I started a Winter Weight Loss and Fitness Challenge on my forum for the sole reason of busting a belief about “not being able to stick to a fitness program over the holidays”. To fully bust it, I decided to start a fitness program over the holidays and get a bunch of friends from the forum to join me. My part of this homework assignment, which you’ll see below was my Mung Bean Dahl Recipe.
We started on December 1st, 2007 and this first session will last a full 3 months.
At the beginning of each month, we set our goals and then take weekly steps towards them. We check in each Sunday night or Monday morning with our results for the week as well as set new goals for the upcoming week.
Bearly Joe posted any possible challenges he knew were coming up in the week as well as listing what he can do to be proactive about it. He prepares in advance for things that might take him off course. I thought it was a great idea and have incorporated it into the challenge.
I decided to create some homework in the 3rd week.
Winter Weight Loss and Fitness Challenge
The idea of homework was again, to be proactive about health and nutrition. To assign homework that would educate the members on whole foods, their nutritional value and to create a recipe that included the food they were studying. For this first homework assignment, I asked everyone to research a vegetable that they’ve never eaten before and then turn in their results within 2 weeks. (it was the Christmas holidays, so I wanted to give ample room).
Bearly Joe, from Madison Wisconsin joined the forum in July, but wasn’t active until I sent out the notice about this weight loss challenge. He’s since asked us to play “Stump The Vegan Know-It-All” having been vegetarian / vegan for a great many years. He’s since become a wealth of knowledge on all things green.
3rd Week Homework
Here’s what I posted in the forum for the homework assignment:
- Find a new vegetable that you’ve not eaten before and :
- Research the vegetable – what are the nutritional benefits, amounts of fiber, is it a starch or not and do a small report about it, then :
- Create a recipe using the new vegetable. Or work the vegetable into a recipe that you already make and then :
- Post your report and your recipe here in the Challenge Homework Topic
Joe picked Collard Greens stating
Since I have tried every vegetable available, I will offer information on a group of vegetables few people eat enough of — dark, leafy greens. These vegetables pack a nutritional punch to which no other food can compare.
He left us with Collard Greens full nutritional profile including what parts to cook, trimming, washing and cooking and then his favorite recipe
Sautéed Collard Greens
a recipe by Bearly Joe
6 cups chopped, washed, fresh, organic collards
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup diced shallots
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes (or 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes)
1 teaspoon lightly toasted sesame seeds
scant drizzle (about 1/4 teaspoon) dark roasted sesame oil
In a cold, large, deep frying pan, add the oil and warm to medium heat. Add the shallots and saute for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the shallots are translucent. Add the garlic and saute an additional minute. Add the pepper, and saute for an additional 30 seconds, scraping the bottom of the pan constantly and even distributing the pepper through the oil and other ingredients.
Place the greens in the pan, mixing thoroughly with the other ingredients. Cover for one minute, then uncover and again thoroughly mix. Repeat until greens are done, about five minutes. Immediately remove from heat. Drizzle a scant amount of dark roasted sesame oil over the greens and mix. Plate, and garnish with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds.
2 large servings, each about 225 kcal. Delicious with red beans and rice.
Joe says that this recipe can be used for any organic greens such as Collards, Chard or Kale so feel free to modify.
Since Darlene and I were doing research for bean and legume recipes for her January recipes here on the blog, I chose Mung Beans.
Here is my official homework assignment from the winter weight loss and fitness challenge 2007:
Mung Beans Nutritional Information
Mung beans are small, oval and green in color. They’re native of India where they are a staple but are also used in China, Japan, Korea, Thailand and Southeast Asia. Mung beans can be eaten whole, with or without their skins, or sprouted and thrown into salads for a nutritional boost.
Mung beans do not require pre-soaking, so are perfect for a last minute bean recipe.
In Ayurveda, Mung beans are cherished because they are tridoshic – meaning they can be eaten to balance all three dosha’s, Vata, Pita and Kapha.
Mung beans are very nourishing and easy to digest
Mung Bean Nutritional Information
Finding mung bean nutritional information was a bit of a challenge. I found lots of references to canned mung beans and tables showing various bean nutritional information but not from reliable sources (my opinion), but finally found this:
In 3.5 oz or 100g
Calories: 350
Total Fat: 1 g
Carbohydrates: 63g
Fiber: 16g (that’s a shit load, by the way)
Sugars: 7g
Protein: 24g (nice healthy amount)
But with all the information on the internet and not knowing the sources, I still didn’t trust even this bit of info. I mean, they’re Mung beans, and to have 63g of carbohydrates?
So for the final word on mung bean nutritional information, I had to turn to the book I first bought when I became vegetarian back in 1993, the Corinne T Netzer Encyclopedia of Food Values.
Just as I thought
The Real Mung Bean Nutritional Information
In ½ cup of cooked mung beans
Calories: 95
Total Fat: .5g
Carbohydrates: 16.5g
Fiber: 1.2g
Protein: 6.8g
Source (Corinne T Netzer’s Enclycopedia of Food Values, p 392)
So here it is, what I’ve been dying to share with you and my homework for this week, my Mung Bean Dahl recipe!
Rob’s Kick Ass Mung Bean Dahl Recipe
4 cups purified water or vegetable stock
1 cup Mung Beans
1 Onion diced fine
2 Carrots, cut in cubes
2 Celery, thinly sliced
2 Cloves Garlic (large cloves), cut, sliced or through a Garlic press
1 Tbl. Fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 Chili Pepper (red or green), seeded and minced
1 Tbl. Cumin Seed
1 tsp. Cumin powder
1 tsp. Curry Powder
¼ tsp Black Pepper, Ground
Pinch Cayenne pepper
½ cup Bragg’s Liquid Amino’s
Rince beans and place in pot with 4 cups water or stock on medium high heat. Add veggies, including ginger, garlic and chili pepper, cook until beans are soft, approx 45 mins. Stir occasionally.
Add Bragg’s and remaining ingredients. Cook for an additional 5 minutes to let spices mix, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat and enjoy.
This Mung Bean Dahl recipe is an excellent side dish or main dish and I eat it enough that I make a double portion in a larger pot and store it in the fridge, reheating it for my meals. This is a personal favorite which I make once or twice in a month along with our Red Lentil Dahl.
This recipe makes use of Red Chili Peppers. I love chili peppers because I love anything that adds a kick to my food and because “Mild” is not in my vocabulary. I’m a hot sauce aficionado as well as loving Ginger and garlic. I’ve been known to steep my Sunrider Calli tea in the winter mornings with a few pieces of organic ginger for a Ginger Calli Tea.
In my Dahl recipe, I use 1 or 2 Red Chili Peppers with the seeds and all. For extra credit on my homework, I’ll tell you a little bit about their nutritional information.
Chili Peppers Nutritional Information
Chili peppers contain Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Potassium and a little iron, but it’s in the health benefits that this little rocket comes alive.
- Contains capsaicin which fights inflammation
- Has been shown to reduce cholesterol
- Capsaicin not only reduces pain but helps clear mucus
- Boosts Immunity
- Helps stop the spread of prostate cancer
- Weight Loss – The heat from chili peppers significantly increases thermogenesis and oxygen consumption for more than 20 minutes after they are eaten
- Lowers risk of type 2 diabetes (source)
Chili Peppers rank “very good” on the Worlds Healthiest Foods Rating
So that’s my homework for the 3rd week of the Winter Weight Loss and Fitness Challenge 2007. Next week I’m going to assign homework having to do with beans and legumes seeing as how it’s bean and legume month here on the blog.
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