Fresh, clean produce is always the best choice when cooking. Making sure that the food you are using is free from pesticides or artificial substances is fundamental to your health. Sometimes, produce can carry e-coli or some other bacteria. If you’re shopping at your local market, you can ask the grower about the conditions, but if you don’t know (and even if you do!), it’s best to wash your produce thoroughly.
Because I try to keep my diet healthy, I always read the ingredients of packaged foods. They often contain a lot of food dye, sugar, and artificial sweeteners that I do not like. Did you know that “natural flavors” is listed under ingredients that contain GMOs? A GMO is a plant or other organism whose makeup has been modified or controlled using selective breeding or laboratory procedures. Farmers do this to crops for a variety of reasons, including making their crops larger, more resistant to pests, or more nutritious.
I personally stay away from additives I can’t pronounce. Some examples are erythrosine (food coloring), glyphosate (chemical used to kill weeds), carrageenan (can cause ulcers and cancer), sodium nitrate (can cause cancer), and butane (found in chicken nuggets – a known carcinogen).
Most processed and canned foods have many additives that are unhealthy, which drives me towards even more fresh fruit and vegetables. Although it may take you a little longer to do your grocery shopping, reading labels can help you make better choices. Not only do fresh ingredients provide more nutrients compared to processed foods, they also deliver truer flavor. The purpose of food is to nourish you, so you should always buy fresh when you can. If you can’t buy fresh, frozen is a good substitute.
This dish is chock full of natural and whole ingredients. The next time you’re at your market, pick up these ingredients and make this dish. The sweet corn and red pepper combine to add sweet flavor and texture. The tomatoes take on the flavor of the lime, making it smooth and tangy. The mustard seed and cumin give it a nice savory depth of seasoning. Everything about this dish is healthy, delicious, and delightful.
This recipe will serve 4 to 6 people who will be thankful that you took the time to prepare such a wholesome dish.
Ingredients for Summer Corn with Tomatoes and Red Pepper:
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup diced tomato
3 cups fresh corn kernels
1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Add onions; sauté until translucent.
Add red pepper, mustard seeds, cumin, salt and pepper.
Cook until red pepper softens slightly.
Stir in tomatoes and cook about 5 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium and stir in corn kernels.
Cook until tender about 5 minutes.
Add salt, pepper, and lime juice
Take off heat and toss with parsley.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
It’s that simple!
Oh my, how my pants have grown!
