Garlic has a strong flavor and smell which is the result of sulfur compounds. It is often used for flavoring of various meats and dishes. It is an extremely popular part of Mediterranean and Middle East countries as well as in China and India. Americans also consume a lot of garlic. More than 250 million pounds of garlic are estimated to be used by Americans each year and with the popularity of garlic’s health benefits, that number is steadily increasing.

The Varieties of Garlic
While many consumers may think that garlic is garlic, there are actually around 300 varieties of garlic that is grown worldwide. California is the leading state for garlic production and an estimated 90% of American garlic is grown there. Garlic is harvested in two different time periods – early, which is harvested during the middle of summer is white or off-white in color. Late garlic is off-white in color. Other varieties of garlic include:

American Garlic – has white skin and a strong flavor.

Chileno Garlic – has a reddish colored skin and is sharp-tasting. This variety of garlic is grown in Mexico.

Green Garlic – has a green color with a long green top and small whit bulb. Green garlic is harvested young so the flavor is milder than mature garlic.

Italian Garlic – has a mauve color and has a flavor considered to be milder than American garlic.

Selecting and Storing Garlic
Consumers can buy garlic all year around. It is available in both fresh and frozen form. When selecting fresh garlic, look for heads that are firm to the touch and stay away from soft or wrinkled cloves.  Keep garlic cloves in a cool, dark place but not in the refrigerator. It will stay good for several weeks. There are clay holders made to keep garlic fresh for longer periods of time. If cloves sprout, they are still usable but won’t have the same strength in flavor. Sprouts can be used like chives as an additive to many dishes.

Using Garlic
Peel the outer layers of skin from the bulb to remove the garlic cloves for full strength flavor. Whole unpeeled cloves can also be used for a muted flavor to some dishes. Garlic can be added while cooking or in a marinade and can be removed before serving the dish. Garlic can also be crushed, chopped, pressed or pureed. The more finely you cut the garlic, the stronger its flavor will be. Don’t use the green core of the garlic bulb as it is bitter in taste. When you cook with garlic, the flavor will be decreased in strength. The longer its cooked, the more mild it becomes. If sauteing with garlic, do not overcook it or use too high of a temperature or the garlic will become bitter tasting.

Recipe for Garlic

Garlic Chicken Adobo

You will need:

• 4 lbs of skinned chicken breast.
• 12 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced in half
• ½ cup of vinegar.
• ½ cup of soy sauce.
• ½ cup of water.
• Coarse ground black pepper, to taste.

To Prepare
Brown the chicken in a large skillet; then drain off the fat.

Add the garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, water and pepper.

Cover and simmer for about 35-40 minutes, until very tender. Turn the chicken once during this time.

© 2009, FIT FOR EVER. All rights reserved.

Choosing Fruits
Since pluots take after their plum parent, you’ll need to look for smooth skin, resembling plum. Apriums will have a slightly fuzzy skin. Both fruits should be plump, firm, and not green or blemished. You can find both fruits available between the months of May and September. The fruits are mostly grown in California and Washington.

Preparing to Eat
Like all fresh fruit and vegetables, you should thoroughly wash and dry them before eating. Both fruits have a pit in the center, which you can remove by cutting the fruit in half. You can also enjoy Pluots and Apriums cooked. Since both fruits are hybrids of other sweet fruits, both contain more natural sugar than either a plum or an apricot. These fruits are known for their juicy sweetness and tasty flavors.

Varieties of Fruit

Aprium
At the present time, there is only one variety of Aprium on the market. It is known as the Honey Rich and is bright orange in color.

Pluots
There are at least 20 varieties of this fruit. Each type contains a different percentage of plum and apricot and all will vary in size and color of the skin and the flesh.  Here are a few of the varieties:

Candy Stripe
medium, pink-yellow striped, with very sweet and juicy flesh.
Cherry
small, bright red skin with white flesh.
Dapple Dandy
large sweet with pale green to yellow, red-spotted skin, red or pink juicy flesh.
Flavorella
round, medium-sized, golden-yellow, with sweet and juicy flesh.
Flavor Heart
very large, black with a heart shape, and yellow flesh.
Flavor Rich
medium-sweet, large black round fruit with orange flesh.
Flavor Supreme
medium or large, greenish purple skin, juicy red flesh.
Flavor Queen
large light-green to yellow, very juicy.
Red Ray
medium, bright red with dense, sweet orange flesh.

Recipe for Pluots and Apriums

A fruit salad is a great way to eat both fruits. Here is a sample recipe for a tasty and healthy fruit salad.

What You Need:

• 2 Pluots © or Apriums ©
• 2 peaches
• 2 apples
• 2 white nectarines
• 2 bananas
• ½ cup pineapple chunks
• ½ cup grapes
• ½ cup plain low-fat yogurt
• orange juice
• pineapple juice
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• whipped topping (optional)

How to Make
Cut all fruit into chunks and sprinkle a small amount of the juices over the fruit. Mix up well. Add in yogurt and mix again. You can now sprinkle on some sugar but don’t mix it in. Place the bowl of fruit in the freezer for 30-45 minutes to chill. You can add whipped topping if desired when ready to eat.

