Shout For Sprouts

  When it comes to trying new foods, sometimes I am all for it, other times I go back and forth while deciding if I really want to try it. Ever since I started blogging, I have realized how many foods I really haven’t tried! I still need to try an avocado, feta cheese, and different cuisines such as Thai and Indian. What are foods you have on your “to try” list? One of the foods I recently checked off of my list was bean sprouts. I had never had any type of sprout and was impressed by their nutritional value--

Sprouts are a great and inexpensive way of obtaining a concentration of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. They contain all of the nutrients found in various fruits and veggies. Eating sprouts is a safe way to get the nutritional advantage of produce without that contamination of harmful insecticides. Studies have shown that in comparison to dried seeds, sprouted foods contain an amazing increase in nutrients. During the sprouting process, the vitamins, minerals and protein increase substantially and the calories and carbs decrease.

 Are you interested in how to eat your bean sprouts? Why not--

• Make some sprout hummus?
• What about a bowl of sprout cereal?
• Maybe a side dish? Try out this sprout coleslaw.
• Something summery? This tropical gazpacho sounds great!
• An entree you say? Black beans and rice sounds nice.

  And I am sure you want to know how I now eat my bean sprouts? I use them in an unlikely way—for a lighter summer pasta swap. I buy em’ in the can so they are a little bit mushier than fresh ones, and I squeeze the excess juice out of them, warm them in the microwave and top with pasta sauce, meats, and veggies, just as you would normally make your favorite pasta dish. Much lighter to accompany summer appetites!

For this meal, I topped a can of sprouts with some chicken sausage, sautéed bell peppers and mushrooms, and some pasta sauce with a little shake of parmesan! It truly is delish!

Make sure to check your grocer’s Oriental aisle which is where the canned bean sprouts can usually be found.

Speaking of pasta, I recently was asked to review a product for My Blog Spark. Unfortunately I haven’t gotten around to it yet, but I have made these meals before, and I would highly recommend them! They are cheap, fast, and restaurant quality. I did happen to snap a few pictures!

  These newer Macaroni Grill meals come in five flavors, so there is surely one that will suite you. All you need to complete the meal kit is some chicken breasts and your ready to whip up a restaurant meal at home. Included in the package from the generous folks at My Blog Spark was also a really great metal colander, a pasta spoon, and a grater to grate fresh cheese—can you say Italian night? What’s your favorite Italian food? Mine would have to be anything smothered in a good pasta sauce—it’s in my blood =)

And since I am on a roll with all things pasta , I recently tried the new Healthy Choice All Natural entree in Pumpkin Squash Ravioli.

  I am not a huge fan of frozen meals at all, but when I get a good coupon, I figure I might as well try it. Well I picked this one because I thought it would be a savory ravioli dish, but instead the noodles were too rubbery, the filling was way to sweet, which I was not expecting, and the sauce just did not pair well at all. Maybe some people like it, but I ended up tossing half of it. But there are other flavors in the All Natural line—here’s some info:

All-natural ingredients such as pumpkin, asparagus, nine-grain pastas, and 100% extra virgin olive oil are highlighted in our line of new All Natural Entrées, which includes four vegetarian options. Each contemporary recipe was crafted to deliver delectable food packed full of nutrition.

• High in fiber for digestive health
• Antioxidants such as lycopene and vitamins A and C
• Low in fat and saturated fat
• Vegetarian options include Mediterranean Pasta, Pumpkin Squash Ravioli, Sweet Asian Potstickers, and Tomato Basil Penne

Enjoy your finally Friday!