Category: Recipes

Strongself > Blog > Nutritional Advice > Recipes

“Seven Bean Salad”

Posted on by Lenny Variano

Ingredients

1/2 cup lima beans
1/2 cup pinto beans
1/2 cup navy beans
1/2 cup chickpeas
1/2 cup great northern beans
1 can corn
1 red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 bell pepper, diced (any color)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped
Olive oil
Lemon Juice

Directions:
1-In a skillet warm up olive oil and garlic.
2-In a bowl mix all the ingredients, add the garlic infused oil and the chopped parsley. mix and serve.
(use lime and cilantro instead of lemon and parsley for a summer version)

*I prefer using Brads canned beans
*Recipe courtesy of Chiara Scandone    Enjoy!!

Try this Instead…

Posted on by Lenny Variano

Here are interesting alternatives to some commonly eaten foods. Trying them can expose your palate to different taste sensations and expand the variety of foods in your diet.  


  • If you enjoy artichokes try sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes). They work well in a salad or stir-fried with shallots, carrots, and cashews.

 

 

  • A wonderful substitute for cucumber isIt can be peeled, grated and added to coleslaw.

 

 

 

  • It you like water chestnuts try jicama. Peel, dice, make into a salad withapples, garbanzo beans, oil and white balsamic vinegar.

 

  https://strongself.net/jicama/

Mushrooms as Medicine…

Posted on by Lenny Variano

Depictions of mushrooms, in hieroglyphics, date back some 4,600 years. They were prized by the pharaohs in Egypt and believed to possess properties of immortality. Mushrooms are low in calories, high in fiber, low in cholesterol and low in sodium. They have their own taste category umami. Ancient civilizations never cultivated mushrooms but allowed them to grow in the wild. Skilled persons knew the difference between edible as opposed to poisonous. Many met their intentional demise via poisonous mushrooms such as the roman emperor Claudius. Ancient Asian civilizations believed mushrooms supported health by strengthening the immune system, in particular shiitake and maitake varieties. Mushrooms lack color, roots, leaves and seeds and are classified as fungi which is why so many people do not find them a desirable meal choice. They are extremely high in selenium, iron, copper, potassium, and niacin. In spite of the fact that they are grown in the dark, mushrooms are a good source of vitamin D (sunshine vitamin) and this vitamin is increased if mushrooms are left in the sun for even 5 minutes before use. There are now so many different types of exotic mushrooms- heishi, cordyceps, turkey tail etc. but even the common white button mushrooms are now believed to hold strong properties that can benefit the immune system. Try exploring the different taste sensations whether you incorporate them in soups, sauces or with other vegetables. My favorite is with breadcrumb stuffing.

https://realmushrooms.com/blogs/rm/7-medicinal-mushroom-benefits-for-health
https://rrcultivation.com/blogs/mn/exploring-the-role-of-mushrooms-throughout-history?srsltid=AfmBOoo2zoXUJtTwmDguSRxuvn94gQww0xKWn4AjF2O4WdzNamh216tl

Recipe: French Lentil Salad…

Posted on by Lenny Variano

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients…

  • 1&1/2 cup dried lentils (brown or green)
  • 5 thyme sprigs
  • 5 rosemary sprigs
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1 lemon (zested and juiced)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 shallots (halved and sliced lengthwise)
  • 2 minced garlic cloves
  • 3 medium carrots (thinly sliced)
  • 1 small radicchio thinly sliced
  • 1 large bunch of parsley finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon chopped dill
  • 1 teaspoon chopped tarragon leaves

 

Directions…

  • Sort through the lentils for small pebbles, tie the thyme, rosemary and bay leaves together. After cooking they can be easily removed and discarded.
  • Add lentils and tied herbs to a pot and add water 2 inches above lentils. Bring to a boil, reduce flame and cook for 20 minutes. Discard water and tied herbs. Rinse lentils under cold water, set on a flat surface with a towel, allow lentils to dry.
  • In a separate bowl-prepare vinaigrette–combine vinegar, mustard, olive oil, thyme leaves, half lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons pepper (whisk). Add shallots and garlic -mix well.
  • Stir in carrots, radicchio, and lentils and coat well. Add parsley, dill, tarragon, and half the lemon zest.
  • Mix and add olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon zest to taste
  • Refrigerate, serve cool-can last up to 4 days. Flavor improves with time.