Sprouting Up Good Nutrition

By Colleen Walsh Fong

What packs a nutritional powerhouse, but keeps the calorie count low? And keeps you and your kitchen from overheating?

The dog days of August always leave me looking for ways to chill out. A delicious way to cool the body while keeping the fuel level high is eating cold, crisp sprouts. And here are some reasons why you should give them a try:

· Uncooked, sprouted vegetables, beans, and grains produce a high quality of protein, rich in amino acids that boost the immune system. That’s why they’re thought to prevent some cancers, heart disease, and inflammation based ailments.

· Sprouts provide a more intense fiber that cleanses the body of toxins and fats more efficiently than nuts and grains.

· These curly cues with a tail contain high concentrations of key vitamins, including A, B-complex, C, and E.

· You can grow them yourself at home inexpensively.

Most people think of sprouts as a salad topper, and the most commonly used ones are alfalfa and mung bean. But there are all kinds of delicious sprouts with lots of different flavors that can easily be incorporated into cold dishes. I played around with some different kinds recently and received rave reviews from tasters of two cold summery sprout salads. They can be used as either sides or main dishes. Loaded with taste, they’re also full of nutrition. I’ll share the quickest one here.

Mixed Sprout Salad

Ingredients

· 1 C Sunny Creek Farm Organic Crunchy Mix of Adzuki, Lentil, and Pea Sprouts

· 1 C Alfalfa and Radish Sprouts

· 1/2 C Clover Sprouts

· 1/2 C Fresh Edamame, shelled

· 1/2 C Broccoli Sprouts

· 2 C Fresh Arugula

· 2 Scallions, chopped

· 1/4 C Fresh Dill, snipped

· 2 T Fresh Chives, snipped

· Sesame Ginger Dressing to taste

· 1 head Mountain Fresh Living Lettuce (or Bibb Lettuce)

Procedure

· Toss crunchy mix, all sprouts, edamame, arugula, scallions, dill, and chives in a large mixing bowl until blended.

· Drizzle dressing over vegetables and toss to coat.

· Separate lettuce leaves and place four onto each of four salad plates with leaf bases in the middle and leafy edges facing toward plate edges.

· Set generous amounts of salad on top of leaves on each plate.

· Serve.

Delicious flavor will sprout all over your taste buds as you enjoy this cool, crunchy, and highly nutritious salad!

Photo Courtesy of Easy Weekly Meals

Colleen is the author of 3 touchscreen cookbooks that do everything but the cooking for you. Check them out and find free recipes and helpful cooking and food info here.