8-oz. fresh or frozen peas
4 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1 Tablespoon pine nuts, sesame seeds, cashews or sunflower seeds
1-4 Tbs. water

Post-note: If you’re not a fan of green peas you can substitute them with black eyed peas or chickpeas and use in the same ways as mentioned above.

Citrus fruits have many benefits including of course high vitamin C. Vitamin C plays a key role in the formation of collagen: a primary component of the connective tissue in the body strengthening ligaments, tendons, dentin, skin, blood vessels and bones. It aids in wound healing, tissue repair and helps against cell damage.

Citrus fruits are good sources of folate for new cell growth, helps the production of DNA, RNA and mature red blood cells helping prevent anemia.

Potassium, a mineral that helps maintain body water, acid and plays role in transmitting nerve impulses to muscles in muscle contraction. It also helps maintain normal blood pressure.

Phyto-chemicals (Phyto=plant in Gr.) in fruit and vegetables protect against various diseases including heart disease, cancers, stroke and Type 2 diabetes.

How much do we need to eat daily? 30-200mg./day. That equals roughly 5 servings of fruit per day.

Sweet & Tangy Citrus Salad

4-6 cups greens, arugula, spinach, baby lettuces

3 cups assorted favorite citrus fruits, Clementine, orange. Grapefruit, lime, lemon,

½ cup Strawberries, sliced or blueberries or both

2 Tbs. seeds, such as Chia, Flax, toasted sesame, pumpkin, toasted sunflower

Dressing:

Juice of 1 lemon and ½ lime

¼ cup Extra virgin olive oil

½ tsp. pure vanilla extract

Combine and mix with whisk or in a jar until well blended. Pour over salad.

Kidney Beans 
Kidney beans are high in cholesterol-lowering fiber, (45% RDA in just 1 cup), and are good for regulating blood sugar making them a perfect food and/or snack for diabetics and those with hypoglycemia. Kidney beans are a good source of plant protein and they are fat free.

These beans are heart healthy gems as well, not just because of their fiber content but for the significant amounts of folate and magnesium too. Folate helps lower levels of homocysteine. Elevated blood levels of homocysteine are an independent risk factor for heart attack, stroke, or peripheral vascular disease. Adequate magnesium helps veins and arteries relax, which lessens resistance and improves the flow of blood, oxygen and nutrients throughout the body.

Kidney beans like most other beans are very versatile. You can add them to salads and other vegetables dishes, meat dishes or eat them alone as a snack, which is one of my favorite midday munchies. If you choose canned beans be sure to rinse them well in a colander to remove unhealthy sodium before using.

Kidney Bean Munchies – you can choose any type of bean in these recipes, use whatever you have on hand or your favorite – be creative!

1 can rinsed kidney beans

Your favorite spice such as chili powder, cayenne, lemon pepper, turmeric, curry etc.

Put rinsed, drained beans in a bowl and sprinkle the spice over them and toss to coat evenly. Serve.

A Few Quick Serving Ideas (whfoods.com)

• Combine cooked kidney beans with black beans and white beans to make a colorful three bean salad.
• Mix with tomatoes and scallions and dress with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and black pepper.
• In a food processor or blender, combine cooked kidney beans with garlic, cumin and chili peppers for a delicious spread that can be used as a dip or sandwich filling.
• Make a pot of chili, the hearty Mexican soup that traditionally features kidney beans.
• Make tacos with a vegetarian twist by using kidney beans in place of ground meat.

Cucumber, Melon & Kidney Bean Salad

1 English cucumber, chopped bite sized
2 cups fresh melon (cantaloupe, mango, watermelon etc), chopped bite sized
½ cup red onion, chopped, fine
1 can kidney beans, rinsed & drained
Freshly ground black pepper

Add all ingredients to bowl and toss with olive oil and apple cider or red wine vinegar.
For a creamier dressing mix ½-¾ cup plain Greek yogurt with 1 Tablespoon cilantro.
Let flavors marinate 2-24 hours. Serve.

Crockpot Vegetable & Bean Chili 

• 1 can cannellini beans or black beans
• ¾ cup lentils – I used a mixed lentil trio for this recipe
• 1 can petite diced tomatoes – feel free to use fresh tomatoes but I used canned in the off season as they are canned a peak ripeness and offer more benefits.
• 1 small-medium green pepper diced
• 1 small-medium onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, diced fine
• 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
• 2 small zucchini, diced
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• a few grinds of black pepper

*to thicken & to add protein, you can add 1/2 cup quinoa and 1/4 cup red lentils one half hour before serving. You may thicken with ground flax seed too or eat it as it is!

• 1 lg. onion
• 1 lg clove elephant garlic (you can use 3-4 regular cloves)
• 2 medium potatoes with skin
• 1 large Turnip
• 1 large Carrot
• 3 stalks Celery
• 1 Green or red pepper
• 1 large Zucchini
• 2 ears of Corn – husked and steamed for 5 minutes then cut off the cob
• 1 can of Black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1″ Fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• Leafy greens added last, try kale, spinach, collards, cabbage, Swiss chard – I used celery leaves, beet greens and turnip greens – about 4 cups total
• Cumin, gray sea salt, black pepper, paprika – roughly 1/2 – 1 teaspoon each

3 peaches, peeled and chopped (if you leave them out of the refrigerator for a day or two, you will be able to easily section the peach into eighths and peel each section)

1-2 large heirloom tomatoes – for this recipe I used one large yellow heirloom that was about the size of a softball

1/4 cup red onion diced small

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1/2 – 1 hot pepper, diced small – I used 1/2 poblano pepper

1 Tbs. lime juice

pinch of salt

Mix gently in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for a few hours to overnight. Serve with tortilla chips, pita chips or as a zesty side to your healthy whole grains, prepared eggs, chicken or fish.

Let me know how you liked it and any changes you made! Eat healthy, live happy!