UPDATED March 26th, 2018
This is the first in a series of articles showing how you can eat better and more nutritiously just by thinking COLOR! If you match fruits and vegetables to each color of the color wheel, you’ll automatically get more vitamins and nutrients into your family’s diet.
This month, we start with orange foods. Orange fruits and vegetables contain beta carotene a powerful antioxidant that helps balance blood sugar level and promotes healthy eyesight. In the recipes below, we’ll focus on a few of the nutrient rich powerhouses including sweet potatoes (a great choice for diabetics), mangoes (high in iron!) and papayas (helps the digestive system). And the good news is that all of these orange foods taste great.
OVEN-FRIED SWEET POTATO CHIPS WITH ANCHO CHILE SALT
Makes: About 4 cups
Ingredients
2 medium sweet potatoes,peeled (about 1 lb)
3 T olive oil
2 t chile salt (see below)
Instructions
For the Chile Salt:
- Combine ½ c. kosher salt and 2 T powdered ancho or chipotle chile.
- Store in an airtight jar for up to 3 months.
For the Chips:
- Preheat oven to 425º.
- With a vegetable peeler, peel thin strips of sweet potato directly onto baking sheets in a single layer.
- Drizzle evenly with the olive oil and the chile salt and toss to coat.
- Roast for 25-30 minutes, or until crispy and browned.
- Cool and store airtight.
RAW SQUASH & KALE SALAD WITH PEPITAS AND COTIJA CHEESE
Serves: 4-6 as a side dish
Ingredients
1 large bunch of kale, washed, stemmed and roughly chopped
2 T olive oil
½ t kosher salt
Juice of ½ lemon
Juice of ½ orange
½ t ground cumin, toasted in a dry frying pan until fragrant
3 T pepitas, raw or toasted
4 T cotija cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, massage the olive oil and salt into the kale until it wilts.
- Add the remaining ingredients and toss to combine.
CHILLED MANGO-LIME GAZPACHO
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
2 c.ripe mango, peeled and seeded
1 large red or orange tomato, halved and seeded
1 small green or red bell pepper, halved and seeded
½ small purple onion, peeled and halved
½ cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 T jalapeno or fresno pepper, seeded and minced
2 c tomato juice
1 c orange juice
½ c. freshly-squeezed lime juice
1 t sea salt or kosher salt
1 ripe avocado, peeled and diced, for garnish
Note: Ripe papaya can be substituted for the mango. Or you can use a combination of both.
Instructions
- Dice ½ c of the mango and set aside, along with the avocado for garnish.
- Combine the remaining ingredients in an electric blender or food processor and pulse until coarsely pureed.
- Chill or serve immediately, topped with the reserved mango and avocado.
