Tomatoes

Tomatoes are great for versatility. The little guys can be turned into soups and sauces, and are also wonderful in pasta dishes, salads, and just on their own. Although raw may seem the healthiest way to have a tomato, exposing them to heat actually helps the cell walls break down and release lycopene which can combat cancer and cardiovascular disease.

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A post shared by Emilie Pullar (@burntbuttertable)

Spinach

We’re all for using baby spinach as a lettuce substitute in our salads, but steaming the leafy green can actually be even better. Doing so reduces the vegetable’s oxalic acid (which interferes with your body’s absorption of iron and calcium) by up to 53%. Plus, cooked spinach has more calcium, magnesium, and iron.

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Celery

Celery can be found in salads and juice, but have you ever considered cooking this crunchy veggie? If not, you should. The antioxidant levels increase when celery is microwaved, pressure-cooked, griddled, fried, or baked. But avoid boiling as this actually reduces antioxidants by 14%!

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The post Cooking These Veggies Makes Them Even Healthier appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.

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A post shared by Kitchen Sanctuary (@kitchensanctuary)

Ingredients:

• 2-pound cauliflower head (or 2 x pounds “ready to cook” cauliflower rice)
• 5 scallions, chopped with light and green parts separated
• 1 cup frozen peas and carrots 
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
• ¼ cup chopped cashews or peanuts (optional)
• 2 eggs, beaten 
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Salt

Instructions:

1. Grate the cauliflower in a food processor or using the large holes of a hand-held grater. (Skip this step if using “ready to cook” cauliflower rice.)
2. Heat 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in a large non-stick skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the eggs and a pinch of salt and scramble until the eggs are cooked. Transfer to a small plate and set aside. Wipe the pan clean.
3. Add 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the pan and set over medium heat. Add the light scallions, garlic, and ginger and cook for 3-4 minutes (stirring often) until softened but not browned. Add the grated cauliflower, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, for about 3 minutes. Add the peas and carrots and continue cooking until the cauliflower rice is tender-crisp and the vegetables are warmed through. Stir in the rice vinegar, sesame oil, dark green scallions, nuts, and eggs. Serve hot.

The post Cauliflower Fried Rice is the Healthier Version of Chinese Take-Out appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.

Make sure you are getting plenty of the following nutrients in your diet, both now and in the future, to stay as healthy as possible!

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a crucial element in keeping your immune system going strong. While your body receives natural doses of this vitamin from sunlight, you can also find plenty of it in dairy products, fish, mushrooms, and eggs.

Zinc

Zinc is a trace element that isn’t found in many foods but is essential for maintaining a healthy immune system. While supplements can be a good choice for raising zinc levels, there is also a healthy amount of this nutrient in meat, legumes like chickpeas and lentils, and shellfish such as oysters.

Vitamin C

It might seem obvious, but it’s easy to forget just how important it is to consume Vitamin C throughout the year in order to keep your defenses up. Citrus fruits are a great place to find lots of Vitamin C, and you can also find it in other produce like tomatoes, kiwis, and peppers.

The post Be Sure to Keep These Nutrients in Your Diet to Stay Healthy appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are great for versatility. The little guys can be turned into soups and sauces, and are also wonderful in pasta dishes, salads, and just on their own. Although raw may seem the healthiest way to have a tomato, exposing them to heat actually helps the cell walls break down and release lycopene which can combat cancer and cardiovascular disease.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Emilie Pullar (@burntbuttertable)

Spinach

We’re all for using baby spinach as a lettuce substitute in our salads, but steaming the leafy green can actually be even better. Doing so reduces the vegetable’s oxalic acid (which interferes with your body’s absorption of iron and calcium) by up to 53%. Plus, cooked spinach has more calcium, magnesium, and iron.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Itgirllondon (@itgirllondon)

Celery

Celery can be found in salads and juice, but have you ever considered cooking this crunchy veggie? If not, you should. The antioxidant levels increase when celery is microwaved, pressure-cooked, griddled, fried, or baked. But avoid boiling as this actually reduces antioxidants by 14%!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Vegana Loca (@vegana.loca)

The post Cooking These Veggies Makes Them Even Healthier appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kitchen Sanctuary (@kitchensanctuary)

Ingredients:

• 2-pound cauliflower head (or 2 x pounds “ready to cook” cauliflower rice)
• 5 scallions, chopped with light and green parts separated
• 1 cup frozen peas and carrots 
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
• ¼ cup chopped cashews or peanuts (optional)
• 2 eggs, beaten 
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Salt

Instructions:

1. Grate the cauliflower in a food processor or using the large holes of a hand-held grater. (Skip this step if using “ready to cook” cauliflower rice.)
2. Heat 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in a large non-stick skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the eggs and a pinch of salt and scramble until the eggs are cooked. Transfer to a small plate and set aside. Wipe the pan clean.
3. Add 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the pan and set over medium heat. Add the light scallions, garlic, and ginger and cook for 3-4 minutes (stirring often) until softened but not browned. Add the grated cauliflower, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, for about 3 minutes. Add the peas and carrots and continue cooking until the cauliflower rice is tender-crisp and the vegetables are warmed through. Stir in the rice vinegar, sesame oil, dark green scallions, nuts, and eggs. Serve hot.

The post Cauliflower Fried Rice is the Healthier Version of Chinese Take-Out appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.

Make sure you are getting plenty of the following nutrients in your diet, both now and in the future, to stay as healthy as possible!

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a crucial element in keeping your immune system going strong. While your body receives natural doses of this vitamin from sunlight, you can also find plenty of it in dairy products, fish, mushrooms, and eggs.

Zinc

Zinc is a trace element that isn’t found in many foods but is essential for maintaining a healthy immune system. While supplements can be a good choice for raising zinc levels, there is also a healthy amount of this nutrient in meat, legumes like chickpeas and lentils, and shellfish such as oysters.

Vitamin C

It might seem obvious, but it’s easy to forget just how important it is to consume Vitamin C throughout the year in order to keep your defenses up. Citrus fruits are a great place to find lots of Vitamin C, and you can also find it in other produce like tomatoes, kiwis, and peppers.

The post Be Sure to Keep These Nutrients in Your Diet to Stay Healthy appeared first on falafelandcaviar.com.