Summer Mango, Black Bean & Corn Salsa

Salsa has traditionally been made with a combination of tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and spice from chili peppers. This type of salsa has usually been used in Mexican dishes and as a dip for chips. 

Many people enjoy salsa on:

• Sweet Potato or Corn Chips

• Turkey or Beef Burgers 

• Baked or Sweet potatoes 

• Stuffed Peppers

• Eggs 

• Tacos/Burritos/Quesadillas 

• Mix in with tuna

• Green Salads

• Pork Chops 

Health Benefits of Salsa: 

• Easy and tasty way to add an extra serving of fruits/vegetables to your diet 

• Provides a wide range of antioxidants, vitamins, natural phytochemicals, fiber, protein, and potassium

• Adds flavor without the sodium as long as it is prepared low sodium

Why cut the sodium?

Sodium is a mineral that is naturally found in foods and is also added to some foods. Sodium plays an important role maintaining fluid balance in the body.

Limiting dietary sodium has been associated with improved blood pressure and heart health. Reduced sodium diet may help to prevent the build up of excess fluid in the body.

Did you know?
Processed and restaurant foods account for 70% of adults’ dietary sodium intake. Salt added during home cooking only account for 5-6% of daily sodium intake.

Recipe:

Prep: 10min

Total Time: 10min

Servings: 12

Ingredients

·    1 ½ cup low sodium corn

     15 ounces low sodium black beans
1 medium mango, cubed
¼ onion, chopped
¼ cup cilantro, minced
2 Tbs lime juice
1 tsp garlic salt
¼ tsp ground cumin

Instructions

·     In a large bowl mix all the ingredient together
Refrigerate salsa for at least one hour to let the flavors blend
Serve as a dip or on top of your favorite dishes

Nutrient Analysis of Recipe:

Serving Size: ¼ cup

Calories: 70

Sat. Fat: 0g

Sodium: 314mg

Carbohydrate: 14g

Sugars: 6g

Fiber: 2g

Protein: 3g

"NO GUILT" BROWNIES

Ingredients

3 cups black beans (1 15-oz can, drained and rinsed very well), reduced sodium or no sodium

4 tbsp cocoa powder

1 cup quick oats

¼-1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp baking powder

¾ - 1 cup chocolate chips (I also think less than ¾ cup works well but this is personal preference)

Chocolate chips for presentation

Add some walnuts and/or ground flax for added nutrition

Instructions

Black Bean Brownies Recipe: Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine all ingredients except chips in a good food processor, and blend until completely smooth. Really blend well. (A blender can work if you absolutely must, but the texture—and even the taste—will be much better in a food processor.) Stir in the chips, then pour into a greased 8×8 pan. Optional: sprinkle extra chocolate chips over the top. Cook the black bean brownies 15-18 minutes, then let cool at least 10 minutes before trying to cut. If they still look a bit undercooked, you can place them in the fridge overnight and they will magically firm up! Makes 9-12 brownies. The trick with these: serve them first, and then reveal the secret ingredient. You can also make a thicker brownie and cutting them into smaller pieces by using 1 1/2 times the recipes. Cooking time increases slightly.

Yield: 18-24 brownies

Per Black Bean Brownie:

Calories: 137

Fat: 6g

Carbs: 15-19g

Sugars 10g

Fiber: 3g

Protein: 3g

Sodium: 17mg

HEALTHIER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH DIP

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups chickpeas or white beans (1 can, drained and rinsed very well)

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp baking soda

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup nut butter of choice (If you use peanut butter, it will have a slight peanut butter cookie dough taste)

up to 1/4 cup milk of choice, only if needed

¾  cup brown sugar

1/3 cup chocolate chips

2 to 3 tbsp oats (Ground flax will also work)

Instructions

Add all ingredients (except for chocolate chips) to a good food processor, and process until very smooth. Then mix in the chocolate chips. If made correctly and blended long enough, this should have the exact texture of real cookie dough!

Sweetener Notes: You can get away with less sugar– some people will be perfectly fine with just 3 tbsp for the whole recipe!

This can be served with graham crackers (with no hydrogenated fat), but fresh fruit (especially green apple slices) also works or try it by the spoonful.

Taken from chocolatecoveredkatie.com