Island Red Beans (Habichuelas Coloradas Grandes) - ThinnerTimes - Gastric Bypass Forum, Lap Band Forum, and Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum

MiladyB · 05-13-2009, 10:10 PM

Island Red Beans (Habichuelas Coloradas Grandes)

Cilantro, chilis and garlic add rich flavor to kidney beans in this Puerto Rican staple. Red beans are also some of the best antioxidant-rich foods out there. Leftovers are wonderful reheated for lunch.

Serves: 8
Preparation time: 50 minutes

Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
2 Anaheim or poblano chili peppers, finely diced
1 small onion, finely diced
1/2 cup packed finely chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
4 15-ounce cans red kidney beans, rinsed (see Dried Bean Variation)
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 to 3 cups water

Preparation
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

2. Add garlic, chili peppers, onion and cilantro and cook, stirring, until the onion is softened, 3 to 4 minutes.

3. Add beans, tomato sauce, oregano, pepper and salt; stir to combine.

4. Add 1 to 3 cups water. (Usually the beans are covered by at least 1 inch of water. The more "wet" you like your beans, the more water you should add.)

5. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.

6. Serve sprinkled with cilantro, if desired.

Dried Bean Variation: To use dried beans instead of canned beans, sort 1 pound red kidney beans, discarding any debris. Overnight soak: Rinse beans and place in a large bowl. Cover with cold water and let soak for at least 8 hours or overnight; drain.

Quick soak: Rinse beans and place in a large pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil.

Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Per serving:
221 calories
3 g fat (0 g sat, 1 g mono)
0 mg cholesterol
38 g carbohydrate
12 g protein
15 g fiber
616 mg sodium
691 mg potassium

Nutrition Bonus: vitamin C (50% Daily Value), folate (30% DV), potassium (20% DV), iron (17% DV)

Pomegranate Poached Pears
A delicate pear painted with the deep, garnet hue of pomegranate juice provides a striking – and healthy – finale to a meal. To make ahead, prepare through Step 4, and cover and refrigerate pears in sauce for up to two days. Serve at room temperature.

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 1-1/4 hours

Ingredients
4 ripe, firm Bosc pears
1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice
1 cup sweet dessert wine, such as Muscatel or Riesling
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
4 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream or low-fat plain yogurt
4 fresh or dried bay leaves for garnish

Preparation
1. Peel pears, leaving them whole and stems intact. Slice off the bases so the pears will stand upright. Use an apple corer to remove cores, if desired, working from the base up.

2. Place the pears on their sides in a large 3- or 4-quart saucepan or small Dutch oven.

3. Pour pomegranate juice and wine over the pears. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer gently until the pears are tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, 30 to 45 minutes. Turn very gently once or twice as they cook so they color evenly. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pears to a shallow bowl and set aside.

4. Boil the poaching liquid over high heat until the sauce is reduced to 1/2 cup, 15 to 20 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, toast almonds in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until light golden and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl to cool.

6. To serve, spoon 1 tablespoon sauce onto each of 4 dessert plates. Place a pear upright on each plate. Drizzle remaining sauce over each pear. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds around the pears and top with the almonds. Garnish each serving with a dollop of sour cream (or yogurt) and a bay leaf.

Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Per serving:
280 calories
4 g fat (1 g sat, 2 g mono)
6 mg cholesterol
48 g carbohydrate
2 g protein
5 g fiber
17 mg sodium
468 mg potassium

Spring Vegetable Stew
Meaty artichoke hearts, earthy morels (cone-shaped mushrooms with a smoky flavor) and tender leeks give a rich, satisfying flavor, making this an ideal vegetarian entrée for entertaining. This recipe is also abundant with antioxidants. If you wish to add an indulgent flair, omit the butter at the end and drizzle each serving with some truffle oil or good-quality extra-virgin olive oil.

