RECIPE: Fava bean salad - delicious even without 'a nice Chianti'

Fresh fava beans have been showing up in local grocery stores over the last couple of weeks. These broad beans are delicious, nutty and buttery and are well worth the effort it takes to prepare them.

Like many Americans, my first exposure to fava beans came courtesy of Hannibal Lecter in "Silence of the Lambs." For me, fava beans, a nice Chianti, and that unfortunate census taker's liver are forever linked. But for Mediterraneans, fava beans have been a dietary staple for thousands of years.

Fava beans are rich in protein, iron and fiber. They've got no cholesterol and are low in sodium and fat. Oh — and they taste really, really good.

I only have one caveat when it comes to enjoying fava beans: they are a bit labor-intensive to prepare. First, you must shell the beans, removing them from their bumpy outer casing. Then drop the beans into boiling, salted water for 3-4 minutes. After the beans are nice and tender, drain them and plunge them into a bowl of ice water to shock them. After that is when the fun starts.

I recommend finding a friend or two and pouring a nice glass of wine (a Chianti, perhaps?). Removing the waxy outer covering of the fava bean takes some patience and a little bit of time. But the reward of watching the bright green bean emerge (and stealing a few to eat on the fly) is well worth it.

I snagged this recipe from The Produce Station's Facebook page. It originally comes from Food Network celebrity chef Bobby Flay. It's a perfect showcase for the fava bean, which stands at center stage, brightened by the tang of the lemon and garlic. It tastes like spring.

Bobby Flay's recipe calls for shaved Manchego cheese, but I swapped out a Detroit-made Asiago cheese from Traffic Jam & Snug. You could also use Romano if you have trouble finding Manchego or Asiago.

Fava Bean Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette and Shaved Asiago, adapted from a recipe by Bobby Flay

Ingredients

• 4 cups shucked fresh fava beans (start with about 4-5 pounds of unshucked beans)
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 pound Asiago, Manchego or Romano cheese, shaved
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped flatleaf parsley

Directions

Fill a bowl with ice and water. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the shucked fava beans and cook until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and shock in ice water. Drain again and remove outer skins. Place the beans in a medium serving bowl. In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, garlic and olive oil and whisk until blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the mixture over the beans and mix well. Add the cheese, sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

By JESSICA WEBSTER

Meatballs for Dinner

Ingredients:
Minced beef. 800 grams
Beef stock. 1 tablespoon/cube
Egg. x 1
Breadcrumbs. 1/4 cup
Flour. 2 tablespoons
Worcester sauce. 2 tablespoons
Tomato sauce. 3 tablespoons
Combine all ingredients … Roll into balls …
Bake in moderate to hot oven for approximately 30 minutes …
Turn once for even browning!
For the sauce:
Combine in small saucepan
Plum sauce. 1/4 cup
Tomato sauce. 1/4 cup
Worcester sauce. 4 tablespoons
Sugar. 3 teaspoons
Heat slowly until sugar is dissolved and pour over meatballs
or set in a bowl for dipping …
Alternatively grab your favourite sauce from the shop and Enjoy!

Written by WendyJC 30/1/2013

Breakfast like a king: Why a high fat bacon and eggs meal is healthiest start to the day (but only first thing)

Bacon, sausages, eggs, beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, black pudding... if that's what you had for breakfast, scientists say you've chosen the healthiest way to start your day. 
No, seriously. Hot on the heels of yesterday's chocolate-is-good-for-you findings, researchers say a full English breakfast is better for the heart, waistline and blood pressure than carbohydrate-rich cereals, breads and pastries. 
It is thought that a fried breakfast sets up the metabolism for the rest of the day, making it easier to burn off other meals and snacks. 

