International Hot & Spicy Food day was this month, January 16th! You should keep spicy food in your diet because it is good for your health. If you love spicy food, you are in for a treat. We have two great spicy, meat- free recipes to wake up your taste buds, while keeping you healthy and slim. Read below to start heating up your kitchen.
Did You Know?
Did you know capsaicin, a compound in chilies, could help boost your metabolism? It can! A tablespoon of chopped red or green chilies can improve the performance of your nervous system and burns calories up to 23%! Not to mention, spicy foods can support heart health by increasing blood flow throughout the body.
Here are some great, spicy recipes you should try today:
Tangy Tofu Stir Fry
Add to your next tofu stir-fry sriracha. Sriracha is a tangy, sweet, Thai hot sauce. All you need is a food processor to cut your vegetables well. Use rice vinegar to bring out the flavor in the vegetables and noodles. Here are the ingredients:
Ø1 box of extra-firm tofu
Ø2 tablespoons sriracha sauce
Ø8 ounces of dry soba noodles
Ø 2 teaspoons peanut oil
Ø3 cloves garlic, minced
Ø1 1”piece fresh ginger, finely chopped
Ø3 medium carrots, cut into strips
Ø1 medium red bell pepper, julienne
Ø1 cup of sliced mushrooms
Ø4 scallions, cut into 1” pieces
Ø1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained
Ø1 tablespoon cornstarch
ؽ cup reduced-sodium vegetable broth
Ø3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
Ø2 tablespoons natural rice vinegar (not seasoned)
Ø1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil
Read directions and nutritional facts here.
Low-Fat Spicy Mac and Cheese
Are you a Mac and Cheese lover? If yes, this is a wonderful comfort food dish to make! The Mac and Cheese contains chipotle chile pepper to give you the perfect kick. It can be made healthier with reduced-fat milk. Here are the ingredients:
Ø3 C elbow macaroni
Ø3 Med Scallions, Chopped
Ø3 tbsp all-purpose flour
Ø2 ½ C shredded reduced-fat (2%) sharp cheddar cheese (10 oz).
Ø ½ C reduced-fat sour cream
Ø 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
Ø 1 tsp chopped chipotle chile pepper in adobo sauce
Ø ½ tsp salt
Ø 3 tbsp dried bread crumbs
Ø 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
Ø 2 tsp olive oil
Read the directions and nutritional facts here.
For a great selection of nutritious, fresh and spicy foods, shop at Hearn Kirkwood, contact Hearn Kirkwood by calling 410.712.6000 (Baltimore), 301.621.2992 (Washington DC), or visit our website!
Hearn Kirkwood is a privately held Food Service Distributor specializing in produce, meat, poultry, dairy, and seafood. Since our founding in 1946, we have grown from a store front on the downtown Baltimore Produce Market to a 60,000 sq. ft. facility. Hearn Kirkwood purchases 90% of our fresh produce direct from California, Florida, Texas, etc. with the balance supplied by local markets. We are located within one mile of Route 295 and I95 providing us with easy access to Baltimore, Washington and Virginia.
Hearn Kirkwood currently operates a fleet of 33 refrigerated trucks. Our service area includes all of Maryland, Washington D.C., Delaware and Northern Virginia – with limited service to Fredericksburg, Philadelphia, and New Jersey.
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Source: Meatless Monday: Hot and Spicy Food