Serves: 6
Preparation time: 2 hours

Ingredients
1/2 ounce dried morels or porcini mushrooms (1/4 cup)
1 cup warm water
6 large artichokes
1 large lemon
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 medium leeks, white part only, cleaned and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 cup baby carrots
12 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 1/2 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup baby lima beans, fresh or frozen
1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
4 teaspoons butter
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preparation
1. Cover mushrooms with warm water in a small bowl. Let stand for 30 minutes. Strain, reserving liquid. Rinse the mushrooms well under cold water; drain and chop. Strain the reserved liquid through a coffee filter or paper towel to remove any dirt.

2. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with water; juice the lemon and, reserving half the juice, add the rest along with the lemon halves to the water.

3. Pull off outer leaves from an artichoke. Using a small, sharp knife, pare the artichoke down to the heart. Trim the bottom of the stem, then peel the stem. Scrape out the choke with a melon baller or spoon. Cut the heart into quarters and place in the lemon water to prevent browning. Repeat with the remaining artichokes.

4. Heat oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add leeks, carrots, garlic, thyme, mushrooms and the artichoke hearts; cook, stirring often, until the vegetables start to brown, about 5 minutes.

5. Add wine and cook until slightly reduced, 2 to 3 minutes.

6. Add broth, salt and the reserved mushroom liquid. Cover and cook over low heat until the artichoke hearts and carrots are almost tender, 30 to 40 minutes.

7. Stir in lima beans and peas. Increase heat to medium, cover and cook for 10 minutes more. Stir in butter and the reserved lemon juice. Season with pepper.

8. Serve the stew in shallow bowls, garnished with chives and parsley.

Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Per serving:
261 calories
6 g fat (2 g sat, 2 g mono)
7 mg cholesterol
45 g carbohydrate
11 g protein
14 g fiber
646 mg sodium
1005 mg potassium

Nutrition Bonus: vitamin A (110% Daily Value), vitamin C (90% DV), folate (50% DV), iron (30% DV), magnesium & potassium (29% DV), calcium (15% DV)

Quick Thai Chicken and Vegetable Curry
Curry quick enough for a weeknight supper – especially if you use precut cauliflower and baby spinach. Red curry paste is a blend of chili peppers, garlic, lemongrass and galanga (a rhizome with a flavor similar to ginger); commercial Asian curry paste is a convenient way to add heat and complexity to a recipe. Look for it in small jars or cans in the Asian section of the store.

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 45 minutes

Ingredients
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1- to 2-inch-long julienne strips
1 medium onion, halved and sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1-2 teaspoons red curry paste, to taste
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup "lite" coconut milk
1 tablespoon fish sauce or reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups cauliflower florets
2 cups baby spinach
1 tablespoon lime juice
Lime wedges

Preparation
1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and onion; cook, stirring often, until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes.

2. Add garlic, ginger and curry paste; stir to mix.

3. Add chicken and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

4. Stir in broth, coconut milk, fish sauce (or soy sauce) and brown sugar; bring to a simmer.

5. Add cauliflower, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes.

6. Stir in spinach and lime juice; cook just until spinach has wilted.

7. Serve immediately, with lime wedges.

Vegetarian variation: Substitute 1 pound extra-firm tofu (drained) for the chicken and vegetable broth for chicken broth.

Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Per serving:
252 calories
8 g fat (4 g sat, 1 g mono)
67 mg cholesterol
14 g carbohydrate
31 g protein
3 g fiber
357 mg sodium
576 mg potassium

Nutrition Bonus: vitamin c (150% Daily Value), vitamin A (30% DV), potassium (29% DV)

Berry-Banana Smoothie
There's no more classic – or antioxidant-rich – combo than fresh berries and bananas. Here, just a touch of honey shines up their flavors even more.

Serves: 2
Preparation time: 5 minutes

Ingredients
1 ripe banana, sliced
1/2 cup raspberries
1/4 cup blueberries
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice
1/2 cup ice

Preparation
1. Place ingredients in the order listed in a blender. Pulse twice to chop the fruit, stir well, then blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Per serving:
126 calories
0 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono)
0 mg cholesterol
33 g carbohydrate
1 g protein
5 g fiber
4 mg sodium
338 mg potassium

Nutrition Bonus: vitamin C (25% Daily Value)