Produce of the Week: Ackee

In a tribute to my friends from Kingston, this week's produce of the week is the Ackee. Not commonly found fresh in the US, the Ackee is a member of the Sapindaceae (soapberry family), it is native to tropical West Africa, and was introduced into the Caribbean through slave ships. The fruit is found in Florida.

Ackee is the national fruit of Jamaica; with Ackee and Saltfish being the national dish of the country.

You can find Ackee in cans although the texture is lost a bit in the canning process. My suggestions is to find a West Indian restaurant (Donna's in Broward County) and have them serve you up a salty portion of Ackee and Saltfish -- a typical breakfast meal on the island.

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Produce of the Week: Asparagus

One of my new favorite veggies is the asparagus. Many years ago, Gail & I were Diet Workshop members, and a recipe for asparagus soup was shared. It is so simple and easy -- I love it. It uses canned veggies, so look for the salt free or reduced sodium varieties... but get out your pencils and paper... here it is...

1) can of asparagus
1) can of green beans

Mix in a blender.

Heat and eat.

Here's some more info on our Produce of the Week:

Asparagus is a member of the Lily family.
Asparagus spears grow from a crown that is planted about a foot deep in sandy soils.
Under ideal conditions, an asparagus spear can grow 10" in a 24-hour period.
Each crown will send spears up for about 6-7 weeks during the spring and early summer.
The outdoor temperature determines how much time will be between each picking...early in the season, there may be 4-5 days between pickings and as the days and nights get warmer, a particular field may have to be picked every 24 hours.
After harvesting is done the spears grow into ferns, which produce red berries and the food and nutrients necessary for a healthy and productive crop the next season.

An asparagus planting is usually not harvested for the first 3 years after the crowns are planted allowing the crown to develop a strong fibrous root system.
A well cared for asparagus planting will generally produce for about 15 years without being replanted.
The larger the diameter, the better the quality!
Asparagus is a nutrient-dense food which in high in Folic Acid and is a good source of potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, vitamins A and C, and thiamin.
Asparagus has No Fat, contains No Cholesterol and is low in Sodium.

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Produce of the Week: Pomegranate. Power for your Prostate

A dear co-worker was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer, in its very very early stages. Doctors don't want to do anything aggressive, but just monitor.

He's increased his intake of pomegranate, due to its stabilizing effects on the PSA evels in men. Read more about it here in this WebMD article.

My first memory of pomegranates is from when we lived in California as children. My schoolmates and I would snatch pomegranates off trees on the way home from school. I remember cracking one open with my mom and discovering the hundreds of little seeds inside. And I learned about how badly they stain clothing!

Now I know of their high antioxidant qualities, very high levels of vitamin C and polyphenols. View more nutritional information here from pomwonderful.com

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Vitalicious muffin tops coming to a grocery near you

I often order Vitalicious VitaMuffin VitaTops directly from the company. If you've never had one they come in many flavors (many of them chocolate), have 5 grams of fiber, vitamins and 100 calories, which make them a great snack or dessert.
But I recently got a e-mail announcing that they'd be available in select Publix grocery stores (and probably many other groceries nationwide).
To check if there are muffins near you, click this link.

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Produce of the Week: Jicama

Thanks to the suggestion of Shrinking Sisters reader Molly Brockwell, the Produce of the Week this week is Jicama, otherwise known as the Mexican potato. I've only ever eaten jicama as a garnish in my Japanese take-out, and I've always liked the taste and texture.

So I set out to find a recipe that is both healthy and would showcase this food on its own. I came across this recipe on cooking.com.

Please to enjoy, Jicama and Blood Orange Salad

1 jicama, about 3/4 lb
3 blood oranges

1 papaya or mango or 1/4 pineapple
1 small red (Spanish) onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 dried habanero chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped or ground to a powder, or cayenne pepper to taste (optional)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
1 bunch fresh cilantro (fresh coriander), about 3 oz, stemmed
1 bunch fresh mint, about 3 oz, stemmed

Using a paring knife, peel the jicama, including the fibrous layer just beneath the skin. Thinly slice the flesh and then cut into thin strips 2 inches long and 1/4 inch thick. Place in a large bowl.

Working with 1 orange at a time and using a sharp knife, cut a slice off the top and bottom of the oranges to reveal the fruit. Place each orange upright on a cutting board and cut away the peel and any white membrane. Then, holding the orange over the bowl with the jicama, cut along either side of each segment to free it, letting the segments and any juices fall into the bowl. If using a papaya, halve lengthwise, scoop out and discard the seeds and peel the halves. If using a mango, peel it and cut the flesh from the pit. If using pineapple, cut away the peel and the tough core area. Cut the papaya, mango or pineapple into 1/2-inch dice; you should have about 1 1/2 cups. Add to the bowl.

Add the onion, salt, habanero chili or cayenne pepper, olive oil, lime juice, cilantro and mint to the bowl. Toss gently to mix. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

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Produce of the Week: Beets

When I started my own personal produce of the week, beets were the first selection I made. So when I was at Publix the other day, these lovely root vegetables spoke to me...

Beets are a root vegetable with both the root portion and the leaves being used for food. Beets can be boiled, steamed or roasted or pickled or used in soups such as borscht. The young tender greens can be steamed, boiled or sauteed.

Jamie Oliver has a great show on the Food Network called, "At Home with Jamie". Last week's episode was about beets & carrots. He roasted them with some great herbs (pronounce the "H"... you're British) and marinades and then threw them in his smoking hot outdoor oven and served them with pork chops... Click HERE for the link to the recipe. It is AWESOME!

Also came across a great (and very simple) recipe for the greens. A two-fer out of one veggie! Click HERE for a link to this recipe.

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Produce of the Week: Dragon fruit

While exploring the produce department of my local grocery store, I was immediately stopped by the dragon fruit. It was $3.99, but the color and texture of the skin intrigued me. So, in my cart it went.

I did a little research on the fruit, and found that it is grown primarily in Thailand and Vietnam. It is the fruit of a cactus, has a fuchsia skin, and a white flesh speckled with black spots. The flesh is the texture of honeydew, and it tastes like a kiwi fruit, only not as tart.

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Introducing: Produce of the Week

I bit into a delicious pear today at my desk, realizing that I never buy pears. Why do I always pass by the pears and go to my old standbys, green and red apples, clementines and the occassional banana?

Part of my produce patterns is to just buy what I know... what is safe... am I afraid that the pear I will buy will taste like a potato? Is this why I never buy a cantaloupe or a honeydew melon? Frankly, yes. I've always tried to buy cantaloupe that "looks" like the ones my mom buys, and the ones she gets are always good. I know there's something to how the netting looks, blah, blah, blah... with the cost of food, who has the money to risk it?

So, I've decided to introduce "produce of the week", where I will buy and prepare (if needed) a fruit and/or vegetable that I normally don't purchase or consume. I did this a few years ago for the sake of my children with vegetables and fell in love with roasted beets.

So, thanks to the great produce that the cafeteria ladies at American Heritage offer me, I will be profiling a produce find of the week.

Anyone have any suggestions for my first foray into the other side of my produce department?

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