The holiday season is upon us. Gatherings will soon begin with family and friends celebrating another year coming to an end and looking forward to the next.
This year, bring something unique and delicious to your holiday meal, a dish that’s jam packed with nutrients and vitamins, including folic acid.
There are natural ways to consume folic acid. Leafy green vegetables such as spinach, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, citrus fruits, legumes and beans, rice, breads, and beets are just a few.
We’ve gathered three delicious side dish recipes that are perfect to bring to your holiday gathering.
Roasted Asparagus
As we mentioned, asparagus has folic acid. In fact, a half-cup of cooked asparagus (90-gram) contains about 134 mcg of folate, the natural form of folic acid.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Break off the tough ends of each asparagus and toss them in a mixing bowl with a drizzle of olive oil. Mix in parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper, or whatever seasonings you prefer.
Lay the stalks in an oven-safe pan then drizzle the olive oil left in the bowl on top. Bake in the over until just tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
Serve and enjoy.
Fried Brussels Sprouts with Lemon, Mint, and Buttermilk
Brussels sprouts are full of vitamins and minerals and are especially high in folate. A half-cup of cooked Brussels sprouts (78-gram) can have 47 mcg of folate.
Start with the buttermilk dressing. Put 1/3 cup buttermilk, ½ tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tbs crème fraiche, ½ tsp lemon juice, and 1 tbs olive oil into a small food processor and whiz until smooth. Add a little salt and pepper and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Now prep the rest of the ingredients. Trim and cut in half lengthwise 500g of Brussels sprouts. Roughly chop two cloves of garlic. Grate 1/3 cup of parmesan. Finely shred ¼ bunch of mint leaves. Zest one lemon.
Heat olive oil in a large, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sprouts, garlic, lemon zest, and two bay leaves and cook. Turn them for 3-4 minutes until lightly caramelized. Pop the pan in the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden and al dente.
Once out of the oven, put the sprouts and pre-made dressing into a mixing bowl and toss to combine. Return the sprouts to the skillet. Add the parmesan to the top and cook on top of the stove over high heat for 3-4 minutes until the parmesan is melted, golden, and the dressing has slightly thickened.
Toss on the mint and enjoy!
(Recipe courtesy: delicious.com)
Black-Eyed Pea Dip
Of all of the beans, black beans have the most folic acid. A half-cup can pack 105 mcg.
You’re going to need to make this one the night before and refrigerate overnight.
In a very large bowl, combine the following:
- 1 (15 ounce) can of black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 2 tbs of white sugar
- ¼ cup of olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 2 Roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
- ½ bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped
- 3 tbs of balsamic vinegar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 minced jalapeno pepper (optional)
Mix well in a large bowl and refrigerate for at least six hours before serving.