Good for you: This high fat breakfast of sausage, bacon, eggs and beans could actually help prevent metabolic syndrome, according to a new study
Cereal, however, appears mainly to prime the body to break down only carbohydrates, the International Journal of Obesity reports. 
The U.S. researchers advocate a big, fatty breakfast for optimum health, followed by a smaller lunch and a light evening meal. 
Indeed, the old saying - 'eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper' - may be the key to a healthy body and mind. 
Their study looked at the effects of eating different types of food - and of eating them at different times in the day. 
Mice fed a high fat meal after waking remained healthy, but those given a carb-rich breakfast, followed by a fatty dinner, did not fare as well. 
They put on weight and had trouble processing sugar, raising their risk of diabetes. 
Blood tests also flagged up other problems that raised their risk of heart disease and strokes. 
Dr Martin Young, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said: 'The first meal you have appears to programme your metabolism for the rest of the day. 
Enlarge  
'This study suggests that if you ate a carbohydrate-rich breakfast it would promote carbohydrate utilisation throughout the rest of the day, whereas if you have a fat-rich breakfast, you (can) transfer your energy utilisation between carbohydrate and fat.' 
Co-researcher Professor Molly Bray added: 'Studies have looked at the type and quantity of food intake, but nobody has undertaken the question of whether the timing of what you eat and when you eat it influences body weight.' 
With most people eating a wide variety of foods throughout the day, the findings have a clear implication for the human diet. 
Professor Bray added: 'Our study seems to show that if you really want to be able to efficiently respond to mixed meals across a day, a meal in higher fat content in the morning is a good thing.' 
The research is not the first to confirm the importance of a big breakfast. 
A South American study found that women who ate half of their daily calories first thing lost more weight in the long-term than those who ate a small breakfast. 
In contrast to the U.S. study, it said eating carbs for breakfast was beneficial, with a sweet treat, such as chocolate, cutting sugar cravings later in the day. 

By FIONA MACRAE

Great Tasting Foods For Weight Loss Success

My mentor Robert Ferguson would have a picture of a grilled chicken breast and steamed broccoli. Along side the chicken he would put a very yummy picture of succulent ribs, tasty tacos, and delicious deserts. He asks a question to the crowd, “Which one would you rather eat?” There is no need to know which one the crowd would prefer. He would say that diet food is food that you won’t eat for the rest of your life. 

The point is this: you need to eat food that you like that will cause you to lose weight. You will not be successful with weight loss with foods that you don’t enjoy eating. If it came to me, I would rather eat my mom’s tacos vs. grilled chicken and steamed broccoli. Is it that simple? Yes. You need to be able to eat the foods you enjoy eating to be able to use those foods to lose weight. Any other method will probably cause you to gain the weight back.

Conventional methods of weight loss have you eating ‘diet-foods’ and performing extensive long periods of exercise. Now I’m not saying that exercise is not important. I don’t know any other form to lose calories fast and plenty of them then through exercise. What I am saying is that weight loss has to be an enjoyable process. You have to do exercise that you enjoy and can continue to do regularly. The same goes for food. You have to be able to use the foods you already enjoy so that you can lose weight. In order for weight loss to take place there are several small factors to consider such as combining your favorite foods with others that cause your body to burn fat instead of storing fat.

The principle of weight loss is the same then as it is now as will be in the future. It’s about burning more calories than what you consume. That’s why it’s important to be able to time your meals throughout the day in smaller portions. If say a person loves steak and mashed potatoes, how helpful for weight loss is a plateful of 1lb of steak and a heaping mound of buttered mash potatoes? Yet, there are plenty of restaurants that serve these tremendous disproportionate plates of food. Yet, an easier, smaller portion of food is easier to digest and will cause you to burn fat instead of storing it while enjoying the savory flavors of steak and potatoes.

The foods you enjoy are the same foods you have to use to lose weight. People are resistant to change. People don’t like change. The foods you enjoy to eat don’t have to change in order for you to lose weight and keep it off. Just take in consideration other factors so that your body is burning fat instead of storing fat.

Cap

Posted on January 25, 2013 by asyjeveh