***Protect Your Healthy with Variety Goodness

Whether you day is gray or sunny add colorful healthy dishes to your menus. Colorful cancer fighting phytochemicals are plentiful throughout the year covering all seasons.

These colorful fruits and vegetables provide varied textures, aromas and taste all for you to experience and add to your daily menus and weekly plans.

The study of food History shows that our sensory qualities originated from our ancestors attracted to the plant-based foods that contain healthy compounds. Today research shows that eating a broad spectrum of produce, grains and beans offers the best protection for our health.

As a dietitian, or any good chef, we can tell you combining different tastes, textures, and other qualities into unique dishes can be endless, delightful, making it delicious, fun and healthy at every meal.

Try layers of different vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans to keep our meals full of healthy ingredients for crunch, flavor, brightness and color.

White Bean Spread with Spinach and Red Peppers

Ingredients:

• 4 cups baby spinach leaves
• 1 can (15 oz.) white or garbanzo beans rinsed, and drained
• 1-2 Tbsp. fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken or Vegetable broth
• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1-2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• Salt and freshly ground, pepper to taste
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• ½ cup grated carrots
• ½ cup minced red onion (optional)
• 1jar (7 oz.) roasted red peppers paced in water, drained and chopped Paprika for garnish

How to Prepare:

• In dry nonstick skillet over medium high heat, sauté spinach with a pinch of salt, stirring constantly until wilted, 3-4 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• In food processor, puree beans with broth, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper.
• Add parsley and pulse until combined.
• Spread half of bean mixture onto dinner-sized serving plate, soothing top flat.
• Layer spinach evenly on top of beans. Sprinkle spinach with onions and carrots.
• Top with layer of roasted red peppers.
• Spread remaining white bean puree over red pepper.
• Sprinkle with paprika.

Serve dip with whole wheat pita bread wedges or gluten free bread or crackers.

Number of Servings:

This recipe makes 5 cups total = ¼ cup each per serving