Food
Recipe – Lemon Broccoli Pasta Salad
Lemons
The lemon is a species of small evergreen trees native to Asia, primarily northeast India, northern Myanmar and China, although production had spread to much of the world by the 14th century. We can thank Christopher Columbus for their introduction to the Americas in 1493. By the 19th century, lemons were increasingly planted in Florida ...Recipe – Granola Bites
Vanilla
Vanilla is a spice derived from orchids, primarly obtained from pods of the Mexican flat-leaved vanilla species. The vanilla orchid must be pollinated in order to produce the fruit from which the vanilla spice is obtained. Although one species of bee, the Eulema, found in Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, northern Mexico, and occasionally in the U.S., ...Recipe – Creamy Vegan Banana Pudding
The Banana
Bananas are one of the most versatile foods available. They come in their own container and can be eaten right out of the peel. The banana plant, also called a banana tree, is technically regarded as an herb, not a tree, because the stem doesn’t have true woody tissue. Bananas are the most popular fruit in ...Recipe – Sprouted Sunflower Seed Paté
Sunflower Seeds
While living in Nebraska, I regularly drove down to Kansas to visit my parents. Along my regular route, there was a massive field of sunflowers. When I headed south in the morning, all the sunflowers would be facing east, and when I headed north in the evening, they would all be facing west. I ...Recipe – Creamy Vegetable Noodle Soup
Bell Pepper
The bell pepper (Capsicum annuum), often mistaken for a vegetable, is really a nutritious fruit with great health benefits. Bell peppers, or sweet peppers, are brightly hued and beautifully bell-shaped, ringing with high flavor and nutritional notes. Bell peppers come in a rainbow of shades—green, red, white, yellow, orange, purple, brown, and even black. Powerful, ...Recipe – Braised Celery
Celery
Because some people fail to appreciate the unique flavor of celery, its health benefits are often overlooked. Celery is rich in antioxidants, which protect cells, blood vessels, and organs from oxidative damage. Celery reduces inflammation. Chronic inflammation has been linked to many illnesses, including arthritis and osteoporosis. Celery and celery seeds have approximately 25 anti-inflammatory compounds. The ...Recipe – Popcorn
The ample dietary fiber and typically low calorie count of popcorn make it easy to understand why many people think of popcorn as a healthy food. And guess what? Properly prepared, it is! “[Popcorn] … is a whole grain, and high-fiber whole grains have been linked to a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, some cancers, ...