Tricks, Tips and a Recipe
Parsley – Not Just Another Pretty Decoration
By: Leanne Ely
Why Happy Tuesday, Y’all!
Welcome to Tricks, Tips and a Recipe, our regular Tuesday installment where you’ll learn a tip or a trick and you’ll get a great recipe to try it out with. Doesn’t get much better than that, now does it?
Don’t forget tomorrow is the radio show, Saving Dinner with the Dinner Diva. It’s on every Wednesday at noon EST. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/flylady and remember you can call in LIVE with your questions–about food, cooking, nutrition, anything you can think of! If you can’t listen live, you can always listen to the archives and now you can even send in your questions and listen to Leanne answer them on a future show! Just email Dear Leanne at Saving Dinner dot com.
Today’s focus is on PARSLEY.
Parsley, the world’s most popular herb, is a common accompaniment to many dishes in the kitchen and is often used as a beautiful garnish. A rich source of antioxidants, vitamins C and A all of which are thought to reduce infection rates and keep you healthy. Replete with heart healthy folic acid it is a great addition to your diet and so much more than a pretty decoration on your plate.
You can combine with garlic and lemon for a nice rub for your roasted chicken, or add to pesto, or marinara and salads to kick up the flavor of your favorite dishes.
Here’s today’s TRICK:
Choose fresh parsley over dried due to the superior nutrient and flavor content. Keep it stored in the fridge, in plastic bag, sprinkled with a bit of water. Wash right before using by swishing it around in a bowl of cold water to avoid damaging the fragile leaves.
Here’s a TIP:
Pregnant women should avoid high doses of parsley in its supplement or oil forms because it can cause preterm labor. For dishes that require long cooking times over an hour, add parsley toward the end of the cooking time to avoid losing flavor and nutrition.
And your RECIPE:
Parsley Garbanzo Dip
Yield: 2 cups
2 cups cooked garbanzo beans (can use canned, drain and rinse)
2 cloves garlic, mashed
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, packed
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Using your food processor blend all ingredients until smooth adding oil slowly at the end. Great with all kinds of raw cut up veggies.
Per Serving (based on 8 servings): 131 Calories; 8g Fat; 4g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 123mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 1/2 Fat. Points: 4
Our Menu-Mailer recipes incorporate numerous fresh herbs, including parsley. Not a member? Click here to see what you’re missing!
