Variety comparisons and diverse culinary forms, such as juices or dried extracts, determine the nutritional value and physiological impact of plant-based diets on systemic health.
Shaped similar to an egg or pear, small white eggplant features a creamy texture and delicate flavor. Low in calories and high in vitamins and nutrients, eggplant is an excellent addition to any meal or side dish.
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With their sweet taste, distinctive smell and bright yellow color, bananas boast a wide variety of uses from food source to medicinal purposes.
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Warm and fresh from the oven with hints of cinnamon wafting through the air and enticing your taste buds to succumb to its gooey, crunchy bliss, apple crisp is hard to pass up.
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Tomato sauce is used as a base for many dishes, including pasta, soups, pizza and Mexican foods. Tins and jars of tomato sauce line grocery store shelves, but making sauce from fresh tomatoes gives the finished product a more intense tomato flavor.
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In the Southwestern United States, corn flour is known as "masa," or "dough" in Spanish. Masa is made from corn that has been soaked in lime water overnight, dried and then ground. This flour is useful for making corn tortillas, tamales, empanadas and other items in Latin cooking.
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You may be surprised to find out there is no relationship between sweet potatoes and yams. Although often confused, yams relate closer to lilies and grass than to sweet potatoes, and sweet potatoes are more like the morning glory flower.
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Fresh pineapple adds a tropical taste to many dishes and can be eaten alone for a nutritious treat. If you need crushed pineapple for a recipe, or prefer to eat it crushed as opposed to chunks, you can crush it right in your kitchen.
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Zucchini is a variety of summer squash commonly used in Italian cooking. Some recipes actually refer to it as "Italian squash." However, other varieties of summer squash are sometimes called Italian squash as well.
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Americans consumed more oranges than any other fruit between 2000 and 2010, according to the USDA, and commercial growers produce 7,500 apple varieties, according to the University of Illinois Extension. Evaluating the value of the two fruits in the diet requires reviewing American dietary guidelines.
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Fajitas were born of necessity. Mexican ranch workers in the 1930s and 19040s were given tough cuts of butchered steer as part of their wages. They learned how to make the best of chewy skirt steak by grilling it, cutting it into narrow strips and rolling it into a tortilla along with piles of fried peppers and onions.
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Puffball mushrooms are similar to tofu in color and in texture and can be cooked in a similar fashion. Preferred methods of cooking puffballs range from cubing the flesh and simmering it in a soup to slicing the mushroom and frying it. Puffballs can also be baked, grilled, sautéed and steamed.
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You probably know that fruits are a nutritious part of a healthy diet, but you might not be aware of all the digestive benefits they offer. Packed with sweet flavor, bananas provide lots of dietary fiber and potassium, an essential mineral.
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When cooking a meal, the more you can cook at the same time or in the same convention, the simpler the prep, monitoring and cleanup are. Smoking corn on the cob while smoking ribs or other meats not only makes things easier, it can also add some subtle flavors to the smoked corn from the meat.
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Asparagus makes a flavorful accompaniment to meat dishes, salads, soups and casseroles. It's healthy, too; half cup of frozen asparagus, which is a typical serving size, contains 30 percent of your daily recommended vitamin C amount, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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Grilling corn on the cob is a popular way to prepare the summertime food because it can be done in just a few minutes' time. But how you choose to place the corn on the grill is a matter of personal preference.
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Beets are often added to salads and soups, and for good reason. Just one cup of raw beet offers 2.2 g protein, 3.8 g of fiber, folate, vitamin C and potassium, all for the tiny caloric price tag of 58 calories. Beets are easy to add to recipes when they've been steamed for maximum flavor and softness.
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Strawberries are a delicious and versatile fruit that can be used to make nutritious smoothies, decadent desserts, healthy low-calorie salads or be eaten straight out of the carton as a snack. Plus, strawberries provide you with antioxidants, folate, vitamin C, potassium and fiber.
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Mangetout, also called snow peas, get their name -- translated from French, it means "eat all" -- from their characteristic edible pods. Technically unripe, the pods and their undeveloped peas are eaten together, either raw and crunchy or cooked to soften and sweeten but still retain a little bite.
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The Three Olives Company was created in 1998. Three Olives Vodka is known for its 17 varieties of lactose-free, gluten free, vegan vodkas. Vodka fans know that a smooth, tasteful vodka is what makes or breaks a vodka cocktail or martini.
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Carrots are an excellent source of vitamin A, in the form of beta-carotene, an antioxidant important for the health of your eyesight and skin. Beta-carotene may also provide protection against heart disease and some cancers, according to the University of Illinois Extension.
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