Sauteing Summer Squash

Yellow summer squash, tofu and red onions.

Tomatoes are showing rosy cheeks, peppers are ripe and summer squash are ready to pick off the vine. If you're overloaded with fresh yellow summer squash, I'm sure you're looking for several ways to enjoy it.

The other night I decided to saute some red onion slices and tofu cubes in olive oil. Then, I added thin disks of yellow summer squash. It was fabulous!

Since the entree had such a mild flavor I paired it with a peppery arugula and avocado salad.

Arugula and avocado salad.

How do you enjoy cooking summer squash? I usually roast or saute squash and toss it with a more flavorful vegetable, such as onions or carrots.

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

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Arugula and Avocado Salad

My mouth-watering arugula and avocado salad.

The one good thing about these hot, dry days of summer is enjoying treats from the garden.

Thankfully a few of my friends are avid gardeners and love to share their produce.

(Thanks, Mandy & Jess!)

The other day I decided to play around in the kitchen with some fresh arugula. I've had the leafy greens in salads made with a blend of various lettuces, but this was the first time I've enjoyed arugula solo. It's sweet flavor with a peppery finish is definitely an acquired taste.

After playing with a few ingredients, I settled on making an arugula and avocado side salad to go with dinner. After rinsing the greens I added cubed avocado and slices of mozzarella cheese. Then I dressed the salad with a squeeze of fresh lime juice and a drizzle of olive oil. The creamy avocado was a perfect match for the arugula.

So, have you tried arugula? How do you like to eat it? I still have a few handfuls waiting the refrigerator, so I want to use it up soon!

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

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Bean, Beans The Musical Fruit...Wait, Fruit?

Dry kidney beans. Photo from Morguefile.

OK, sing along with me:

"Beans, beans the musical fruit!
The more you eat, the more you...."

We all know the rest of the rhyme. (And, I'm not interested in blogging about flatulence!)

However, I am curious about the claim that beans are members of the fruit family. Really? So, I put on my investigative reporter hat and found this little nugget of nutrition trivia.

Beans are members of the legume family. Other legumes include lentils, peanuts, peas and soybeans, according to The Bean Institute. The most popular bean consumed in the United States is the pinto bean.

My top five favorites ways to eat beans are:

• Boiling and mashing black beans with the juice of a fresh lime and chopped garlic to use on tacos
• Tossing several beans together and dressing it with a light Italian dressing for a summer salad
• Adding pinto beans to a pot of vegetable soup for extra protein
• Mashing garbanzo beans and using them in lieu of ground beef to make a veggie "meatloaf"
• Combining kidney, pinto and white beans as the base for a vegetarian chili

So, how do you like to eat beans?

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

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One More Reason to Eat Vegetables

Photo Courtesy Krumdieck, Morguefile.

Think of that salad or side of brussels sprouts as an extra nudge towards a smoke-free life.

As a writer, I do lots of reading. This morning I came across an article on Futurity claiming that eating vegetables makes the taste for tobacco less appealing. This is fantastic news for smokers implementing a healthier lifestyle.

“We knew from our previous work that people who were abstinent from cigarettes for less than six months consumed more fruits and vegetables than those who still smoked," explained Gary A. Giovino, chair of the Department of Community Health and Health Behavior at the University at Buffalo in the Futurity article. "What we didn’t know was whether recent quitters increased their fruit and vegetable consumption or if smokers who ate more fruits and vegetables were more likely to quit.”

Here are a few key points from the article:

Smokers who ate more fruits and vegetables...

•  smoked fewer cigarettes per day and scored lower on a common test of nicotine dependence
•  were three times more likely to be tobacco-free after 14 months than those who didn't eat an increase in produce
•  feel more full from the increase in fiber consumption. Some smokers confuse hunger for the need for a cigarette.

*Futurity reports on scientific discoveries by researchers at universities in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

PS: Follow me on Twitter @AngelaTague to see what I've been up to!

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