperature, 70 degrees is optimal. The kitchen counter is fine. Rinse and drain twice a day. At the end of day 5 or the start of day 6 your sprouts will be ready to eat. Refrigerate your sprouts 8-12 hours after the final rinse and drain. Enjoy your sprouts in salads, sandwiches, or as a topping to any dish.

Seed to sprout: 5 to 6 days Yield: 7 to 1 Seed to shelf life at 70 degrees: 3 to 4 years Sprout shelf life: 2 to 6 weeks

About the Author:

Kathy Kafka is the owner of Complete Natural Blends, a company that offers natural products for natural health.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/alfalfa-sprouts-758366.html

Vegetable Gardening - 3 Organic Vegetable Gardening Tips for Newbies

No chemical gardening turned into a very hot topic recently and a lot of people practice certain types of organic gardening without having any idea that they are doing it. Planting vegetables via natural methods is better recognized as organic vegetable gardening. Artificial particles will not be utilized when organizing for pest control, weed control and fertilization.

With organic gardening, the chances of your beloved family members being exposed to dangerous chemical substances are being reduced automatically. There will be no negative effect that occurs against the environment and you are actually assisting in saving planet Earth. Expenses such as the purchase of fertilizers and pests control products can be saved if you plant your vegetables organically.

The use of compost rather than mulch and fertilizer is a fundamental concept in organic vegetable gardening. You must also learn the fundamental techniques of how to protect your vegetables from "sicknesses" as organic fertilizers such as animal faeces does not reinforce the immune system of your plants.

Organic Vegetable Gardening Tips #1 Soil
The types of soil used for your organic vegetable gardening practices will help in determining your success because you will not be relying on human made fertilizers. While you are planting your vegetables, you need to make sure first that you have an optimum pH Value for your healthy soil, which is 6.8, however, pH values will differ for different types of vegetables.

Organic Vegetable Gardening Tips #2 Water and Sunlight
Water is essential grow your plant. Sunlight is also another important element in organic gardening. However, it is hard to manipulate the exposure of your vegetables to sunlight. Make sure that you pick a vegetable gardening place that receives at least 6 hours of sunlight daily. Otherwise, your vegetables will not achieve the maximum growth it should have.

Organic Vegetable Gardening Tips #3 Pests Control
Utilization of natural pest killers such as hornets, ladybugs and preying mantis is proven to be an effective replacement for pesticides. If these predators are not available naturally in your garden, you can always purchase them via local nurseries or even through online shopping sites like Amazon and eBay.

For weeds control, pulling them out manually is more beneficial than exterminating them with weed removers as you will do no harm to the environment.


Sacrificing a little portion of the vegetables to the bugs so that you can provide your families with foods that is free from chemicals is definitely a plus for organic vegetable planters. Unwanted kitchen scraps and weeds reduce the amount of waste that is transferred to sewers.