Nothing tastes better than fresh-picked fruits and veggies. If you too prefer your produce when it’s freshest from the farm, here’s what you should be buying in February. Fresh produce is tastier and cheaper since there is plenty of it—simple supply and demand here! So stock up, save money, and enjoy these fruits and vegetables grown this time of year right here in the U.S. Oranges Oranges show up every year right when we need their powerful vitamin C the most. Cold, grey days tend to be synonymous with sickness, but a healthy dose of OJ or a fresh orange a day can help keep the doctor away. Grapefruits Grapefruits also offer a pop of bright color and cheery flavor when we need it most. Grapefruits are perfectly ripe and juicy in February so enjoy them this month in fresh-squeeze juice, salads, or all on their own. Try this grapefruit…
Vegan Thai-inspired snow pea salad with peanut dressing
Crunchy, colorful and full of flavor. This crisp Thai-inspired salad tossed in a mildly spicy peanut dressing is a total powerhouse of nutrition. Carrots, snow peas, cabbage, quinoa — it’s going to be your new salad obsession. You can instantly add more oomph with grilled chicken, beef, or shrimp, but it’s just as satisfying and filling without any animal protein added. Vegetarians might already know that quinoa and peanut butter are both excellent sources of plant-based protein. (Quinoa brings about 8 grams of protein per cup, and peanut butter brings about 8 grams per two tablespoons.) This superfood salad is addictive! The peanut sauce is similar to that served at your favorite Thai restaurant with chicken satay or with fresh spring rolls, but it’s easy to whip up with ingredients common at your everyday supermarket. You’ll want to put it on everything! Get creative with your salad. Add anything from…
Colcannon is the traditional Irish dish you must try
Lots of foods have become synonymous with Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day — Soda Bread, Shepherd’s Pie, and corned beef, to name a few. But have you ever heard of colcannon? It might be lesser-known on a global scale, but to the Irish, it’s a true taste of home. Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish made with mashed potatoes, cabbage (or kale) and leeks, yet somehow, most parade-going, Irish heritage-loving Americans have never heard of it. It’s tasty (picture rich potatoes and lightly crunchy cabbage cradling a pool of melty butter) and easy to make, so it’s surprising it never caught on here on our side of the pond. The name colcannon is said to have originated from the Gaelic phrase “cal ceannann,” meaning white-headed cabbage — the vegetable most commonly mixed into the potatoes. During the 17th and 18th centuries, potatoes, cabbage, and leeks were considered to be food for the…
5 Irish Foods You’re Basically Required to Eat on St. Patrick’s Day
If you’re decking yourself out in green from head-to-toe and heading out to a local pub this St. Patrick’s Day, you might as well enjoy the foods most associated with Ireland. Also see, the recipe to make the original Irish Coffee. Sheperd’s pie Shepherd’s Pie was born of frugal housewives looking for ways to repurpose leftovers their husbands would otherwise turn up their noses at. Recipes vary widely, but they share a basic structure — mashed potatoes at the bottom and top and minced meat in the middle. A Cottage Pie is a similar creation that contains beef, but a true Shepherd’s Pie will use lamb or mutton. Irish Soda Bread Irish Soda Bread has all the earmarks of being the product of a poor country. It’s made with the most basic ingredients: flour, baking soda, soured milk, and salt. Before baking, a cross is cut into the top to…
Strawberries top list of produce with most pesticides, avocados have the least
If you pass on the organic produce in order to save a few bucks, perhaps you should at least consider the organic strawberries, new research suggests. For the third year in a row, strawberries rank the worst on the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen list of fruits and vegetables. The annual list looks at which of our grocery store produce is harboring the highest number of harmful pesticide residues. This year, more than 98 percent of samples of fruits like strawberries, peaches, cherries and apples tested positive for at least one pesticide residue on the skin. About a third of all strawberry samples had at least 10 pesticides present, the study reported. One sample had an “astounding” 22 pesticide residues. Behind strawberries on the Dirty Dozen list landed spinach. About 97 percent of spinach samples showed pesticide residues were present. Nectarines, apples and grapes rounded out the top five. The report is based…
What produce is in season in January: Citrus, beets, and more
Happy New Year, everyone! Whether you’re a lifelong healthy eater or just taking the first steps toward your New Year’s resolution, it’s easy to get tripped up on what healthy produce options are in season and available during the cold winter months. Sure you can buy nearly anything you want in the supermarket, but that doesn’t mean those strawberries shipped halfway around the world are going to be any good. To stick to your healthy diet (and detox from all of those holiday cookies), you need to know what’s going to taste best during this coldest month for growing. So what is in season in January? For most of the country, not a whole lot. But between cheery citrus and crunchy root vegetables, there’s still plenty of foods grown around the country to inspire your cooking through the season. Citrus Most of the citrus grown in the States comes from Florida,…