We all know the catchy childhood songs about beans:

Beans, beans, the magical fruit
The more you eat, the more you toot.
The more you toot, the better you feel
So let's eat beans with every meal!

Or

Beans, beans, they're good for your heart
The more you eat, the more you fart.
The more you fart, the better you feel
So let's eat beans with every meal!

As odd as it sounds, beans are technically a fruit and a recent research study has once again confirmed their being good for your heart. More than just a meat substitute, beans are rich in antioxidants and high in fiber – with one cup of cooked beans (two-thirds of a can) providing about 12 grams of fiber, nearly half our recommended daily dose*.

Beyond their contribution of fiber and disease-fighting antioxidants, a diet emphasizing beans (about 1 serving daily) has been shown to significantly lower LDL (low density lipoprotein or "lousy”) cholesterol levels. If you don’t know much about LDL cholesterol, this is good news as high LDL levels are associated with heart disease. If your next physical involves a blood test, a LDL of less than 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) is optimal.  If your LDL levels are high, watch your intake of saturated fats and ensure to get enough fiber. Regular aerobic exercise also lowers LDL cholesterol and increases HDL (high density lipoproteins or "good") cholesterol to boot.

Alrighty then, whose ready for some hummus and veggies?

Easy ways to boost your bean intake:

• Hummus: A zesty dip to enjoy with cut up veggies, or an alternative to mayonnaise on a turkey sandwich.
  
• Chili with beans: Revitalize your traditional meat-laden chili with beans and enjoy leftovers for lunch or dinner that week.
  
• Salads: Include black, white, or red beans with your green salad, or let them take center stage such as in the three bean salad pictured above. Beans not only impart a silky texture, but also help us our in our efforts to eat a rainbow a day!
  
• Soups: Minestrone, lentil, black bean, and split pea soups make hearty, wholesome meals. Try adding beans to almost any soup as they add texture to chunky soups and creaminess to smooth soups.
  
• Pasta: Toss a can of pinto or white beans into spaghetti sauce for some volumetric action. I recently tried pureed white bean Alfredo sauce and it was surprisingly rich and delicious.
  
• Taco Tuesday – Swap out ½ the meat for beans for an economical and healthful Taco Tuesday special!
• Roasted – Put a can of rinsed and paper towel-dried garbanzos in the oven at 450 for 30 minutes with a little olive oil, salt and pepper for a delicious salty and crunchy snack that's also a healthy substitute for chips.
• Refried beans: Canned vegetarian refried beans are fat-free. Spread the warmed beans on a tortilla with some cheese and salsa for a quick and filling snack that fits into a tight budget.
  

*Dietary Fiber requirements for healthy adult males is 38gm/day, and 25 gm/day for adult females.

Busy weekend and I'm happy to finally be home relaxing and cooking up some goodness. First thing I made when I walked in the door was Giada De Laurentiis' easy beet, arugula and goat cheese salad...pure bliss. Of course, its only easy when you have all the ingredients on hand. More on a well-stocked kitchen in another post. What I want to write about though is the second dish I made this afternoon: kale chips. Easy, undeniably nutritious and delicious!

Albert's green thumb has yielded a very generous plant this year. It's a warm day so soup, in which kale is a great addition, really isn't an option. Hence, kale chips. But what is all the buzz around kale? Kale is considered a “superfood” because it's so nutritionally dense and full of antioxidants (vitamins A, C, K and flavonoids), anti-inflammatory nutrients (vitamin K and omega-3 fatty acids), and anti-cancer nutrients (vitamin K and glucosinolates - compounds responsible for the bitterness in greens).

In addition, one cup of chopped kale contains 33 calories and 20% of the RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) of dietary fiber, 9% of the daily value of calcium, 71% of vitamin C, 98% of vitamin A, and a whopping 1180% of vitamin K*. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus. Pretty exceptional! (All those stats came from the website Worlds Healthiest Foods - cheesy title, great resource)

You can buy a $5 a package of kale chips from a health food store, but a $2 bushel will easily yield three times as many chips. Of course growing the kale is most economical. If you have an hour on your hands, homemade kale chips are king. The simplest recipes call for just olive oil, salt and pepper. I prefer mine rich with roasty tahini. Any nut butter works, actually. Here you go, my Tangy Tahini kale chips, adapted from  Savory Simple's Spicy Tahini Kale Chips. Enjoy!

Tangy Tahini Kale Chips
1 large bunch of kale, inner ribs removed (lacinato kale aka "dinorsaur" kale is my favorie)
Juice from 1/2 lemon
4 cloves garlic chopped (more or less, to your preference)
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (I used homemade chili oil, its easy to make your own!)
2 heaping Tbsps tahini
1/2 tsp honey
Generous sprinklings of  crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F (or plug in your dehydrator). Line 2 baking sheets with foil or parchment. Wash and thoroughly dry the kale, then remove the leaves from the tough inner stem. Slice or rip into large pieces. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Toss in Kale and mix with your hands. Spread the chips in a single layer on the baking sheets or in the dehydrator. The dehydrator should take approximately 8 hours. The oven will take less than an hour (start checking on them after 30 minutes). They're ready when the seasonings are completely dry and the kale is crispy.

*Eating a diet rich in the powerful antioxidant vitamin K can reduce the overall risk of developing or dying from cancer, according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Vitamin K is abundant in kale but also found in parsley, spinach, collard greens, and broccoli.