I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the sweet red peppers of Spain! Then I started seeing these beauties in every vegetable market and grocery store I visited around Salamanca, where I'm living this fall. Sweet red peppers are called 'Pimientos' in Spanish and I'm learning that they are a very important ingredient in every Spanish kitchen, restaurant, and tapas bar. How to Use Sweet Red Peppers - 3 Ways The natural sweetness of Spanish pimientos - sweet red peppers - brings bright flavors to all kinds of things. Here are a few examples: Wash, cut into strips and dip into … [Read more...] about Sweet Red Peppers and 3 Ways to Enjoy Them
10 Ways to Season Your Food with Extra Virgin Olive Oil
I find a bottle of extra virgin olive oil on nearly every cafe and restaurant table I visit in Spain - which is what I expected from the world's largest producer! What I didn't expect was that just about everything I eat these days, except for ice cream, tastes better when I season it with EVOO. It's a perfect time of year to get excited about using more EVOO because the 2019 harvest of olives and production of oil is about to begin in Mediterranean countries like Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Turkey, and others. November, December, and January is the time to shake the olives down from … [Read more...] about 10 Ways to Season Your Food with Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Cool Foods Make Summer Better and 5 Options to Try
One important food lesson I learned while living in Spain last year was that cool foods like soup can make a hot day much better. Cool Tomatoes In Spain, one of the universally favorite foods to enjoy during summer and early fall is soup and it's refreshingly cool. Being in Spain was wonderful (pre-novel corona virus) and taste testing cool tomato soup was even better. My favorite, cool tomato soup is called Salmorejo and it's a specialty of Cordoba in the southern part of Spain where the summer heat is basically unbearable. Guess what? Sipping cool tomato soup makes everything … [Read more...] about Cool Foods Make Summer Better and 5 Options to Try
Pumpkin is a Top Choice for Fall
Pumpkin has a lot going for it -- a bright orange color, a healthy nutrition resume, and a flavor that is truly delicious. Most people that I know, including nutrition professionals, are enthusiastic about eating pumpkin during the fall. Here is a short list of why? Pumpkin is a Top Choice - Nutrition The big nutrient in pumpkin is vitamin A which we know by its color. The exact name for what makes it orange is beta-carotene which readily converts to vitamin A. This healthy vitamin is also found in carrots and many other yellow-orange colored vegetables. Along with vitamin C, vitamin A is a … [Read more...] about Pumpkin is a Top Choice for Fall
A Homemade Smoothie is a Tasty Meal or Snack
Every season of the year is perfect for a homemade smoothie, as a meal or snack with powerful nutrition and amazing flavor. A client asks for my opinion about smoothies once in a while. As a nutrition professional, I normally answer their question with another question about what goes into their favorite smoothie? As with most homemade recipes, a smoothie can be full of high quality nutrition and it can also fall short, depending on the ingredients. Smoothie Ingredients for High Quality Nutrition There are many foods that can go into a blender and then whirl into a tasty, homemade … [Read more...] about A Homemade Smoothie is a Tasty Meal or Snack
3 Ways to Make Every Meal Good for Your Heart
Simple foods not only taste delicious but they are the building blocks for a strong and healthy heart. It may be surprising to realize that more than 18 million Americans age 20 and older are affected by coronary heart disease. Also, heart disease is responsible for more racial and ethnic American deaths than any other cause. The good news is that choosing high quality nutrition, not expensive nutrition, can open up a world of better health for everyone's heart. 3 Ways to Make Every Meal Good for Your Heart #1. Bump up the nutritional quality of your every day foods. In other … [Read more...] about 3 Ways to Make Every Meal Good for Your Heart