Summertime Succotash!

It seems like it has been a while since I put something healthy up and I also had an abnormal amount of frozen lima beans hanging out in the freezer, so it seemed time that I do something with them. Perhaps something healthy.

Photo Credit: Joseph De Leo (cookstr.com)

Like many other legumes, are fat-free and an excellent source of fibre which is important for lowering cholesterol. In addition to that, the fibre in lima beans prevent blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal, so if you are diabetic or hypoglycemic, these are a particularly good choice of food. When combined with a whole grains, they become a very good source of protein.

Now these benefits are similar to other legumes, but lima beans are an excellent source of molybdenum, which is a trace mineral the detoxifies sulfates which is a preservative used in wine, beer dried fruit, potatoes and sometimes on salad bars. Limas have over 80% of the daily intake of molybdenum in one cup.

So, Limas obviously have some great health benefits, but what to make? Succotash seemed like the obvious choice to try. I searched online and the tradition recipe for succotash is not really so healthy. Most of them called for nearly a cup of butter and granulated sugar. So I got out the Kind Diet for their vegan version and it was much better looking. Only a little butter and really I think you could cut it down even less if you wanted. I don't think having a bit of butter (vegan butter that is) is such a bad thing. Here is the recipe. it says it makes six servings, but I halved it and it seemed like it makes 1-2 servings if you are eating as a meal. Three, if you are having it as a side.

Summertime Succotash
From The Kind Diet

• 1 Tbs Earth balance Butter
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 cup of red onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 package of frozen limas, thawed (I think this about 2 cups)
• 1 cup of frozen or fresh corn
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 Tbsp basil, chopped
• 1 Tbsp of white or red balsamic vinegar

Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add the onion and cook for five to seven minutes or until the onion is soft. Add the garlic and cook another minute.

Stir in the lima beans ans saute for five more minutes. Add the cord and the tomatoes and cook until heated through (don't heat so long that the tomatoes start to cook, you want them to hold their shape). Remove from the heat and add the parsley, basil and vinegar.

Serve warm or cold. I tried both and warm was my favourite, but cold was pretty good too!

My thoughts on this dish? Easy to make with ingredients that I generally have around the house. It is quick and tasty and portable. While cooking I wondered about adding in cooked quinoa to the mix when you throw in the limas. You would need to up the oil/butter and the vinegar I think, but it would be a tasty addition for a one pan meal.