Crazy About Nuts

Sometimes foods get a bad rap. Carbohydrates are still trying to recover from the Atkins Diet craze a few years back, when the public was told that they were the cause of all the bulge on their waistlines. Nuts are also shunned by some because of their high fat content. There is no need to pass on the peanut butter, a little bit can be good for you!

As long as you are in control of portions, nuts are a great addition to any diet. WebMD, a website devoted to health, says nuts contain "monounsaturated fat, vitamin E, folic acid, magnesium, copper, protein, and fiber, and are rich in antioxidant phytochemicals." They can also reduce the risk of heart disease. Nuts can also be a great tool to lose weight, as they are filling and high in fiber.

One handful of almonds a day has 170 calories, 1 g of saturated fat, 0 cholesterol, 5 g carbohydrates, 3 g of fiber, and 6 g of protein. They also provide 35% of your daily recommended intake of vitamin E. As far as snacks go, this one packs a nutritional punch.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that nuts are an excellent source of monounsaturated fats. Nuts, seeds, and legumes (beans) even have their own part of the nutritional pyramid, and are recommended as part of a healthy diet.

Being a Broke Foodie doesn't mean that you have to skip out on all that nuts have to offer. Peanut butter, a staple of the broke pantry, is great and not at all expensive. I eat almonds every day as a midday snack, and they are a great pick-me-up. They are a little bit more expensive, but I get them at a bulk supply store so the cost is lower. Peanuts or cashews are also a great midday snack.

It wouldn't be a blog post unless I included a recipe, so here's a great one using wasabi, courtesy of the Almond Board.

Wasabi Almonds


Ingredients
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water
1 pound whole natural California Almonds
2 tablespoons wasabi powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Directions
Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Line a sided baking sheet with greased foil or parchment paper.
Whisk egg white and water together until foamy. Add almonds and toss to coat. Transfer to a sieve; toss gently and let drain. Stir together wasabi powder, salt and cornstarch in a large bowl. Add almonds and toss to coat.
Spread almonds on baking sheet in a single layer, and bake 30 minutes. Gently stir, reduce temperature to 200 degrees and continue baking 20 more minutes. Let cool completely before serving. Serve, or store in an airtight container for up to a week

Restaurant Review: Chong's Noodle House

While driving in downtown Winona recently, I saw a restaurant I had never heard of. Winona isn't that big of a town, surely I have heard of ever restaurant they have to offer. Turns out, I just never wandered that far west of Huff Street.

Chong's Noodle House, located at 578 E. 4th St., was a delightful surprise. Even though my friend and I arrived 15 minutes before closing time, we were greeted warmly and welcomed. Our food was brought out very quickly, and piping hot.

Jessica ordered the noodle salad, and she said it was great. Cold noodles, shredded carrot, and chicken were tossed together, and topped with sliced egg rolls. The cold noodles mixed with the hot egg roll was a nice contrast, and the carrots added a nice bit of sweetness, Jessica said.

The pad thai I ordered may be what was missing in my life. I haven't been able to find good pad thai outside of the Twin Cities, but I found it here. For those of you who aren't familiar with pad thai, it is a stir fry dish with rice noodles, tofu, fish sauce, sprouts, and red chili pepper. It is often garnished with peanuts, and can contain a variety of other meats. The pad thai at Chong's contained tofu, chicken, and shrimp, three of my favorite foods. It was so good, words are currently failing me, and I may be drooling a little bit on my keyboard.

So why is Chong's Noodle House a good choice for Broke Foodies? Because it's broke people-friendly. Jessica's noodle salad was under $7, and my pad thai was $7. This meal could easily have been $30 anywhere else, but we made it under $18, including tip. This would be a great date place for someone who is struggling with cash, but still wants to impress.

It's not often that while walking to the car after dinner, I'm still raving about my food. It's not often that later that night, I'm still talking about my pad thai. And it's not often that I can afford to eat out, and still be impressed. I strongly recommend Chong's Noodle House to my fellow Broke Foodies in the Winona area.