© 2009, FIT FOR EVER. All rights reserved.

Choosing Okra

While okra is available all year around, it’s peak growing season is in the summer. You can select either frozen or fresh okra. When choosing okra, look for ones that are medium to dark in color with a skin that contains no blemishes. Okra can be picked after only two months of planting. They are generally picked when they are 2-3 inches long while they are still young so they remain tender. Older okra becomes tough.

Also, when choosing fresh okra, be sure to prepare it the same day; otherwise, you must store the vegetable in the warmest area of your refrigerator in a paper bag for up to 3 days. Putting okra in too cold of a temperature will cause okra to spoil. If you are going to store the okra, don’t wash them off until you are ready to use them or they will turn slimy. You can reduce the slimy quality of okra by trimming off the ends and not cutting into the okra. You should also avoid overly cooking okra in recipes.

Preparing Okra

Cutting okra can cause the vegetable to become slimy so it is best to cut it sparingly. Traditionally, okra is used in soups and stews as a thickening agent but can also be prepared boiled, steamed, sauteed, pickled, or whole as part of a stir-fry. It is very important to know that okra should never be cooked in pots or pans that are made of brass, copper, or iron because the chemical reaction will cause okra to turn black.

Serving size 1/2 cup cooked, sliced (80g)
Amounts Per Serving                                           % Daily Value
Calories 20
Calories from Fat 0                                                  0
Total Fat 0g                                                                 0%
Saturated Fat 0g                                                        0%
Sodium 0mg                                                                0%
Cholesterol 0mg                                                        0%
Total Carbohydrate 4g                                            1%
Dietary Fiber 2g                                                         7%
Sugars 1g
Protein 1g
Vitamin A                                                                     4%
Vitamin C                                                                   20%
Calcium                                                                         6%
Iron                                                                                 2%
(Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.)

Healthy Recipe Idea: TOMATO BASIL OKRA, SQUASH AND ZUCCHINI

1 large can diced tomatoes
2-6 squash, zucchini, fresh okra
1 small onion
1 clove of garlic
butter
salt
pepper
basil

Sauté onion and garlic clove in a tablespoon of oil and a tablespoon of butter just until the onion and garlic are transparent. While cooking down the onion and garlic, slice the squash and/or zucchini. Drain off oil and butter.

Preheat your pot on low to medium heat. Add onion, garlic, squash, zucchini, and okra, then add can of diced tomatoes. Add salt, pepper and basil to taste.

Let simmer on low to medium heat until squash and zucchini are cooked to desired tenderness. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, if desired. Remove from heat and serve.

© 2009, FIT FOR EVER. All rights reserved.

How It All Began
Born in 1890, Harland Sanders was an American entrepreneur who started cooking at the age of five when his father passed away and his mother began working to support the family.  He eventually left home and worked various jobs before enlisting in the army when he was sixteen.  It wasn’t until age forty that he began cooking and selling food to customers.  Given the title “Kentucky Colonel” by the then governor in 1935, he began calling himself simply “Colonel”.  He used his first social security check of $105 to fund visits to potential franchisees and faced over one thousand rejections before co-founding what we now know as KFC.

The Famous “Secret Recipe”
The special blend of 11 herbs and spices that make up the Colonel’s trademark “secret recipe” still remains a secret to all but a handful of individuals who are bound by a confidentiality contracts to ensure it remains a secret.  Colonel Sanders himself created the recipe over eighty years ago and it (the recipe) remains locked away in a safe in Louisville, Kentucky to this day.

So how does the franchisee produce the taste millions have grown to love?  Believe it or not there is a very high tech and elaborate security system in place to protect the information.  There are two companies that each blend only a portion of the recipe, with a computerized processing system finishing off the blending to ensure not one entity has all the information.

Menu and Preparation
When Colonel Sanders began preparing food the most convenient way to cook chicken quickly (for customer convenience) was not the most healthy method.  Pan fried chicken produced a great taste, however it took considerably longer than most customers where willing to wait, therefore most restaurants choose to deep fry their chicken which is considerably faster.  Around this time a new product came on the market which revolutionized how the Colonel prepared his chicken.  This new gadget…..the pressure cooker.  To this day, most of the chicken sold at KFC is still made the same way, fried under pressure.  For health conscious individuals looking for a healthier version, KFC has introduced what they call the “unfried side of KFC”- Kentucky Grilled Chicken.  This option has fewer calories, less sodium and fewer fat grams than the Original Recipe chicken that so many have come to love.  KFC also offers Tender Roast and Honey BBQ sandwiches and several sides that offer lower fat and caloric value.  All of their chicken items on the menu in addition to several sides have 0% trans fat.

Fast food restaurants have long been considered an unhealthy option for people looking to maintain a balanced diet.  In the fast paced world we live in, however, it is almost impossible to avoid picking up lunch or dinner at some point for yourself or family.  Fortunately fast food franchises have reacted to increased pressure to offer healthier alternatives.  To make an informed decision, consumers are encouraged to review the nutritional content of all menu items which are easy to find on franchise websites.

© 2009, FIT FOR EVER. All rights reserved.