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Collard greens can look pretty intimidating - they range from large to gigantic, and look like they'd take hours to prep and even longer to cook. But this is totally not the case. If you know how to tame them, they're easily prepped and very quickly cooked. They're a boon to the plant-based diet, as they're a fantastic source of calcium (better than kale) and rich in vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients. Forget about the old way of cooking them in a bit pot of boiling water. That way, collards lose color, flavor, and nutrients. Prepping them with this easier, more contemporary technique preserves all that is great about collards.  [Read more...]

Dragon fruit is probably one of the weirdest fruits you'll come across at the store. From the outside it looks bright pink and green and irregular. When you cut into it, it looks like peppered ice cream. You may even be wondering how to eat dragon fruit.

But dragon fruit is a delicious addition to any vegan diet, as it's high in vitamin C, good fatty acids, B vitamins, carotene and even packs in some protein. Meet your new favorite superfood. Here's some background on the fruit and, of course, how to eat dragon fruit.

Some background

Dragon fruit comes from Central America and is also called the pitya. It's also grown in Southeast Asian countries like Thailand and Vietnam. It grows off a cactus-like plant. It's crunchy and has a mild sweet taste like a more muted kiwi. The little black seeds in the fruit are totally edible, again, like the kiwi.

For the basics of how to eat dragon fruit, you just cut into it, right down the middle. Then you scoop out the white fruit, which comes out very easily. It's commonly served up in its own skin as a bowl, since the bright pink makes a great presentation. You can also quarter it and peel off the pink skin, since the skin will taste bitter. From there you can cube it, slice it or ball it. Then add it to your favorite fruit salads or just eat it by itself plain. Many people eat dragon fruit chilled, as that's said to bring out the flavor better.

If you're in the store looking for a dragon fruit, the fruit should feel slightly soft as you press your fingers into it. (Like a mango.) Just make sure it doesn't feel mushy. The fruit itself should look bright pink, and make sure there are no dark spots or bruises.

Creative ways to eat dragon fruit

Once you're familiar with the basic fruit itself, you may be wondering what else you can do with it. There are several great uses for dragon fruit. For instance, a popular use for dragon fruit is to add it to a tropical fruit salad. You merely cube the dragon fruit, along with pineapple, mango and banana.

A neat idea for parties is to make a tropical fruit kabob with cubed dragon fruit and kiwi on a skewer. Then you simply stick the skewers on the grill until there is a nice little browning of the fruit where the grill grates were. You can end by sprinkling them with sugar.

It also makes a sweet addition to any fruit smoothie or smoothie bowl. You can blend it up with soy or almond milk. You can also optionally add anything else you'd like, such as berries, sugar, juice or even nut butters. Melon-balled bits of dragon fruit make a wonderful garnish on top, too.

Dragon fruit even makes a wonderful frozen treat. You can juice or blend the fruit alone or with other fruits, and then add it to a popsicle mold. A neat idea is also serving a basic vegan sorbet scooped into a halved, frozen dragon fruit that has a little bit a dip cut into the middle. Than you can eat the sorbet with the frozen fruit for a refreshing treat.

Chia, hemp, and flaxseeds seem to be everywhere these days! This trio of tiny seeds offers an abundance of health benefits, not the least of which are the valuable Omega-3 fatty acids. These seeds aren't just for those following plant-based diets, but anyone who wants to boost their intake of nutrients. Read on for a brief introduction to these small but mighty super foods, their comparative benefits, and some ways to use them in your daily fare. [Read more...]