Edamame

EDAMAME - SOY- Good Snack

Eat ½ a cup of Edamame as snack.

Make sure you are not allergic to SOY.

Soy is used for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and preventing diseases of the heart and blood vessels. It is also used for type 2 diabetes, asthma, lung cancer, endometrial cancer, prostate cancer, and thyroid cancer, as well as preventing weak bones (osteoporosis), and slowing the progression of kidney disease.

Other uses include treating constipation and diarrhea, as well as decreasing protein in the urine of people with kidney disease, improving memory, and treating muscle soreness caused by exercise.

Women use soy for breast pain, preventing breast cancer, preventing hot flashes after breast cancer, menopausal symptoms, and premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Soy contains "isoflavones" which are changed in the body to "phytoestrogens," which are similar to the hormone estrogen.

Quite simply, edamame is possibly nature's perfect food. Edamame, also known as young soybeans, is a complete protein. It's rich in fiber, and heart-healthy mono-unsaturated fats. It's rich in plant-based protein, gluten-free, low in carbohydrates and is diabetes friendly. Most importantly, edamame tastes great and is fun to eat!

Beneficial compounds in Edamame include:

• isoflavones such as genistein and daidzein, which act as antioxidants
• alpha-lineolic acid, which may be beneficial for cardiovascular health
• heart healthy unsaturated fats, omega-3 and omega-6

Here's what you'll find in a half-cup serving of shelled edamame (or 1 1/8 cup edamame in the pods):

• 120 calories
• 9 grams fiber
• 2.5 grams fat
• 1.5 grams polyunsaturated fat (0.3 grams plant omega-3 fatty acids)
• 0.5 gram monounsaturated fat
• 11 grams protein
• 13 grams carbohydrate
• 15 mg sodium
• 10% of the Daily Value for vitamin C
• 10% Daily Value for iron
• 8% Daily Value for vitamin A
• 4% Daily Value for calcium

As you can see, that little serving of edamame gives you a bunch of fiber: 9 grams, about the same amount you'll find in 4 slices of whole-wheat bread or 4 cups of steamed zucchini. It has almost as much protein as it does carbohydrate. It contains around 10% of the Daily Value for two key antioxidants; vitamins C and A. And for a plant food, it's quite high in iron; it has about as much as a 4-ounce roasted chicken breast.

Edamame Corn Salad on top of Lettuce

Edamame-Corn Relish

1 -16 ounce bag frozen sweet corn

1 -16 ounce bag frozen shelled edamame

¼ each red onion, diced

2 each Roma tomatoes, diced

1 medium cucumber, peeled and diced

2 teaspoons garlic, minced

½ cup red wine vinegar

½ cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

Red Wine Vinaigrette

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 each shallot

1 teaspoon dried basil

½ cup red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/3 cup vegetable oil

Lettuce Mix

4 cups chopped romaine

4 cups chopped iceberg

Preheat oven to 400˚F.

On a baking sheet add sweet corn and edamame, place on oven for 10-12 mintues or until corn starts to brown. Remove from oven, cool. In a large mixing bowl add edamame, corn, red onion, tomatoes, cucumber and garlic, mix well. In a small mixing bowl add red wine vinegar, vegetable oil, salt and pepper, mix together. Add to corn mixture, toss to mix. Set aside.

For the vinaigrette, in a small mixing bowl add garlic, oregano, shallot, basil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. With a hand-held mixer-immersion blender, puree all ingredients. Slowly drizzle in oil while mixing to emulsify dressing.