Nutrients & Fresh Vegetables

To contact us Click HERE

{Hey Everybody! We’ve got a guest blogger here on Everyday Life at Leisure for today! Welcome Celia Harkey, our Leisure Arts Food Editor! She’s all excited about the nutrients found in fresh vegetables, and she’s got a Noodles with Chicken and Vegetables recipe to share with you from our new Deliciously Healthy Vegetables cookbook!} 
What’s the one food group with a unique variety of nutrients, that is low calorie, and can be eaten raw or cooked? The ever-versatile vegetable! If readily available to you, choose fresh vegetables in order to enjoy the most intense flavor and crunchy goodness in many colors and textures. I know you’ll love the many flavorful recipes in Deliciously Healthy Vegetables, a new cookbook from Leisure Arts. It features all the wonderful fresh vegetables from your garden or the local market.
Vegetables have so many important qualities besides their texture and flavor. They contain a variety of nutrients that are essential for good health and are a good source of fiber. These nutrients may reduce the risk of chronic diseases for you and your family when they are included in an overall healthy diet. In addition, when a mixture of colorful fresh vegetables is prepared by steaming, stir-frying, or roasting with very little fat, they are low calorie but high in nutrition. Recipes from Deliciously Healthy Vegetables provide many ways to combine an assortment of vegetables with other tasty and nutrient-rich foods. The Noodles with Chicken and Vegetables (recipe shared below) is a good source of protein and niacin, and a very good source of Vitamin A and Vitamin C.
This is an easy recipe your family will enjoy. It features a low calorie assortment of vegetables prepared with boneless, skinless chicken breast resulting in a flavorful dish with a variety of nutrients. Try using rice noodles or cellophane noodles for a unique texture. To improve the health factor even more, use whole-grain or whole-wheat pasta. Check the nutrition label as you decide which brand of pasta to use. It should have increased fiber, protein, and plant omega-3 fats over regular pasta for a hearty, healthy low calorie dish.

Noodles with Chicken and Vegetables
INGREDIENTS:
7 oz. noodles (any Asian noodles work, but whole-wheat are healthier)
1 head broccoli, cut into small florets
2 tablespoons canola oil
10 oz. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch strips
1 large red pepper, cut into thin strips
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into thin sticks
1 cup cabbage, cut into thin strips
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

PREPARATION:1. Cook noodles according to package instructions.
2. Cook broccoli in salted boiling water, until crisp-tender. Drain well.
3. Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat, add canola oil and chicken strips and stir-fry for 2 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
4. Remove chicken to plate with a slotted spoon.
5. Add red pepper, carrot, cabbage and garlic and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, until vegetables start to soften. Add remaining ingredients, including chicken, broccoli and noodles and stir-fry for about 2 minutes to combine flavors.
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
The noodles can be stored in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat in microwave.
This could easily become a vegetarian dish by substituting more of the vegetables for the chicken and even adding additional vegetables like green beans or edamame to increase the variety of nutrients.
Another recipe in the book that I can't wait to make is Gazpacho. It calls for fresh vegetables straight from my garden—tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet pepper, onion, garlic, and a hot pepper for some zip! Combine these low calorie ingredients with olive oil, white wine vinegar, fresh lemon juice, and seasoning. Serve chilled to celebrate a delicious combination of fresh summer flavors.
When you are planning healthy meals for your family, always remember to include several colors of fresh vegetables. If freshly picked vegetables aren’t available, frozen vegetables can have the same variety of nutrients since they are generally quick-frozen at the site where they are picked and processed. Enjoy preparing and serving the Deliciously Healthy Vegetables recipes from the new Leisure Arts Deliciously Healthy series of cookbooks.