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Food Ventures

New Products and a Tropical Cookbook for the New Year

By Ann Hattes
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Each section opens with a brief explanation of the different cultures whose history acts as the foundation of Belizean heritage. The over 120 recipes span cultures including the Maya, British, Mestizo, Creole, Chinese, Lebanese, Garifuna and more.

y_hattesdecOmega-3 ground beef is coming to stores across America and is the first and only USDA labeled ground beef product naturally abundant in omega-3 fatty acids. Now consumers will be able to supplement their diets with additional omega-3s besides fish and supplements. Research has shown that omega-3s EPA and DHA boost heart health and lower triglycerides and may help with rheumatoid arthritis and depression. As omega-3s are not made in the body we need to get them from our diet.

“For over a decade we have been working on revolutionizing how to not only make products that are healthier for consumers, but in turn make the animals healthier,” states Todd Hansen, CEO of NBO3 Technologies. “And yes, we are offering beef with naturally abundant omega-3 fatty acids by feeding animals an omega-3 rich diet.”

Compare the nutritional information of omega-3 fatty acids/mg in 4 oz. serving. The usual ground beef product has 0 mg; grass-fed beef about 70 mg (levels fluctuate based on availability of fresh green grass). This new product, GreatO 80/20 ground beef has 200 mg of omega-3 fatty acids. While the amount of omega-3 fatty acids per serving of GreatO 80/20 ground beef is lower than fatty fish, like wild or farm raised salmon, consumers purchase and consume significantly more meat than fish annually.

GreatO 80/20 ground beef, initially sold in selected grocers, will be followed by Omega 3s in patties, steaks and roasts, premium chicken, premium pork (and bacon), and premium dairy (milk, butter and cream) in an intensive region-by-region roll out in 2013.

 

Dried Fruit

For a healthy and portable snack option, look for Crispy Fruit and FruitziO freeze-dried fruit packed with 100 percent real fruit taste, free from additives and preservatives, with no cholesterol and no fat. Crispy Fruit apples, Asian pears, bananas, cantaloupe, mangoes and pineapple, are made of 100 percent fresh fruit before drying. Fruit like strawberries that cannot be kept fresh for an extended period of time are combined with flash frozen fruit and in some cases, a hint of sugar, for FruitziO flavors of strawberry, peach, kiwi, apricot, and apples and strawberry. Find out where to buy these long shelf life fruit snacks at www.crispygreen.com.

 

Flavors of Belize

Journey to the tropics with Flavors of Belize: The Cookbook. “As Central America’s gateway to the Caribbean, the beautiful beaches of Belize welcomed a fascinating parade of immigrants from remote corners of the globe,” says Tanya McNab, the visionary behind this book. “When all of these cultures came to peacefully coexist in such a small geography, their food was magically infused with a worldly flair. Belizean cuisine today is unlike that of any other country.”

Packed with recipes – including a selection of soups and starters to main dishes and delectable desserts – the cookbook hosts a variety of submissions from some of Belize’s most renowned chefs and cooks, some formally trained and some trained in their mother’s kitchen. Each section opens with a brief explanation of the different cultures whose history acts as the foundation of Belizean heritage. The over 120 recipes span cultures including the Maya, British, Mestizo, Creole, Chinese, Lebanese, Garifuna and more.

Some lesser known but favorite Belizean recipes found in the cookbook include Panades, fried corn pockets filled with beans or fish; Escabeche, a hearty Hispanic onion soup; Hibiscus-Marinated Pork Tenderloin; and Breadfruit Casserole, a unique side dish made with local breadfruit. Explore an ancient history, exotic cuisine, and a remarkable collaboration between cultures and generations, ingredients and cooking styles from Belize’s people.

If you can't travel to the tropics, bring the tropics into your kitchen. Plantains in multiple forms are found on every Belizean lunch plate. Normally paired with rice and beans, stewed chicken and potato salad or cole slaw.

 


Recipes:

Baked Plantain

Potato Pound

 

Ann Hattes has over 25 years experience writing about both travel and food for publications both in the US and internationally. A senior living in Wisconsin, she’s a member of the International Food, Wine and Travel Writers Association and the Midwest Travel Writers Association.

Meet Ann