Pico de Gallo for Health

Posted by Caley on April 9th, 2009 at 04:14am

After a long day, summoning the energy to cook a complicated meal can be difficult. But you still want to eat a delicious and healthy supper right?  Fortunately, I think some of the best meals require the fewest ingredients and cook in a flash. Last night, for example, we made shrimp tacos. We marinated the shrimp in a bit of cumin and garlic for a short time while we made a fresh pico de gallo. Preparing dinner cook us maybe 10 minutes tops.

Pico de gallo is freshly chopped tomatoes, onion and chili at it’s most basic. Cilantro and lime juice are also commonly added.  You will find fresh pico de gallo at almost every restaurant in Mexico, and not the soupy jarred “salsa” served at too many Mexican restaraunts in the states. For a twist, we made mango pico de gallo, which had about one-half of a mango. Served over the shrimp cooked for a few moments in olive oil, the result was absolutely delicious. This pico de gallo is also very healthy. Here ares just some of the health benefits of chilies and mango:

Chili Peppers

• Help burn fat by boosting body’s metabolism.
• Contain over three times the amount of antioxidant Vitamin C as oranges.
• Have an anti-inflammatory effect, which can help treats headaches, sinus pressure and arthritis

Mango

• Contain phenols, which are strong antioxidants.
• Are a great source of iron.
• Contain vitamin A, selenium and vitamin E, which help protect against heart disease.

We also included some shaved carrots in our tacos for a bit of crunch and extra veggie power, but you could use regular lettuce or red cabbage. Create a healthy “slaw” of sorts with chopped red cabbage, sesame seeds and lime juice. This is great fast dinner for a weeknight.

Tags: shrimp, tacos, weeknight

Under Delicious Dinners+ Healthy Choices+ Kitchen Tips+ Quick and Easy+ What's for Lunch? Tags: shrimp, tacos, weeknight