Delicious High-Fiber Recipes for Summer Barbecue

From: Brenda W.

Sent: May 24, 2012

To: undisclosed recipients

Subject: Fw: Delicious High-Fiber Recipes for Summer Barbecue

Rising temperatures call for quick and easy recipes that keep you cool and refreshed, but making healthy choices about what you eat is just as important—especially during swimsuit season. Luckily, with summer right around the corner, you’ll find plenty of garden-fresh selections that can satisfy your taste buds without sacrificing your waistline.

Foods that are high in fiber such as fruit and vegetables are typically low in calories but add plenty of bulk to the diet, in turn helping you feel full longer after each meal. Plus, fiber-rich foods help slow digestion and keep blood sugar levels in check, so you’re less likely to experience those in-between cravings that can lead to overeating. And if that’s not enough, research has also shown that fiber can help eliminate calories from your diet by absorbing calories from foods already consumed and “flushing” them out of the body with each healthy bowel movement—talk about a powerful weight loss tool!

So as you’re getting ready to head to a Memorial Day or summer barbecue, bring along one of these cool summer salads or serve up some mouthwatering mango sorbet. Rest assured—it’s one indulgence that doesn’t come with a side of guilt. Enjoy, Brenda

Jicama and Mango Salad

Ingredients | Salad/Dressing:
1 head red leaf lettuce, chopped
1 head romaine, chopped
1 mango (peeled, pitted and sliced) \
½ jicama, cut into thin strips
½ red onion, finely chopped
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 clove fresh garlic, chopped
1 ounce shallots, diced
½ tbsp. honey
Sea salt and fresh black pepper to taste
1 avocado (pitted, peeled and sliced)


Directions: Combine red leaf lettuce and romaine in a large bowl. Add mango, jicama and onion. To prepare the dressing, combine the olive oil and vinegar in a blender. Add the parsley, cilantro, garlic, shallots, honey, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Pour dressing over salad mixture (just enough dressing to moisten salad) and toss gently. Garnish with avocado. Serves 6

Garden Harvest Salad

Ingredients:
½ tomato, diced
¼ cup cucumbers, sliced into rounds
¼ cup endive, cut into thin strips
¼ cup small white beans (canned),
rinsed and drained
¼ cup garbanzo beans (canned),
rinsed and drained
¼ cup raw almonds (soaked overnight in water)
1 tbsp. raw sunflower seeds
3 radishes, sliced into thin rounds
¼ cup red onion, sliced
3 cups mixed baby greens (arugula, romaine, radicchio,
spinach, red and green leaf)
¼ cup carrots, julienned
2 ribs celery, chopped
¼ cup fennel, sliced

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss well. Garnish with your favorite dressing or balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Serves 2.

Mango Sorbet

Ingredients:
¼ cup natural sweetener
¾ cup water
2 ripe mangoes, peeled with pits removed
Juice of 1 lime
1 serving sprinkle table fiber

Directions:
Combine natural sweetener and water in a small saucepan and place over low heat. Stir until sweetener dissolves and clear syrup remains. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Combine mangoes, lime juice, table fiber and syrup in a blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth (approximately 30 seconds). Cover and place in freezer overnight. Serve and enjoy. (Note: You may also use a commercial ice cream maker to prepare sorbet.) Serves 8. http://www.brendawatson.com